Alright, folks, let’s talk about something I messed around with the other day: do vapes make metal detectors go off? It’s a question I’ve seen pop up a lot, and honestly, I was curious myself. So, I decided to do a little experiment.
First off, I grabbed my vape – you know, the usual one I use every day. It’s got some metal parts, like the battery and the tank, but it’s not like I’m carrying around a huge chunk of metal. I wanted to see if these small parts would be enough to trigger those detectors you see at airports, concerts, and other places with security checks.
Now, I didn’t go straight to an airport or anything. I started small. I have a handheld metal detector at home – don’t ask why, it’s a long story. I turned it on and waved it over my vape. Guess what? The thing beeped! Not a loud, crazy alarm, but enough to tell me it detected the metal in my vape. “Interesting,” I thought.
Next, I took a trip to a local store that has those walk-through metal detectors at the entrance. I figured this would be a good real-world test. With my vape in my pocket, I walked through. And yep, it went off. The security guy gave me a look, but when I showed him it was just my vape, he just chuckled and waved me through. No big deal, but it confirmed my suspicion.
Here’s what I gathered from my little adventure:
- Vapes do contain metal. It’s not a lot, but it’s there. Batteries, coils, even some of those fancy decorative parts can be made of metal.
- Metal detectors are designed to pick up metal. That’s their job. So, it makes sense that they would detect the metal components in a vape.
- The sensitivity of the detector matters. My handheld one is pretty sensitive. The one at the store, probably less so, but it still picked up my vape.
I also did a bit of digging online, just to see what others were saying. Turns out, a lot of people have had similar experiences. Some folks mentioned that they could get through security without setting off the alarm if they took their vape apart and put the pieces in separate trays, like you do with your phone and keys. I didn’t try this myself, but it sounds like a hassle, and it also doesn’t seem like it should be necessary.
One thing I found out, which is kind of important if you’re flying, is that you should always put your vape in your carry-on bag, not your checked luggage. It’s because of the lithium-ion battery. Apparently, they’re not a fan of those in the cargo hold. And about vaping and the detectors, these vape detectors can sense the chemicals from vaping, like nicotine.
So, there you have it. From my experience and what I’ve read, vapes can set off metal detectors. It’s not a guarantee, and it depends on the detector, but it’s definitely possible. If you’re worried about it, maybe just take your vape out of your pocket and put it in the tray with your other stuff when you go through security. Better safe than sorry, right?
Anyway, that’s my two cents on the matter. Hope it clears things up a bit. If you’ve had any interesting experiences with vapes and metal detectors, feel free to share them! I’m always up for a good story.
