Mods vs. Cig-A-Likes/Mini Cigs: A Breakdown of Vaping Costs

In addition to causing cancer, heart disease and a motley of other maladies, tobacco addictions are also a tremendous financial burden. According to health department statistics, a pack-a-day habit costs smokers almost $2,500 annually. When you compare electronic cigarettes to tobacco cigarettes, you’ll find they're not only a potentially safer alternative to smoking, but are also far less expensive. It’s no wonder that one of the top reasons people switch to e-cigs is to save money.

Mods vs. Cig-a-Likes: What’s the Difference in Cost?

Before we get into costs, let’s take a quick look at the difference between open tank systems and cig-a-likes. An open tank system, also referred to as a mod, is a vaping device with many working parts that not only involve a bit of maintenance, but also require the user to fill their own tanks with e-liquid. Mods also usually include a button that must be pressed in order to activate the coil to heat the e-liquid and start producing vapor. A cig-a-like, on the other hand, has more of the look and feel of a traditional cigarette and consists of 3 working components: the battery, the charger and the cartridge. The battery heats up the cartridge to produce vapor and the charger, of course, charges the battery. The cartridges usually come prefilled with e-liquid so users don’t have to worry about the hassle of filling tanks with e-liquid—they simply screw the cartridge onto the battery and puff away.

Mods vs. Cig-a-Likes: Which is More Affordable?

Members of the mod community are quick to point out the low cost of e-liquid as being one of the benefits of using an open tank system. Bulk e-liquid can indeed be very inexpensive, ranging anywhere from $6.99 for a 10ml bottle to $29.99 for a 50ml bottle. A 10ml bottle of e-liquid is estimated to equal about 5 packs of traditional cigarettes, depending on the user’s vaping habits. The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is around $6, with the highest at $12 in New York. Now compare that cost to a pack-a-day habit and you’ll find that the annual cost of e-liquid is about $2,000 less! However, the downside to mods is they vary widely in price, from as low as $20 to as high as hundreds of dollars, plus the working pieces of mods (tanks, drip tips, and wicks) all must be maintained. In addition, prebuilt coils cost on average about $10 each and require replacement every 1 to 4 weeks, depending on your vaping habits. Mod users can opt to rebuild their own coils for just pennies, but they must also invest in coil building tools and an Ohmmeter to test for resistance. As you can imagine, mods can become quite the expensive habit not only in terms of money, but also in the time spent to maintain the devices as well.

Now let’s take a look at the cost of White Cloud’s electronic cigarettes and prefilled cartridges. White Cloud e-cig starter kits range anywhere between $34.95 and $74.95 with plenty of customization options. Each kit includes 2 or 3 batteries, a charger, a 5 pack of prefilled cartridges. Unlike mods, there are no working parts in need of replacement after consistent use. As a matter of fact, most White Cloud customers keep the same e-cig batteries for years, and if they ever have any issues, they can rest assured they’ll receive a replacement battery without any hassle. Therefore, once you have your White Cloud starter kit, you are good to go as far as cost goes for the working parts. Now let’s move on to White Cloud’s prefilled cartridges.

White Cloud offers a variety flavor options and nicotine strengths to satisfy the needs of anyone looking into making the switch to vaping. As far as costs go, our ClearDraw2 prefilled cartridges have proven to give vapers more bang for their buck. As the latest and most innovative cartridge design, ClearDraw2 cartridges come prefilled with 1ml of USA-made e-liquid with no fillers for the most flavor and the best value. For instance, a pack-a day-smoker can expect to go through one ClearDraw2 cartridge or less per day. So when we compare what they pay per day for traditional cigarettes verses what they would pay for a ClearDraw2 cartridge a day, we’re looking at about a $4 difference. Now average that out to an annual cost of about $800, which may be slightly more expensive than buying e-liquid in bulk but still far less than the $2500 pack-a-day habit!

Why Buy Electronic Cigarettes From White Cloud?

To add on to your savings of switching from traditional cigarettes to e-cigs, White Cloud makes the switch super easy! You don’t need a full tutorial on how to use and maintain your White Cloud e-cigs, and you don’t have to worry about any of the dangers associated with open tank systems, such as overheating. In fact, White Cloud products require such little maintenance, the only tool needed is an old toothbrush! There are no other parts to clean or coils to replace, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning tanks between changing flavors.

Not Ready for Commitment Just Yet?

If you’re not sure you’re ready to make the full switch and invest in an electronic cigarette starter kit or open tank system, White Cloud offers the perfect option for getting your feet wet when it comes to e-cigs. Our Fling Disposable e-cigs are an affordable and convenient alternative for anyone who is simply looking to give e-cigs a try. White Cloud Flings come prefilled with 1ml of great-tasting and long-lasting e-liquid, and they are individually wrapped for added convenience. There is no need to worry about charging a battery—Fling batteries are built to last from the first puff to the last. Pack-a-day smokers can expect their Flings to last for at least 2 days, if not more, and at only $5.95 a piece, they would still be saving thousands of dollars when compared to the cost of traditional cigarettes.

White Cloud: Convenient, Enjoyable and Affordable Alternatives to Tobacco

When it comes down to it, the annual cost of vaping with an open tank system may be slightly cheaper than cig-a-likes when it comes to the cost of e-liquid, but when you compare that to the time and money spent in maintaining a mod, it tends to even out in terms of safety and convenience. However, no matter which path you choose when making the decision to switch to e-cigs, whether you decide to turn it into a hobby with an open tank system or choose to go the more convenient route with a cig-a-like, you’re bound to save money either way. But, if you’re looking for the easiest AND most cost-effective way to make the switch, look no further than White Cloud.