TOP PICKS: The Best Sub-Ohm Tanks
Convenient, flexible… and designed to produce the maximum amount of vapor, sub-ohm tanks are BY FAR the most popular type of refillable tank on the market. What was once only available to experienced coil builders is now an option for everyone – thanks to easy-to-use, replaceable sub-ohm coils! We’ve tested dozens of different sub-ohm platforms over the years, but this is our most updated list of the best sub-ohm tanks.
What Is a Sub-Ohm Tank?
For the uninitiated, the term “sub-ohm” refers to the resistance reading of the coils. If your vape has a resistance reading of less than 1, then you’ve got a sub-ohm device. The main advantages to low resistance coils is that they can produce large amounts of vapor and very intense flavors.
Besides the cool factor of producing such big clouds, the large amounts of vapor allow for what is know as DTL (Direct to lung) vaping. Unlike traditional smoking, where you first take the smoke into your mouth and then inhale into your lungs, DTL allows you to take a big breath and inhale the smoke directly.
As you’ll see below, there is great variety when it comes to sub-ohm tanks, both resistance levels and wattage can vary drastically between devices, with most tanks falling somewhere in the 30 to 120 watt range.
Best Sub-Ohm Tanks
If you’ve been searching for a new sub-ohm tank system, you’ve probably been comparing features to determine which one will best suit your needs. Unfortunately, specs will tell you nothing about performance.
There are dozens of companies offering their own unique designs, and every few weeks it seems like a new product is being released! We do our best to stay on top of all of the latest innovations, but to make our list a tank must provide two things:
IMPRESSIVE CLOUDS AND EXCEPTIONAL FLAVOR!
We prefer tanks that do both! When choosing the best sub-ohm tanks, we also considered quality, functionality and value. Most of these vape tanks are new, but we also included some older, reliable setups that still deserve attention.
Horizon Falcon 2 Sub-Ohm Tank
PROS:
- Exceptional overall performance
- Robust, mid-wattage flavor
- Unique, long-lasting wicking materials
- Smooth, effective airflow
CONS:
- Coils only rated up to 75 W
- 25.2 mm diameter may overlap
Horizon’s latest (and greatest) vape tank, the Falcon 2 Tank is undoubtedly one of the best sub-ohm tanks in the market. Despite it’s mid-range power ratings (up to 80 W), it provides huge clouds of vapor… and the flavor is outstanding!
That’s probably due to the unique wicking materials used in the coil heads, which consist of mixes of wood pulp, cotton and / or flax. For the Falcon 2, Horizon also developed an innovative conical mesh element that delivers exceptional airflow while compressing flavors to improve the vaping experience.
With an exceptionally smooth draw and outstanding overall performance, the latest addition to Horizon’s Tech legendary Falcon series is definitely one of the TOP DOGS this year. It won’t handle huge amounts of power, but vapor production is amazing, the flavor is robust and the coils last surprisingly long – another benefit to it’s unique wicking materials.
Freemax M Pro 2
PROS:
- Outstanding flavor production
- Big vapor, even at lower watts
- High-wattage Flavors (120 w)
- Reliable coil heads – no dry hits
- Smooth airflow delivery
CONS:
- Loud air-flow
- Coils aren’t always consistent
With a long history of producing industry leading vape tanks, the Freemax M Pro 2 isn’t vastly different from the previous versions – but that’s what makes it so great. Freemax’s track record is strong, and if it ain’t broke… well you know the rest!
If you’re looking for a reliable, strong performing sub tank, the M Pro 2 won’t let you down. Unlike the Falcon, it can take huge amounts of power, or be used with low wattage; depending on your choice of coil, the M Pro 2 works anywhere in the 40 w to 120 w range. The vapor production is impressive – and the flavor truly shines.
The M Pro 2 does have bottom airflow and can be quite noisy, which may be a drawback for some users, but the insane clouds, great flavor and wide coil selection more than make up for it. An attractive, no-frills sub-ohm tank that’s both reliable and consistent, the coils perform extremely well with no leaking or dry hits.
Smok TFV12 Baby Prince Tank
PROS:
- Great flavor – BIG CLOUDS!
- Variety of coil heads
- Compatible with V8 Baby Coils
- Locking top fill system
- 2ml or 4.5ml capacity
CONS:
- Not compatible with original V12 Prince coils
- Less capacity than original Prince
Smok has a long history of producing high-performance sub-ohm tank systems. From the TFV4 to the TFV8, the company continues to make advancements and you’ll find a variety of different Smok products on the market right now.
We had a tough time choosing just one tank for this list, but with clouds, flavor and flexibility in mind, the Smok TFV12 Baby Prince Tank combines all of the most desirable features in to just one platform.
The Smok TFV12 Baby Prince Tank takes the aesthetics and updated features of the Smok TFV12 Prince Tank (see our honorable mentions below), and combines it with the proven, reliable coil technology of the TFV8 Baby Beast Tank. Not only does it come with newly designed V8 Baby Coils (including mesh), but it’s compatible with all of the older V8 Baby Coils too.
Without getting overly detailed, let’s just say it performs BRILLIANTLY! Big clouds, great flavor… and a reliable, high-quality design that’s super sexy. Another tank designed for flavor (under 100W), if you’d like to run more power and focus on clouds – consider the original TFV12 Prince Tank.
Uwell Crown 5 Sub-Ohm Tank
PROS:
- Great overall performance
- Attractive, high-quality construction
- Threadless coil design
- Easy to use top-fill system
- Ample and smooth airflow
- No leaking
CONS:
- Tank gets hot when chain vaping
The fifth iteration in the renowed Uwell Crown series, the Crown V takes what made it’s predecessors great, and improves upon it. The Crown V features patented self-cleaning technology which is helpful to prevent leakage and lessen the cleaning frequency.
The is compatible with three different coil options, including 0.23 ohm single mesh coil, 0.3 ohm dual mesh coil and 0.2 ohm triple mesh coil, these provide huge clouds and truly amazing flavor.
Of course, we had to test each coil option. We found that the 0.3 dual mesh coils work best when vaping at the 50-55 w range, while the 0.23 single coil and 0.2 triple coil both excel at 65-70 watts.
If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable tank, it’s hard to ignore the Crown 5’s quality construction, excellent performance and attractive design. It looks great, and works like a champ.
Freemax Fireluke Mesh Tank
PROS:
- Excellent flavor and cloud production
- Super long lasting mesh coils
- Resin, steel, carbon fiber options
- Variety of color choices
- Little or no leaking
CONS:
- Limited coil options (mesh only)
- Limited 3ml capacity
We’ve listed several tanks that offer mesh coils, but the Freemax Fireluke Mesh Tank is the only one designed exclusively for mesh. The others do it well, but the Fireluke Mesh does it the best! Huge, thick clouds of vapor… and incredibly accurate and robust flavor. Plus, the mesh coils last extremely long… longer than any replacement coils that we’ve ever tried.
It does have a few downsides, though. It only holds 3 ml of e-juice, and you won’t be able to venture out and try different types of coil heads. With that being said, the Fireluke Mesh Tank performs flawlessly and has an awesome look – available in knurled, stainless steel or resin finishes.
Honorable Mentions:
Choosing the Right Sub-Ohm Vape Tank
As you can see, when it comes to sub-ohm vape tanks, there are a whole lot of options to consider. These are just ten selections out of dozens – if not hundreds of different choices. The most obvious quality that most people look for is the amount of vapor produced by a tank. Typically, coils that run at higher watts will produce the most vapor; but more power often results in less flavor.
The key to finding the best sub-ohm tank system for your particular tastes, is understanding your preferences and matching them with an appropriate design (and coils) to meet your needs. If you’re a cloud chaser, you’ll want plenty of airflow (the bigger the air slots the better) and coils that will handle large amounts of power. If you’re more concerned with flavor, you’ll want to dial down the power and look for flavor-orientated designs that limit and redirect airflow.
If you’re anything like us, though, you’re looking for a combination of both flavor and clouds. You’ve seen our top picks, what is your favorite sub-ohm tank?
