Single Coil – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

A Single Coil is a vaping atomiser build that uses only one heating wire to vaporise e-liquid. Positioned inside the Deck“>build deck, this solitary coil is wrapped with Cotton“>organic cotton or similar wicking material that feeds juice to the wire. When electricity from the mod passes through, the coil heats up, turning liquid into flavour-rich vapour. Single coils are popular with beginners and flavour chasers because they are simple to install, economical on battery life and e-liquid, and require lower wattage than multi-coil configurations.

Technical Details

Electrically, a single-coil build presents one resistive path, so its resistance value equals the measured Ohms on a regulated mod or external reader. Typical resistances range from 0.15 Ω (Sub-Ohm) to 1.2 Ω for mouth-to-lung, with mass-market Starter Kits usually pre-installed at 0.6–0.8 Ω. Power demand scales with coil mass: a 26-gauge Kanthal round-wire may need 18–25 W, whereas a 3 × 28-gauge Clapton can require 45–60 W. Because current is concentrated in one wire, ramp-up time is short and heat is localised, producing a warm, concentrated flavour column. Airflow is commonly bottom or side-fed, matching the single coil’s narrow profile. Variations include micro-coil, spaced coil, twisted, Clapton, Alien and mesh strips cut to single-coil width.

Usage & Tips

Install the coil centrally, aligning all wraps with the deck’s airflow slots to prevent turbulent hot spots. Wick snugly—enough cotton to move with slight resistance—then prime with a few drops for Steeping-free first puffs. Start at the lower end of the recommended wattage and creep up until vapour is dense and flavour peaks. Common issues are spit-back (lower wattage or thin wick) and dry hits (too much cotton or over-sweetened juice). Always verify resistance on a regulated mod with Short Circuit Protection before firing; a reading that jumps or is wildly lower than expected signals a loose postscrew or torn wrap. Single coils pair perfectly with Squonk Mods because one squeeze refills the compact juice well evenly.

History & Context

Single coils date back to the first rebuildable dripping atomisers (RDAs) circa 2010, when vapers repurposed flashlight bulbs and silica wicks. As Sub-Ohm vaping surged, dual- and quad-coil clouds dominated, yet single coils endured for their efficiency and flavour precision. Today’s mesh-and-Clapton era keeps the single-coil platform alive, offering high-surface-area builds without draining batteries or 18650 cells.