If you already vape, you'll know the experience can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. For a quick, no-fuss hit of flavour, one of the best disposable vapes will do the job. Want a bit more control? Many of the best pod kits offer adjustable airflow so you can dial in your ideal draw. And for existing vapers after every feature under the sun, the best vape kits and box mods come loaded with settings that let you tailor your vape down to the last detail.

Many of those settings are grouped under “modes”: distinct ways of controlling how a device fires its coil. Some kits offer just one or two basic modes, while more advanced devices can pack in half a dozen or more. This guide is for vapers who already have a kit with mode options and want to understand what they actually do, who they suit, and how to work out which ones your own device has, so the whole topic stops feeling like a wall of jargon.

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What is a vaping mode, exactly?

At its simplest, a mode is a setting that changes how your device sends power to the coil. Every vape needs to turn battery power into heat, and heat into vapour, and a mode is just the rulebook the device follows to do that. Some modes give you direct control (crank the wattage up or down yourself), others hand control to the device (let it detect the coil and pick a sensible output for you), and a few exist mainly to protect the coil or battery from being pushed too hard.

None of this is compulsory reading to enjoy vaping. Plenty of people are perfectly happy on a simple auto-draw pod kit with no modes to speak of. But if your kit does offer them, understanding what each one does means you can actually use the features you're paying for, rather than leaving your device on the default setting out of uncertainty.

The modes we'll cover in this guide are:

• Variable Wattage Mode
• Variable Voltage Mode
• Temperature Control Mode
• TCR Mode
• Bypass Mode
• SMART Mode
• Pulse Mode
• Wattage Curve Mode

We'll also look at coil resistance and materials (since several modes depend on them), a few other manufacturer-specific modes you might spot on the menu, and how to check which modes your own device actually supports.

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Variable Wattage Mode

The most commonly used mode by far, Variable Wattage (VW) lets you adjust the power level of your device, measured in watts. Turn the wattage up and you'll generally get a warmer, denser vape with more vapour; turn it down and you'll get a cooler, more restricted draw. Higher wattage also uses e-liquid and battery power faster, so it's a genuine trade-off rather than a straightforward “more is better” setting.

How to use it: navigate to the VW setting in your device's menu and use the +/- buttons to set your wattage. Most coils have a manufacturer-recommended wattage range printed on the coil itself or in the box, which is the sensible starting point before you start experimenting.

Who it's for: genuinely versatile, and a good fit for beginners and experienced vapers alike.

Variable Voltage Mode

Variable Voltage (VV) mode lets you control the voltage sent to the coil rather than the wattage. It's closely related to VW mode, since voltage, resistance and wattage are all linked by Ohm's Law, but VV gives you a more direct, hands-on way to adjust the power supplied to the coil. Because it's easy to set the voltage too high for a given coil, this mode rewards a bit of background knowledge before you dive in.

How to use it: switch to VV mode and use the +/- buttons to select your voltage.

Who it's for: generally more experienced vapers who are comfortable with Ohm's Law and how it relates to coil resistance.

Temperature Control (TC) Mode

Temperature Control (TC) mode lets you set a maximum temperature for your coil rather than a power level. The device then automatically adjusts the wattage on the fly to stop the coil going over that temperature. The main benefit is consistency: you get a more even flavour throughout the draw, a much lower chance of a harsh “dry hit”, and coils tend to last longer since they're not being repeatedly overheated.

How to use it: switch to TC mode, select the coil material you're using (Nickel, Titanium or Stainless Steel are the usual options), then set your target temperature with the +/- buttons. The device handles the wattage adjustments for you from there.

Who it's for: vapers who want to fine-tune their experience, dislike the burnt taste that comes with a dry hit, or want to get more life out of their coils.

TCR Mode

TCR stands for Temperature Coefficient of Resistance, and it's essentially an advanced version of TC mode for coils that aren't made from one of the three “standard” TC materials (Nickel, Titanium or Stainless Steel). Every metal changes resistance at a slightly different rate as it heats up. TCR mode lets you punch in that specific rate (either manually, if you know the figure for your wire, or via a saved preset) so the device can still control temperature accurately on a wider range of custom or exotic coil builds.

How to use it: switch to TCR mode and either select a saved TCR value for your coil type or enter the figure manually if you know it. This is more fiddly than standard TC mode, so it's worth checking your device's manual for the exact steps.

Who it's for: more advanced vapers, particularly those building their own coils, who want temperature control beyond the three standard TC materials.

Bypass Mode

Bypass mode gives you a vaping experience closer to a mechanical mod. In this setting, the device sends the battery's current voltage straight to the coil, bypassing the usual internal regulation. That means the power output is tied directly to how charged the battery is: as the battery depletes over the course of the day, the intensity of your vape will drop off with it.

How to use it: navigate to Bypass mode in your menu. Once it's active, the device ignores any pre-set wattage or temperature settings.

Who it's for: advanced vapers after a punchy, unregulated feel, who understand battery safety and Ohm's Law. Because there's no wattage cap in this mode, it's not the place to start if you're new to sub-ohm vaping.

SMART Mode

SMART mode (sometimes called Automatic Coil Detection) is all about convenience. Once it's switched on, the device reads the resistance of the coil you've installed and sets an output it judges to be sensible for that coil, without you having to work it out yourself.

How to use it: switch to SMART mode and the device detects the coil's resistance and sets the wattage for you. You can generally start vaping straight away.

Who it's for: beginners, or anyone who'd rather not think about wattage every time they swap a coil.

Pulse Mode

Pulse mode fires the coil in rapid intervals, or “pulses”, rather than one continuous burst, for as long as you hold the fire button. Those quick bursts help keep the coil at a more consistent temperature throughout the draw, which a lot of vapers find gives a smoother, more flavoursome result.

How to use it: once Pulse mode is switched on, there's nothing else to adjust. Press the fire button as normal and the device handles the pulsing output for you.

Who it's for: anyone after a consistent, smooth draw, whether they're new to vaping or a seasoned pro.

Wattage Curve Mode

Wattage Curve mode, also called Variable Power Curve, lets you programme how wattage changes over the course of a single draw rather than fixing it at one number. For example, you might set a lower wattage for the first couple of seconds, ramp up to a higher wattage in the middle of the draw, then taper off towards the end.

How to use it: switch to Wattage Curve mode and programme your desired curve through the device's menu. Most devices let you plot the curve over several seconds.

Who it's for: advanced vapers who want to customise their draw down to the smallest detail and don't mind experimenting with settings to get there.

Other modes you might spot

Manufacturers love putting their own spin on things, so depending on the brand and chipset, you may come across a few extras beyond the core list above:

• Eco Mode: trims power slightly to stretch battery life a little further, handy on a long day out.
• DIY Mode (or “Custom Mode”): bundles together standard VW, VV and TC settings in one customisable menu rather than as separate modes.
• Chipset-specific extras: things like noise reduction on the fire button, ultra-fast firing speeds, or auto-priming features that pulse the coil briefly before your first draw of the day.

These tend to be nice-to-haves rather than essentials, and they vary a lot between manufacturers, so your device's manual is the best place to check exactly what a branded mode name means on your specific kit.

Coil resistance and materials: what to know before you switch modes

A few of the modes above (Temperature Control and TCR in particular) only work properly with certain coil materials, so it's worth understanding the basics before you start switching things around.

Coils are rated in ohms (Ω), which measures electrical resistance. As a rough guide, lower-resistance coils (below 1.0Ω, often called sub-ohm coils) are built for higher wattages and bigger vapour, while higher-resistance coils (above 1.0Ω) suit lower wattages and a tighter, more restricted draw. Most coils have their recommended wattage range printed on the coil itself or the packaging, which is the best starting point in VW mode.

For Temperature Control and TCR modes specifically, the device needs to read the coil's resistance changes accurately, which only works with resistance wire made from Nickel (Ni), Titanium (Ti) or Stainless Steel (SS), or a custom wire with a known TCR value entered manually. Standard Kanthal or NiChrome coils, which the majority of pod and starter kits use, aren't compatible with TC or TCR mode and are designed to be used in VW, VV, SMART or Bypass mode instead. Trying to fire an incompatible coil in TC mode typically just triggers an error on the screen rather than causing any harm, but it's worth knowing in advance so you're not left wondering why the mode won't engage.

How do I know which modes my device has?

Not every device offers every mode, and manufacturers vary in how clearly they list this. A few reliable ways to check:

1. The product page or box: most vape kits list their supported modes clearly in the specifications, either on the packaging or on the retailer's product page.
2. The user manual: this is the most reliable source for exactly how to switch modes on your specific device, since the menu navigation differs between brands and chipsets.
3. The on-screen or in-app menu: devices with a screen usually let you cycle through available modes directly from the home screen or a settings menu; check your device's quick-start guide for the specific button combination.

If you're choosing a new kit and modes matter to you, it's worth checking the mode list on the product page before you buy, since entry-level pod kits often only offer one or two, while box mods and more advanced kits typically offer several.

Quick answers

Hopefully you've now got a clearer picture of what all those flashy mode names on vaping products and vape sites actually mean. Used correctly, they can genuinely enhance your vape, letting you dial in exactly how much flavour, vapour and control you want from your chosen kit and e-liquid selection.

Should you need any more advice, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly, expert Customer Service Team.

Happy vaping!