How To Safely Charge An E-Cigarette
While it may seem like a simple task, there are a few important things to take note of to ensure you are charging your e-cigarette safely.
Different vape kits have different needs, and your run-of-the-mill plug could be putting your vape kit or worse, yourself, at risk. All vape kits use Lithium-Ion batteries capable of being recharged, but doing so correclty is the key to staying safe.
In this quick guide we explore the best practcies to follow when it comes to safely recharging your vape kit.
Table of Contents
Internal Vs External Vape Batteries - Safely Charging Your E-Cigarette
- Using The Correct Charger For Your Vape kit
- Should You Use A USB Port or Wall Charger With Your Vape Kit?
- How Long Should I Charge My Vape Kit For?
- Should I Charge My Vape Kit Overnight?
- Can I Use My Vape Kit While Charging?
- Can You Charge A Vape Kit With E-LiQuid In The Tank Or Pod?
Internal Vs External Vape Batteries
In the world of vaping there are two main battery types: intenral and external. Knowing the difference between the two is a very important step towards knowing how to safely charge your chosen vape kit.
External batteries are as the name suggests: batteries designed for an e-cigarette that are removable from the rest of the vape kit. They are sometimes called 18650s - a name referring to their particular size and shape.
They are increasingly rare, often being reserved as the power source for only the most advanced kits or those with very high wattage output. They require an external charger to get the most out of them properly, as charging them via a cable connected to the kit they are in has been noted to reduce their lifespan significantly.
Pros & Cons of External Vape Batteries:
- Longer lifespan and greater power output than smaller internal batteries, ideal for sub-ohm vaping with HVG e-liquid.
- Available in a range of mAh ratings, meaning you can upgrade your device's battery capacity wihout buying a new kit.
- They require an external charger for optimum use meaning extra investment is needed and reduced convenience, and confusing sizes opens up the risk of wasting money on a non-compatible cell.
- They are prone to damage, can degrade quickly if charged internally, and are of varying quality depending where you buy them from.
Internal vape batteries are the most common type available and are built into the vape kit itself. To charge the user must simply connect a micro-USB or USB-C cable to an appropriate power source.
They are available in a huge range of mAh capacities, largely dictated by the size of the vape kit, although technology has advanced a lot and even smaller units can now boast significant lifespan.
Pros & Cons of Internal Vape Batteries:
- Convenient and easy to charge with many kits allowing you to vape while they recharge via pass-through technology.
- Durable and well-protected while housed within the body of the vape kit, maximising safety, with no issues of compatibility.
- No opportunity for upgrading or replacement if issues occur as they are sealed within the vape kit's housing.
- Knowing how to charge them safely can be challenging if you no longer have the original cable that came with the vape kit.
Top Tips For Safely Charging Your E-Cigarette
While modern vape kit technology has made leaps and bounds in safety and user-friendly battery charging, there are a few general rules you need to follow when safely charging your e-cig. Using an incompatible charger for example can mean that too much current goes into the battery, causing it to overheat, and eventually, explode.
Reports of exploding vapes, while extremely rare, show just how important it is to make sure you use the right charger for your device - so resist the impulse to buy from a discount retailer, and always use a compatible charger from the same vendor you purchased your vape from!
All of our e-cigarettes come with safety precautions such as overcharge protection to prevent such issues, and cut-offs to make sure you don’t get a dry burn while vaping. We’re a proud vendor of safety certified vape kits but to make sure you get the best advice available, read on to make sure you’re safely charging your device and minimising any risks.
Using The Correct Charger/Cable For Your Vape kit
Whether you’re using a simple pod vape kit or charging a larger mod, it’s crucial to choose the right USB cable for your device. External batteries are not a consideration here, as they use specialised external chargers for the removable 18650 cells - the below advice applies to internal battery vape kits only.
Almost every vape kit will come with a USB-C cable included in the box when you buy, and this is always the best choice for recharging as they are designed to work with the kit you have chosen.
You should always try to use the original, compatible cable. While you will be able to use most USB-C cables to charge a vape kit, lightning cables and fast-chargers can degrade the internal battery and reduce it's overall lifespan. If you are using a particularly cheap kit bought from a questionable retailer, then there may also be a risk of fire from using a cable that overcharges the battery if left connected too long.
Thankfully most modern kits from leading brands feature overcharge protection; menaing they stop accepting charge once their batteries are full. Even still it is best pratice to not mix and match cables between different devices if possible.
Here is a checklist of things to take note of when choosing a cable to charge your vape kit:
- Try to use the original cable sold with the vape kit
- If the original cable is unavailable, ensure any other cables you use are compatible and safe for use with your vape kit
- Ensure the cable is free of any dirt and damages before you use it
- Always follow the advice given in the vape kit instruction manual if in doubt about using a certain type of charger to understand what safety features it has
- Try to always connect the cable to a USB port, but if using a wall plug ensure it is voltage regulated to avoid risk
Should You Use A USB Port or Wall Socket Charger With Your Vape Kit?
While most vape kits don’t come with wall socket plugs, some are compatible with wall socket adaptors. Just becuase they are compatible however doesn't mean you can connect the cable to any old plug. Cheap USB wall sockets have no voltage control and so send the full mains current to the vape kit which can be dangerous, especially if not using the device's original cable either.
External batteries are not a consideration here, as they use specialised external chargers for the removable 18650 cells - the below advice applies to internal battery vape kits only.
Our top tips for deciding whether to charge your vape from a socket or USB port are:
- Try to use the original cable sold with the vape kit
- Choosing a smart plug which will adjust itself to the correct voltage for your device does the hard work for you.
- To make sure you don’t damage your vape battery or cause a fire risk, you should always check the user manual and packaging for information on voltage.
- Some vape devices are made for USB port charging only, so make sure you’re safe to plug in, and never use a phone charger or a multi-plug socket or adaptor, as these can overheat and cause a fire risk if overloaded.
- If in doubt, it’s always best to use the USB ports on your laptop, computer, or similar electronic device.
How Long Should I Charge My Vape Kit For?
There is no fixed answer to this question as the time it takes to recharge a vape battery depends on the size of the power cell (given in mAh units), the level of technology within the vape kit itself, and of course how depleted the battery was before you plugged it in.
While some vape batteries require an overnight charge, devices such as the Aspire Flexus Q or VooPoo Argus P2 come advanced 2A and 3A rapid charging. This kind of advanced tech is becoming more common in modern kits, giving users the ability to recharge their vape kit fully in less than an hour!
While some other vape kits may take a little longer to be fully charged, all our devices, from starter kit to expert, have overcharge protection, meaning that even if you sleep in, your vape battery is protected from overheating and damaging your device, or worse.
The safest way to approach charging your vape kit is to do so while you are awake - checking regularly to see what the battery indicator tells you - most will indicate when full, or if any issues have occured.
Should I Charge My Vape Kit Overnight?
As stated in the previous section, charging your vape kit overnight is not necessarily best pratice but can be perfectly safe depending on the safety features of your chosen device. Most modern vape kits have safety features as standard, but not all - so check your manual if you are in any doubt.
Look out for:
- Overcharge/Surge Protection
- Smart Cutoff
- LED lights indicating warnings or alerts
- 2A, 3A or other fast charging capabilities that might mean you only need to wait 45 minutes for a full charge
- Any advice regarding voltage limits so you can ensure the correct plug/cable are used
Understanding these features can help you decide whether or not to charge your vape kit overnight. If it has fast charging capability, then it is best to plug it in whilst awake as it won't take long - equally though if your kit is protected against overcharging in most cases it should be safe to leave plugged in as it will stop accepting charge once full and go dormant until you use it again, reducing any risk.
Can I Use My Vape Kit While Charging?
The answer to this is entirely dictated by your chosen vape kit. Some devices will be dormant while charging, menaing you cannot use them at all until unplugged.
Others like the Argus P2 for example have a feature called Pass-Through Charging. Pass Through Technology is becoming increasingly common, and essentially means your device will allow a current to pass through the battery while plugged in. This means you can use it to vape while it charges.
This is a very convenient feature, and minimises downtime between vaping so you can always feel confident should a craving arise while your device is on charge.
Can You Charge A Vape Kit With E-LiQuid In The Tank Or Pod?
The idea of liquids and electricity being in close proximity understandably triggers survival instincts in most of us, hence the common question "can I charge my vape with juice in it?".
Thankfully the answer is yes, in most cases you are safe to charge you vape kit while it contains your chosen e-liquid. No matter if it's High-VG, Freebase or a Nic Salt - vape tanks and pods are designed to be leak resistant and in most cases shouldn't cause you any issues while recharging.
For absolute safety you can always remove the pod or tank from the device and set it aside until the battery is recharged. In some cases the design of the vape kit might mean it has to sit at a funny angle while plugged in. If this is the case then it can sometimes be better for your vape coil health to detatch it and leave it upright, but this is not always necessary.
The vape kits below can be safely charged with vape juice in them, and also feature fast charging technology:
Why Buy your E-Liquids & Vape Kits Online From LiQuid?
Quality, Safety, Price - these are the three best reasons to choose the LiQuid brand as our trusted vape supplier, whether you are looking for vape juice or indeed any vaping product.
We have been proudly serving hundreds of thousands of customers every month for ten years, selling millions of bottles of e-liquid and constantly evolving our ranges through extensive testing, R&D and customer feedback. When you buy a bottle of e-liquid from LiQuid, you get the benefit of a decade of industry expertise, dedication to quality, and a commitment to low prices. You simply won't find a higher quality e-liquid for less in the UK.
We have developed an end-to-end manufacturing process that gives us unmatched control over the quality of our raw ingredients and e-liquid blending. This is combined with our full scope of laboratory testing that allows us to ensure the strictest standards are upheld at every stage of production to guarantee your satisfaction.
Beyond our promise of quality and value, becoming a member of the LiQuid community gives you acces to unique benefits as a vaper, including our subscription service and LiQuid loyalty point scheme to help you get even more from your vaping journey.
Written By Oliver Norman
Our resident vaping expert with 9 years of industry experience. Ollie has worked in a massive range of roles over the years; from bottling on the shop floor to mixing e-liquid in the cleanroom, heading up Tech Ops and flavour development in the lab and beyond; Ollie has been with LiQuid for nearly a decade and now heads up our content marketing team making sure our customers get the best quality information to make informed choices on their vaping journeys.
He is a one-stop-shop of vaping knowledge from scientific technical info to current vaping trends, vape juice to vape kits and all points in-between - he's keen to share it all with you, from one vaper to another! As an avid user of nic salt e-liquids for several years, Ollie has compiled this guide to help other vapers learn everything they need to know to get the most from a nic salt vaping experience!
