Smok vapes explained, from Nord pods to TFV tanks
Nord, RPM, Novo, TFV8 Baby, TFV12 Prince, Morph. In a British vape shop, the Smok shelf reads like a list of codes that nobody stops to explain. Choosing between Smok vapes is not an insider’s game, though. It only requires knowing what each name refers to, because the name decides which replacement coil you will be buying, and a neighbouring reference will not always do the job.
What Smok vapes actually are
Smok and Smoktech are the same brand. The longer name came first and the short one gradually took over, but both still circulate. Its manufacturer is Chinese, based in Shenzhen and active since 2010, and the official website carries the name Hong Kong IVPS International Limited.
The range behind Smok vapes falls into three families. TFV tanks are sub-ohm designs built for direct lung vaping on low resistance coils. Pod kits are grouped into the Nord, RPM, Novo and Arco series. Box mods such as the Morph or the Mag act as the power source for a tank.
Every device takes a coil family of its own. That family, more than the headline wattage, is the first thing to identify.
British shelves add a constraint of their own. A refillable tank sold here holds no more than 2 ml of nicotine e-liquid, so the larger capacities quoted for the same tanks in other markets do not describe what you buy in the UK.
How Smok sorts its own catalogue
The brand’s official website does not sort its products by wattage. Its menus follow a vaper’s progression, from Getting Started to Advanced and then Ultimate, with a separate Coils entry for replacement heads.
Pod kits appear there by series, Novo, Arco, Nord and RPM. That split is more useful than it looks, because the series name usually reappears on the consumables, as with Nord coils or RPM coils.
Reading the name of a TFV tank
The TFV family built the brand’s reputation, from the TFV8 to the TFV18 by way of the TFV9, TFV12 and TFV16. Each name combines a model number and sometimes a suffix, and the two do not carry the same weight when you come to buy a spare.
The number names a model and its coil family
Each number corresponds to a specific tank and its dedicated coils. TFV9 coils come as a 0.15 ohm mesh rated from 40 to 90 watts, while TFV16 coils are offered at 0.12, 0.15 and 0.17 ohm.
Two coils showing the same value, 0.15 ohm in this case, are still each sold for their own tank. The model name, not the ohm figure, is what counts.
Baby, Big Baby, X-Baby and Prince
The suffix is where most mistakes happen. According to the manufacturer, the TFV8 Big Baby is an enlarged TFV8 Baby and runs the same V8 Baby coils as its smaller sibling. The TFV8 X-Baby, despite an almost identical name, has its own coil series, which one UK retailer explicitly flags as incompatible with the Baby family and which the manufacturer lists separately.
Coils for the TFV12 Prince are sold under the TFV12 Prince or P-Tank name. On the packaging, it is the full designation, number and suffix together, that has to match the tank.
Smok pods, one cartridge and one coil family
With pod kits, the logic tightens further. The coil sits inside the cartridge and each series imposes its own format, which makes the series name as important as the model name.
Nord
Nord coils, available at 0.6 and 1.4 ohm among other values, are the reference for the whole Nord series. A good illustration of the brand’s approach is the Nord 50W, with an 1,800 mAh built-in battery, output up to 50 watts and two cartridges in the box.
The first cartridge takes Nord coils, while the second, called LP2, takes its own LP2 series. A single kit therefore brings two coil families into the same drawer.
RPM
The RPM series spans mouth to lung and direct lung vaping, depending on the model. RPM40 coils at 0.4 ohm are set around 25 watts. The RPM 4 pairs a 1,650 mAh battery with output up to 60 watts and two replaceable mesh coils.
Checking the coil reference before you buy
The ohm value is never enough to choose a Smok coil. A 0.6 ohm Nord coil and a 0.4 ohm RPM40 coil belong to two different families, each sold for its own series.
The safe habit is to note the exact family name from the original packaging or the manual, then find that same name on the listing for the replacement. Cartridges follow the same rule, and each listing states the pod it is made for, the Nord 2 or the RPM40 for instance.
Within a family, the value you pick is a matter of setting. The lower the resistance, the more power the coil asks for, which is what the printed wattage range expresses. Our guide to Geekvape coil series walks through reading ohms and watts, and the method carries across brands.
Built-in battery or 18650 cell
The Smok range mixes two ways of powering a device. Most pod kits have a built-in battery charged by cable, while box mods and some pods take one or two removable cells in the 18650 format.
The RPM 2 and RPM 2S pair sums up the choice. The first has a built-in 2,000 mAh battery, the second runs on an external 18650 cell, and the manufacturer quotes the same 80 watt maximum for both. A removable cell can be swapped for a charged one straight away, in exchange for a separate purchase and an external charger.
Our piece on the Lost Vape Centaurus range explains how a regulated mod manages its cells and what the board checks on the user’s behalf.
Checking that a Smok device is genuine
Against counterfeits, the manufacturer runs a check through the IVPS Tour app, which reads two codes supplied with the product, Code A and Code B.
Code A shows whether the product has already been activated and how many times it has been scanned. Once scanned, Code B confirms that the device is authentic. A Code A already activated by someone else, or a result flagging the device as not genuine, are the two cases in which the manufacturer asks people not to go ahead with the purchase.
Who Smok vapes suit
The range targets very different profiles, as the brand’s own menus show. For a first step into refillable hardware, a pod kit remains the simplest entry point. A TFV tank on a box mod is aimed instead at someone already comfortable with direct lung vaping.
Between the two, Smok vapes are best judged less on their spec sheet than on how easy their consumables are to find. A widespread coil family such as Nord coils is easy to source, whereas a more niche series calls for checking spare availability before committing.
FAQ
A few questions come up whenever someone adds to or replaces a piece of Smok kit. The answers below complete the picture without repeating it.
Which e-liquid suits a TFV tank?
TFV coils are designed for direct lung vaping at higher power, and retailers recommend liquids with at least 70% vegetable glycerine. The recommendation appears on the coil listings themselves, next to the wattage range.
Can a Smok pod take nic salts?
Yes, provided the coil is right. Nic salts are generally vaped on a coil of at least 1 ohm, and in the Nord series the 1.4 ohm value, regular or ceramic, fills that role. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid comes in bottles of 10 ml or less, with strength capped at 20 mg per millilitre.
Does the Smok warranty cover coils and pods?
No. Smok’s conditions exclude atomisers, tanks, drip tips, pods and e-liquid, which are treated as consumables. For the device itself, the manufacturer asks for the batch number, the original receipt and the packaging, and a product found to be counterfeit is excluded.
Do Smok replacement glasses fit other tanks?
Some replacement glasses are listed for several tanks at once, others for a single model. Each listing names the compatible tanks, and that list is what counts rather than any resemblance between two tanks.
Do you need an external charger for a Smok mod?
It is not compulsory, but it is the recommended practice. Charging 18650 cells on a dedicated charger is kinder to them and gives you a chance to check their condition, especially the insulating wrap, before refitting them.
Smok vapes, what to remember before choosing
Smok and Smoktech are one brand, and its catalogue decodes from three families, TFV tanks, pod series and box mods. The full model name, suffix included, points to a coil family, and that is what to compare before buying any spare.
Choosing between Smok vapes therefore means choosing a set of consumables as much as a device. The same reading grid works for most large hardware brands, and our profile of Vandy Vape shows how it applies to a maker built around rebuildables, a useful contrast for anyone finding their way around vaping.
Editorial content for adult readers only. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This article is not a buying recommendation.
