Coil Reference
Coils are usually grouped into families by how much resistance they offer and the draw style they're built for. This reference covers the broad categories you'll see across most UK pod kits, tanks and mods, so you know roughly what a coil is for before checking exact device compatibility in our compatibility guide.
Common coil families
MTL round-wire / ceramic coils
- Wicking
- Cotton or ceramic
Small wicking ports, low wattage. Built for a tight, cigarette-like draw and thinner e-liquid.
Restricted DTL coils
- Wicking
- Cotton
A middle ground: looser draw than MTL, but still power-limited enough to suit 60/40 VG/PG liquid.
Sub-ohm mesh coils
- Wicking
- Cotton, large wicking slots
Mesh or multi-strand builds heat evenly across a wider surface, suited to high-VG liquid and open DTL airflow.
Dual/multi-coil builds
- Wicking
- Cotton, high flow
Two or more coil elements wired together, generally found in higher-wattage sub-ohm tanks rather than pod systems.
Coil care basics
- Prime a new coil by adding a few drops of e-liquid directly onto the visible cotton before fitting it, and let it sit for a few minutes before the first vape to avoid a dry hit.
- Chain vaping (puffing repeatedly with no gap) can outpace how fast a coil rewicks, particularly on lower-wattage MTL coils.
- A burnt taste that doesn't clear after re-priming usually means the coil has reached the end of its life rather than needing a further break-in period.
- Sweetened or very high-VG e-liquids tend to gunk coils faster, which shortens the practical lifespan compared with the same coil used with a clearer, lower-sweetener liquid.
Resistance ranges above reflect typical, widely-available UK coil products and are provided as general reference, not measurementsCoil & Cloud has independently tested. Always check the specific coil packaging for the manufacturer-stated resistance and wattage range. For pod capacity and e-liquid ratio pairing, see our pod reference.