Top Coil – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

A Top Coil is a heating element positioned at the upper section of a tank, directly beneath the mouthpiece. Unlike bottom-coil designs, the top-coil atomiser sits above the e-liquid reservoir and relies on gravity-fed wicking to draw juice upward. Its purpose is to vaporise e-liquid into an inhalable aerosol while keeping the hot coil away from the tank base, simplifying construction and reducing leaking in early tank systems. Because the coil is closer to the mouthpiece, vapers often experience a warmer vape and a slightly stronger throat hit. Top coils remain popular in entry-level clearomisers and disposable-style cartridges due to their low cost and ease of replacement.

Technical Details

Top-coil atomisers typically use a vertical or horizontal coil assembly wrapped around a silica or organic-cotton wick. Resistance“>Standard resistance ranges from 1.2 Ω to 2.5 Ω, optimised for 3.3 V–4.2 V output on fixed-voltage eGo-style batteries. Wick length is trimmed so the tails hang 3–5 mm into the tank, creating a syphon that feeds juice upward against gravity. Airflow enters through side ports, passes over the coil, and exits straight into the drip-tip chimney—shortening the vapour path and preserving warmth. Variants include single-coil CE4/CE5 clearomisers, dual-coil “Stardust” heads, and rebuildable top-coil decks for vintage Kayfun Lite RTAs. Modern nickel or titanium wire versions support Temperature Control (TC) on compatible mods, preventing dry hits when wicking momentarily stalls.

Usage & Tips

• Priming:Drip 2–3 drops directly onto the coil and wait 5 min after first fill to saturate wicks fully.
• Power window: Stay within 6–10 W for 1.8 Ω coils; higher watts collapse the syphon and burn cotton.
• Gravity matters: Keep the tank at least one-third full; below that, tilt periodically to rewick tails.
• Cleaning: Rinse coil heads under warm water, dry-burn lightly at 3 V to remove residue, extend life by 3–5 days.
• Safety: Avoid chain-vaping more than 3–4 sec puffs; overheating can crack plastic tanks or melt insulators.

History & Context

Top coils dominated the 2010–2013 vaping scene when Chinese CE4 clearomisers paired with eGo batteries became the default Kit“>starter kit in Australia. Their simple, leak-resistant design educated millions of smokers on basic tank maintenance before bottom-coil and sub-ohm technologies shifted the market toward cloud chasing.