Drippers are rebuildable atomizers without a tank. They are simply a base you can fit a coil into, with a dome on the top to seal it all. The only reserve of liquid in the wick itself, so you have to add liquid regularly by hand, which is called dripping. Since there’s no tank covering it, the assembly is easy to access. All you have to do is remove the dome to soak the wick. You can even do it directly via the drip tip, and it’s even easier if this is a standard 810, which is wider than a 510. Depending on the size of the wick and the power you use, you usually need to do this every 3 to 10 puffs.
Most drippers come with a bottom feeder pin. This is a replacement positive pad with a hole drilled through its centre so the liquid can flow through it. You can also use it with a bottom feeder box, which holds a silicone bottle positioned just under the 510 connector. To send the liquid up to the wick, just squeeze the bottle. The liquid flows through the channel in the 510 connector to the base of the mounting plate inside the dripper.
This method means there’s no need to take out the bottle to drip because it’s inside the box and is always available. It can usually hold 8ml of liquid, sometimes more. That’s a lot more than most clearomizers can hold, but it’s still a compact size. That gives you the advantages of drippers, without – or almost without – the practical disadvantages.
Drippers are actually less practical than atomizers, since you have to add liquid regularly by hand. However, they remain very popular despite the huge progress made with atomizers. Credit where it’s due: they’re so easy to use because there’s no risk of leaks and you can forget about wicking.
Their simplicity allows drippers in particular to push the boundaries in terms of performance. Whether you use them to make vapour or to deliver flavour, nothing is as good as the best drippers yet, although the best atomizers have come very close. From a design point of view, the tank is the main constraint, so getting rid of it means you can improve flavour even more.
Like an atomizer, you choose a dripper depending on the vape you want from it. What your dripper looks like is the least important factor. If you don’t enjoy vaping with it, it’ll sit in a drawer – however beautiful you may think it is.
Drippers cover the full range of vaping, from the most restricted MTL to the airiest direct inhalation. Some can hold up to 8 coils, so the possibilities are endless. There are also practical aspects to consider, like the easy assembly and access to the dripper, which can make a dripper easier to use every day. Most importantly, you have to enjoy the way it vapes, then they way it works, and lastly you need to like the design.
Our selection criteria for drippers
There are lots of different drippers, and new models come onto the market all the time. Like atomizers, their average quality has improved a great deal, and there are very few bad drippers around. However, this doesn’t mean they are all equal – far from it. Most are good, some are very good, and a very few are excellent.
Our tests assess production quality, practical factors and flavour rendering. There’s not much between most drippers when you compare them. But some models perform perfectly, particularly by delivering exceptional flavour with precision and balance, and they are the ones on our podium.