# Z coil: the complete guide to both Z ranges > Z coil: the resistance values, the two ranges British shops never separate, and what genuinely shortens the life of a mesh wick. The complete guide. Two manufacturers, two ranges, one name: on a British shop page the **Z coil** label covers two families of wick with nothing whatsoever in common. Confusing them leads straight to an incompatible fitting, and to a replacement pack that will never go into the tank you own. This guide separates the two ranges, sets out their real values, and explains what actually shortens the life of one. ## What the name Z coil covers The term **Z coil** points at two distinct ranges, sold by two different manufacturers, neither of which adopted the letter for the same generation of wick or the same style of vaping. That is the first confusion to clear before buying anything. The first range is the Z Series from Geekvape, latterly sold in Britain as the Z XM Boost version. It fits the Z Sub-Ohm tanks, previously named Zeus, along with the Zeus X, the Obelisk tank, the P Tank and the devices built around them such as the Aegis Legend, the T200 and the Z200. It aims at direct lung inhalation with low values, in the region of 0.15 to 0.4 ohm. The second is the Innokin Z coil, which the maker itself confirms simply replaced the older Zenith and Plexus-Z naming. It fits the Zenith, Zenith 2, Zenith Pro, Zenith NEX and Zlide, targets mouth to lung and restricted draws, and runs far higher values, from roughly 0.3 to 1.6 ohm. Both series share a mesh or Kanthal wick and a push fit insertion with no screwing, but their connectors, their tanks and their working ranges do not overlap. One will not drop into the other manufacturer's tank. ## The Geekvape Z Series values The Geekvape range gathers a handful of common references, and British listings usually display them as a resistance figure alone. Reading that figure correctly is what separates a useful purchase from a wasted one. Values run from 0.15 ohm, including the XM variant of the same figure, through 0.2 ohm and a dual mesh 0.25 ohm, up to 0.4 ohm at the top of the range. All of them target direct lung, with a wide airflow and abundant vapour production, and none is designed for a cigarette style draw. Every one of those coils carries its own working range, printed on the body of the coil and repeated on the packaging. That printed range is the reference to use, and it is worth reading before the coil goes anywhere near a tank rather than after. Shop listings paraphrase it, sometimes inaccurately; the coil itself does not. Before buying, checking the exact reference of the tank stays the only reliable guarantee. The same range name can take several generations of connector depending on the year of release, and the Zeus to Z Sub-Ohm renaming is precisely the sort of change that catches people out. ## The Innokin Z coil values The Innokin side follows the opposite logic: high values, built for a tighter draw and moderate liquid consumption, with or without nicotine salts. The range spans roughly 0.3 to 1.6 ohm, with steps around 0.36, 0.48, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 ohm depending on the reference, and British retailers list several of them in the same pack of five. The highest value targets a very tight draw, while the mid range references open the draw progressively towards restricted direct lung. Here too, the working range is printed on the coil rather than deduced from the ohm figure. Two coils of the same resistance in different mesh designs do not carry the same printed range, which is exactly why reading the body of the coil beats guessing from a listing. That family stays specific to Innokin and adapts to no other tank on the market. It also arrives in a market where refillable tanks are capped at 2 ml, nicotine containing liquid at 20 mg/ml and those bottles at 10 ml, which is part of why the higher value coils sell so well in Britain. ## Why the confusion between ranges causes trouble Searching for a **Z coil** without naming the manufacturer exposes you to buying the wrong reference, all the more easily because both ranges appear in the same search results and on the same generic listing pages. The risk is not only financial. A wick meant for direct lung, fitted by mistake to a tight draw, produces vapour that is too dense and a disappointing flavour. The reverse, a mouth to lung coil pushed into direct lung use, strongly limits vapour production without ever delivering what was expected. The most reliable marker remains the full name of the tank rather than the Z coil label on its own. Zeus, Zeus X, Z Sub-Ohm or Obelisk point to Geekvape; Zenith, Zenith NEX or Zlide point to Innokin. Written on a shopping list, the tank name removes the ambiguity entirely. ## What decides the life of a coil Observed life varies enormously from one vaper to another, without there being any difference in quality between two boxes bought on the same day. Several factors act at once. Liquid type weighs heavily. An e-liquid rich in sucralose or other sweeteners gunks a wick far faster, as does a high VG content that leaves more residue behind. That single factor explains most of the gap between two people using the identical coil. Actual working power counts as well. Sitting permanently at the top of the printed range asks more of a wick than working around the middle of it, and shortens the interval before a burnt taste appears. Priming matters to the first few uses more than to any later ones. A new coil left to soak for a few minutes before the first puff generally lasts longer than one fired dry, and no amount of care afterwards recovers a wick scorched at the start. The number of puffs a day is finally the most mechanical factor of all: heavy use wears an identical wick in a week where occasional use stretches it over several. ## The signs it is time to change A burnt taste appearing at settled power, a clear drop in vapour production, or liquid climbing the chimney with no mechanical reason for a leak all point to a wick at the end of its life. The error message on the mod can steer the diagnosis too. Our guide to [the no coil detected message](/uk/no-coil-detected-guide/) covers the cases where the device can no longer read the fitted coil at all, while our guide to [the coil shorted warning](/uk/coil-shorted-error/) covers the opposite hypothesis of a short detected on connection. In both cases, tracing the cause before replacing the wick avoids repeating the same problem on the next one. ## How to make a Z coil last Respecting the range printed on the coil is the first precaution, in both directions, and it costs nothing to read. Letting a new coil soak before first use, avoiding puffs on a nearly dry tank, and favouring an e-liquid light on sweeteners noticeably extend the interval between changes. Those principles hold for both families, Geekvape Z Series and Innokin alike, since the gunking mechanics of a metal wick stay the same whoever made it. To place these coils among the wider range of hardware, our overview of [the four atomiser architectures](/uk/vape-atomiser/) sets out where each family of wick sits. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does a Geekvape coil fit an Innokin Zenith? No. The two ranges use a connector and an insertion system specific to each manufacturer, with no cross compatibility between a Geekvape tank and an Innokin one. ### Which value suits someone new to direct lung? The highest value in the Geekvape range is the most forgiving entry point, because it works at the lower end of the series before you consider the more demanding figures. ### Do the Innokin coils suit nicotine salts? The high values in that range are built for the tight draw that salt based liquids are usually paired with, provided you stay within the range printed on the coil. ### How long does one last on average? Life depends chiefly on the liquid used and the power applied, with no universal figure: heavy use at high power wears a wick far faster than moderate use. ### Why do two coils of the same name read such different ohms? Because these are two distinct ranges sharing a commercial name. Geekvape targets direct lung with low values, Innokin mouth to lung with high ones, and there is no technical link between the two series. ## Picking the right Z coil The name of the tank always outranks the **Z coil** label when choosing a replacement, so far apart are the Geekvape and Innokin ranges in values, in intended use and in compatibility. Once the right range is identified, respecting the printed working range and watching for the signs of wear usually heads off the surprise failure mid session. That habit of checking holds across all vaping hardware, well beyond the Z series alone. Editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products usually contain nicotine, a substance that causes addiction. Not for sale to under-18s in the United Kingdom. This article is not a buying recommendation.