A History Of The 510 Thread Cartridge

While flower still commands the largest market share percentage in North America, vape products have significantly closed the gap in the last five years. A significant part of why cannabis vapes have been so successful comes down to the convenience a THC cartridge or disposable vape pen can offer consumers. Portable cannabis vapes have discreet profiles and produce substantially less odor than conventional smoking, making them fantastic options for on-the-go consumers who want to enjoy cannabis wherever they might be.

510 thread carts continue to be the best selling of these kinds of cannabis vape products. This article will explore what makes these cartridges appealing to consumers, dive into the different 510 thread battery options available, and discuss where the 510 thread originated from. 

Different Types Of Portable Vaporizers 

Cannabis users consumers looking for a product that allows them to vape while out and about have several different options for handheld vaporizers. 

• Wax Pens: Wax pens, also known as dab pens, may be the least convenient to use of all the options, but they do allow consumers to access a broader range of cannabis concentrates. To use a wax pen, consumers place a dab into the pen’s heating chamber, where it will be vaporized in a similar fashion to a conventional dab rig. While this is easier than using a blowtorch and rig, the process of operating a wax pen is significantly more complicated than other portable cannabis vape options.
• Disposable Vape Pens: Disposable vape pens are all-in-one devices pre-loaded with cannabis extract. Typically, disposable vape pens comprise four main parts: the tank, the battery, the atomizer or heating element, and the mouthpiece. However, unlike with cartridge-based systems, these parts are not meant to be interchangeable. When a disposable vape pen runs out of extract or stops working, it’s simply discarded, and users can purchase a new one.
• Disposable Cartridges: Disposable cartridges contain three of the four components found in disposable vape pens: the tank, the atomizer or heating element, and the mouthpiece. Like disposable vape pens, these cartridges also come pre-loaded with cannabis extract. However, consumers will need to provide their own battery. 

What Are Carts? 

In the cannabis industry, the term disposable cartridge is often abbreviated to cart. Dispensaries offer a variety of different disposable carts filled with various types of extracts. 

Though you may see them advertised as wax carts, most commonly cartridges contain thin solvent-based cannabis extracts like distillate or THC oil extracted using alcohol instead of more solid concentrates like wax. 

A disposable vape cartridge can be made of several different materials. The majority of them are made from plastic and metal components, along with a cotton wick. However, due to health concerns around heavy metal leaching, many manufacturers have chosen to switch to ceramic hardware. Not only do ceramic carts eliminate the chance of heavy metal leaching, but their porous nature and superior heat resistance also make for a more functional product overall. Additionally, carts with ceramic heating elements can handle more viscous extracts than their cotton and metal counterparts. 

Consumers who purchase a disposable vape cart from their local dispensary will also need to purchase a cartridge battery if they don’t already own one. Fortunately, vape batteries are, for the most part, standardized. 

What Is A 510 Thread Cartridge? 

Almost all disposable cartridges on the market today are known as 510 thread cartridges. 510 thread refers to the cartridge’s male battery connection. The 510 is actually a measurement— 

Any 510 thread cartridge will fit into any 510 thread battery, regardless of brand. This allows consumers to experiment with multiple different cartridge brands without purchasing multiple batteries. 

Different Styles Of 510 Batteries

A vape can take several different shapes depending on what kind of battery you connect to your 510 thread cartridge. Because the connection is standardized, users are free to mix and match different carts with different batteries depending on their mood. Here are some common 510 thread batteries currently on the market: 

Classic Pen Vape: The pen vape is the most classic of potential batteries. Its slim cylindrical profile easily fits into a pocket or handbag, making transportation a breeze. Some pen vapes may use a button draw system, while others only need to be inhaled to activate the heating element.

E-pipe: The e-pipe is a bit of a novelty battery designed to resemble an old-fashioned hand pipe. Like the pen vape, e-pipes are available in both buttonless auto-draw and button-activated versions.

Keychain: Keychain 510 threaded batteries are among the most discreet and low-profile options available. These batteries typically resemble a key fob and can be placed on a keyring for easy access. 

Box Mod: Box mods are chunkier than other battery options but allow users more freedom to customize their vape hardware. 

Who Invented The 510 Cartridge?

Like most portable vape technology, the 510 thread cartridge originated in the electronic cigarette industry. Joyetech first coined the term to describe their eGo-T e cig battery back in the late 2000s when the e-cigarette and vape industries hadn’t yet become so ubiquitous. 

Today, 510 thread batteries are the industry standard for both cannabis and nicotine vaporizers.