Hardware: What are these things?
While there are several different models of personal vaporizers, or electronic cigarettes, on the market, there are a few main types; all are comprised of the same basic components, with some minor differences.

Components:
The largest component is the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, similar to one you might find in a mobile phone or laptop computer. The next part is the burner which could be comprised of an atomizer with a drip tip, an atomizer with a cartridge, or a cartomizer or clearomizer. The PV’s are activated by either inhaling or by holding a manual switch, depending on your model. The burner instantly heats the liquid into a vapor, which lingers in the air for just moments after exhaling then fades away quickly.

Choosing the right one for you: Too many choices?
Some vaporizers are very proprietary and use unusual and hard to find fitting sizes. Most Vapors will tell you to purchase a vaporizer that has industry standard fittings. This gives you more access to different vendors’ supplies making you less dependent on one company. The most common fitting size is 510 and 808. When veteran vapors discuss their PV they will often say, “I have a 510 model” or an “808”.

Size does matter. Why is it so big?
The next thing you want to think about is battery (bat) size. Most new vapors want to start with something small that most closely resembles their traditional cigarette. This is understandable but before you buy that nice, small, light weight e-cig, that glows red when you draw on it, considers these few things.

The size of your battery dictates how many times you can puff it before you have to re-charge it. Batteries are measured in milliamp Hour (mAh).

Milliamps Hour (mAh) is important because it’s the easiest way to distinguish the strength or capacity of a battery. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last. If your battery is rechargeable then the mAh rating is how long the battery will last per charge.

Most e-cigarettes/vaporizers that closely resemble a cigarette in size have somewhere between a 90 to a 360 mAh batteries. This means that they will last approximately less than an hour to about 3 hours of usage. Larger vaporizers can have as much as 650 to 2400 mAh batteries; these will last from 6 hours to 22 hours of usage between charges.

Besides frequency of charges, a larger battery will last longer before needing to be replaced. Most bats are capable of 250-300 recharges before they need to be replaced altogether. If you have a battery with a small mAh, you may need to recharge it several times a day. Whereas a larger battery may only need to be recharged every couple of days therefore, extending the length of time to replace it.

So, when you hear a veteran vapor say, “I have a 510, 900mAh PV”, you’ll know what they are saying. They have common fittings with a large battery capable of 8-9 hours of usage before needing to be recharged. These units are often described as looking like thick pens.

Here are our recommendations for those who want to match their usage to the size of their battery.

Closet Smoker:	1-2 cigarettes a day	90mAh	Less than an hour of vaping
Light Smoker:	1-6 cigarettes a day	190mAh	Less than two hours of vaping
Moderate Smoker:	1-10 cigarettes a day	350mAh	3 hours of vaping
Smoker:	10-20 cigarettes a day	650+mAh	6 hours of vaping
Heavy Smoker:	20+ cigarettes a day	900+mAh	8.5 hours of vaping

It is always a good idea to purchase starter kits that have two batteries so that you can have one to use while you are charging the other. Vapors report that a major factor in their success to switch to vaping was directly related to: the reliability of battery life, flavor, and access to supplies and accessories.