If you’re currently a smoker that is looking to quit, but you want a vape that is closest to a cigarette what are your best options?
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.
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 (like the UWELL Caliburn G, our current #1 pick for the best pod vape) and MTL tanks like the Kayfun Mini.

If you want a vape that is most like a cigarette, go with the UWELL Caliburn G – it’s cheap and it is VERY good. Not only is it small and portable, so it kind of resembles a cigarette, but it also draws just like a cigarette, which is to say it is a mouth-to-lung vape. Add in some Nic Salts vape juice and you’re about as close to smoking as you can get.
And if you need more options, here’s a quick list of all the best MTL pod vapes that hit just like a cigarette.
- VooPoo Vinci
- UWELL Caliburn G2
- DOTMOD DOTAIO V2
- UWELL CALIBURN AK 2
- SMOK NORD PRO

The VooPoo Vinci will hold 5.5ml of vape juice; that’s about as big as it gets when you’re talking about pod vapes. And it has a huge 1500mAh battery and 40W of power. If you want box mod performance, the Vinci comes highly recommended.

The UWELL Caliburn G2 takes everything that made the OG Caliburn so good and dials it up a notch. This means a better battery life, better coils, and better flavor. For this reason, it is easily one of our favorite pods on the market right now. A classic in the making, this one.
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If you want something truly unique and stylish, the DOTMOD DOTAIO V2 is exactly what you’ve been looking for. It ain’t cheap but this pod vape is a solid performer with a pitch-perfect design. It’ll cost you $114 but who says you can put a price on style?
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Simple, effective, compact and it delivers, consistently great flavor with long-lasting coils. What more could you want from a pod vape? We were immensely impressed by the UWELL CALIBURN AK 2 when we tested it, scoring a near-perfect 4.5/5 – this one is definitely a keeper.
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SMOK’s Nord series of pod vapes are great. But the SMOK NORD PRO is the most sophisticated of the bunch. Crafted from premium build materials and possessing a massive 1100mAh battery, this pod vape is designed for performance, flavor, and durability. It is also very well priced too
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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 like the Caliburn G.
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 35MG strength which is more than enough – even for the heaviest of smokers.
Here are our current favorite Nic Salts brands:
Brand Name | Picture | Rating | Why It Rocks! | Best Place To Buy? |
---|---|---|---|---|
TOP BRASS – Tobacco Peanut Butterscotch (My #1 RY4 Nic Salt Blend) | 100% |
| ||
(The ALL-Time BEST) | 100% |
| ||
(Perfect For Dessert Lovers) | 98% |
| ||
(A RY4 To DIE FOR) | 98% |
| ||
(Sweet, Sassy & Sour) | 98% |
|

Why You Need An MTL Vape (Like The Caliburn G)
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 press the button and take a draw, just as you would with a cigarette. 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; it’s called Top Brass 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 like the UWELL Caliburn G, you get all-day battery life, the freedom to use your own vape juice, and a relatively affordable device (it costs less than $30).
And if that wasn’t enough to persuade you, the UWELL Caliburn G is incredibly easy to use. There’s only one button, it never leaks, and all you need to do is refill it with juice once every day or so. And when the pod dies, just swap it for a new one. Long term, this will save you a fortune versus buying JUULpods which are $15 a pack.
The UWELL Caliburn G2 takes everything that made the OG Caliburn so good and dials it up a notch. This means a better battery life, better coils, and better flavor. For this reason, it is easily one of our favorite pods on the market right now. A classic in the making, this one.
Drake Equation
Co-founder and Editor of VapeBeat. I make the words.