510 drip tip or 810: choosing the right size
Two numbers come up again and again in the mouthpiece aisle: the 510 drip tip and the 810. They describe neither a brand nor a vapour output, but two connection standards that decide which tip slots into which piece of kit. Get the size wrong and you go home with a part that rattles in the well or refuses to go in at all. Before choosing a colourful resin or a sober Delrin, you need the right base diameter.
510 drip tip or 810: the difference in one sentence
A 510 drip tip has a narrow base of roughly 8.5 mm, designed for tight draw tanks and pod kits. An 810 tip has a wider base, around 12.5 mm, fitted to tanks built for direct lung inhaling. The first number is the small format, the second the large one. Everything else, material, height, tip profile, follows from that base choice.
Both measurements are industry standards adopted by very nearly every manufacturer. That standardisation is what lets you buy a tip from one brand and fit it to another brand’s tank, provided you respect the size.
British retailers list the two side by side for exactly this reason, and stock the same materials in both. The size question is therefore separate from every other question you might ask about a mouthpiece.
The 510 drip tip, the narrow mouthpiece
The 510 is the older and the more widespread of the two. It takes its name from the 510 connection, the universal thread that joins atomiser to battery, and by extension the well that receives the tip.
The channel in a 510 tip is tight. It concentrates the flow and suits mouth to lung vaping, where vapour is held in the mouth before being drawn in. That narrowness contributes to flavour delivery, which is what most low power setups are chasing.
Mechanically it is a simple part. The tip pushes into the well and is held by one or two O rings that also seal it. Retention depends on the state of those rings: a tired ring lets the tip wobble, and a drop of soapy water on fitting eases insertion without damaging them.
Because most British pod kits and MTL tanks use this standard, a 510 drip tip is the more likely fit if you own a compact device and are not sure what you have.
The 810 drip tip, the wide bore
The 810, often called wide bore, arrived with the rise of high airflow tanks. Its wider base houses a generous channel that lets a large volume of air through without restriction.
That open diameter suits direct lung inhaling. Vapour moves without being throttled, which limits perceived heat and favours volume over concentration. An 810 tip also tends to be shorter on average, a geometry that fits high flow devices.
Plenty of recent tanks ship with both options, one fitted and the other supplied alongside an adapter. Checking the box contents before buying anything extra is worth the thirty seconds it takes.
Fit: which size goes on which kit
The size is not something you can judge by eye without a reference. The simplest check before buying is the diameter of your tank’s mouthpiece well.
A narrow well, close to 8.5 mm, calls for a 510. A wide well, close to 12.5 mm, calls for an 810. If in doubt, the tank’s product page or manual states the standard. Many models offer an 810 to 510 adapter, which lets a narrow tip sit in a wide well, though the reverse is rare.
| Criterion | 510 drip tip | 810 drip tip |
|---|---|---|
| Base (indicative) | around 8.5 mm | around 12.5 mm |
| Channel | narrow | wide |
| Associated draw | tighter | airier |
| Typical kit | MTL tank or pod | high airflow tank |
Measuring once with a set of callipers settles the question permanently for a given tank, and saves a wasted order.
Matching the size to your draw
The choice is not only about mechanical fit. It extends the inhale style, the gesture that separates a tight vape from a wide open one.
A narrow channel serves a held draw, a wide channel serves an open one. That logic is developed in our guide to MTL and DTL draw styles, which sets out how internal diameter shapes the sensation. The headline is enough here: the size follows the gesture, it does not create it.
Fitting an 810 to a device built around a tight draw will feel hollow, because air passes too freely for the resistance the setup expects. Fitting a narrow tip to a high flow tank throttles the volume the rest of the hardware is trying to produce.
Beyond the size: height and tip profile
Once the size is settled, two compatible tips can still differ in silhouette. Those variations change comfort without touching fit at all.
Height affects perceived temperature: a tall tip keeps the lips further from the coil and lets vapour cool on the way up, a point we develop in our piece on keeping a mouthpiece cool. A short tip does the opposite on the same tank.
The tip profile varies too, from a round nose to a flat duckbill shape that sits better on the lips at high airflow. These details are personal taste, but they explain why one size can feel quite different from one model to the next.
Material sits in the same bracket. Delrin, Ultem, stainless steel, resin and glass are all made in both sizes, and our comparison of drip tip materials covers what each one does to heat and flavour. Size and material are independent decisions that combine freely.
Frequently asked questions
Can an 810 tip be fitted to a 510 well?
Not directly: the base of an 810 is too wide for an 8.5 mm well. The reverse works with an 810 to 510 adapter, often supplied with high airflow tanks. Without that adapter, each tip stays within its own size.
How do I tell whether my tank is 510 or 810?
The most reliable answer is the product page or manual, which states the standard. Failing that, a narrow well close to 8.5 mm indicates a 510 and a wide well close to 12.5 mm indicates an 810. A set of callipers removes all doubt.
Does an 810 run cooler than a 510?
The wider channel lets more air through, which tends to cool the flow before it reaches your lips. Perceived heat also depends on the height of the tip and its material, though, not on channel diameter alone.
Are there sizes other than 510 and 810?
These two standards cover the vast majority of consumer kit sold in Britain. You occasionally meet proprietary fittings on closed pod devices, where the mouthpiece is moulded into the pod itself. For a conventional tank, the practical choice is 510 or 810.
Does an adapter spoil the draw?
An 810 to 510 adapter mechanically reduces the available diameter, so it tightens the flow. That is often exactly the intended effect when you want a more closed draw on an open tank. Properly seated with a sound seal, it does not introduce leaks.
Getting the size right first time
Between a 510 drip tip and an 810 there is no superior size, only a size that fits your well and matches your draw. Measuring the base, checking the tank specification and remembering that narrow serves tight while wide serves airy is enough to stop you buying the wrong part.
Once the size is settled, the enjoyable part of the choice begins: material, height, colour and profile all become open questions rather than compatibility risks. That is precisely the level of detail this magazine likes to dig into, because on an accessory held to the lips all day, small differences are the ones you actually notice.
Editorial content for adults only. Vaping is for over-18s in the United Kingdom and involves nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Nothing here is a buying recommendation.
