Open vs Closed Pod Vape Systems

Posted on 22 August 2021 | Updated on 28 December 2023 |

Open vs. Closed Pod Vape Systems: How to Choose Good Device?

There’s no doubt that open and closed vape pod systems are the hottest things in vaping these days and have been for a while. Unless you’re a longer-term vaper committed to using a full-sized vape mod. There’s a good chance that you’ve never used anything other than a pod vape and have no interest in ever doing so. That’s evidence of how long pod systems have been and how consistently popular they’ve been. So, whether you’re new to vaping or are in the market for an upgrade from your first device, it’s almost guaranteed that you aren’t considering anything other than a pod system.

Vapers can divide pod systems into two categories: open systems and closed systems. The difference between the two is straightforward. An open system uses empty pods that you fill yourself with bottled e-liquid, and a closed system uses pre-filled pods designed to be used once and discarded. That seemingly simple difference can change your vaping experience in ways that you might not realize yet if you’ve never tried both types of devices. So, what are the differences between open and closed pod systems? Let’s dig in.

A Closed Pod Vape System Is a Good Introduction to Vaping

If you’ve never vaped before and are looking for the best possible introduction to vaping, you’ll probably love a closed pod system. When you think about it, only two types of vaping devices are heavily marketed toward beginners. Disposable vapes and closed pod systems. They’re equally good as introductions to vaping, but they’re not that different from one another in price. When a disposable vape runs out of e-liquid or battery power, there’s nothing that you can do with it because you can’t refill or recharge it. It’s a much better decision from an economic standpoint to buy a vaping device that you can continue to use, and that’s what you’ll get with a closed pod system.

Closed Pod Vape Systems Are the Most Convenient Vaping Devices on the Market

Aside from disposable vapes – which are ready to use out of the package – closed pod systems are the most convenient vaping devices you can buy on the US market. Unlike a refillable vaping device, there’s nothing to configure, adjust, or troubleshoot when you use a closed pod system. You don’t have to monitor the device’s flavor to determine when to replace the pod. Because every new pod gives you precisely the same flavor as the previous one. When you use a closed pod system, you don’t need to think about anything except whether your battery is charged or has a spare pod available in case your current pod runs out of e-liquid. That’s no different from ensuring you always have a lighter available if you’re a smoker.

Closed Pod Vape Systems Have Legal Restrictions in Some Areas

The only real shortcoming of closed pod systems is that their flavor selections are restricted in some areas. That’s the case in the United States, with a nationwide flavor restriction on closed-pod vape systems and other pre-filled devices. Although there are hundreds of different e-liquid flavors in the world today, using a closed vaping system in the US means you can choose between just two flavors: tobacco and menthol. There are no restrictions on flavors for bottled e-liquid. The United States, however, is unique in that regard. Most regions where vaping is legal have no flavor restrictions in regions with flavor restrictions. Those limitations generally apply to all vaping products rather than just closed-system vapes.

Open Pod Systems Give You Greater Freedom

As we stated above, there is an almost endless variety of e-liquid flavors on the market today. Even in places with no legal restrictions on flavors, though, there’s no way for any manufacturer to create pre-filled pods in every existing flavor. Instead, manufacturers select several flavors their customers will want to buy. A good closed-pod vape system sold in an area without flavor restrictions will typically have around 8-12 flavors available. That’s a pretty good assortment, but it’s nowhere near the level of variety that you can get with bottled e-liquid. In choosing between open vs. closed pod systems, you’ll need to decide whether your main priorities are convenience and ease of use or flexibility and variety.

Open Pod Systems Are Less Expensive to Own

Whether you buy an open or closed-pod vape system, you’ll spend less than you would spend on cigarettes if you were a smoker. So, either way, there’s no need to worry about whether you’ll save money compared to smoking, regardless of the type of device you buy. However, using an open pod system is generally less expensive because bottled vape juice costs less than packs of pre-filled vape pods. When buying a pod pack, you’re not just buying the e-liquid. Each pod comes with its own plastic enclosure and atomizer coil, and those items cost more to produce than vape juice does. As a result, the cost of a pack of pods is usually comparable to the cost of a 10-15 ml bottle of e-liquid.

Open Pod Systems May Have Advanced Capabilities

The last thing you should consider as you choose between open and closed pod systems is that open pod systems may sometimes have advanced capabilities that closed systems lack. For example, many current open pod systems have replaceable atomizer coils that allow you to continue using the same pod for extended periods. A pod system with replaceable coils may have different coils available, so you can choose the coil that best delivers the type of vaping experience you want. In an open pod system with multiple coil options, you may also be able to adjust the device’s airflow and vary its power output. Capabilities like those allow a pod system to compete with the performance and flexibility of a traditional vape pod mod.