The Best Voltage for THC Carts

What is the Best Voltage for THC Carts?

In general the best voltage for THC carts is 3 to 3.8 volts. But this isn't the same for all carts and some people will have different preferences. 

With the explosive growth of vaping and the enactment of new laws related to marijuana and THC in many regions, it's no surprise that vaping THC is gaining popularity.

Most disposable vapes and simple reusable vape pens have a fixed voltage setting. However, nowadays, vapers also have various device options, including 510 batteries, dab pens, and vape mods that offer adjustable voltage or wattage settings, which allow users to customize their experience.

How does voltage change your THC vaping?

Before we discuss how to find the perfect voltage for vaping THC, let's take a step back and consider why we need to ask the question - how does voltage change your THC vaping?

Every THC cart is unique. The voltage settings should consider the resistance of the cart, the oil consistency, and user preferences. Most prefilled THC carts have a coil with resistances from 1.25 to 2.0 ohms. This means a voltage range of 2-4 volts is suitable. 

Ohms law is used to calculate current, voltage and resistance in any circuit. Your vape device use this same principle as set out in Ohms law. 

Ohm’s law states that you can alter the current and power in your vape by adjusting the resistance and voltage of the device.
If you increase the voltage or lower the resistance, you will increase the current. More current means more power and more power means more vapor.

For simplicity's sake, when vaping THC, using a higher voltage setting means that the THC product you're vaping will heated to a higher temperature. This, in turn, will increase the vapor production and the amount of THC consumed but also combust more terpenes and produce a harsher vapor that could be more irritating to the throat and lungs.

In general, lower voltage (and therefore lower temperature) equals a smoother, lower vapor production but with a more prominent flavor due to the retention of the delicate terpenes.

However, it also means smaller vapor clouds and, crucially for many, less THC inhaled per puff.

Personal Preferences - and other variables

Finding the perfect voltage is a matter of personal preference, and there is no objective answer to the question of ideal voltage.

Instead, to some extent, finding the optimal voltage will involve a certain amount of experimentation, as you need to find the right balance between flavor and vapor smoothness while releasing the potency without getting a burnt taste so you can enjoy the best THC Vaping experience. 

However, things are a little more complicated than that - because every vape user is different, there are also significant differences between vape devices. 

One crucial variable is the resistance of the vape coil/atomizer. Since resistance varies from coil to coil, the same voltage used on two different coils with different resistance levels will cause different heat levels.

Therefore, using the same voltage on two devices may result in a completely different experience.

This means that to find the voltage that gives you your favorite experience, you'll have to experiment a little, adjusting the voltages and trying different cartridges on the vape.

There are still some guidelines to be aware of when vaping with different THC products.

Best Voltage for THC oil

Perhaps the most popular way of vaping THC is to use a prefilled cart filled with THC oil. A voltage range of about 2.5-3.3 volts is considered normal when using regular THC oil, and a voltage range of about 3.0 volts usually provides a good balanced experience.

When using a new device or cart, the best advice is to start at the low end of the range and adjust upwards until you find the best balance of flavor, cloud, and effect.

When using a thicker THC oil, you will probably need a higher voltage, maybe up to around 4.0 volts. So, if you have a cart with thicker oil, you should start with a voltage a little higher than you would use for regular oil and work from there.

Optimum Voltage for Waxes and Semi-solids

THC waxes and semi-solids require a higher temperature to melt and vaporize. If you use these products, you can start with a higher voltage than with THC oil and adjust the voltage accordingly after. Start at about 3.5Volts and adjust as needed. 

Best Voltage for Live Resin

One of the more recent forms of cannabis concentrate to emerge is live resin, which is extracted from fresh cannabis that is frozen immediately after harvest.

This form has multiple advantages because the terpenes are well-preserved and produce a strong flavor. The THC content remains high in live resin, making it an effective way to consume cannabis. 

However, when vaping, the temperature and voltage should be relatively low to maintain flavor. Otherwise, the terpenes will be destroyed, and you won't enjoy the full flavor, which will give you a burnt taste.

This means that the best starting point for such products is around 2.2 volts, and you can gradually find the best temperature.

Best Voltage for Delta 8

Delta 8 THC is an isomer of Delta 9 THC. An isomer is a compound with the same formula as another but a different structure - in this instance it makes Delta 8 less potent than Delta 9.  

It is often found in cannabis products, including vape products, and is generally thought to provide a milder high. It is legal in some jurisdictions where Delta 9 THC is still illegal, so it can be an excellent option for people living in those places.

However, when it comes to vape temperature and voltage, it behaves much the same as regular THC, so you can start with around 2.5 volts and then adjust the voltage until you find the perfect balance.

Best Voltage for Distillate

Distillate is a more viscous concentrate, and you need to use a higher voltage.

Many people find that using a setting around 4.0 volts is best for such products. Still, if you are trying to figure out what voltage is best for you, it is recommended that you start at about 3.0 volts and slowly work your way up to find the optimal voltage.

Best Voltage for CBD Oil

CBD is another cannabinoid that is also found in cannabis. While it doesn't make people high, it is thought to provide users with various health benefits.

One way to use CBD is to vape it, for which you need to set the vape to a higher temperature than when you vape THC. As always, the ideal setup may vary, but most people find a voltage of around 3.3-3.8 volts best.

It's best to start at around 3.0 volts and work your way up from there.

Devices With Wattage Displays

As we have already mentioned, even if you know the optimal voltage for using a particular cart with a vape device, the situation may change if you switch to a different device or cart.

To get around this, some devices display power output in watts, and then when you change the cart, the device can calculate the voltage needed to produce the same vaping experience you're used to by taking into account the resistance of the coils.  

With this sort of device, you still need to experiment in the same way to work out your favorite setup for different types of THC products. Still, the advantage is that consistency is easy to enjoy when swapping between different carts.

However, the main thing to remember is that increasing the wattage will increase the heat as it has the has the same primary effect as increasing the voltage. So the best guidance is to start with a lower setting and then increase it until you find the wattage you prefer.

Basic Equipment

Sometimes, the most basic THC vaping devices don't allow you to change the voltage Settings at all - often, they have relatively low voltage settings, as this is what most THC vaping enthusiasts prefer.

The advantage of using a simple device is that you don't have to worry about confusing the setup, as you would with a regular vape - although you can't customize the experience.

Is The Voltage Set Too Gigh?

As we've mentioned many times in this post, using lower voltages will give you more flavor but less THC per puff. In comparison, higher voltages will provide you with more significant clouds and more punch, but at the expense of flavor.

However, some vapers are more interested in efficacy than taste and may turn up the voltage from the start to get the most potent hit.

The terpenes will be the first to get fried and lost as temperatures rise. Then, as higher temperatures are reached, the oil (or other THC products) also begins to degrade - meaning that beyond a certain point, you will start to lose potency as the heat burns the THC before it can turn into vapor.

When it comes to vapingTHC and other extracts, there's a sweet spot - which can be different for everyone due to personal preferences - but if you crank it up too much, you could end up with an unsatisfying experience.

In addition, turning the voltage up too high can even damage the wires in the coil, making the cart unusable. In short, always start with a low voltage and gradually build up.

Experiment with your vape to find the voltage that works best for you

As we have seen, there are several reasons why it is impossible to give a simple answer to the question of the optimal voltage for vaping THC. There are too many variables, including the vaping device you use, the ohms of the cartridge or atomizer, and the type of concentrate or wax you use.

In this article, however, we've provided some guidelines that should give you a starting point - after that, it's all about trying to find a voltage that works for you and offers the best combination of vapor cloud, potency and flavor.