What do you think? Do pods count as a step forward or a step back?
I feel that from a technological standpoint, they’ve clearly been an advancement: they are simpler, more reliable, and have made the transition from smoking easier for many.
However, in terms of hobby, customizability, and autonomy, I sometimes feel they represent more of a step back.
Of course, this doesn’t preclude someone from switching to a more advanced, complex device later on if they become more interested. In my opinion, pods have almost entirely replaced the role of classic starter kits and can also function well as a backup device.
If I hadn’t had a pod a year and a half ago when I started vaping, I might not have switched and would have stayed with cigarettes. As a beginner, there are so many new things that you get lost in the thick of it. You don’t just have to learn how to vape, but the huge number of flavor variations (how do you try them if they’re not available in Hungary…), the many types (longfill, nic salt, etc.) also really confuse a person. Even with the help I received at the shop (I’m still grateful to the guy for explaining things for half an hour - and he recommended the Nexlimet), I wanted to give up every other day and go back to cigarettes.
I think pods don’t just make the transition easier, because if I want to be honest, with my ‘skills’ learned in tech class, I don’t know what monstrosities I would build for myself…
Anyway, besides ‘customization and independence’, does making your own builds make any difference in flavor?
Hi!
Of course, there is a difference, but one only experiences this if they use pod systems and self-coiled RTAs interchangeably. And it also helps if the settings are roughly the same, e.g., ohm, watt, etc.
I started X years ago with stick e-cigs, rebuildables, eGos, atomizers, etc…, then mods and a multitude of tanks. I really liked it, and besides quitting smoking, it also became a hobby. I tried many things, then stuck with Dvarw RTAs for years. As technology developed, I obviously tried pod systems too. In the last 4-5 years, their simplicity has completely captivated me. Coil building has remained because it feels good to sometimes bring out an old tank for nostalgia and build it, but now I only really take them out for the nostalgia factor; I build them, enjoy them, then clean them nicely, and rest them for a few more months. The convenience that the pod system gave me is really not about aesthetics or pleasure, but rather saves me time. Insert the coil, fill with liquid, and vape. I can get by with one coil/atomizer head for 2-3 weeks, just refilling the juice. I haven’t given up on DIY mixing, and I hope I don’t have to, although it’s getting harder to get the base ingredients, especially nicotine and flavorings. I also don’t prefer disposable pods, not just due to the reliability of the materials inside, but also for environmental reasons. Of course, a sensible construction could be devised for this, e.g., like a glass deposit system, or something similar. Also, within regulated frameworks, the marketing of tested products, the establishment of collection points, etc. If disposable pods could be sold under such conditions, I wouldn’t mind their existence at all. In fact, I find it welcome because if anyone quits traditional tobacco products because of them, they have taken a step forward for their health, whether it’s a pod or a rebuildable. So, I’m glad such products exist. Unfortunately, they are not legally available here due to the tobacco lobby. But I think that when Philip Morris’s threshold for action is crossed by the fact that illegal products are beating IQOS into the ground, they will be the first to market them. Until that happens, they will block them as they have done so far. They invested a lot in IQOS in Hungary in 2019, and it’s the biggest seller in Europe here. But the light at the end of the tunnel is already visible, because the company’s turnover has fallen sharply, not only for cut tobacco but also for heated products, so sooner or later they will be forced to act, and that’s how it should be.
I prefer RTAs; building my own is my preference.
It makes one feel like: “Great, I’ve solved another “problem”, I tried something and look how excellent - or perhaps not excellent - the result turned out, and now I can master this skill.”
However, in terms of comfort, nothing is simpler than changing the pod head and off you go.
My wife, for example, can’t imagine herself ever building an RTA (especially since she’d always have me do it); she’s completely satisfied with the comfort the Luxe XR Max offers.
She also tried my setups from a vape perspective, but for some reason, it’s not her world.
