Comparison Eleaf iStick Pico 25 with Ello Kit vs Eleaf iJust 2 Kit

Additional functions of the board provided in the electronic battery mod (see "Battery mod").

— Varivolt. Battery mods that allow you to adjust the voltage supplied to the atomizer. Due to this, the power supply changes and, accordingly, the heating power and the general vaping mode are regulated. At the same time, unlike the varivolt (see below), the voltage change in the varivolt is carried out only manually, regardless of the resistance of the atomizer. In fact, this means that if the user wants to get the same power on an atomizer with a different resistance, he will have to reconfigure the varivolt.

— Variwatt. Battery mods with the ability to automatically maintain the specified power supplied to the atomizer. An automated version of varivolts, which is able to automatically adjust to changes in the resistance of the atomizer. The voltage in the variatt is set for a specific resistance of the atomizer; if the resistance changes, then the electronics automatically sets the voltage at the output of the battery mod so that the power remains unchanged. Thanks to this, you can put heaters with different resistances on the battery pack without worrying about reconfiguring the power parameters — the variatt will independently select the desired voltage, keeping the intensity of soaring at the usual level. The main disadvantage of this option compared to...the varivolt is the relatively high cost, and compared to thermal control(see below), the need to choose the power experimentally, by trial and error.

— Variwatt + Varivolt. Battery mods capable of operating in two different modes — varivolt or variwatt, at the request of the user. These modes are described in more detail separately, and their combination in one battery pack can be useful for those who appreciate the advantages of vari-watt, but are not averse to experimenting with vari-volt as well.

— Thermal control + variatt. Battery mods that combine the variatt capabilities described above with the thermal control function. Thermal control allows you to monitor the temperature of the spiral, maintain it at an optimal level and turn off the power when approaching critical heating. The combination of these two adjustments is the most advanced option for today, in fact, eliminating the need for the vaper to manually select the optimal power settings. At the same time, the steam turns out to be pleasant to the taste (both due to its own temperature, and due to the fact that the probability of burning the wick is reduced to almost zero), and the battery charge is consumed in an optimal way. A serious drawback of thermal control, in addition to a rather high cost, is limited compatibility with atomizers: for this function to work correctly, a “head” with a coil made of nickel or titanium is required, and such models are relatively rare, and they are not cheap in themselves.

— Thermal control. Battery mods, the settings of which are limited only by thermal control. This function is described in more detail above; here we note that thermal control itself does not allow controlling the intensity of soaring, therefore this option has not received much distribution.

The ability to update the firmware of an electronic cigarette — more precisely, a battery mod (this is where all the control electronics are usually located).

This feature is most often found in models with advanced adjustments such as wattage or thermal control (see "Battery mod") — simpler devices do not require complex firmware (although there are exceptions). Major manufacturers of electronic cigarettes periodically release software updates for their equipment that improve the quality of work and eliminate errors noticed by consumers. So this feature is highly desirable for a device with extensive functionality and complex electronics.

The volume of the liquid tank provided in the design of the atomizer. Note that this parameter can be specified even for squonk atomizers (see "Filling type"): although they work with an external tank, however, a certain amount of "liquid" can fit in the evaporator itself.

The larger the tank, the more liquid you can keep in an electronic cigarette and the less often you have to refill it. On the other hand, capacious tanks have the appropriate dimensions, and too large a tank would be inconvenient, and liquids are consumed relatively little even in one long session of soaring. As a result, a volume of more than 6 mL is already considered quite large for vapes, and in the smallest models this figure does not exceed 2 mL.

Also note that when choosing a tank capacity, manufacturers usually take into account the resistance of the spiral, the power of the battery (if it is included) and other parameters that affect the expected flow rate of the liquid. There is no hard dependency here, however, in general, more powerful atomizers are usually equipped with larger tanks.

— Upper. The traditional type of filling was initially quite popular, but now such atomizers are gradually giving way to bottom filling models. The main advantage of this option is the ability to pour liquid without turning the atomizer over and without removing the flask from the battery mod. However refilling usually requires disassembly — for example, unscrewing the cap with the mouthpiece.

— Lower. This option assumes that for refueling, you need to turn the atomizer upside down and pour liquid from the bottom side. At first glance, this procedure is less convenient than top filling, but it provides an important advantage for serviced heaters: if necessary, you can remove and rewind the base without draining the liquid from the tank. Note that squonk format drip atomizers are formally also refueled from below, however, they have their own specifics, therefore they do not belong to this category and are allocated separately; see below for details.

— Side. Refueling through a special hole in the side of the atomizer. Like the top one, this design allows you not to remove the flask from the battery mod; the opening usually opens and closes easily and quickly, without the need, for example, to unscrew the cap. This option is quite popular in baco drips (see "Type of atomizer"), althou...gh it is also found in other varieties.

— Squonk. A specific type of bottom filling used in models with drip atomizers (see "Type of atomizer"). These vapes have a rather large e-liquid reservoir installed in the battery mod, and each time you press a special button (or the elastic wall of the reservoir), the liquid is fed into the atomizer in small portions directly through the connector. This design eliminates the main drawback of drip atomizers — the need to constantly add liquid manually, "drop by drop": instead of the hassle of manual refueling, it is enough to periodically press the button. At the same time, most of these evaporators allow installation on a regular battery mod, without a squonk — for this, the kit provides a replaceable connector of a standard design, without a channel for supplying liquid; and on battery mods with a squonk, usually, you can put ordinary atomizers without restrictions. The disadvantages of this option can be somewhat higher cost than analogues with traditional types of refueling.

The smallest resistance of the heating coil of an electronic cigarette.

The meaning of this parameter will be different, depending on which part of the device is in question (see "Type"). So, for atomizers, this parameter is given if spare heaters are supplied in the kit — accordingly, it is indicated for the “head” with the lowest resistance. For a battery mod, this is the smallest resistance that can be connected to it. And in starter kits, the minimum resistance is also usually indicated by the battery mod; low-resistance "heads" in such cases may or may not be included in the delivery.

Anyway, data on the minimum resistance is important in the mutual selection of an atomizer and a battery mod (including when creating custom windings) — connecting an atomizer with too low resistance is fraught with overloads and various unpleasant consequences, up to fire. However, this parameter is of particular importance for lovers of the so-called subohm — soaring at a low heater resistance (up to 1 ohm), which allows you to achieve high steam saturation (when the resistance decreases, the power increases). Not all batteries are capable of working with sub-ohm heaters, so the suitability of a battery mod for such vaping needs to be clarified.

The highest resistance of the electronic cigarette heating coil.

The meaning of this parameter will be different, depending on which part of the device is in question (see "Type"). For an atomizer, this can be either the resistance of the complete heater, or, if there are several “heads” in the kit, the resistance of the highest-resistance replaceable coil. For a battery mod, the highest resistance is indicated at which the battery is able to deliver sufficient power for operation. For the starter set, the data is usually given according to the battery mode, while the resistance of the complete heater (heaters) may be lower than the maximum.

Data on the maximum and minimum (see above) resistance is necessary, first of all, to select an atomizer and a battery mod that are compatible with each other. The atomizer must fall within the operating range of the battery mod, otherwise the battery will either be overloaded (if the evaporator resistance is too low), or simply will not provide the desired degree of heating (if it is too high).

The type of battery that the battery mod is equipped with or designed for (if the battery is not included).

Modern vapes can use both removable and non- removable batteries. The former are convenient in that a dead battery can be quickly replaced with a fresh one, and while one battery is in use, the second can be charged. However, for many vapes with such a power supply, you have to separately purchase both the batteries themselves and “chargers” for them (for more information about this type of batteries, see the “Removable” section). Non-removable elements, in turn, cannot be quickly changed, but they are more compact, immediately included in the delivery package and extremely easy to use: when the charge is exhausted, you do not need to mess with external chargers, just connect the supplied charger (or even just a USB cable). ).

As removable elements in vapes, 3.7-volt cylindrical lithium-ion batteries are mainly used, here are their main sizes:

— 18650. The most popular size of 3.7 V replacement batteries nowadays. Such cells have a diameter of 18 mm and a length of 65 mm, and their prevalence is due to a combination of good performance with relatively compact dimensions. The number of batteries of this type can be different: for models of relatively low power (up to 100 W), one 18650 battery is enough, in more powerful mods there are 2,...and in some models even 3 or more 18650 batteries.

— 20700. The format of replaceable batteries, used much less frequently than 18650 — due to its larger size (diameter 20 mm, length 70 mm). The number of such elements can also be different — from one in relatively low-power models to two or even three.

— 21700. Another relatively rare size of replaceable batteries; has the same length as 20700 (70mm) but larger diameter (21mm). Such elements are used mainly one at a time, vapes for two 21700 batteries are almost never produced.

— 26650. A rather specific size: such elements are the same 65 mm long as 18650, but their diameter is almost one and a half times larger — 26 mm. This provides high capacity and power, but the large size limits the use of this type of power supply, it is found only in single vape models (although there are devices even for two batteries). And in some battery mods for such elements, it is allowed to replace 26650 with 18650 due to the same length.

Built-in batteries, in turn, differ in the technology by which they are made. Nowadays, Li-Ion (lithium-ion) or Li-Pol (lithium-polymer) non-removable batteries are mainly used. They are similar in their main characteristics: they are compact, have a good capacity, lack the "memory effect", but they do not tolerate both frost and heat. The main difference is that in the first variety the electrolyte is liquid, and in the second it is a solid polymer. Thanks to this, Li-Ion cells are somewhat cheaper, and Li-Pol are less sensitive to overloads and safer in emergency conditions.

The battery capacity of an e-cigarette or separately sold battery mod. This parameter is indicated only for models with non-removable batteries (see "Battery type"): replaceable cells can be produced in different capacities.

The larger the battery, the longer you can use the device without recharging the battery. However the actual power consumption and, accordingly, the battery life of different models will be different, therefore, only devices with similar operating voltages and atomizer resistances can be compared in terms of capacity.

In general, if battery life is important to you, it is quite possible to proceed from the principle “the more capacious the battery, the better”; and to save money, you can choose a relatively weak battery. It is also worth mentioning that there are schemes for calculating the optimal battery capacity depending on the power, atomizer resistance, etc.; these schemes can be found in special sources.

The maximum power supplied by the battery.

This is one of the main parameters of the battery pack that determines its compatibility with the atomizer. Starter kits (see "Type"), by definition, include atomizers that are optimally suited to a given battery in terms of power, and this parameter is mainly of reference value. But when choosing components separately, you should pay special attention to it. Higher power allows you to achieve more saturated steam, but only up to certain limits — too much heating leads to a deterioration in taste, and even burning of the wick (which, all the more, does not contribute to improving the sensation of soaring). So the atomizer must normally transfer the power of the battery, otherwise, at best, you will have to constantly limit the power with the help of a varivolt or variwatt (see "Battery mod"), and at worst, normal use will be impossible at all.

Note that for classic evaporator tanks with one spiral, power up to 40 W is considered sufficient; more powerful batteries are designed mainly for advanced serviced models, drip atomizers and bacodrips(see "Type of atomizer") that have more than one coil and, accordingly, are more high consumption in terms of energy consumption. Also note that the actual heating power depends on the voltage, and in fact it may be lower than the claimed one, depending on the resistance of the atomizer. See “Maximum voltage".