Cotton? What’s The Difference?

Over the past several months the variety of cotton we have to choose from has grown greatly. A lot of people have asked and I’m sure hundreds have wondered…”what’s the difference…?”

Sterile Cotton

The most popular by far. But if you’re new to cotton the main thing to remember is to use the sterile, unbleached variety.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Easy to find
• Good Flavor

Cons:

• Easily burnt
• Slow wicking
•  Mediocre wicking

Cellulose Cotton (CelluCotton)

This cotton is found in large boxes in beauty supply stores. Some people do confuse this with rayon because the boxes are nearly identical. The cons for this choice are a little more difficult to pin point for cellulose cotton as its relatively new as a wicking material. 

Pros:

– Cheap
– Great Wicking

Cons:

– Requires visiting a beauty supply store
– Ugly box

Cellulose Rayon (Rayon)

This is the cousin of cellulose cotton, also made by Graham. Save folks really love rayon. It wicks really really fast and is really difficult to burn. But as fast as it wicks, it just doesn’t have the same capacity as cotton. In other words, it doesn’t expand to hold juice the same way. Because of this, it tends to work great in drippers. But it’s easier to get a harsh hit in a vacuum-based RTA such as a Kayfun or Orchid. 

Personal I’m not a huge fan of Rayon because of it’s taste.

Pros:

– Cheap
– Great Wicking
– Damn hard to burn

Cons:

– Doesn’t hold as much juice as cotton
– Unknown health effects
– Ugly box

Japanese Organic Cotton (Bleached and Unbleached)

The new hottness in the wicking wars, Japanese cotton appeals to the distinctive vaper, who enjoys only the finest in wicks. The best method for wicking with Japanese cotton pads seems to be to pull the pad apart into two pieces, then cut into strips with scissors. It’s quicker than unrolling a cotton ball, and you can have a usable wick in no time.

But how’s it vape? It vapes well, trust me it’s all I use! Like cellulose cotton, it’s strandy and expands to hold lots of juice. It leaves cotton balls in the dust as far as wicking and juice capacity. 

Pros:

– Fantastic wicking
– Less prone to burning
– Cool packaging

Cons:

– Expensive

Hemp

Some vapers swear by hemp. This stuff is expensive. A small bag containing one gram was $4. Its a difficult material to fashion into a usable wick compared to the other materials. Plus, it gives off an earthy, hemp flavor only goes away after you break in the wick.

Pros:

– Natural Fiber

Cons:

– Expensive
– Hempy flavor
– Poor wicking
– Difficult to work with