Disposable vapes make life so much easier, as they require no setup, no maintenance, and no replacements of any parts. Better yet, they’re pocket-friendly, and ready to vape right out of the box. Now, all of that is good and dandy, but there's one drawback we hear consistently from vapers. This is what we want to address today. Given the structure of a disposable, where the e-liquid cartridge is built into the device, it's hard to know how many puffs are left in a disposable vape until you run out.
Understanding Disposable Vape Lifespan
Every disposable vape has a lifespan, as there’s a finite amount of e-liquid inside of the cartridge, and once that runs out, it cannot be replaced. That’s the nature of disposables, and a big reason why they’re so popular, as they require no real maintenance.
Now, each disposable is going to have a unique lifespan based on how much e-liquid is inside. And, fortunately, companies do the hard work for you, by discarding their puff counts. You'll see vapes that say "5000 puffs," "7500 puffs," and even "20000 puffs" nowadays. While this number is approximate, it gives a good indication of the total puffs based on the e-juice amount and battery capacity, which we'll discuss more in a bit.
Now, the exact puff amount can’t be calculated, as it depends on how long and deeply each individual inhales. There are other factors that affect how many puffs you’ll get, too, which we’re about to dive into now.
Factors Affecting Puff Count
Let’s take a look at the big 3 determining factors behind how many puffs you can get per disposable vape device.
Battery Capacity
The battery capacity plays a role, and so does whether or not it’s rechargeable. A rechargeable battery can be recharged enough times to use all the e-liquid. A non-rechargeable one will eventually run out, sometimes before the e-liquid does, depending on its capacity—how much power it can supply before it no longer works.
Coil Efficiency
Coil efficiency refers to how good of a job the coil does at vaporizing the e-liquid inside the cartridge. The coil gets its power from the battery, heats up, and vaporizes your juice, creating clouds from the mouthpiece. A more efficient coil, based on its design, materials, and resistance level, will last at least as long as the vape juice in the cartridge.
E-Juice Volume
Finally, the volume of e-liquid in the cartridge will obviously play a role in how many puffs you can expect to get. The more volume, the more e-liquid, and the more e-liquid, the more clouds.
Methods to Estimate Remaining Puffs
It can be hard to know how many puffs you have before the disposable needs to be replaced, because unlike with other types of vaping systems, disposables hide their cartridges so you can’t see the amount of e-liquid that’s left in there. The options for determining this are inefficient at best, as you’ll see below.
Counting Puffs
The only true way to measure is to count the puffs you take and compare that to the advertised number. This can be tough because someone who inhales deeply will use a vape faster than someone who takes short, shallow puffs.
Manual Tracking
Manual tracking means actually keeping track of the total number of puffs you’ve taken, manually. This is tedious, but some people do it anyway.
Using a Counter Device
The other option is using some type of counter device, like your phone, to keep track of how many puffs you’ve taken so far off of one disposable vape.
Visuals and Functional Indicators
Fortunately, more and more disposables come with some type of monitoring system that does the work for you, so you can keep track of how many puffs you have left. These devices typically cost a bit more, since you’re paying for more advanced technology, but many will tell you that it’s worth it.
LED Lights: Color-Coded or Blinking
A lot of these disposables will use an LED light system, that either blinks or uses color-coding to let you know when the juice level is getting low.
Display Screen Technology
Even better, the most advanced disposables coming out right now have built-in display screens which give a more detailed representation of how much juice/how many puffs you have left. Again, these will typically cost more than other disposable vapes.
Tips for Prolonged Disposable Vape Life
No one wants to spend money on a disposable that ends up conking out before it’s supposed to. Here are some tips for prolonging the life of each disposable vape that you buy.
Moderate Usage
Of course, moderating your usage is key. We know how easy it is to vape anywhere, and never put that disposable down. But, naturally, being complacent with your usage can lead to going through disposables at a much faster rate than you actually intend to. Cutting back can save you a good deal of money.
Controlled Puffing
Deciding to take shorter and/or shallower pulls can help extend the life of your vape, as long, deep pulls really do make you go through your device much faster.
Storage Conditions
Storing your disposables properly also makes a difference. Keeping them away from high heat, humidity, and light will slow down the oxidization and evaporation that can occur, reducing the actual volume of e-liquid in the cartridge.
When to Replace a Disposable Vape
It’s important to know when it is time to replace your disposable, so that you always have one ready to go before you run out of puffs entirely.
Signs of a Low Battery and/or Juice Level
There are clear signs of a low battery. If your device doesn't use a rechargeable battery, you'll soon need to replace it. These signs also indicate low juice. If you have a rechargeable vape, recharging it will reveal if the issue is the juice level or the battery.
Decreased Vapor Production
If your device isn't producing as big clouds as before, it likely means the battery is slowing down or the juice level is low. There either isn't enough power for big hits or enough e-liquid to produce large amounts of vapor.
Flavor Change
Changes to flavor also give you clues. Weak flavor usually means a low battery, while burnt flavor usually means a low juice level.
Final Disposable Vape Puffing Thoughts
As you can see, there are ways to know how many puffs you have left, ranging from the more tedious manual counting, to simply checking the display screen of a high-tech device. Perhaps more importantly than anything, it’s good to always have backup vapes ready to go, so that when the juice does run out, you can get right back to vaping in no time with a fresh device that’s waiting for you.
Obviously, if you do end up going through vapes way too fast, consider the fact that maybe you can cut back on your usage, or at least change the style of inhaling that you’re used to. This way, you can definitely make each purchase last a lot longer moving forward.