DIY Vape Tools
How Many Cigarettes Is Your Vape?
The fair way to compare a vape to cigarettes is by nicotine, not puffs. Enter how much e-liquid your vape or bottle holds and its nicotine strength, and this tool gives a quick estimate of how many cigarettes that nicotine roughly matches, based on NHS figures.
Vape to cigarette calculator
How much e-liquid
Nicotine strength
Based on the NHS guide that a standard 2 ml, 20 mg disposable holds a similar amount of nicotine to a pack of 20 cigarettes, about 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette. This is a rough estimate. How much nicotine you actually take in depends on how you vape or smoke.
Why we compare by nicotine, not puffs
Puff counts are a poor guide because a puff on a vape and a puff on a cigarette are not the same, and puff numbers are measured in the lab, not in real use. Nicotine is the thing both products deliver, so matching the nicotine is the fairer comparison. The NHS uses the same basis: a standard 2 ml disposable at 20 mg/ml holds about 40 mg of nicotine, similar to a pack of 20 cigarettes.
How many cigarettes is a standard vape?
A UK-legal disposable or prefilled pod holds 2 ml of e-liquid at up to 20 mg/ml, which is about 40 mg of nicotine. On the NHS nicotine basis that is roughly a pack of 20 cigarettes, or about 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette. A refillable pod kit filled with a 10 ml, 20 mg nic salt holds 200 mg of nicotine, closer to five packs, which is why refilling is far cheaper than single-use.
Nicotine by e-liquid amount
| E-liquid | Strength | Total nicotine | Cigarettes, roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ml pod | 20 mg/ml | 40 mg | About 20 (1 pack) |
| 10 ml bottle | 20 mg/ml | 200 mg | About 100 (5 packs) |
| 10 ml bottle | 10 mg/ml | 100 mg | About 50 (2.5 packs) |
| 50 ml shortfill | 3 mg/ml | 150 mg | About 75 (3.75 packs) |
| 100 ml shortfill | 3 mg/ml | 300 mg | About 150 (7.5 packs) |
How much nicotine is in popular vapes?
Popular brands like Lost Mary, Elf Bar, Hayati and IVG sell prefilled 2 ml pods at 20 mg/ml, about 40 mg of nicotine, roughly a pack of 20 cigarettes. Their big-puff kits use a 2 ml pod with refill pods or containers, so the total nicotine adds up across the refills you use. The puff count on the box does not change the per-pod figure, because the nicotine comes from the e-liquid, not the number of puffs.
| Vape | Standard pod | Nicotine | Cigarettes, roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Mary | 2 ml, 20 mg/ml | About 40 mg | About 20 (1 pack) |
| Elf Bar | 2 ml, 20 mg/ml | About 40 mg | About 20 (1 pack) |
| Hayati Pro Max | 2 ml, 20 mg/ml | About 40 mg | About 20 (1 pack) |
| IVG | 2 ml, 20 mg/ml | About 40 mg | About 20 (1 pack) |
Big-puff kits from these brands come in many sizes. For example, a Hayati Pro Max uses a 2 ml pod with a 10 ml refill container, about 12 ml or 240 mg of nicotine, roughly 120 cigarettes. Because Lost Mary, Elf Bar and IVG kits vary too, put your kit's pod and container sizes and the number of refills into the calculator above for a figure that fits it.
How long will your e-liquid last?
Nicotine content tells you the cigarette equivalent, but not how long a bottle lasts. In our experience serving UK vapers, most people get through about 5 to 15 ml of e-liquid a day, depending on their device and how often they vape. On that basis a 10 ml bottle lasts most vapers a day or two, while a 100 ml shortfill lasts one to three weeks. Big-puff kits and larger pods hold more e-liquid, so enter their millilitres above for your own figure. The calculator shows a rough "lasts" range on the same 5 to 15 ml a day guide.
Vape to cigarette FAQs
Sources: NHS guidance on nicotine in vapes versus cigarettes (a standard 2 ml, 20 mg disposable holds a similar amount of nicotine to a pack of 20 cigarettes); UK TRPR/TPD limits (20 mg/ml, 2 ml disposables and prefilled pods); Ecigone retail experience for the 5-15 ml a day "lasts" figure. Cigarette equivalents are rough estimates for comparison only and depend on how a person vapes or smokes. Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking but is not risk-free, and is intended for adult smokers and vapers. If you do not smoke, do not vape.