In recent years, vaping has taken off in a big way, and a huge range of vaping devices is now available, from cheap, easy-to-use models to expensive and complicated mods for more experienced vapers.
One of the latest developments has been the advent of disposables, but some people may be a little confused about how these work – so to help you understand their basic functionality, in this post, we go into the details of how to recharge a disposable vape.
Two types of rechargeable vape
Nowadays, there are two basic types of disposable vape on the market, and how to recharge your vape – and whether you should even try – depends to a great extent on which type we’re talking about, so let’s look at this now.
In short, disposable vapes can be divided into two categories: those that are designed to be recharged and those that aren’t.
When disposable vapes first began to appear, the earliest models tended to be ones that came filled with juice and with a full battery.
They were designed to be used only until the juice ran out, after which, you just discarded them and bought a new one. Since they only contained a small amount of vape juice, they contained just enough charge to allow you to finish the juice before the battery died.
These vapes still exist, and they remain popular in Europe. They are extremely inexpensive, costing only a couple of dollars, and typically they contain enough juice for around 500 puffs before they need to be replaced.
However, in North America, disposables containing more juice have been growing in popularity in recent years.
These vapes can offer between 1,000 and 10,000 puffs per vape, depending on the model, and since these vapes can easily last several months, they need to be recharged several times before they are empty, something that’s very easy to do.
Can you recharge a disposable vape?
If we’re talking about the non-rechargeable type of vape, these models are not intended to be recharged, so doing so is difficult.
They are designed to be as simple to use as possible – all you usually need to do is press the button and take a puff. You can’t open them, you can’t change or refill the vape juice and you can’t recharge the battery.
It might just be possible to recharge one of these vapes if you were determined to do so, but there are several good reasons why you wouldn’t want to even consider trying – and here are some of the most important.
1. It’s dangerous
First of all, trying to recharge a non-rechargeable vape would be dangerous, especially if you are not highly competent in dealing with electronics.
Unlike batteries that are meant to be recharged, the batteries on non-rechargeable vapes don’t have any safeguards to prevent overcharging.
As a result, if you tried to charge one, it would be at serious risk of overheating, causing a fire or even exploding.
This means anyone trying to do so would put themself at risk of burns, electric shocks and other injuries.
2. It’s not easy
Since this type of vape doesn’t have a charging port and isn’t meant to be taken apart, if you wanted to try to charge one, you would have to start by first breaking it open.
Then, even after you’d opened the vape, charging it would still not be simple, and only people who know their way around electrical components would stand any chance of doing it.
And since you would have broken it open to get to battery, it might then not work, even if you successfully managed to charge it.
3. Not useful
Finally, another reason that’s as good as any other for not trying to charge a non-rechargeable vape is that you wouldn’t stand to gain very much from doing so anyway.
If your vape has run out of battery, the chances are that there is no vape juice left inside, and even if there was, all you would get for your efforts would be a couple of bad-tasting, burnt puffs before you’d used up all the juice.
Furthermore, as we’ve already mentioned, these vapes are incredibly cheap, so unless you really can’t afford to spend a couple of dollars, you might as well just go and buy a new one.
So in short, trying to charge a non-rechargeable vape is highly inadvisable, and if you’re considering trying it, here is a video guide for you.
How to recharge a rechargeable vape?
If you have a rechargeable vape, on the other hand, things could hardly be more different.
These vapes are designed to be recharged quickly and easily, and they are no more difficult to recharge than a smartphone – you could even argue that they’re easier to charge than a phone since they take only a fraction of the time.
Most rechargeable disposable vapes are charged using micro-USB or USB-C, so all you need to do is connect it to a power source and it will soon be ready to go again.
For example, the Jack’s Flask 9000 Puffs disposable vape from Spiritbar uses a USB-C charger and can charge in only around 10 minutes.
$34.99$14.99 (Free Shipping, 2-6 Days Delivery)
- Full-Screen Display
- Smooth & Boost Adjustable Two Models
- 25ml E-liquid Capacity
- 50mg Strength
- Up to 20000 Puffs
This means when the battery is empty, all you need to do is connect it to a power source using a USB-C cable, and in only a short time, it will be ready to use again.
These high-quality disposables provide users with up to 9,000 puffs before they need to be replaced, offering a convenient and sophisticated vaping solution to anybody who doesn’t want to bother with buying and maintaining a more complicated and expensive vaping device.
Other rechargeable vapes may take longer to charge, with some taking up to four hours. Check the packaging for your specific device to see how long it should take.
Some disposables come with a charging cable – but others require you to have your own compatible cable, so this is something else you should check before purchasing a rechargeable disposable vape.
How to know if a rechargeable vape is empty?
If we are talking about non-rechargeable vapes, some brands may incorporate an LED that changes color when the vape is empty – but with others, you will know it’s finished when it just stops working.
Since these vapes are so cheap, they don’t usually incorporate any more advanced systems for telling you how much juice or battery is left.
However, when it comes to rechargeable models, things are a little different.
For example, the Jack’s Flask model we mentioned above or the Katana BP 10000, also from Spiritbar, incorporate clear LED readouts giving you information on how much juice and how much battery is left.
$34.99$14.99 (Free Shipping, 2-6 Days Delivery)
- Full-Screen Display
- Smooth & Boost Adjustable Two Models
- 25ml E-liquid Capacity
- 50mg Strength
- Up to 20000 Puffs
This makes it easy for you to see how long you will be able to use it before it needs charging again, allowing you to avoid being left with a dead battery.
This kind of display or its equivalent is also found on most other high-end disposables since this information is necessary on a device that’s designed to last for several months.
Can you change the vape juice in a disposable vape?
No, disposable vapes are not designed to be opened, and the part that holds the juice can’t be removed, changed or refilled.
This is one of the downsides of using disposables since this limits you to vaping only one flavor at a time.
However, due to their affordable price points – even for top-end disposables offering 9,000 or 10,000 puffs – it’s hardly a big deal if you buy two or three different flavors at the same time to vary the pleasure.
$34.99$14.99 (Free Shipping, 2-6 Days Delivery)
- Full-Screen Display
- Smooth & Boost Adjustable Two Models
- 25ml E-liquid Capacity
- 50mg Strength
- Up to 20000 Puffs
Can rechargeable vapes be charged at any power outlet?
Generally speaking, a disposable vape can be plugged into any power outlet to charge.
However, some vapes may be designed to charge from a laptop USB port only, so you should check the details on the packaging of your vape when you buy it to find out the proper recommendations for your model.
What are the advantages of using disposable vapes?
Although refillable vapes allow you to switch cartridges and vape juices to enjoy different flavors, disposables make up for this by being extremely convenient and easy to use.
With a disposable, all you need to do is puff from it while it lasts, charge it when necessary if it’s a rechargeable model and then throw it out and replace it when it’s empty.
With reusable vapes, you need to make sure they are properly cleaned and maintained, you need to replace the coil every couple of weeks or at least every month and you might also have to learn about lots of different settings.
For these reasons, although more complicated models such as mods remain popular among more experienced vapers, increasing numbers are now turning to disposables as the simplest way to enjoy a vape without having to worry about any of the hassle.
$34.99$14.99 (Free Shipping, 2-6 Days Delivery)
- Full-Screen Display
- Smooth & Boost Adjustable Two Models
- 25ml E-liquid Capacity
- 50mg Strength
- Up to 20000 Puffs
Charging a rechargeable disposable could hardly be easier
As we’ve seen, charging a disposable vape that’s meant to be recharged could hardly be easier – essentially, all you need to do is plug it into a power source and wait till it’s ready.
Charging a non-rechargeable disposable vape, on the other hand, is complicated, dangerous and not even worth doing, so as a result, we strongly advise against even trying.
