How to Look After Your E-Cigarette in Cold Weather

Whether you’ve got the coats out from under the bed or not, winter waits for nobody and it’s definitely on the horizon. The cold weather is well and truly upon us so we thought it was about time we talked about vaping in cold weather. You might think it’s a bit of a strange topic as, of course, you can vape all year round but there are a couple of things you need to bear in mind during the colder months if you want your vaping gear to stay in tip top condition.

That’s not to say you can’t enjoy vaping just as much in the winter as you can in the summer, it just means you need to take a little bit more care of your e-cigarettes and e-liquids when winter rears its head and the temperature drops. Just like any technology, your vaping equipment needs to be stored and maintained correctly to ensure it performs at its best, so here’s what you need to do to look after your e-cigarette in cold weather:

Hpow does the Cold affect E-Liquids

Let’s start off by looking at e-liquids. You might have noticed in previous snaps of cold weather that your e-liquid can thicken up a little bit if it gets too chilly. While that doesn’t have a huge impact on taste, it can make it more difficult to refill your atomiser, leading to spillage, wick damage or even overfilling, which can create another set of problems.

The more propylene glycol in your e-liquid, the better it will fare in cold weather. Propylene glycol has a much lower 

freezing point than vegetable glycerin so an e-liquid that uses a combination of both is very unlikely to ever reach its freezing point. If you happen to be somewhere cold enough that your e-liquids do turn into an ice block then you’ll probably have much bigger problems than frozen e-liquid…frozen toes, for one!

Leaving your bottles in the glove compartment of your car is a great idea to make sure you’re never caught short but it’s not such a good plan during winter. To keep your e-liquids at their usual consistency, ensure they’re stored at room temperature or keep them safe in a suitable carry case if you’re going to be out and about in chilly temperatures.

Batteries - Cold Weather Performance

As you know, the battery is the element that powers your e-cigarette and if it’s not performing at its best it can impact your entire vaping experience. To make sure your device consistently delivers the taste and vapour quantity you’re used to, you need to keep your battery in top condition. While e-cigarette batteries are pretty low maintenance for most of the year they do need a bit more attention during the winter months.

It might surprise you to learn that batteries are actually more sensitive than e-liquids when it comes to low temperatures. The performance of your e-cigarette battery can start to decrease in temperatures below freezing, so do be aware of this is you intend to vape on a particularly chilly morning.

To explain it as simply as possible: the chemical reactions that power your e-cigarette are impacted by low temperatures, causing lower energy levels in cold weather, which has the knock on effect of decreasing performance. As well as decreased performance, using your battery in freezing temperatures means it will lose power a lot faster.

So what can you do about it? The answer’s an obvious one: keep your battery warm. While you can’t do anything about the outside temperature, keeping your e-cigarette and spare batteries tucked into a portable carry case will keep the temperature firmly in your battery’s comfort zone. Again, as with the e-liquids, you should never keep your batteries in the glove compartment of your car on a chilly day.

Wrap Up Warm

It’s not just your vaping equipment you need to take care of when the temperature plunges, you also need to take care of yourself. With vaping prohibited in some indoor spaces, you may find yourself having to take regular trips outside during your working day or evening social events.

Colds, coughs and other nasties are more prevalent in the winter months so make sure you wrap up warm and stay nice and toasty if you have to nip outside to enjoy your e-cigarette. Plus, cosying up in a thick coat isn’t just good for you - it’s good for your e-cigarette too!

Our final tip for the winter? Invest in a pair of fingerless gloves. They’ll keep your hands warm and leave your fingers free to control the buttons on your e-cigarette. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to vape properly because cumbersome gloves mean you can’t adjust the temperature setting!

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If this is your first winter as a vaper we hope these tips help you enjoy vaping through the colder months of the year. If you’re a seasoned vaper who’s a bit of a pro at handling the winter months, let us know if we missed out any crucial winter vaping tips and we’ll be sure to share them on our social media channels. Until next time, happy vaping!