Hookah vs. Vape: Similarities & Differences
Many smokers wonder if hookah and vape are the same. The simple answer is no. Both hookah and vape pen or e-cigarette are used for smoking. They are considered to be alternatives to cigarettes, tobacco in rolling papers, and smoking pipes. However, there are many differences between the two.
Similarities between Hookah & Vape
Both types of devices are used to smoke or vaporize some kind of substance. Both allow users access to flavored substances with varying nicotine content. Beyond these broad and quite unrelated similarities, there is nothing that connects the two types of smoking or vaporizing devices.
Differences between Hookah & Vape
- The first set of differences is in the form. A hookah comprises a base, a pipe or stem, a bowl, a tray, a hose, a mouth tip, a purge valve, grommets, and a pair of tongs. A vape pen or e-cig comprises an atomizer including heating element and battery, a cartridge containing the liquid or juice, a cooling chamber, and a mouth tip. Hookah is an analog device, albeit there are state of the art variants which boast of advanced features. A vape pen or e-cigarette is an electronic device.
- Hookah users smoke shisha tobacco. Shisha flavors are made of dark or blonde leaf tobacco, honey or molasses, glycerin, and extracts of different edible materials. Vape pen users smoke or vaporize a liquid, oil, or concentrate, also known as e-liquid or e-juice. E-liquids or e-juices contain propylene glycol, glycerin, flavoring, and nicotine. Tobacco leaves are not used in the natural form. Tobacco extracts are used to infuse nicotine, typically in concentrations of 0mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, 24mg, and 32mg.
- A hookah is reusable. The bowl can be refilled with shisha tobacco. Fresh charcoals can be used for another session. The water in the base can be cleaned out and refilled. Vape pens are disposable or reusable, depending entirely on whether or not the cartridge of e-liquid can be replaced. The size of the cartridge determines how many puffs a user can enjoy before replacement, or disposing off the vape.
- Vape pens are for individual use. Hookahs are for social use. A vape pen is not much larger than a typical cigarette. Some variants are bigger and can be shared by two or more people. However, vaping is commonly an activity that one indulges in without sharing the device with others. Hookahs are generally used by two or more people at the same time.
Vaping is widely considered to be a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. The perception is similar about a hookah. While there is no authoritative and conclusive proof that endorses either, people do tend to switch from cigarettes to vaping or smoking shisha.
For beginners, a vape pen may be much more convenient to smoke a flavored liquid. Hookahs have to be set up by assembling all the parts and there is a bit of effort involved. However, the quality of smoke derived from a shisha flavor using a hookah is exponentially superior to the vapor produced by a vape pen or e-cigarette.