Hello dear vapers, John Pietersma here. Today we’re going to talk about the differences between single coil, dual coil, and triple coil configuration.
Aside from batteries, coils are the lifeblood of an atomizer. Batteries have almost no effect on the flavor of an atomizer, perhaps a small influence of vapor production when considering the power of a battery.
Coils are the single most important factor when trying to obtain the best vaping experience. There are so many variables to consider when building or buying coils for a rebuildable atomizer. The type of coil, the materials used, the number of wraps and resistance.
To say that all coils are equal is just not feasible, each will offer a different experience and each will produce very different results. Often times it boils down to the atomizer in question.
A set of fused Clapton coils in one atomizer may not provide the same experience in another. Knowing the best coil, build and resistance for the kind of vaping you want is almost an art form.
One thing you will need to decide on is how many coils you will be using. For the most part, there are only single, dual and the odd triple coil atomizers on the market. Some builders have managed to place up to four coils even in a dual coil build deck. Deciding what is best for you can sometimes be a challenge but that’s what makes building unique to each person.
Single Coil
With the advancements in coil building, the innovation from master builders and materials used, single coils are no longer looked at as inferior.
For many years, before the first Clapton coils or fused claptons, coils were just made of single strands of Kanthal resistance wire. There was some toying around from builders, leading to things like the zipper coil, twisted coils, and a few other early types.
Most builders were using just a regular coil. Today, regular single-strand coils are likely uncommon as claptons and fused claptons are fairly simple to assemble.
It is with these advancements over the years that have made single coil vaping considerable more enjoyable. A single strand Kanthal coil does not really produce a great deal of flavor or vapor, it can be rather dull.
Single coil atomizers have actually picked up in popularity over the last few years because people are using coils like claptons, fused claptons, Aliens, Micro Staples and staggered claptons. These coils are able to produce flavor vastly better than a basic coil.
Dual coil, in the beginning, was touted as being the ultimate setup for flavor, and it was for a while. Now, single coil atomizers can actually produce more concentrated flavor in a smaller package.
While they may not produce the amount of vapor compared to a dual or triple, the flavor in a single coil is often better, except for dual coil advanced coils.
Single coil vaping is not for everyone. These types of atomizers will usually use less juice and require less power to use.
Dual Coil
A dual coil build deck is about the most popular item you will find across most RBAs. Drippers, tanks, and RDTAs are the predominantly dual coil. These setups require more power to run, will eat more e-juice than a single coil but have the ability to produce massive amounts of vapor and exceptional flavor.
Speaking to RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer) a dual coil deck can be really nice. Pair an RDA with a coil like the Framed Staple, Staple or Staggered Staple and you will experience flavor unlike anything before.
The problem is, these coils can be extremely difficult to make and quite costly to buy from a coil builder, expect 25-30 dollars a set.
Coil material will also have an effect on the overall dual coil experience. Temperature control users will want something like Stainless Steel or Titanium for good TC performance. Power users can also still use Stainless Steel but the better material of choice for power mode is Nichrome 80.
Nichrome 80 is a low resistance heating wire that heats up really fast and produces better flavor than SS. It can be a pain to work with as it is quite soft and pliable.
Most will argue that dual coil is the best but after experiencing both dual and single coil, each has its own distinct advantages.
Triple Coil
This option is actually fairly uncommon but there are RBAs that accept three coils. Each coil will count towards a third of the resistance. For instance, if you build three 1 ohm coils, you will break down the 1 into thirds to find the final resistance.
Triple coils do not really provide a major flavor boost overall but they do push vapor heavily. The effort to set one of these up and feed wicks through is almost not worth the work. A dual coil is going to provide better flavor and more than adequate vapor.
Nonetheless, lots of folks out there have triple coil decks in their possession but nobody really brags or shows them off, I think for the most part these style decks have been forgotten.
Conclusion
Deciding what type of coil and how many you will use is completely personal preference. Each atomizer is going to react differently to different builds. Experiment with single coil, dual coil, and triple coil and really focus on finding the best setup for you. In the end, you’ll end up with a vaping experience tailored to your desires and completely custom.
John Pietersma
I am John Pietersma, a 30-year-old husband and father of three children who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. Having vaped and built coils for four years, I am very passionate about vaping and writing product reviews for everyone to read.
