Oil Cartridge Batteries: The Advanced Guide

A computer requires both hardware and software. You need the hardware in order to run the software – and without software, the computer can’t actually do anything. A vape pen is much the same way. The vape cartridge is the software, and the oil cartridge battery is the hardware. They’re equally important, and you can’t vape unless you have both of those things.

One of the things that makes choosing the right oil cartridge battery difficult is the fact that there are so many different options available, and each one has a slightly different set of features. Understanding what those features actually mean isn’t easy if you’re new to vaping, though, because of the large amount of technical jargon that’s typically used on vape sites.

To make matters even worse, you could end up not enjoying your vaping experience at all if the oil cartridge battery that you buy ends up being a poor-quality product or just not right for you. You can see the proof when you look at online vaping forums and discussion groups. You’ll see that they’re filled with people looking for answers to questions like:

  • Why isn’t my cartridge battery hitting?
  • Why isn’t my vape battery charging?
  • Why is my battery getting hot or tasting burnt?

Choosing the right oil cartridge battery can help to ensure that you’ll avoid these problems and enjoy vaping sessions that are satisfying and enjoyable from start to finish. Buying the right device, though, is only the first step – you also need to know how to use it properly.

In this guide, we’ll provide a comprehensive solution by explaining everything that you need to know about oil cartridge batteries from the very beginning. You’re going to learn:

  • What oil cartridge batteries are and how they work.
  • What their key features are and how to pick the right one for your needs.
  • How to use and maintain an oil cartridge battery properly.
  • How to avoid and fix the most common problems with oil cartridge batteries.

Introduction to Oil Cartridge Batteries

An oil cartridge battery is the power source of a vaping device. It provides the power necessary to heat the oil in the connected cartridge and turn it to vapor. In addition, an oil cartridge battery also has built-in circuits that allow you to control the device and ensure that the device operates safely.

Cartridge batteries are essentially the same as vape pens in that they’re both vaping devices primarily used with cartridges. The difference is that a vape pen may come with other vaporizing accessories such as wax coils. A cartridge battery is typically sold on its own and requires you to purchase the atomizing component separately.

Why Are Oil Cartridge Batteries Popular?

Oil cartridge batteries are probably the most popular herbal vaping products on the market today. Here’s why.

  • They’re extremely small, portable and discreet. You can carry a battery in your pocket and use it on demand – and when you’re not using it, you’ll hardly notice it’s there.
  • They’re easy to use. Just charge the battery, connect a cartridge and go.
  • Although they’re small, oil cartridge batteries are very potent. A filled cartridge contains enough oil for many vaping sessions.

Do Oil Cartridge Batteries Have Any Drawbacks?

Oil cartridge batteries have very few drawbacks, but there are a few things that you should consider before buying one.

  • They typically don’t include wax coils, so you may need to purchase a coil separately if you want to try dabbing. Some oil cartridge batteries may not work with wax coils at all.
  • Some cartridge batteries may lack certain advanced features that you might find in a more advanced vaporizer, such as a built-in bubbler or the ability to inhale from multiple cartridges simultaneously.
  • It’s important to buy carefully because a low-quality battery may not have the appropriate safety features and might not deliver power reliably. Inconsistent power delivery can lead to poor vapor production or burnt flavors.

Key Features of Oil Cartridge Batteries

It’s time to explain some of the jargon that you’re always seeing when you look at oil cartridge batteries. These are the key features that you need to know about before you buy.

Battery Capacity

A battery’s capacity is measured in milliampere-hours or mAh. A higher number indicates that the battery lasts longer before you need to recharge it. A higher-capacity battery is bigger than one with a lower capacity, though, so the higher a vape battery’s capacity is, the less portable it will be.

Voltage Control

Some vape batteries give you the ability to toggle between different voltage settings, usually by clicking the fire button a few times. An oil cartridge battery that has this feature gives you the ability to adjust the intensity of your vaping experience. A battery that doesn’t have a variable-voltage function is regulated to operate at a single voltage that’s appropriate for most cartridges.

Preheating Function

Vape oil becomes more viscous when it’s stored in cooler temperatures and can sometimes have difficulty absorbing efficiently into a vape cartridge’s ceramic core. A vape battery with an automatic preheating function warms the cartridge for several seconds, which can help to prevent inconsistent performance with thick oils and in cooler environments.

Design and Portability

Some oil cartridge batteries are designed for maximum portability, and others are a bit larger. Larger devices tend to have longer battery life and more advanced features, whereas smaller devices are more discreet and are also easier to carry in your pocket. In the smallest types of cartridge batteries, the cartridge may partially hide inside the body of the device for additional portability and discreetness. A device with this type of design, however, won’t work with cartridges that don’t have the correct physical dimensions.

Thread Type

In the vaping industry, the 510 thread is a universal standard that nearly all batteries and cartridges share. Before buying a device, you’ll want to confirm that it uses the 510 thread and not a proprietary thread type.

How to Choose the Right Oil Cartridge Battery

In the next section of this guide, we’ll provide some specific recommendations that can help you find the best cartridge battery for your needs while minimizing the time spent on research. If you’d rather browse through the products yourself, though, there are a few important things that you should consider along the way. Here’s how to choose the right vape battery for your needs.

Consider Your Vaping Preferences

Before you begin evaluating the different devices, you’ll need to consider what your personal requirements are for a cartridge battery. If you live in a cooler climate or typically use very thick vape oils, for instance, you’ll probably want a battery with an automatic preheating function. If you’re a very frequent vaper, you might want a device with long battery life. If you understand in advance what your basic requirements are, you can identify the batteries that might be good fits and eliminate the ones that definitely won’t work for you.

Choose Between Power and Portability

As we explained above, every oil cartridge battery occupies a certain position on the spectrum between maximum power and maximum portability. Smaller devices are more discreet and easier to carry, but larger devices have longer-lasting batteries and are more likely to offer advanced features. You should choose a device that offers the features you require while also meeting your requirements for size and portability.

Research the Top Brands

Before buying a cartridge battery from any brand, it’s wise to research that brand and its standing among the vaping community. The best brands in the vaping community have gotten to where they are because of their spotless reputations for reliability, quality, safety and innovation. At Hamilton Devices, we carry only our own vape batteries and those made by leading manufacturer CCELL®.

Spend Some Time Reading User Feedback

Gathering feedback from users is the final thing that you should do before selecting the oil cartridge battery you’re going to buy. When you browse the Hamilton Devices website, you’ll see numerous reviews in which customers discuss their real-life experiences with the products. You should use that feedback to guide your purchasing decision.

What Are the Most Popular Cartridge Batteries for Beginners?

There are probably hundreds of oil cartridge batteries on the market today, and you may not have the time to wade through them all in the search for the one device that’s right for you. In this section of our guide, we’ll describe the three batteries on this site that we believe are the best fits for beginners.

The Cloak by Hamilton Devices

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If you’re looking for a cartridge battery that’s discreet, you’re going to love the Cloak because there’s nothing else like it on the market. The Cloak has an outer sheath that completely covers the installed cartridge, making the device look like a traditional vape and allowing you to enjoy your experience in total privacy. The Cloak is a simple inhale-activated vape – just connect a cartridge and start puffing – and it has an impressive battery capacity of 650 mAh. The Cloak works with most 510-threaded vape cartridges except ones with extra-long mouthpieces.

CCELL® Palm

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The CCELL® Palm is also an extremely discreet vape battery, although its design is different from that of the Cloak because the cartridge is hidden inside a silo on the side of the device rather than being covered by an outer sheath. As a result, the CCELL® Palm works with taller vape cartridges, although it won’t work with cartridges too wide to fit in the silo. The CCELL® Palm has a battery capacity of 550 mAh, and it uses a quick-connect magnetic mechanism that allows you to switch between cartridges instantly.

CCELL® Go Stik

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The CCELL® Go Stik is a sleek and portable oil cartridge battery that deftly straddles the line between power and portability, offering a tiny and pocketable design while still providing an advanced feature set. The Go Stik has a battery capacity of 280 mAh – impressive for such a tiny device – and a simple side-mounted switch allows you to toggle between the device’s two power settings of 2.8 and 3.2 volts.

How to Use and Maintain an Oil Cartridge Battery

A good cartridge battery will always include a printed instruction manual that explains how to use the device. There are a lot of details in a typical manual that may go unstated, though, because the manual might be written with the assumption that you have a certain amount of vaping experience already. In this section of our guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of using a vape battery.

Charging the Battery

  • Connect the battery to your computer’s USB port with the included charging cable. When you do this, the device’s light should turn on.
  • When the battery is finished charging, the light will turn off or change color. At this point, you can disconnect the device and resume vaping.
  • Charge the battery before using it for the first time. You’ll also need to charge it when the light blinks.

Using the Battery

  • Connect a cartridge by screwing it into the battery’s threading. Make sure that the cartridge is screwed in all the way but don’t over-tighten it.
  • Use your vape battery’s automatic preheating function if it has one. You can usually start the preheating cycle by clicking the fire button twice. When the light turns off, the cycle is complete.
  • Vape by drawing air gently through the cartridge’s mouthpiece or by puffing on the mouthpiece while holding the battery’s fire button. Inhale and exhale the vapor as if it were smoke.
  • After taking a few puffs, put the device down and allow a bit of time to gauge how you feel. Vape oils are very potent, and it’s important not to overdo it during your first vaping experience.

Maintaining and Storing the Battery

  • Always clean leaks promptly. If a cartridge leaks, remove the oil from all connection points using a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol.
  • Turn the battery off when you aren’t using it. If the battery has a manual fire button, you can turn it off by clicking the button five times. If the battery doesn’t have a button, it’s off when the cartridge is removed.
  • Store the battery in a cool place and away from direct sunlight. Don’t leave it in your car when you aren’t using it.

Fixing Common Problems

  • Not Hitting:
      • Make sure that the battery is turned on by clicking the fire button five times.
      • Charge the battery.
      • Remove the cartridge and check for a leak. If the cartridge has leaked, clean the connection points and try again.
      • Try a different cartridge if the battery still isn’t hitting.
  • Not Charging:
      • Replace the charging cable.
      • Make sure that the charging port is clean. If the battery charges through the threading, clean it with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. If it charges through a USB port, remove lint from the port with a toothpick.
      • Make sure that you’re charging the battery through your computer or a manufacturer-approved wall adapter. Don’t try to charge an oil cartridge battery with a wall adapter for a smartphone or computer.
  • Harsh Flavor:
    • Lower the battery’s voltage if possible.
    • Use the battery’s preheating function if it has one.
    • Wait longer between puffs to allow sufficient time for the cartridge’s ceramic core to absorb more oil.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oil Cartridge Batteries

If you have a question that we haven’t answered already in this guide, you’ll find the information you need here. These are the questions that people most frequently ask about oil cartridge batteries.

  • How long does an oil cartridge battery last on a single charge?
      • Assuming that you wait a few minutes after each puff before puffing again, an oil cartridge battery can typically provide several hours of use on a single charge. That’s usually sufficient for multiple lengthy vaping sessions. If you’re a heavy vaper, though, it’s a good idea to buy a cartridge battery with a high mAh rating.
  • What’s the difference between fixed-voltage and variable-voltage batteries?
      • A fixed-voltage battery is regulated to operate at a single voltage regardless of the battery’s current charge level. A fixed-voltage battery usually provides excellent performance with most oil cartridges, but you may occasionally encounter a cartridge that needs a little more power for best performance or that tastes burnt at higher voltages. Having a variable-voltage battery allows you to make adjustments when necessary.
  • Can I use any battery with a 510-thread oil cartridge?
      • You can use any 510-threaded oil cartridge with any 510-threaded vape battery as long as the cartridge physically fits the device’s threading. Due to space limitations, a very small vape battery may not work with cartridges that are unusually long or wide. If you’re experimenting with different brands of cartridges, it’s always a good idea to ensure that a cartridge will fit on your battery before buying it.
  • Is preheating necessary for all vape oil cartridges?
    • Preheating isn’t necessary with all vape cartridges, but it can help cartridges perform more reliably if they contain very thick vape oils or have been stored in cool environments. A cartridge that contains a high concentration of added terpenes or flavors will typically be less viscous and may perform well without preheating. Using a vape battery’s preheating function will not harm any vape cartridge.

Conclusion

Reading this guide, you’ve received a comprehensive education on buying, using and maintaining an oil cartridge battery from start to finish. You’ve learned about the importance of buying the right device for your needs, and you’ve also learned how to maintain the device properly and prevent some of the common issues that people encounter when vaping. 

The right vape battery enhances your vaping experience by providing safe, consistent performance and ensuring broad compatibility with a wide variety of different cartridges. That allows you to focus on enjoyment instead of worrying about troubleshooting problems – and enjoyment is what vaping is all about.

It’s time to continue your vaping journey. Click any of the product links in this guide to learn more or browse our full selection of oil cartridge batteries or vape pens now.