Variable Wattage vs Temp Control: Which is Better?

Perhaps you’re familiar with variable wattage or power mode; after all, it comes standard on most mods today. But have you heard about vape temperature control? Temp control is a new vaping mode that seems to be overtaking variable wattage. But is this new vaping mode better than wattage mode? Today we put them together to find the question: variable wattage vs. temp control, which is better?

 Table of Contents

1. What is a Variable Wattage Vape?
2. What is a Temperature Control Vape?
3. Variable Wattage vs Temp Control
4. Conclusion

What is a Variable Wattage Vape?

A variable wattage vape is a vape that lets you adjust the wattage of the device to your preferred wattage level, which then automatically adjusts the device’s voltage to match the atomizer resistance. It changes the voltage for you, and all you have to do is choose a lower or higher wattage level. A lower wattage will give off a more excellent, less dense vapor, while a higher wattage will create a hotter, more dense vapor. 

Variable wattage, also known as power mode, is the norm in vaping and can only be used with the following types of wires: kanthal, NiChrome, and stainless steel. The ability to change the wattage can also help you find the “sweet spot” of various vape juices since many coils operate under a range of wattage settings, for example, 70 to 85 watts. 

One important thing to understand is that with variable wattage, as long as the firing button keeps being pressed, the temperature will keep rising, leading to burned and dry hits. And here is where temperature control makes its entrance.

What is a Temperature Control Vape?

A preferred wattage will be applied to the vape with a temperature control vape until a specific temperature is reached. Once the temperature is reached, the wattage fluctuates, dropping and rising, maintaining that temperature. You set a temperature, and the vape will automatically lower or raise the wattage to prevent burned or dry hits. The range of the temperature used in temperature control is usually from 300°F to 600°F (100°C to 315°C). 

Most importantly, you need a special kind of wires whose resistance changes (predictably) with the temperature or have what is known as a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). All the wires used in temperature control have a TCR, which allows the mod to calculate when the temperature rises and drops since the resistance also changes. The only three wires you can use for temperature control are stainless steel, nickel, and titanium. 

Variable Wattage vs Temp Control

Both modes of vaping, variable wattage and temperature control, have their advantages. Below we go over the benefits each vaping mode has.

Burn & Dry Hits

The most apparent and most immediate advantage of temperature control is that you avoid burn or dry hits. It might be the real reason why the technology was created in the first place. You will always risk getting a dry hit with variable wattage mode because if you press the firing button for too long, the cotton will burn, and you’ll experience a nasty dry hit. But it’s not just the cotton that gets burned; the high temperature can also caramelize vape juice on your coils and ruin them. 

Less Power & Less Juice

Another advantage of temperature control is that it uses less power and less juice. Once the temperature is reached, the wattage tends to lower since less power is needed to maintain the temperature, saving precious battery life. There’s also the fact that, whether you like it or not, when using a variable wattage vape, you’ll burn your coil, which then burns your cotton and evaporates your e-juice. But, if you have a temperature control vape, you’ll never burn your cotton, which, in turn, does not vaporize e-juice, helping you save money and trips to the vape store. 

Safety

Perhaps the most important benefit or advantage of temperature control is that it is safer than variable wattage. With variable wattage, the coil will keep climbing in temperature until it gets scalding or burns out. The odds of leaving a vape with variable wattage in your pocket or purse on and accidentally misfiring are few, but it could happen. That’s why temperature control is safer. If you set the output temperature that’s not too hot, the firing button, even if it is pressed, won’t go over the weather and the coil will never get burned or become red hot, which can avoid any possible accidents. 

Types of Wire

When it comes to types of wires that can be used with each mode, variable wattage has a clear advantage. Since the very popular and easy to work with Kanthal can only be used with variable wattage, this is a deal-breaker for some when it comes to temperature control. The wires available to be used with temp control are stainless steel, nickel, and titanium. Although stainless steel can be used with no problem when nickel and titanium exceed certain temperatures, they can be dangerous to inhale. 

Builder Friendly

Another advantage of variable wattage is that it is coil-building-friendly. We mean that the wires used for variable wattage are way more malleable than those used for temperature control. The cables used for temperature control (which are stainless steel, nickel, and titanium) are way much harder to work with and turn into coils, except stainless steel, which can also be used with variable wattage. 

Conclusion

The good thing about today’s technology is that you can have the best of both worlds, and you don’t have to choose between variable wattage or temperature control. Most mods nowadays have come with both modes, so you can select on the fly which one you want. Just remember that the coil’s metal type has to work with temperature control if you switch to it. We recommend only using stainless steel, which works with both variable wattage and temp control.