Are Pod-Mods any good? What are they?

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It has now been 10 years since the electronic cigarette arrived in France. Since its appearance in 2010, the market has continuously evolved and solutions have multiplied; to meet the expectations of increasingly demanding users. If such a multitude of electronic cigarettes exists, it is primarily to meet the needs of different vaper profiles looking for performance and cheap e-cigarettes.

In this article, we will focus more specifically on the Pod-Mod: a vaping solution dedicated to beginners, as well as users who do not want to deal with an overly complex operating mode.

What is a Pod-Mod?

A Pod is a type of all-in-one electronic cigarette, both compact and ready to use. It is also referred to as a Pod-Mod, directly indicating what it is made up of: a cartridge (Pod) and a battery (Mod). With this type of device, forget technical handling; as it focuses solely on the essentials to offer you a quality and immediate vaping experience. The two distinct parts that make it up cannot function without each other.

The Mod

The Mod is the main "non-disposable" part of the Pod-Mod. This is the component you hold in your hand to vape, and it notably integrates the battery, which provides the power needed for the whole device to function properly. Since the battery cannot be replaced, it is essential to choose sufficient capacity beforehand to meet your vaping needs. The internal battery of a Mod can offer different power levels, always expressed in milliampere-hours. For occasional and infrequent use, Mods with a battery between 350 and 700 mAh will do the job. However, if you wish to vape regularly throughout the day without having to recharge the battery in between, you will need to opt for a higher-capacity battery, at least equal to 1000 mAh.

Mods are designed to be as simple as possible and, as such, they have very few or no buttons at all and generally do not include a screen. To know when you need to recharge your device's battery using the supplied micro-USB or USB-C cable, an LED signal informs you by flashing or changing colour.

The Pod

The cartridge or Pod is the element that completes your Mod and makes vapour production possible. Indeed, like a clearomizer, a cartridge is equipped with a coil, an e-liquid tank, and a drip-tip. The only difference is that it is impossible to change the coil on a cartridge. It is therefore necessary to replace the entire cartridge when it shows signs of wear; this helps clarify the meaning of the term "refill", which also refers to a cartridge.

You can also refill the e-liquid tank of your Pod, as with any self-respecting clearomizer or atomizer. Furthermore, if you wish to regularly alternate between the different flavours of your e-liquids, you have the option of purchasing several cartridges and filling each one with a different liquid. This way, you can replace the cartridge of your Pod-Mod conveniently and effortlessly, by simply separating it from the battery and attaching the new one.

The advantages of the Pod-Mod

Pod-Mods have the advantage of being very easy to use and, in this regard, they present themselves as perfect solutions for beginners who want to start vaping straight away and without difficulty. Lightweight, slim and compact, the Pod-Mod is a genuine pleasure to hold. It also benefits from a very minimalist design that makes it truly ergonomic. Indeed, a single button allows you to power on or off your device and to trigger vaping by holding it down. Moreover, some Pod-Mod models go even further by offering a button-free intuitive experience. To vape, simply inhale through the mouthpiece. In this way, a sensor detects the air draw and heats the coil, so that you can inhale the vapour produced.

The Pod also has the particular advantage of allowing you to vape e-liquids with a high nicotine content, such as cheap Minimal e-liquids. Furthermore, this type of solution is also preferable for best vaporizing e-liquids based on nicotine salts or CBD. Indeed, the coils generally found integrated in cartridges intended for Pod-Mods are designed to heat at low temperature. Thus, the coil progressively heats to an ideal Ohm value that allows you to make the most of the benefits of the molecules contained in the special e-liquids mentioned above.

Even simpler, today we find electronic cigarettes with pre-filled cartridges that are refilled with pre-filled pod cartridges, with no e-liquid or coil handling required!

Among our favourites, the Vinci X Voopoo Pod is, according to Levapoteur-discount, the best value for money.

The disadvantages of the Pod-Mod

Greater ease of use necessarily implies fewer features, setting modes and built-in technologies. Furthermore, it is impossible to modify the internal structure of your Pod-Mod; whether that concerns changing your coil or your battery. Indeed, although the Pod-Mod is designed along more or less the same lines as a classic electronic cigarette, it features a closed design that makes any modification to improve or personalise it according to your preferences impossible. The Pod therefore offers its users far less freedom and flexibility of use, unlike an electronic Box mod for example. Experienced vapers wishing to optimise their vaping experience using spare parts are therefore advised to turn to another solution, at the risk of being somewhat frustrated.

Since the battery is also non-removable, you will be required to charge your Mod to enjoy your vape device again; which can prove inconvenient in the long run. Indeed, as a counter-example, some models of electronic Box mods support external batteries. This way, it is possible to gain in mobility, responsiveness and convenience if you have several batteries. Indeed, when one battery is depleted, you can replace it in a fraction of a second with a fully charged one to continue vaping without limits. Furthermore, in the event that your vaping frequency has increased since you started, the battery life of your Pod-Mod may no longer be sufficient to meet your needs. You will then need to switch to a more enduring model if you wish to have a solution that can adapt to your current consumption.