Mesh Coil – What is it in Vaping & How Does it Work?

Definition

A mesh coil is a modern vape coil design that replaces the traditional twisted wire spiral with a thin perforated metal sheet—usually Kanthal, stainless steel, or nichrome—shaped into a flat tube or concertina. Because the entire surface of the mesh heats evenly, it delivers faster ramp-up, denser vapour, and cleaner flavour from your Mod while using less battery power. Beginners like the forgiving wicking that reduces dry hits, and cloud-chasers appreciate the low-resistance, high-surface-area build that suits Max VG juices.

Technical Details

Mesh strips vapourise e-liquid through hundreds of tiny holes that create uniform heat flux (typically 0.10–0.30 Ω in sub-ohm tanks). The ribbon is 30–100 µm thick and 5–10 mm wide, offering 3–5× the surface area of an equivalent 26-gauge round wire. Standard formats include:

• Strip Mesh: rolled sheet pressed into a cylindrical coil head
• Grid Mesh: laser-cut honeycomb for temperature-control compatible stainless-steel builds
• Dual / Triple Mesh: two or three layered sheets for extreme wattage (60–110 W) cloud chasing

Manufacturers rate most mesh coils for 40–80 W; resistance is usually fixed by the alloy and punch pattern, so variable-wattage devices are recommended over unregulated Mechanical Mod setups.

Usage & Tips

Prime the cotton generously until translucent, then start at 10 W below the coil’s minimum rating and work upward. Chain-vapers should pause 3–4 seconds between puffs to let the capillary action keep up—mesh wicks faster than wire but can still burn if starved. Dark, sweet Max VG liquids caramelise quickly; drop wattage or rotate coils every 48 h to extend life (expect 15–25 mL life span). If flavour drops or you notice a metallic after-taste, replace the coil: mesh rarely shows the gradual decline of round wire, but fails suddenly.

History & Context

First adopted by rebuildable-atomiser hobbyists in 2015, factory-made mesh coil heads entered the mainstream in 2018 with the Horizon Falcon and SMOK TFV-series. Their success shifted the sub-ohm market away from Clapton wires toward low-wattage, high-flavour setups popular with Australian vapers facing nicotine import limits.