How to Guides

If you’re looking to quit smoking and want to give vaping a try, this article will show you how to vape properly (and where to start)…

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If you’ve been thinking about quitting smoking and want to see if vaping can help, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about how to vape – as well as what to get in order to get started properly.

First, let’s cover off the basics. This way, you’ll know what you’re getting into and how it all works…

The Inhale (Vapes vs. Cigarettes)

All cigarettes draw (inhale) the same. It’s tight, it tastes pretty gross, and it’s hot. A vape is slightly different, obviously, but not in a bad way – it tastes better, delivers much the same sensation, but, importantly, it doesn’t fill your lungs with tar-ridden smoke. Instead, you inhale the vapor.

There are two different styles of draw for vape devices:

1) MTL (Mouth To Lung) – If you want a vape that draws like a cigarette, as most new vapers do, an MTL tank or vape kit is where you want to begin. MTL vape tanks have tight draws that are designed to closely mimic the sensation you get when taking a pull on a cigarette. I use MTL tanks pretty much all the time these days, as I prefer the draw and I like using Nic Salts vape juice (more on this in a bit, though).

MTL Vape Guide:

• The #1 Best MTL Tanks (Rebuildable & Pre-Built)
• The Best Pod Vapes (MTL & DTL)
• The MTL Tank I Currently Use

2) DTL (Direct To Lung) – DTL tanks are those vapes you see people using that kick out TONS of vapor. DTL tanks (RDAs, RTAs, Mesh Coil Tanks, and Sub Ohm Tanks) hit differently to cigarettes and MTL tanks, as you breathe the vapor straight down to your lungs, sort of like the way you use an inhaler. It takes a bit of getting used to, and you HAVE to use high VG vape juice for this, otherwise, you’ll end up coughing your guts up.

DTL Vape Tank Guide:

• Best RDAs (Rebuildable Tank, No Juice Storage)
• Best Vape Tank (Uses Stock Coils & Stores Juice)
• Best RTA Tank (Rebuildable Tank w/ Juice Storage)

Different Types of Vapes

Back when I started vaping, circa 2013, the most popular types of vapes were vape tanks and box mods. Nowadays, though, most new vapers are using pod vapes, and the reason is simple – they’re much simpler to use!

Pod vapes – like 80-90% of them, anyways – are MTL devices, meaning they pull just like a cigarette. They produce less vapor, do not require external batteries, and, generally speaking, are much cheaper to buy. A standard pod vape will set you back around $20-$30, whereas a vape mod and a vape tank could cost upwards of $150.

More experienced vapers, or those that have been vaping for years, tend to use rebuildable tanks (RTAs, RDAs) and vape mods. A small niche of vapers like to use RDAs and Mech Mods, though if you’re a beginner you’ll want to say well clear of mech mods – they can be super dangerous, as they’re completely unregulated.

Right now, these are the main types of vape devices you can buy:

• Pod Vapes
• Disposable Vapes
• Vape Mods (These Will Need A Tank To Work)
• Vape Mod Kits (These Come With A Tank)

What Vape is Most Like A Cigarette?

Closed pod system flavors – so anything by JUUL or Blu, for instance – will be illegal to buy in the USA from the end of January 2020. For this reason, as well as the fact that refillable pods are WAY better, you’re 100% better off going with a refillable pod vape if you’re looking for a vape that inhales like a cigarette.

Right now, my #1 recommendation for the vape that hits most like a cigarette would have to be the UWELL Caliburn; it’s a tiny device that is 100% refillable and the flavor is off the charts. This device has been my go-to pod vape for almost 18 months now – nothing else comes close for ease of use and flavor. Just make sure you get some good quality Nic Salts vape juice to run in it.

What Vape Juice Should I Use?

If you’re going to use a pod vape like the UWELL Caliburn, you’ll want to use Nic Salts vape juice. And the reason is simple: if you’re coming off of cigarettes, high VG vape juice with 3 to 6MG of nicotine won’t cut it – you’ll need something stronger to stop you going back to the smokes.

This is where Nic Salts vape juice comes in; it’s stronger but because it is made from salt crystals, it doesn’t taste harsh like traditional, high-nicotine vape juice does. If you smoke a lot, you’ll need nic salts vape juice that is relatively high in nicotine content – I use these Nic Salts flavors and have done for around the last two years.

However, if you go the sub-ohm vape tank and vape mod route, DO NOT use Nic Salts vape juice – it’s way too strong for that style of tank. Instead, you’ll want to use good quality, US-made high-VG vape juice – do not scrimp on vape juice either, you need to use good quality stuff!

So, To Recap…

You’ll need, either:

• A Pod Vape (I recommend the UWELL Caliburn)
• Nic Salts Vape Juice (You Can Get That Here)

Or, If You Go The Sub Ohm Tank Route:

• Some Kind of Vape Kit – Check Our Guide To The Best Vape Kits For This
• US-Made, High-VG Vape Juice (3-6mg Nicotine)

And that’s it, you’re pretty much ready to start vaping! Simple, right?

If you’re looking for the perfect tobacco vape juice, we share a common interest – I spent years tracking down the best tobacco vape juice!

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I started vaping back in 2012. Back then, things were very different. We didn’t have half the gear we have now and pod vapes, the most popular style of vaping device, didn’t even exist. But we had vape juice. Lots of vape juice to choose from. Still, it took me years to find what I was looking for…

Because most people – like 90% of vapers – don’t like tobacco vape juice, preferring sweeter, dessert-style flavors, fans of tobacco flavors like you and I were kind of left out in the cold. Back then, finding good quality tobacco flavors was tricky; most tasted like ass or ash, or a combination of the two!

It took me a while, but I eventually discovered a few brands that catered to my needs. Sadly, most of these brands are no longer with us; like many businesses, they simply stopped functioning and/or disbanded. Still, I learned a lot during this time. I discovered different styles of tobacco vape juice from RY4s to dessert-flavor infused tobacco blends (my current favorite style).

Tobacco vape juice lovers are definitely a minority in the vape community, most brands focus on sweet flavors, and that’s fine, but for me, as a vaper, it wasn’t good enough. So when we built the VapeBeat Store, we made sure that we focused on tobacco vape juices as much as our other flavors…

A Store With A Tobacco Vape Juice Focus…

When the time came to launch our vape juice store, I knew I wanted some truly great tobacco vape juices front and center. It took a while to find and distill the right blends, blends for all types of tobacco vape juice lovers, but in the end, I think we kind of nailed it.

Why? Simple: our tobacco vape juice is often the highest-rated juice in our store – people love it. I get emails most days from vapers like you telling me how much they love TrailBlazer, Bueno Vista, and our Nic Salts RY4, and, of course, Top Brass – a gorgeous peanut butterscotch tobacco blend.

To date, our juice – including our tobacco lines – have received over 1000+ FIVE STAR reviews from vapers just like you. And the reason? A tight focus on quality, flavor, and only using the best possible ingredients. Oh, and all of our juice is 100% diacetyl free as well. And that’s important for a variety of reasons.

High VG & Nic Salts Tobacco Vape Juice

Nowadays, vapers use all kinds of devices – from RDAs and vape mods to all in one pod kits like the UWELL Caliburn. For this reason, you need different types of vape juice because high VG vape juice won’t work properly in pod mods and Nic Salts vape juice is not something you want to try in an RDA or mesh coil tank…

For this reason, we have tobacco vape juice for high-power vape tanks, blends like TrailBlazer, and Nic Salts tobacco vape juice for MTL tanks and pod vapes.

Right now, my #1 favorite tobacco Nic Salts blend is Top Brass, but I am also a massive fan of Bueno Vista and RY4 – they all properly hit the spot with smooth tobacco notes combined with sweet, delicate flavors.

So, in case you’re new to vaping: you need Nic Salts for MTL vape tanks and pod mods, and standard, high VG vape juice for RDAs, mesh coil tanks, and RTAs. Basically, if your tank does big clouds, you need high VG vape juice. Pod vapes (and MTL tanks) produce less vaper and draw like a cigarette, so your best off with Nic Salts as they deliver more flavor and more of a throat hit, which is key for MTL vaping.

A Word On Nicotine Strengths…

Once you’ve found the tobacco vape juice you want, you need to pick a nicotine strength. If you’re an ex-smoker looking to kick a habit, you’ll want to keep your strength nice and high. I tend to recommend pod vapes and MTL tanks for new ex-smokers, as they deliver the most similar experience to smoking.

If you’re just a normal vaper that uses mesh coil tanks and rebuildable tanks, like an RDA or an RTA, you’re going to be best off with a high VG vape juice in either 3MG or 6MG nicotine strength. We limit our High VG vape juice to 6MG because if the nicotine content is any higher, it starts to degrade the flavor – and no one wants that!

Me personally? I vape 3MG in my mesh coil tanks and RDAs, and 35MG when I’m vaping Nic Salts. The reason? My pod vapes and MTL tanks deliver far less vapor, and I tend to use them less, so I prefer to use stronger Nic Salts to get the most bang for my buck. This is why our nic salts are ONLY available in 35MG strengths; it’s the sweet spot for maximum pod mod/MTL tank performance.

We also do CBD, a closed system vape pen similar to the JUUL, and a wide range of high VG vape juice flavors. If you’ve not used our store before, drop by today and see what people are saying about us!

If you’re using a pod vape, you’ll want to use a specific type of vape juice because higher-VG juices simply won’t cut the mustard…

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It happened quickly, over the space of a few years. But it has definitely happened: pod vapes are now the #1 most popular way to vape. Back in 2017, I’d never have expected this to happen. But times change and so do our vapes, and right now most people use pod systems.

So what is the best type of vape juice to use inside pod vapes? Simple: Nic Salts vape juice. Why? Again, simple: it’s designed specifically for use in pod systems. You get more flavor, more nicotine, and better overall performance for your pod vape.

Different Vapes Require Different Vape Juices

Pod Mods – the vast majority of them, anyway – are MTL (mouth to lung) devices, meaning they draw like a cigarette. For this reason, you cannot use high VG vape juice; it doesn’t have enough of a throat hit.

On pod mods, the vapor is lesser and more concentrated, just like a cigarette. For this reason, you’ll want Nic Salts juice or high PG juice (60/40 at least) in order to get any actual sensation from vaping your pod vape.

If you use High VG E Juice inside a pod mod it will feel like you’re vaping air – no flavor, no throat hit, no nothing!

MTL Vapes Need Nic Salts Vape Juice. Period!

When MTL vaping, you need to balance the throat-hit and the flavor. Ideally, you want a nice throat-hit, nothing too harsh, and plenty of flavor. Because Nic Salts vape juices are higher in PG (this is what makes the throat hit) you also get plenty of flavor.

You can also run Nic Salts vape juice much higher than normal, standard high VG juice. Pod vapes produce less vapor, so while I might use 3MG nicotine juice on my RDA when I’m using my pod vape, I always use 10-20MG of nicotine.

Why? Because the amount of vapor produced is so much smaller, so you need a juice that can pick up the slack. And this is where Nic Salts come into play. They have higher levels of nicotine but because they’re made from salts (not freebase) they’re not harsh.

Higher Levels of Nicotine + Smoother Taste + Lots of Flavor = Nic Salts Vape Juice

This is the #1 reason why we launched our Nic Salts line of vape juice. More and more people are switching to pods and, by proxy, Nic Salts. But here’s the thing: Nic Salts vape juice can be hit and miss. You need to make sure you’re getting US-made, quality stuff.

You Don’t Want…

• Nic Salts From China
• Vape Juice Made From Lesser Ingredients
• Juice Packed With Additives & Flavorings
• Vape Juice That Contains Diacetyl

But How Can You Ensure You Get Quality Stuff?

When I set up our sister vape juice store (The VapeBeat Store), I made sure that ALL our juice was sourced from the highest possible US-suppliers, suppliers that made 100% diacetyl-free vape juice. Next, we wanted flavor. Big flavor. And then, and only then, did we launch.

With Nic Salts, the difference is like night and day. You should be able to taste all the flavor notes, all the delicate balances inside the juice. I’ve been disappointed by so many Nic Salts juices over the years; some were BIG NAME brands that just sucked with regards to flavor.

Others were smaller brands I hadn’t heard of, so I took a punt and, well, immediately knew that I’d made a mistake. This was one of the main reasons motivating me to set-up my own vape juice store – find flavors I like and use, and then share them with VapeBeat’s readers. Navigating a sea of hundreds of thousands of flavors is tricky, so, again, we decided to keep it nice and simple:

We do just five flavors – and they’re all supremely tasty!

1. Top Brass
2. Vanilla Cream
3. Buena Vista
4. RY4
5. Wondermelon Berry Sour

Out of these nic salts vape juice flavors, Top Brass is my personal #1 favorite and is also our #1 best selling Nic Salts flavor. Second would be Vanilla Cream, and third, Wondermelon Berry Sour which is a great option if you like sharp, fruity vapes.

Have a look at our vape juice store for yourself, we do a range of flavors – from Nic Salts to CBD and standard High VG vape juice.

It’s the only stuff the VapeBeat team ever vape!

Personally, I’m not a fan of JUUL. I’d much rather use something like the Apollo Breze Kit. Or one of these disposable vape pens – they’re cheaper and tend to vape a lot better.

Still, for whatever reason, JUUL is very popular. The JUUL brand launched with what was most likely the most extensive public relations blitz in the history of the vaping industry, and the aggressive marketing paid off. JUUL outsells other e-cigarette brands in American retail outlets by a ratio of more than three to one, and entrepreneurs around the world have built thriving businesses simply by serving the large and growing JUUL user community.

One such business is Premium Vape, and in their time serving the JUUL users of New Zealand and Australia, they’ve learned a number of tips and tricks that can make the experience of using the JUUL even better. These are a few of their favorite JUUL tips.

#1) Fix a JUUL That’s Giving You Weak Hits

When you’re using a new JUUL pod, life is golden. You’ll enjoy big hits of thick, flavorful vapor – until, suddenly, you don’t. Weak hits are among the most common JUUL problems reported by owners. If you’re not getting satisfying hits out of your JUUL, it’s likely that air bubbles have formed around one or both of the wicks in the pod. When e-liquid isn’t flowing to the pod’s atomizer coil efficiently, the JUUL’s automatic temperature control function kicks in, lowering the device’s output power to prevent a dry hit. That’s why you’re getting weak hits. Tap the pod gently to break the air bubbles. If the JUUL still gives you weak hits, try waiting longer between puffs to give the atomizer coil more time to re-saturate with e-liquid.

#2) Learn How to Refill JUUL Pods

One of the first things you’ll learn as a new JUUL user is that JUUL pods are expensive. One JUUL pod should last about as long as a pack of cigarettes, but that’s only true if you use your JUUL as often as you would smoke. In reality, though, that’s not what many JUUL users do; they simply puff on their devices all day. If you burn through your JUUL pods too quickly, you’ll end up paying more for pods than you would pay for cigarettes.

Get some bottled e-liquid and learn how to refill your own JUUL pods. It’s not too difficult; you simply pry the two halves of the pod apart, remove the rubber dam covering the e-liquid reservoir and refill the reservoir with the juice of your choice. There are some additional steps that you can take to improve the performance of your refilled pods, but they’re optional. You can usually refill a JUUL pod several times before it stops functioning optimally. At that time, you’ll need to replace it.

#3) Get to Know the Third-Party JUUL Ecosystem

One of the benefits of the JUUL brand’s popularity is that it’s allowed other companies to get in on the fun by offering their own JUUL pod alternatives and other third-party accessories. Unhappy with the battery life of your JUUL? Grab a portable battery charging case. Want to customize your JUUL and make it something completely your own? Buy a battery skin.

The best third-party JUUL accessories by far, though, are the many JUUL-compatible pods that you can find at many finer vape retailers. Third-party JUUL pods make it easy for you to enjoy flavors that aren’t available in the official JUUL pod lineup, and what’s even better is that JUUL-compatible pods almost always hold more e-liquid than official JUUL pods while costing less.

#4) Learn How to Disassemble and Clean Your JUUL

Ordinarily, cleaning your JUUL should be very easy. When you clean your JUUL, just give all of the metal contacts a quick rub using a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. That’ll help to keep your JUUL running its best and ensure that you don’t experience misfires when you attempt to use your device. If you experience a major leak, though, you may need to do something a little more drastic. If e-liquid enters the internal electronics of the JUUL, you can take the device apart by pushing the indicator light down with a pin while pushing the electronics out of the bottom of the outer casing with a flat tool. Use a cotton swab to soak up the excess e-liquid before reassembling the JUUL.

Disassembling and reassembling the JUUL isn’t difficult, but the JUUL isn’t a device that’s intended to be serviced by the end-user. There is a chance, for example, that you could break a solder point and render the device inoperable, voiding your warranty in the process. Disassembling the JUUL is something that you should only do as a last resort if a pod has leaked and flooded the device’s internal electronics.

#5) Learn How to Enable the JUUL’s Party Mode

Did you know that your JUUL may have a built-in light show? The device’s motion sensor activates it. To activate the party mode, simply puff on the JUUL and wait for the indicator light to turn white. Next, begin waving the device around. The light will flash in various colors until you hold the device still. No, JUUL party mode isn’t an optical illusion; the LED is actually changing color. It’s unknown whether all versions of the JUUL still have the party mode; it’s possible that JUUL Labs has quietly removed the feature in light of the recent controversy surrounding the brand.

#6) Learn How to Fix a JUUL That Isn’t Hitting

If your JUUL stops hitting, it’s most likely because the battery isn’t charged or because the atomizer coil is dry. Assuming your pod isn’t empty, a dry coil can happen because you’re hitting the JUUL too often or because air bubbles have formed around the wicks as described above. If you’ve eliminated those possibilities, though, you might be using a pod that doesn’t fit tightly into your JUUL.

There are small variations from one product batch to the next, and you can resolve that problem easily by placing a finger and thumb lightly over the pod’s windows when puffing. The increased air pressure makes it easier for you to trigger the JUUL’s airflow sensor when you inhale. If you experience the same problem with every pod that you use, try using a pair of pliers to compress the sides of the JUUL device slightly. Your pods will fit more tightly, and that should eliminate the issue. Don’t bend the device’s casing so much, however, that you can no longer insert the pods.

Generally, my advice would be to avoid JUUL like the plague. It’s expensive and it doesn’t perform all that well. Plus, the battery life SUCKS. If you want a portable device, you’re much better off with a refillable pod system like the ones listed inside our Best Pod Vape Guide.

The vaping market has narrowed a bit over the past couple of years. On one side, you have the experienced vapers who are still using the same box mods and refillable tanks that they’ve used for years. On the other side, you have the newer generation of vapers who are primarily using pod vapes with pre-filled or refillable pods.

Other types of vaping devices – such as vape pens, mechanical mods, and cigalikes – simply aren’t as popular as they used to be. What should you do, then, if you’re new to vaping? Should you just follow the crowd and buy a JUUL? Not necessarily. Not only are there many, many pod systems out there, but the fact is that a pod device may not even be the right fit for you in the first place. Don’t buy your first vaping device without reading this simple guide to pod vapes vs. mods.

Inhaling Style

Vape pods – and the tanks included with most mods – have different airflow characteristics that lend themselves to different inhaling styles. Pod systems are designed for the mouth-to-lung (MTL) inhaling style that you’d use when smoking a cigarette. Most mods, on the other hand, include tanks designed to facilitate the inhalation of the vapor directly to the lungs. You don’t have to use your mod with the included tank. You can buy a mod and pair it with a mouth-to-lung tank – but that adds complexity that you probably don’t want when you’re new to vaping.

Throat Hit vs. Flavor

Almost universally, former smokers crave a strong throat hit when they first make the switch to vaping. The throat hit is the feeling that you get in the throat when you inhale nicotine. A cigarette produces a strong throat hit, and a vaping device can produce virtually the same sensation if it’s designed for mouth-to-lung inhaling and filled with a strong nicotine salt e-liquid. That’s the type of experience that you’ll have with a pod system. When you use a high-nicotine e-liquid, though, the nicotine provides much of the flavor.

A mod, on the other hand, is set up to provide the best possible experience with a lower-nicotine e-liquid. Since the vapor production of a mod is much greater than that of a pod system, you’ll absorb around the same amount of nicotine with either type of device. With a lower-nicotine e-liquid, though, you’ll taste the flavor of the e-liquid itself much more prominently and will not really taste or feel the nicotine.

Convenience vs. Flexibility

Nothing in the world of vaping is more convenient or easier to use than a closed pod system. Just charge the battery, drop in a pod and enjoy. You don’t even need to think about tweaking your device. You don’t need to wonder whether the tank you’re using is really providing the best possible experience. A pod system only works with its own pods, and those pods are already set up to provide a great experience.

On the other hand, the fact that a closed pod system only works with its own pods also means that a typical pod system doesn’t have many different flavors available. You might love those flavors so much that you never want to experiment with anything else. If you’re the type who wants to try everything, though, a mod can work with any bottled e-liquid on the market.

Refillable pod systems do exist, and those systems bridge the gap between pod vapes vs. mods. They usually work best, however, with high-strength nicotine salt e-liquids.

Cloud Chasing vs. Discreet Vaping

Some mods have pretty crazy cloud production. A big rip from a high-end mod can just about fill a room. There is almost no way, in other words, to vape discreetly with a mod. Many mod users don’t care about that; they’ll happily create their own personal weather systems wherever they go. Other people, though, don’t like to call attention to themselves when they vape. They’d rather vape privately, and they’re concerned that people might find enormous clouds obnoxious. If you fall into that category, you’ll probably be happiest with a pod system. Pod systems may also be better for indoor vaping because the clouds that they produce dissipate quickly instead of lingering in the air.

Initial Investment vs. Long-Term Cost

With starter kit prices that seldom exceed $30, pod systems are typically some of the least expensive vaping devices that you can buy. If you want to buy a mod that includes a tank, on the other hand, you should expect to spend at least $50 – plus an extra investment of $35 or so for batteries and e-liquid. So, if you want to start vaping today, you’ll definitely get out of the vape shop a lot more cheaply if you buy a pod system.

Closed pod systems, however, use the classic razor-and-blades business model. You’ll only pay a little for the device, but you’ll pay a lot for the pods. The bottled e-liquid that you’ll use with a mod, on the other hand, costs much less per ml of juice than packs of pre-filled pods. Mods tend to cost less than pod systems over the long term.

Keep in mind, though, that using a high-output mod does diminish your savings somewhat. The more vapor your device produces, the more often you’ll need to buy e-liquid. If you use sweetened e-liquid, your coils won’t last long – so if you really want to vape as cheaply as possible, you should avoid using vape juice that contains sucralose.

Easy Storage vs. Long Battery Life

There is an enormous difference in battery capacity between pod vapes and mods. While a typical pod system has a battery capacity no greater than about 300 mAh, a dual-battery mod may boast 5,000 mAh of battery life or more. The difference is mitigated somewhat by the fact that people typically use mods at higher wattages than pod systems, but you’ll definitely enjoy longer vaping times with a mod than you would with a pod system.

On the other hand, though, there’s no such thing as a device with 5,000 mAh of battery capacity that’s fun to carry in your pocket. A pod system can fit just about anywhere and is far more pleasant to carry. Either way, we have guides that’ll show you the best device in each category – check them out below!

• Best Vape Mods (Kits & Mods)
• Best Pod Systems: Our #1 Picks For Right Now

If you live in the United Kingdom or Europe – and your vaping setup includes a sub-ohm tank or RDA – chances are that shortfill e-liquids are a part of your daily life. For those who live in the United States and other regions, though, the term might be unfamiliar.

Why might shortfill e-liquids matter to you?

Well, e-liquid makers in the United States haven’t been able to release new e-liquid flavors legally since 2016 without first submitting pre-market applications to the FDA. Since no e-liquid maker has submitted an application and had it approved yet, the U.S. vaping industry has remained stagnant for several years. In the U.K. and other regions, though, the industry remains vibrant and dynamic, and e-liquid makers have continued to release a steady flow of creative new flavors.

If you decide to shop at an overseas vendor like Vapester and learn more about what’s happening in the wider vaping community, you’re going to see a lot of shortfill e-liquids and will need to know what they are and how to use them. This is required information if you want to buy vape juice from the other side of the Atlantic, so let’s dive in.

The Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) Is the Reason Why Shortfill E-Liquids Exist

While vaping regulations in the United States haven’t fully taken effect yet, the European Union has had regulations in place for the vaping industry for many years. The set of rules governing the industry is called the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and it establishes limits for things like how large a vaping tank can be and how much nicotine an e-liquid can contain.

Among other things, the TPD limits the maximum strength of any e-liquid with nicotine to 20 mg/ml. The TPD is the reason why European vapers have never had to worry about underage vaping or whether it might be necessary to boycott the JUUL; until JUUL finally released lower-strength pods, the product’s incredibly high nicotine strength of 59 mg/ml made it illegal in the U.K. and E.U.

The reason why shortfill e-liquids exist is that the TPD also limits the bottle size of any e-liquid with nicotine to 10 ml. When the TPD was enacted, the bottle size limit made perfect sense because it helped to minimize the chance of accidental nicotine poisoning without inconveniencing vapers too greatly. In the age of the RDA and the mesh coil tank, though, 10 ml of e-liquid isn’t even a full day’s supply for some people.

Shortfill e-liquid allows vapers in the U.K. and E.U. to buy bigger bottles of e-liquid without violating the TPD bottle size limit.

What Are Shortfill E-Liquids?

A shortfill e-liquid is a large bottle of nicotine-free e-liquid that isn’t completely full. A 60 ml shortfill e-liquid bottle, for example, is usually sold under the name “50 ml shortfill” because it only contains 50 ml of e-liquid. You complete the bottle by adding 10 ml of e-liquid with nicotine.

If you buy a bottle of shortfill e-liquid on its own, you will receive nicotine-free e-liquid. Unless you want nicotine-free e-liquid, you must order a “nicotine shot” separately to complete the shortfill e-liquid. A nicotine shot is a 10 ml bottle of flavorless e-liquid that contains nicotine. The strength of a nicotine shot is usually 18 mg.

The reason why shortfill e-liquid bottles can be larger than 10 ml is that they contain no nicotine until you add it. Therefore, the TPD bottle size limit doesn’t apply. A bottle of nicotine-free e-liquid can be any size without violating the TPD.

How to Buy Shortfill E-Liquids

As mentioned above, you must buy at least one nicotine shot for every bottle of shortfill e-liquid that you buy if you want the e-liquid to contain nicotine. Sometimes, retailers include the nicotine shots for free to make the process easier for customers.

The most popular nicotine strength among shortfill e-liquid buyers is 3 mg, and the two most common shortfill bottle sizes are 60 and 120 ml. Remember that merchants often call those products “50 ml” and “100 ml” respectively, because that’s how much e-liquid the bottles contain before you add the nicotine shots.

• To make a 60 ml bottle of e-liquid with a strength of 3 mg, add one 18 mg nicotine shot.
• To make a 120 ml bottle of e-liquid with a strength of 3 mg, add two 18 mg nicotine shots.

How to Use Shortfill E-Liquids

When you receive your shortfill e-liquid purchase, you’ll have at least one e-liquid bottle and at least one nicotine shot. Before you use the e-liquid, you’ll need to combine those components.

• Start by prying the nozzle top from the shortfill bottle. If you find the top difficult to remove, you can slide a butter knife under the seam at the edge of the cap and pry up gently.
• Once the bottle is open, pour in the full contents of your one or two nicotine shots.
• Replace the nozzle top and close the shortfill bottle.
• Shake the shortfill bottle vigorously for several seconds to mix the contents fully.
• Fill your tank and enjoy it!

Remember that a commercial e-liquid production facility uses dedicated machines to mix e-liquid ingredients so thoroughly that they remain suspended in the solution permanently. You should never have to worry about the flavors or nicotine separating out of the solution when you use a pre-mixed commercial e-liquid. When you mix a shortfill e-liquid, though, it isn’t really possible for your hands to duplicate the work that a machine would normally do. When you use shortfill e-liquids, in other words, it’s a good idea to give the bottle a quick shake each time you fill your tank.

Conclusion: Shortfill E-Liquid Is the Best Way to Experience E.U. and U.K. Vape Juice

We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief introduction to shortfill e-liquids. We conclude with the following thoughts:

• Buying shortfill e-liquid is the most convenient way to experience the creative new flavors coming out of the United Kingdom and Europe.
• If you prefer to use e-liquid with nicotine, you need at least one nicotine shot for every shortfill e-liquid bottle that you buy.
• Shake your shortfill e-liquid bottles periodically to ensure that the nicotine remains evenly distributed throughout the bottle.