Which vape is most like a cigarette? It’s a common question asked by a lot of people. Here’s everything you need to know before you pull the trigger on something…
Most vapes aren’t like cigarettes. Big vape tanks and vape mods produce LOADS of vapor.
These “sub-ohm” tanks run on high VG vape juice, at high wattages, and are about as similar to smoking as riding in a car is to going out for a run.
And this is what trips up most new vapers when they’re transitioning from cigarettes to vapes. Don’t stress it, though, by the end of this short post you’ll know everything you need to about picking the right vape for your needs…
What Vape Is Most Like A Cigarette?
If you want a vape that is like a cigarette, you’ll want to 100% AVOID sub-ohm tanks, vape mods, and higher VG vape juice.
Instead, focus your attention on smaller pod vapes and MTL tanks.
These types of vapes run at much lower power and have a MTL draw which is the same draw as a cigarette.
For these types of vapes, our current pick right would be any of the vape devices listed below – they all scored extremely high scores in our reviews.
And they’re all compact, simple to use, plug-n-play vape devices, so no messing around with coils, wicks, batteries or tanks.
The Vapes That Are Most Like A Cigarette
Pod Vapes (The Recommended Option)
If you want the best possible experience, go with a pod vape. Pod systems are compact, refillable, and have decent battery life (providing you choose the right one).
My advice? If you want coils that last weeks at a time, go with this pod vape; it’s the one we recommend most right now.
Disposable Vapes (Great, But Expensive & Single Use)
Disposables are very similar to pod systems, except you cannot refill them. They’re single use and once they’re done, you bin them which is bad for e-waste.
This is the current disposable we recommend to all of our readers.
You can get disposable vapes up to 30,000 puffs, although not all models are created equally (these are the disposables we recommend)
Closed System Pods Like VUSE, JUUL & RELX
And last but not least you have closed pod systems like JUUL and RELX. We do not recommend these simply because they are insanely expensive to run versus a refillable pod system.
Need a proper overview of all the best options right now? Check out our Best Vapes Guide.
Why You’ll Need Nic Salts Vape Juice
In order to get the same fix from a vape as a cigarette, you’ll need to use Nic Salts vape juice.
Nic Salt Vape Juice is stronger than standard, freebase vape juice and is designed especially for use inside pod vapes and mouth to lung tanks.
If you’re smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, you’ll have a high tolerance to nicotine.
For this reason, Nic Salts is the best option because you can get it in strengths ranging from 10MG all the way up to 50MG, although 35MG will be more than enough – even for the heaviest of smokers.
And right now, this is our go-to salt nic vape juice brand. The flavors, the quality of the juice, everything is proper top-notch.
Make Sure You Get An MTL Vape Too
As noted at the beginning of this post, box mods and sub-ohm tanks work more like an inhaler than a cigarette.
When you take a hit on a sub-ohm tank, you breathe the vapor all the way down into your lungs.
This is why you need smooth, high VG vape juice with low nicotine strength. You’d cough your guts up if you tried this with nic salts vape juice in a sub-ohm tank.
- Smaller vape devices, called pods, are designed to more closely simulate the sensation of smoking.
- These pod vapes “hit” like a cigarette and are activated in the same way you smoke a cigarette:
- You take a draw, just as you would with a cigarette and you get vapor released into your mouth which is then inhaled down to your lungs – hence the phrase “mouth to lung” MTL vaping.
- Add in nic salts vape juice at 35MG and you’ll get more or less the same sensation as smoking – both with respect to the hit and its ability to satisfy cravings.
The upshot of vaping, in this context, however, is that you can get vape juice in all different kinds of flavors – even tobacco.
In fact, one of my favorite nic salts vape juice is a tobacco blend; Butterscotch Reserve By Glas BASIX and it is a blend of tobacco, peanut butter, and butterscotch.
It’s freakin’ delicious.
Whatever you do, AVOID JUUL.
JUUL is too expensive to run long-term and the device itself is rubbish. You have barely two hours of battery life and JUULpods cost a fortune to buy.
With a pod vape, you get all-day battery life, the freedom to use your own vape juice, and a relatively affordable device.
Plus, once your pod’s coil dies, you can just just swap it for a new one. Long term, this will save you a fortune versus buying JUULpods which are $15 a pack.
So, yeah, do the smart thing and get yourself a pod vape instead. Personally, as of right now – so 2025 – I’d recommend the Vaporesso XROS Pro over nearly everything else right now. The damn thing is practically flawless, as you can see below.
Leave a Reply