Any good E Cigarette practitioner will know about the debate on Cartomizers and Clearomizers, and at some point would have had to have made a choice about which one to go for in their e cig setup. It has been a long debate which has been going on for some years now, so we decided to find out once and for all. So just what is the best of these two essential items, Cartomizer or the Clearomizer?
For many, the Clearomizer is the “go to” tank for their e cigarette. With its ease of maintenance and ability to fill on the go, the Clearomizer makes for a stress free vaping experience.
Cartomizers, on the other hand may take a bit more care to fill, but are said to give you a better flavour experience for your e-cig, and possibly a rounder toke.
Of course, 99% of the time it will depend on the user, and the discussion over which is better will continue on for many more years yet , especially as the technology is improving in the market daily. But for those just getting in to the world of vaping, here is our break down of what you can expect from each of these essential items.
Cartomizers
Many users still purchase cartomizers from us on a regular basis. Cartos’ have a single or dual wire coil which is then surrounded by a filler material and used to absorb e-liquid. The purpose of these two materials combined is similar to the principle of soaking a sponge in water, and then applying it to a hot surface. The soaked water in the sponge, when applied to a hot surface will heat and create a steam. Most people have experienced this principle in action, and this is basically how a cartomizer works. The sponge would be the filler material, the coil would be the hot surface and the water would be the e-liquid.
Cartomizer Tanks (Dual Coil Tanks)
Oddly this is a combination of both the clearomizer and the cartomizer. The cartomizer fits inside what appears to be a clearomizer tank. The difference is the cartomizer acts like an atomizer inside a clearomizer. This is achieved by a series of small holes punched in to the side of the cartomizer that allows e-liquid in to the filler material at an even rate, keeping it constantly saturated. The tanks can be filled with as much as 5 to 6ml of your favourite e-juice.
Clearomizers
Not too dissimilar to a cartomizer, a clearomizer works by absorbing the liquid from a tank to a coil, kind of like how an oil burner would work. The difference is in the wicking. As it uses a wick it needs the help of suction from your e cigarette as you inhale. The constant suction from inhaling helps to keep the wicking material saturated, which in turn coats the coil constantly during use.
Before you use a clearomizer it is essential that you make sure it is wicking correctly.
For bottom coil clearomizers this can easily be done by simulating an inhalation from the e cigarette.
For top coil clearomizers, such as the ce4 or ce5, the best way to test the wicking is to take the e-cig in your hand and hold it horizontally, rotating the e cigarette in your fingers. This aids the wicking, not just on one side of the wick, but on all sides. Some ce5’s like the iclear 16 have four wicks and two coils and need an even saturation on all sides of the wicking.
What About The E-liquid Setup?
For top coil clearomizers 70% PG E-liquids would be better, but this is not necessarily required if you aid the wicking correctly. For Bottom coil clearomizers any combination of PG and VG E-liquid should be fine.
For cartomizers we feel that a perfect combination would be 60% PG and 40% VG, but you can go slightly either side of this to suit your preference.
The Verdict
So, the verdict on which is better, the Clearomizer or the Cartomizer really is down to personal taste. If you live a hectic lifestyle and just want ease of use, and something you can fill quickly, then the clearmizer is for you. If on the other hand you like to take your time over your vaping, and you don’t mind the extra hassle of a cartomizer, you could find a better experience from the fuller flavour that cartomizers can afford. It is a subjective thing and I’m sure the debate will continue for some time yet.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Which do you prefer, the Clearomizer or the Cartomizer? Your comments are welcome.
Author: Kevin Ewbank
Avid vaper & co-founder of SmokShop
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