Build better with these high-performing vape wire brands
Learning to build your own coils can be challenging but it’s also very rewarding. You get the pride and satisfaction of vaping on coils that you’ve built, the freedom to choose exactly what type of coil you want to build, and the mountain of savings that comes along with doing so. But what are the best vape wire brands for the job?
With so many different brands of vape wire out there, how do you know if you’re building with the right vape wire? After all, if you’re already putting in the work, you should be doing so using vape wire that will give you the best combination of performance and bang for your buck.
To make the choice easy we’ve put together this list of the best vape wire brands for coil building & vaping in 2024. These are the most reputable and best performing brands of vape wire that you can get; and they don’t cost an arm and a leg either.
OUR TOP PICKS
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All of our buyer's guides and reviews are based on market research, expert input, and practical experience with the products we include. This way, we offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
How we test
5.0
Exemplary
Why We Picked It
WireOptim have vape wire down to a science. They have one of the largest selections of vape wire and they carry nearly every type of wire that you could dream of. They offer all of the most popular wire building material types in many different gauges and spool lengths. They even carry mesh wire.
Pricing on WireOptim is surprisingly affordable and, considering the high quality, often better priced than you’ll find elsewhere for similar wire. It really doesn’t get much better than $6.00 for a 25 foot roll of quality kanthal wire.
WireOptim also carry tools and wicks on their website too. For the quality, selection, and value, WireOptim can’t be beat.
4.5
Outstanding
Why We Picked It
Wotofo wire is great to build with; it’s definitely some of the best vape wire that you can get. Not only is it extremely durable, it’s also got great vaping longevity.
You can wick a coil built with Wotofo wire multiple times without having to change coils. This means that you’ll save both time and money. Wotofo wire will also bring out the best in your ejuice thanks to its cleanliness and manufacturing purity. If you’re after insane flavor, Wotofo wire is where it’s at.
Most of Wotofo’s wire is only available in ni80 material (see ni80 in the guide below). It’s available in a variety of styles: fused clapton, dual core fused clapton, framed staple clapton, juggernaut and braided.
4.0
Excellent
Why We Picked It
Coil Master is not only one of the best brands of vape wire that you can get but it’s also one of the cheapest. You can get a 30ft roll of SS316L wire for $7.99 which equals out to just about $0.26 per foot. But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s any less good. Flavor from Coil Master wire is phenomenal and rivals Vandy Vape, Wotofo and Geekvape.
You can get Coil Master wire in either SS316L or kanthal materials. There aren’t as many options for wire style though. At the moment you can only get regular wire or twisted wire spools.
4.0
Excellent
Why We Picked It
Vandy Vape wire is some of the easiest vape wire to build with. It’s effortless to shape and make coils with because it bends easily and stays in the shape that you build it to.
Vandy Vape wire is super clean and it heats up evenly so the flavor that you get from your ejuice is always pure. Just like their tanks and mods, durability isn’t an issue. You’ll get longer vaping times out of your coils with minimal maintenance required.
You can get Vandy Vape wire in kanthal, stainless steel or ni80 materials. It’s also available in clapton, mesh or fused clapton styles.
3.5
Good
Why We Picked It
Geekvape are known for their high-quality, ultra-durable mods like the Aegis Legend and their vape wire is no different. It’s super easy to work with and will retain its shape. Geekvape wire will give you clean, pure flavor from your ejuice and will last longer in your vape before having to be replaced.
You can get Geekvape wire in a variety of materials like kanthal, stainless steel, ni80 and ni200. It also comes in a wide array of wire styles. You can get regular wire, clapton wire, twisted wire, fused clapton wire, juggernaut wire and more.
How To Choose The Right Vape Wire Material
Kanthal, stainless steel, nichrome, nickel and titanium are the five types of vape wire used for coil building. Nickel and titanium are considered more advanced types of wire and are only usable in temperature control mode.
Kanthal, stainless steel and nichrome are more user friendly and appropriate for all levels of experience. Fow this guide, I’ll be focusing on these more user-friendly and forgiving types of wire.
If you’re curious to learn more, you can check out our full guide on the types of vape wires and how to use them.
Kanthal
Kanthal is a ferritic iron and chromium-aluminium alloy. It’s the most common vape wire used for building because it’s inexpensive, widely available and resistant to oxidation. Kanthal has a slower ramp up time than stainless steel or ni80 wire and it’s arguably less flavorful than other types of vape wire. However, it’s easy to work with and holds its shape well and that makes it perfect for building. Kanthal can only be used in wattage mode.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel wire is a chromium, nickel and carbon alloy. It’s unique among vape wires because it’s the only wire that can be used with both wattage and temperature control mode. Stainless steel wire comes in a variety of grades but SS316L is medical and food grade and thus the most popular type used for vaping.
Stainless steel wire heats up faster than kanthal or nichrome and that makes it the go-to wire for vapers seeking a quick and hard draw. Many vapers also swear that stainless steel produces better flavor than kanthal. Stainless steel wire contains nickel so those with a nickel allergy should avoid using it.
Ni80
Ni80 is an 80% chromium and 20% nickel alloy. Ni80 is less common than kanthal or stainless steel wire but it’s recently been seeing increased use for its clean flavor and fast ramp up times. It’s also easy to work with and holds its shape nicely.
Nichrome contains a lot of nickel and so it’s prone to melting if you aren’t careful, but as long as you pulse your ni80 coils slowly and at a low temperature you won’t have an issue. Ni80 can only be used in wattage mode.
How to Choose the Right Gauge Vape Wire
Vape wire comes in a variety of gauges. This is the diameter or thickness of the wire. Most commonly you’ll see 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 gauge wire used for vaping. The higher the value of the gauge, the thinner the wire is. As an example, a 28 gauge wire will be thinner than a 26 gauge wire, but thicker than a 30 gauge wire.
The gauge of your wire will also affect the end resistance of your coil. Coils built with thicker gauge wire (a lower number like 22 or 24 gauge) will result in lower resistances than a coil built with thinner gauge wire (a higher number like 30 or 32 gauge).
Some coils will also display the resistance/ft of wire which can further help you to make your decision. If you’re trying to build a low resistance coil then go for a thicker gauge wire. If you’re trying to build a coil with a higher resistance then pick a thinner gauge wire.
How To Choose The Right Style of Wire — What is Clapton Wire, Juggernaut Wire and Twisted Wire?
Clapton: Clapton wire is composed of a thinner gauge wire that is wrapped around a thicker gauge wire. This increases the surface area of the coil which results in enhanced flavor and bigger clouds than a standard round wire build.
Fused Clapton: Fused clapton wire is composed of a thinner gauge wire that is wrapped around two or more thicker gauge wires. This results in an even larger surface area than clapton wire as well as quicker ramp up times.
Juggernaut: Juggernaut wire is composed of flat ribbon wire that is wrapped around two clapton wire cores. This results in a flavorful vape due to the extremely large surface area that absorbs and vaporizes ejuice, but slower ramp up times than if using clapton wire.
Twisted Wire: Twisted wire is exactly what it sounds like. It’s two or more pieces of wire that have been twisted together to form one strand. This gives the wire more surface area and produces slightly better flavor and vapor production than with regular round wire, with a minimal increase in heat up time.
What makes these Brands of Vape Wires the Best?
- Cleaner
- Better Flavor
- Longer Lasting
- More Durable
- Less Gunk Build Up
- Better Build Quality
- Easy to Work With
Building tips
- Make sure that you have the necessary and appropriate tools for building. These tools are: flush cutters, ceramic tweezers, coiling rod, cotton and scissors. An ohm meter is also highly recommended.
- Use a coiling rod to wrap your coils. This makes it easy to get the right inner diameter for your coil. You can also use a screwdriver for this purpose but a coiling rod makes things much easier.
- Space your coils apart evenly to avoid hotspots. If you don’t, you’ll want to pulse your coils and squeeze them gently with a pair of ceramic tweezers to remove hot spots.
Still confused? Check out our Coil Building Guide for Beginners — How To Build your First Coil. You’ll be a pro in no time!
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