Most people overthink this. Choosing a vape kit comes down to one question: what are you coming from? Your answer points you straight at the right type, and from there you're just picking a colour and a price.
Here's the quick version.
|
Coming from |
You want |
E-liquid type |
Budget |
|
Disposables |
Pod kit (refillable) |
Nic salts 10-20mg |
£15–£30 |
|
Disposables |
Prefilled pods |
£10–£20 + pods |
|
|
Cigarettes |
Starter kit (MTL) |
Nic salts 10-20mg |
£15–£25 |
|
Another vape kit |
Sub-ohm kit or |
Shortfills 0-6mg |
£25–£60 |
|
Nothing |
Pod kit (refillable) |
Nic salts 10mg |
£15–£25 |
If that table gave you your answer, job done. Go browse. If you want a bit more detail on why, keep reading.
Switching From Disposables
This is the most common question we get since the ban came in. The short answer is a refillable pod kit with nic salts. The draw feels almost identical to a disposable and the nicotine hit is the same. Most bar salt e-liquids are based on the exact recipes you already know.
The only real change is you fill the pod yourself, which takes about ten seconds. Our switching from disposables guide covers the whole process if you want the step-by-step.
If even that feels like too much, prefilled pod kits are the middle ground. You buy a rechargeable battery and slot in pre-filled flavour pods. Less flexible than refillable, but the closest thing to a disposable that's still legal.
Switching From Cigarettes
Different situation entirely. You need a mouth-to-lung (MTL) draw because that's how you smoked. You also need enough nicotine to kill the cravings from the first puff, so 20mg nic salts for most pack-a-day smokers.
Pod kits and starter kits both handle this well. The key is getting something with a tight draw and a small mouthpiece. We've got a nicotine strength guide that helps work out whether you need 10mg or 20mg based on how much you smoked.
Plenty of our customers started on 20mg and dropped to 10mg within a few months without really thinking about it. The kit doesn't need to change when you reduce, just the liquid.
Upgrading From a Basic Kit
If you've been vaping a while and want better flavour or bigger clouds, you're after a sub-ohm kit or a pod kit with adjustable wattage.
Sub-ohm kits use shortfill e-liquids at lower nicotine strengths (0-6mg) and produce noticeably more vapour. The trade-off is they're bigger, use more liquid, and the coils cost a bit more. Worth it if you enjoy the hobby side of vaping. Not worth it if you just want nicotine.
Our MTL vs DTL vs RDL guide explains the different vaping styles in detail if you're not sure which direction to go.
Complete Beginners
Never smoked, never vaped, just curious. Start with a refillable pod kit and 10mg nic salts. It's the simplest setup, the cheapest to run, and if you decide vaping isn't for you, you haven't spent much time finding out.
Our beginner's guide covers everything from unboxing to your first puff. It's the page we send every new customer to, and it answers most of the questions people message us about in the first week.
What About E-Liquid?
Your kit choice determines your e-liquid type, not the other way round.
Pod kits and starter kits work best with nic salts or 50/50 e-liquid. These are thinner liquids that wick well in smaller coils and carry nicotine smoothly at higher strengths.
Sub-ohm kits need thicker high VG shortfills that can handle higher power without spitting or flooding. Using nic salts in a sub-ohm tank would give you far too much nicotine per puff.
If that sounds confusing, it's not once you've picked your kit type. Every product page on our site lists the compatible e-liquid types, so you can't really go wrong.
