Why Do Vaping Devices Produce Much More Vapor Than Cigarettes and IQOS?

In recent years, vaping devices have become increasingly popular—not just for their flavors and tech appeal, but also for their dramatic clouds of vapor. Anyone who’s walked past a vaper has likely noticed how the vapor they exhale seems to fill the air far more than the smoke from a traditional cigarette or even an IQOS device. But why is that? Let’s explore the science behind it.

1. It’s Not Smoke, It’s Vapor

The first key difference lies in what’s being produced.

Cigarettes burn tobacco, producing smoke—a mix of solid particles and gases from combustion.
IQOS heats tobacco without burning it, creating an aerosol that’s thinner and less visible.
Vapes, on the other hand, heat a liquid solution (often called e-liquid or vape juice), producing vapor—a much denser and more visible cloud made primarily of tiny droplets of vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.

2. The Role of Vegetable Glycerin (VG)

A major component of vape liquid is vegetable glycerin (VG), a thick, sweet, non-toxic substance that produces dense vapor when heated. The higher the VG content, the bigger and thicker the clouds.

Most vape juices come in different VG/PG ratios:

High VG (e.g., 70/30): Big clouds, smooth hit
High PG (e.g., 30/70): Stronger throat hit, smaller vapor

Cigarettes and IQOS don’t contain VG, so they can’t produce vapor of the same volume or density.

3. Higher Vaporization Temperatures

Vaping devices use powerful coils and adjustable wattage to vaporize e-liquid at high temperatures. This allows the liquid to turn rapidly into a thick mist.

A typical vape mod operates between 100°C to 250°C, depending on the setting.
Cigarettes burn at around 600°C to 900°C, but since it’s combustion, the smoke quickly disperses and is less dense.
IQOS heats tobacco to around 350°C, producing a much lighter aerosol.

4. Inhalation Volume and Device Design

Modern vaping devices are designed for direct-to-lung (DTL) inhalation, meaning users inhale large amounts of vapor deeply into their lungs and exhale voluminous clouds. Traditional cigarettes and IQOS are typically mouth-to-lung (MTL), which involves smaller inhalation volumes.

Additionally, vapes have:

Airflow control
Large coils and tanks
High-output batteries

All of which contribute to larger cloud production compared to conventional smoking products.

5. Cloud Chasing Culture

Let’s not forget the cultural factor: many vapers actually want to produce large clouds. “Cloud chasing” is a niche within vaping where users customize their devices to maximize vapor output. It’s part of the appeal and identity for some in the vaping community.

Conclusion

The thick clouds produced by vaping devices are the result of liquid vaporization, high VG content, customizable power settings, and device engineering. In contrast, cigarettes rely on combustion, and IQOS heats real tobacco—both processes produce less visible output by nature.

While vaping might look more intense, it’s important to remember that more vapor doesn’t necessarily mean more harm or more nicotine—it all depends on the liquid composition and how the device is used.

The contents present on the blog “VTI Vape blog” of which the owner of the blog is the author cannot be copied, reproduced, published or redistributed because they belong to the author himself.

Copying and reproduction of the contents in any way or form is prohibited.

The publication and redistribution of contents not expressly authorized by the author is prohibited.

Vape Trade Italy