Ultimate Guide to Vape Wire Types
People who use pre-made coils are usually pretty limited to vape wire types since most coils on the market are kanthal and there are some rare cases of other options. For builders, however, there are a ton of different choices for wires to build coils with. This guide to vape wire types will help you decide which is the right option for you as we will go over the pros and cons of each type of wire.
Vape Wire Types – 1. Kanthal A1
Often referred to as A1 Kanthal. This is probably the longest running wire used for vaping. Most pre-made coil heads are made of A1 and it’s a great option for new builders. It’s also the best option for people with a nickel allergy as most of the other types of metal have some nickel in them. The only drawback for A1 is it can’t be used in temp control mode.
Vape Wire Types – 2. Nickel
Often referred to as Ni200 Nickel. This was the first wire used for temp control when it was a new feature. It was good due to its high change of resistance. It’s become an outdated wire now and there’s no reason to use it anymore. It can also be used in temp control mode and cannot be used in power mode or dry burned and has a really low resistance and hard to work with.
Vape Wire Types – 3. Titanium
Often referred to as Ti. This is the second wire to be used for temp control. It kind of took the place of Ni200 wire making it outdated. Not as high of a resistance change as Ni200 but more than high enough and was a little easier to work with and a little higher resistance than Ni200 wire. This wire has also become outdated as well and suffers from many of the same cons as Ni200 wire like not being able to use it in power mode or dry burn it.
Vape Wire Types – 4. Nichrome
Often referred to as Ni80 (not to be confused with Nickel which is Ni200). Nichrome has cut into the popularity of A1 wire. Ni80 has the same limits as kanthal since it can’t be used in temperature control mode but offers lower resistance than A1, making it a popular choice for people who use mechanical mods. It does contain nickel so if you have a nickel allergy, you can’t use it but outside of that, it’s just as good as A1 but not as widely used yet.
Vape Wire Types – 5. Stainless Steel
Often referred to as SS wire. Stainless steel comes in several grades. The most common is SS316 or SS316L but also SS317, SS304, and SS430. Most commonly used in vaping is SS316 or SS316L wire (no difference for vaping purposes). SS316 is an excellent wire as it has many advantages over others on this list. It can be used in power mode or temp control mode. Most mods nowadays have a SS mode in them. The resistance change is enough for temp control but it’s also safe to dry burn and use in power mode. SS is also readily available and sold in lots of fancy coil options like fused claptons and such. It’s an excellent all-around wire for anyone’s usage but it does contain some nickel for those who are allergic.
Vape Wire Types – 6. NiFe
NiFe is a nickel-iron alloy so yes contains nickel so not for those allergic. It’s available in a few grades most commonly NiFe 70 or NiFe 52. NiFe has many advantages over the wires listed above and none of the disadvantages. Like SS wire, it’s universal and can be dry burned, used in power mode and used in temp control mode. The only disadvantage of NiFe wire is that it’s hard to find and most vape mods don’t have a NiFe mode. However, it can be used in TCR mode if your mod has one and has a higher resistance change than SS wire.
Conclusion
So those are the main vape wire types, so how do you choose which one is right for you? I’ll try and make it as simple as possible. If you are allergic to nickel, then A1 is your only choice. For Temp Control vapers, SS (specifically SS316) is the way to go. It’s much more available than NiFe wire and much better and safer than Ni200 or Ti wire. If you are a power mode vaper only and not allergic to Nickel then Ni80, A1, and SS are all widely available and good to use.
Overall, personally, I prefer to use SS316 wire since I can use it in any mode on pretty much any mod (as long as it does good temp control and not every mod does) and it’s readily available. I’d advise against ever using Ni200 or Ti wire as they are outdated and pointless now and NiFe is good to use if you can find it but it’s hard to find and also not supported in temp control by many mods.
Andrew
I started vaping in late 2011 to quit chewing tobacco. Over the past few years I got a lot more into the hobby side and buying and collecting a lot of gear. Fed up with the lack of good fair reviews I decided to start doing reviews late 2016 and haven’t looked back. I enjoy providing people with technical reviews that are fair and unbiased and from a place of knowledge to help them spend their money wisely.
