If you’re new to vaping, you’ll probably encounter a wide range of words and phrases that you weren’t used to before. There really is no shortage of vape-related jargon. So just what is the difference between open and closed systems, and what do I do with a clearomiser? We’re here to explain the two main types of vape device and explain the different components.

Closed system vape pens

There are two main types of vaping device: open system and closed system. The category that will apply to your device just depends on how it is refilled. Let’s start with closed system vape pens. This phrase applies to any device that uses liquidpods or cartridges, which are replaced when they run out of liquid. There is no manual refilling of a tank and the flavoured pods are sealed – hence the expression ‘closed system’ – when you buy them.

That makes closed system devices an ideal choice for anybody starting out on their vape journey for the first time.

Parts of a closed system vape pen

• Rechargeable device

• Liquidpod

• USB charger

Because they’re so simple, there really aren’t that many components to a closed system vape pen. You will need a liquidpod in order to use them. These are often sold separately but if you buy one of our myblu™ starter kits we’ll make sure to include at least 1 liquidpod with your device.

The liquidpod usually slides into the top of the device. Depending on the make of your device, the charger port will either be on the side or on the bottom of the vape pen. On myblu™ devices, it’s on the bottom. You will find a USB cable in the box to charge your device when it runs out of battery.

Many vape pens have a way of letting you know when you’re running low on charge. For our myblu™ devices, the LED light will turn orange when you have less than 20% charge remaining and red when you have less than 5% charge remaining. If your vape pen flashes red, you should plug it in using the USB cable provided.

Ready to discover the simplicity of closed system vape pens? Try our myblu™ Intense Starter Kit.

myblu™ Intense Starter Kit

Our myblu™ Intense Starter Kit comes with a rechargeable vape pen, 1x Intense Menthol Liquidpod and 1x Intense Golden Tobacco, plus a USB cable.

Open system vape pens

Instead of cartridges, open system vape pens feature a refillable tank that you can top up with flavoured e-liquid. This means you have more variety of choice when it comes to your next flavour but you are also restricted by the amount of e-liquid remaining in your tank.

Open system vape pens, like our blu PRO® device, are perfect for people who have a little vaping experience or who want to try a wide range of e-liquid flavours.

Parts of an open system vape pen

• Rechargeable device

• Clearomiser or cartomiser

• Atomiser

• USB cable

Your open system device will come with a rechargeable battery. This is the main component of the device. There will be a USB port either on the bottom or the side of the device, into which you can plug the USB cable when the device needs charging. For our blu PRO® devices, this USB port is located on the side of the device.

Depending on the device you buy, your open system vape pen will also include either a detachable tank or a fixed tank with a detachable mouthpiece.

What’s the difference between an atomiser, clearomiser and cartomiser?

The way your e-liquid is drawn from the tank and released as vapour through the mouthpiece depends on the combination of components it has. These include atomisers, clearomisers and cartomisers. But what’s the difference?

A clearomiser consists of a refillable tank, usually with a window so that you can see when you’re running low on e-liquid. It then fixes onto a mouthpiece, which is usually sold together with the clearomiser. Clearomisers are arguably the easiest way to use open system devices, and it’s what you will find on our blu PRO® device. A wick will draw the liquid out of the clearomiser tank while the coil will convert it into vapour, ready to be drawn from the mouthpiece.

A cartomiser is similar to a clearomiser but it contains all of the elements – including the wick and coil – encased in one single unit. Unlike clearomisers, where you fill an empty tank with e-liquid, cartomisers contain a polyester filling that needs to be saturated with e-liquid until it can absorb no more. A disadvantage of this is the lack of a window, meaning you will never know how low on e-liquid you are – you just have to wait until you get the burnt taste.

And finally, atomisers are another name for coils, which are the heating element inside vape pens. The atomiser turns your e-liquid into vapour, which you can then draw from the mouthpiece. Both cartomisers and clearomisers contain coils. Some experienced vapers use the word ‘atomiser’ to refer to ‘dripping atomisers’, which are a type of component that can be filled with really small quantities of e-liquid that need to be constantly topped up as you vape – hence the phrase ‘dripping atomiser’.

Want to explore the versatility of open system devices? Get started with our blu PRO® Kit.

Blu PRO® Kit

Our Blu PRO® Kit comes with a rechargeable device, clearomiser and USB cable.

See all our devices here.