For coil building, SS316L is by far the most commonly used grade, followed by SS317L. There are many variations (grades) of stainless steel, expressed numerically. The nickel content is usually between 10-14%, which is not that high, but people with allergies should not take the risk. Stainless steel wire is an alloy composed primarily of chromium, nickel, and carbon. It can pull double duty and be used for straight wattage vaping or temp control vaping. Stainless steel is the most unique of the common vaping wires. Nichrome used to be less common than Kanthal, but has risen in popularity and is very easy to find at vape shops or online. Folks with nickel allergies may want to avoid using nichrome for obvious reasons. One other possible downside of nichrome wire is the nickel content. Don’t rush into it and hit them with max wattage while dry. Nichrome has a lower melting temperature than Kanthal, so you need to be careful when dry burning your coils-they will burn open if you aren’t careful. It is easy to coil and holds its shape well when wicking. Nichrome behaves very much like Kanthal, but has lower resistance and heats faster. Nichrome comes in a variety of “grades”, with ni80 (80% nickel and 20% chromium) being the most popular. Fun fact: nichrome has been used in dental work, such as fillings. Nichrome wire is an alloy composed of nickel and chromium, and may also contain other metals such as iron. Another type of wire well suited for wattage vaping is Nichrome.

Kanthal wire gauge chart