Refillable Vape Pens: How To

Refillable vape pens have made a monumental effort to be simple, easy to load, and affordable.  This is why their use is starting to dominate the industry as a whole.  They didn't start out that way, though. There was a time when refillable pods and cartridges weren't as popular. 

Let's take a look at where they started, what they're doing now, and how to use them appropriately. 

 

2013: Refillable Vape Pens Hit The Market

In the early stages of 2013, we had an industry boom. Not necessarily for what we commonly use our pens for today, but for nicotine products. Vaping became one of the fastest-growing industries for inhalants. 

While vaping nicotine products became an overnight hit, the newly emerging legal market that started in states like California and Colorado wasn't as fast to adopt this new method. 

Why?

The answer is simple. If you are a consumer, there were only a few ways to use your product. Things like water pipes, hand pipes, and bubblers were the biggest purchases for many users. It made sense, you know? What used to be $35-$40 for a quality product, hot up to be $50-$60 dollars due to service fees and taxes. Regular users then had to deal with cutting down on spending for one device in order to have the regular product that they spent almost half of what they usually spent. 

Not to mention that the newly emerging industry was still mostly dry-herb sales. Wax and shatter still hadn't hit the scene as hard as it does today.

On top of that, technology was still limited due to the taboo nature of the newly legalized industry. New consumers were skeptical of inhaling something that wasn't from mother earth. Still, the seed was planted. Early versions of refillable vapes were mostly plastic with a cotton wick that would funnel oil to the atomizer. 

 

Popularity Comes Circa 2017

By the time other states had developed common-sense policies and legalized, the use of refillable cartridges and pods was everywhere. The popularity of vaping took time to become as popular as it has.

A few of the more prominent reasons why this technological boom happened in the industry was how it improved. While e-juices have a thinner viscosity, a regular pen would do the trick, but due to the nature of thicker waxes, battery power had to become more optimal. Additionally, the cotton wick had to be subbed out for something more durable and longer-lasting. In comes titanium, quartz, and ceramic coils. This was the game-changer. 

 

Everyone Starts To Refill

Around this time, we saw an increase in DIY concentrate mixes. Extraction technology meant that anyone could do the job in their home. This led to products that were geared toward people who understood what they wanted and didn't want any interference from the industry. It was a double-edged sword for some. 

On one side, you have the industry selling product that was empty so others could fill them themselves, on the other side, you had people learning how to do things improperly or even dangerously. 

This led to a number of recalls and a large Vape scare that led to many states shutting down their recreational vaping centers. 

 

The Solution Was To Fill Cartridges and Pods With Name Brands

In order to cut back on black market DIY vape cartridges, Government regulations cracked down on products throughout the country. While most products did not, in fact, contain the harmful chemicals that hurt people, some did. 

Companies had to figure out how to build trust with a still infantile industry that was still deemed dangerous by those who had no experience. 

Thus the development of pre-filled pods came into the scene. 

With the ability for companies to showcase their commitment to quality, there have been a number of lab-tested and proven certifications that show consumers that the product they are using does not contain anything more than what they are looking for. It also pushes companies to continue to create high-quality products that are safe to consume.

 

Niche Cartridge Developers Are Emerging

With the push for higher quality content in commercial products, the result has driven many to learn on their own. Some have the hopes of one day entering the industry with experience, and some have hopes to provide themselves with the proper medication.  Thus, many have taken to the DIY cartridge approach in order to develop the necessary skills to enter the emerging industry. 

 

How To Use A Refillable Vape Cartridge

Refillable vape cartridges are an easy way to learn. They consist of a number of parts such as an atomizer, a mouthpiece, and a number of different coil types. These coil types can alternate between ceramic, titanium, and even quartz. The process is easy!

Simply unscrew the mouthpiece and use either an eye-dropper or a non-penetrating syringe to load the concentrate into the top. The only tricky part of this is avoiding the central airflow hole. If you get any concentrate into the airflow it can cause spit back, run through the airholes or even clog the airpath. 

Once you have filled your cartridge to the brim, all you need to do is screw the mouthpiece back on and you are good to go!

 

How To Use A Refillable Vape Pod

The process is similar and less technical than refilling a cartridge. Once you have found the right consistency for your concentrate, simply pull the mouthpiece off of your pod and locate the refilling hole. This is where using a non-penetrating syringe works better than an eye-dropper, but an eye-dropper can still be used. Simply pull your concentrate into the syringe, then stick the needle portion into the refilling hole. Continue the process until your pod is full. Once you are finished, snap the mouthpiece back on your device and stick the now fully-loaded refillable vape pod back onto the battery and wait for approximately 15-minutes for the coil to soak.