Best Vape Mods and Box Mods of 2018 (Our Top Picks)

Box mods have changed the vaping world as we know it. They give us fine-tuned control and customizability unlike any innovation to ever hit the market. Even box mods themselves can be incredibly versatile, as we’re going to discuss in detail. Box mods have superior batteries, they offer variable voltage control, and are carefully built to be safe and reliable devices.

There’s a whole lot to consider when you’re looking to buy a new box mod. They can range in price anywhere from around $50 to $200. And, like most things in life, you tend to get what you pay for. Still, there are great mods all across the price spectrum, so we’re going to go over a few of the best box mods available in 2018.

So here are our top box mod picks this year:

Paranormal DNA 250C Project Sub-Ohm Edition by Lost Vape

The Project Sub-Ohm® Edition Lost Vape Paranormal Dual 18650 DNA 250C Box Mod contains a new, highly advanced chipset, the Evolve DNA 250C. This attractive mod’s chassis, engraved with the signature Project Sub-Ohm logo, is laser cut out of a zinc metal alloy to give it a sexy and stylish finish, with sleek blue paneling and input buttons.

The Paranormal DNA 250C doesn’t include batteries, so make sure you pick up a pack of 18650 batteries to go inside the gold-plated battery chamber. One great advantage of the DNA 250C is its huge wattage range, allowing you to fire as low as 1W and all the way up to a whopping 200W. Featuring an OLED display panel, the device gives the user full control over its settings. The display is customizable, and includes settings for temp control, boost mode, preheat, and replay.

As a cherry on top, this model includes a USB port you can use to charge other devices with your vape.

The Paranormal is one of the more versatile and action-packed mods on the market today. Frankly, a first-time vaper doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles that it offers. But if you want a premium vaping experience with  everything you can get packed into one tiny little box, then this is the mod for you!

Vapes with this kind of range are suitable for all kinds of e-liquid, so if you’re someone who prefers to change up your flavor and type of liquid regularly, this is a great mod to give you the fine-tuned control that you need to achieve optimal flavor and cloud production. However, again, this makes it a little bit more complicated for a new vaper to wrap their head around.

Another cool feature this mod offers is software updates! As the developer releases new innovations to their device’s software, you don’t have to be left in the dust as an existing customer who bought the old version. You can download updates right from Lost Vape’s website to keep your device current all the time

Being packed so full of features, it’s quickly become one of the best selling mods Cloud Counter has to offer.

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Charon Mini Mod by Smoat

After the wild success of the Charon mod, Smoat has introduced a smaller and more compact version of their beloved product, the Charon Mini Mod.

This powerful new device features Smoat’s proprietary new ANT225 Chipset, giving the mini mod the power to fire up to 225W. That’s a lot of power for such a small package! Plus, it reaches peak temperatures in less than a tenth of a second, making this an ultra-high performance mod great for any vaper.

The Charon Mini Mod also features a full-color TFT display, and at an impressive 2 inches it looks sharp and easy to read. You can even customize the wallpaper and screensaver. However it doesn’t include the 18650 batteries you’ll need to power it, so make sure to pick up a pack of batteries when you purchase your new mod.

This is one of the better choices of box mods for a beginner vaper, because it’s so easy to use and it’s full of safety features. 

As long as you buy the right batteries, there’s really not much else you can screw up to damage your device. Plus, it’s durable, and it’s got a wide temperature range to let you experiment and find the settings that work best for you and your preferred e-liquids!

The Charon Mini is great even for experienced vapers, too. If you like to change up your vape juice regularly, then you want a box with a wide range of temperature and wattage control. This is the perfect mod for changing your mind; even changing tanks is a breeze.

Small in form and simple to use, this powerful mod makes our “best of” list because it offers excellent functionality at a competitive price.

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Rage 155W Squonk Mod By OhmboyOC

The Rage 155W Squonk Mod is the product of a collab project by OhmBoy and Desire Design, and is one of the coolest collaborations we’ve seen in vaping technology. 

The Rage Squonk Mod’s chipset gives it the capability to fire at upwards of 155W, as the name implies. Like most other quality box mods, it takes 18650 batteries (not included in the package).

This mod isn’t machined with the type of zinc alloy that’s commonly present in other vaping devices. Instead, it’s made from Kirsite, which not only gives it an exquisite look, but keeps the cost of manufacturing down, saving you money at the point of purchase.

It’s got a 7ml Squonk tube that feeds up into the bottom of your BF RDA, and it’s cut with an ergonomic design that both feels and looks good without any compromises. That's why we particularly like this mod because it’s easy to use, full-featured, and feels great in your hand.

It doesn’t have quite the extensive range that some other box mods offer, but for squonk boxes, that’s not necessary anyways, so this is still one of our favorites.

Just the same, squonks aren’t exactly the best choice for newbie vapers. The learning curve isn’t exactly steep, but it’s more effort than beginner vape users may want to go through when first getting into vaping.

So, like the Paranormal, The Rage Squonk Mod might be better for the seasoned vaper who knows exactly what he’s looking for in his vaping experience, and how to achieve it.

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DotBox 200w by DotMod

The dotBox 200W by DotMod continues in the company’s long-running tradition of creating eye-popping, creative, and innovative vaping technologies. 

Built with highly complex and proprietary chipset, the dotChip, this powerful device helps you achieve exactly the vaping experience you want, with more fine-tuned control than almost any device out there on the market today. Not only that, but despite its small stature, it delivers huge power capabilities.

Thanks to its ultra-wide power range, going as high as 200W, the dotBox is suitable for all vapers, both the new and experienced alike. 

This versatility lets you enjoy a huge variety of vape juices in the same device, without having to worry about tweaking power settings; just set them where you need to be once, and the dotBox will respond with immense accuracy.

The dotChip technology not only drives incredible power, but incredible performance as well. Its hyper-optimized chipset design has accelerated the charging times, firing speed, and even the speed of the software inside the device. It’s one of the most capable box mod microchips we’ve seen on the market so far.

As far as aesthetics are concerned, its sleek design, with its soft edges, shimmering surface, and gold plated input buttons make the dotBox one of the most beautiful and attractive box mods you can find. It’s not oversized, so it fits quite nicely in your hand, pocket, purse, center console, or storage compartment.

dotMod tops the list for its extraordinary functionality and gorgeous design. But the dotBox 200 isn’t the last vape on our list today. We’ve got one more dotMod device we love that we just have to share with you...

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DotSquonk by DotMod

The DotSquonk by DotMod is a full mechanical** box mod that gives you the ultimate control over your vaping experience. 

It features an enormous vape juice capacity all in one tiny little package- you’ll only need to fill your tank once a day, even if you’re a heavy, all-day vaper. It’s metal inside and out, built to last, so you can trust it for a long time to come. And, its sleek engraved design gives it a nice aesthetic.

After the success of their earlier models, the DotMod team took the time to really examine what it is that truly makes a box mod the best it can be. Their ideas and philosophies went into designing the dotSquonk, a true innovation in mechanical mods.

The metal alloy used to pass current from the battery to the atomizer allows for the device to achieve sub-ohm resistance and almost no drop in voltage, so you get a smooth, easy, and consistent vaping experience every time. 

This also means the battery lasts a long while, adding to the dotSquonk’s ultra-portability. This is the only device on the list that lets you choose your preferred battery, too.

We love the dotSquonk for its incredible versatility - the big advantage that mechanical mods have to offer.

Remember: This mod isn’t suitable for use below 0.1ohms!

**Mechanical mods are intended for highly experienced users ONLY. Mechanical mods are “unregulated” devices, meaning that they include no power-control or safety features. This is intended for users to have great control over the operation of the device. Users without the proper knowledge and understanding of batteries and electrical circuitry should not attempt to handle a mechanical mod. Improper use, storage, or transportation of mechanical mods can result in explosions or fires, causing permanent damage to your device and/or serious bodily harm. See dotMod’s official site for instructions on proper handling and care instructions for your dotSquonk.

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Understanding Box Mods

Also commonly called “vape mods,” the device, at its core, is mostly a power source for your e-liquid. In the earlier days of vaping, enthusiasts would rig up their own modified electrical hardware to give themselves the benefits that modern box mods offer. These days, virtually all battery packs for vaping are referred to as mods. Non-box mods are commonly called “tube mods,” and look like just what the name implies. Regardless of the type of mod, they share a common feature: push and hold the button to power up, and release to stop the flow of electricity.

You’ll find that there’s a mind boggling amount of box mods on the market. Many of them look unique and flashy, and they come in an array of different configurations. Most commonly, they’re built with a lithium polymer or lithium ion battery, which can be charged with a USB device. Many mods even allow for “pass through” vaping, meaning you can use the device normally while it’s connected to the charger.

Many mods are self-contained units, but there are also box mods out there with removable batteries. These models typically take between one and four batteries, though two is the most common configuration. The design and shape of the box mod is largely what dictates how much power it needs to hold.

Box mods commonly feature a convenient display to tell you exactly the temperature and wattage that your device is reaching. They’re made with built-in circuits that control overheating and overpowering the device, making them safer. However, you may have a friend or two whose box mod doesn’t have any wiring at all, called a “mechanical” mod. However, those are a discussion for another day.

One less-discussed component of box mods is that they’re not the long-lasting products some users expect them to be. Undergoing rigorous electrical wear & tear, some mods may last just a few months, while some others can hold up for a couple of years before starting to wear out. As a result, it’s important to be mindful of your mod’s lifespan, especially when the time comes to purchase a new one. Box mods are a disposable vaping device, as many vaping devices are.

How Temperature Control Works

For several years in the early history of vaping, there was no such thing as variable voltage control. Shortly after 2010, manufacturers cracked the code to offering not only variable voltage controls, but variable wattage controls as well. Quickly, box mod makers adapted this to the much more user-friendly “temperature control” which has become a key feature of every good mod.

Coils work by heating vape juice with a piece of metal wiring called an atomizer. The vape juice drips down onto a piece of cotton or silica, and into the coil. This cotton piece needs to stay sufficiently coated with vape juice- otherwise, you’ll get little to no vapor, and a nasty tasting dry hit.

Temperature controls don’t actually monitor the exact temperature of the coil. Instead, they regulate the amount of current running through it. When the sensor detects that the resistance has changed, it adjusts the current accordingly. This prevents the coil from overheating and producing unpalatable dry hits.

In order to accomplish this feat, temp-controllable coils need to be made from alloys of nickel, chromium, or titanium. Temp-control doesn’t work with kanthal or nichrome coils. These are for wattage vaping, which refers to devices with a fixed wattage in which you want to maintain the same resistance.

Caution: don’t use any type of coil for your device other than what’s recommended by the manufacturer.

Features to Look For

Now that you know all about box mods, and you’ve read about some of the best ones you can buy, consider some of the factors that are most important to you in your vaping experience.

Are you a vaper who likes to explore all kinds of flavors and juice styles? If this is the case, then you’ll want to find yourself a device with a wide output range. Your tank size won’t matter much; in your case, you won’t be using the same juice for too long at once, anyways. Battery life matters a lot, too, because nothing’s more frustrating than loading a new flavor you’re excited to try… and having no power left! For this, we couldn’t recommend the dotBox 200 more.

Prefer a more consistent experience? Then your range won’t matter quite as much. You’ll instead want to find the most precise devices and compare their features. This way, you’ll get a device that can hone in perfectly on the settings you need, and maintain them with great accuracy. Stay away from squonk mods, since the experience can be quite inconsistent if you aren’t keeping your wick properly soaked. The Charon Mini might be a great choice for you.

Looking for versatility? Then, simply, look for the biggest list of features. More seriously, though, squonk mods can offer you a huge range of versatility. The Rage 155 Squonk is packed with great features that every vaper is looking for, but of course, is a squonk mod that gives you much more control over each and every hit.

Phew! That’s a lot to know about vapes, huh? But before you make a real investment in a device you’re going to use everyday, it’s critical that you understand how they work, what all the features do, and what each style of device used for. 

Have you had the chance to check out any (or all) of these top-of-the-line devices? Drop us a comment and let us know what you think. 

Do you love them? Are there even better mods out there? Convince us, and maybe your favorite box mod will find itself being featured on our list for 2019!