(Clockwise from top left: a pen system, a mod/tank system, a pod system, and a disposable vape)

There's a perfect vape for everyone, but with so many options, it can be hard to make a decision -- so here's a handy pros/cons list to help you out, looking at the four main categories of e-cigarettes: disposables, pod systems, pen systems, and mod-and-tank systems.

All four feature some version of these basic components: A battery section to vaporise e-liquid, a compartment (often a pod or tank) to store liquid, and a coil, which is cotton-bound wire that soaks up e-juice and heats it via the battery (in other words, this is where the magic happens).

Remember, though -- one person's con is another person's pro! 

Disposables

PROS:

* Inexpensive (in the short-term) - For well under £10, you can select the flavour you like and puff away (up to 600 times)

* Flavourful - Many disposables are made by juice manufactures such as Moreish Puff and IVG, meaning you get great taste made by people who know what they're doing

* Easy to use - Simply open and vape. When it runs out of juice or battery life, chuck it! Not only is this good for beginning vapers, people who own expensive mods tell me they like to have a disposable for a night out, leaving their daily driver safe at home

CONS:

* Expensive (long-term) - ironically so, but for anyone planning to vape often, disposables are actually the most expensive option.

* Flavour-locked - not only can you not change the juice flavour in a disposable, you also can't recharge it -- so when it's done, it's done.

* Easy to lose - Small and light, they feel weightless in your pocket and have a small form factor, making it easy to lose them

Pod systems

PROS:

* Affordable - pod systems typically range between £25 for a basic unit and $80 for a unit with a few more frills and should last at least a few years, since they're rechargeable and you can change out the pods and coils

* Flexible - not only can you choose any flavour you like, you can also customise your vaping experience more with a pod system. Many (but not all) of them feature variable wattage -- the ability to increase or decrease the amount of heat being used to vaporise the e-liquid. This allows you to chase big clouds and intense flavours by using high wattage and sub-ohm coils, or you can go for a more cigarette-like experience with lower wattage and thinner liquid

* Easy to use - Although they're not exactly use-'em-and-chuck-'em like a disposable, you literally put the coil into the pod, fill the pod with juice, pop the pod into a charged handle, and you're set. The process of setting up a pod system takes less than 5 minutes, including time for the juice to soak into a new coil. After that, it just needs occasional charging and refilling of juice, and even less occasional changing of pod and coil

CONS:

* Lack of features (compared to other mods) - Lower-end pod systems feature fixed wattage, meaning you can't tinker with your heat to find your comfort zone. Even higher-end pod systems tend to top out at 60-80 watts, meaning they're not going to create the massive clouds of a mod/tank system

* Easier to lose or break - Most pod systems are on the small side, making them easier to find the deeper recesses of your furniture than a mod/tank system. Also, many are made (or mostly made) of plastic, making them prone to breaking when dropped or accidentally stepped upon. However, some heavy-duty pod systems exist, such as geek vape's Aegis Pod kit

Pen systems

PROS:

* Versatile - one of the most popular kinds of vape comes in many variants, from basic, fixed-wattage vapes suitable for beginners to variable-wattage systems that at least come close to meeting even the most advanced vapers' needs

* Affordable - Pen systems are mostly lower-end mod-and-tank systems, giving newcomers a great introduction to traditional vaping. Most vapers learned how to change and prime a coil, fill a tank, etc. on a pen-style vape

* Portable but powerful - Pen systems can run up to 100 watts, perfect for cloud-chasers, but they don't force you to carry around a bulky device and can be easily stored in a pocket

CONS:

* Among the more fidgety of vapes - Some people are put off by the need to charge the vape, prime and change the coil, and fill the tank with e-liquid. It's easy once you've figured it out, however

* Shorter-lived - The combination of an often built-in rechargeable battery and a glass or Pyrex tank means having to replace the tank glass or the entire system more often than with a mod-and-tank system

* Underpowered, for some - For a cloud-chaser, the typically 25-80 watts you can get out of a pen system isn't quite enough punch. Most pen kits are best suited to beginners looking to replicate the mouth-to-lung (MTL) experience of smoking a cigarette, wherein vapour is inhaled into the mouth and then drawn into the lungs with a "clean" breath

Mod/tank systems

PROS:

* Feature-packed - Mod-and-tank systems are typically among the "flagships" of e-cig manufacturers, meaning that the latest and greatest technology is on full display. Temperature controls, statistics, touch screens and even built-in digital clocks are some of the things featured in a mod-and-tank

* Big flavour, big clouds - Mod/tank systems that run up to 200 watts (and sometimes higher) can make full use of e-juices containing a high percentage of vegetable glycerin (VG), which creates big, billowy clouds and also produces richer flavours, helping you get the most out of premium liquids using the direct-to-lung (DTL) vaping style in which vapour is drawn directly to the lungs

* Hard to lose, long-lasting - Most mod/tank vapes rank among the biggest and heaviest of e-cigs, making it hard for them to slide through cracks in furniture, etc. They're also typically built tough, and the fact that you can replace every component down to the batteries makes mod/tank systems the most affordable kind of e-cig in the long run. Even though a high-quality mod/tank e-cig might cost £100 or more, with proper care it could easily last five to 10 years or more.

CONS: 

* Complicated (for some) - All those features can bewilder a beginning vaper. Even advanced e-cig users may find themselves using only a fraction of the controls

* Not for the weak lunged - Vaping at 100 watts or more can be overwhelming for newbies. A good tip is to use nothing stronger than 0.3 percent nicotine in your e-liquid, or else you can feel sick. 

* Unwieldy - These are larger and heavier than most other vapes, making them the least portable. Most mod/tank systems use two rechargeable batteries; some even take three

Conclusion

A knowledgable member of staff at your local vape shop, or an experienced vaper for a friend can make all the difference when selecting a new e-cigarette. Just make sure to think about what sort of vaping experience you're after -- cigarette replacement, massive clouds of flavourful vapour, or somewhere in between -- and you'll find a vape you can get on with.

Stephen “Tex” English: tex@thejuicewarehouse.co.uk; Insta: @tex_vapes