Are You Ready to Wick It?

One of the most important parts of a good vaping session is also one of the smallest. People tend to forget about it unless something goes terribly wrong, and it’s easily passed by without much thought. The wick, a small piece of soakable and heatable material that lies within the center of the coil, does a huge amount of work in delivering you that delectable vapor you desire at every vaping session.

Wicking, at its true definition, is the action of drawing flammable liquid against gravity in order to react with air. Think of wicking sort of like a candle - how does the candle keep burning if the flammable material is below the actual flame? The wicking material (in the case of the candle, braided cotton) actively draws flammable material up the wick into the heat of the flame. In terms of vaping, this is the action by which e-liquid enters the coil and is turned into vapor. Whether it is a single coil vape, double coil vape, or some custom setup, wicking is always done by the same set of actions.

Clearly, wicking is extremely important to the entire action of vaping. And as a vapor, you’re probably curious about how to maximize your vaping experience. Fortunately, wicking isn’t just a one-and-done type of deal. There’s a huge variety in both the wicking material and way you wick that can be tweaked and tampered with until you find the perfect combination to use.

Wicking materials are where some of the biggest hype in the vaping world is centered. Until recently, basic unbleached cotton was used to wick. Cotton generally gives great flavor with no bias due to flavor of the wicking material itself, but would occasionally give a dry or burnt hit that left the user’s taste buds feeling dry and gross. At one point, stainless steel mesh was used as wicking material but would too easily burn out coils. Many leading vapers are now switching to Japanese cotton, a specific blend of cotton grown exclusively in Japan. This type of cotton gives a slight boost to flavor, and lasts much longer than any other wicking material on the market.

It seems as though most vapers forget to experiment with wicking material. However, wicking is a quintessential part of the vaping process. All of the e-liquid passes through the wicking material prior to entering your mouth as vapor. Therefore, it’s pretty important to have a healthy, safe, and great-tasting wicking material. Don’t forget to try some of the different materials. Most of all, don’t forget about wicking just because you can’t see it when you vape. Always be mindful, and you’ll have great experiences during your next sessions.