Whether you're new in the vaping world or you have lots of experience under your belt, you're likely to come across lots of words and phrases you don't understand. The nicotine strength of a vape juice is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing e-liquid. The e-liquid's nicotine strength plays a crucial part in ensuring you stick with vaping and don't make your way back to smoking, so in this blog we'll go through everything you need to know about nicotine and nicotine strengths. Choosing a nicotine strength that's too low will result in your cravings persisting, consequently forcing you back to a cigarette to curb the cravings. On the other hand, a nicotine strength too strong can easily make you lightheaded as well as making you cough. Understanding different nicotine strengths is simple, read through our easy-to-read guide below to pick your e-liquid strength in no time.
Step 1 - Choosing a Nicotine Type
There are two nicotine types found in vaping e-liquid. These types of nicotine are commonly described as freebase nicotine or salt nicotine (nic salt). Both offer a different vaping experience, and deciding which nicotine type to choose is a crucial first step before choosing your nicotine strength. Here are the details of both nicotine salt and freebase nicotine:
Freebase Nicotine
Freebase nicotine is a purer form of nicotine, the type of nicotine found in some e-liquids and some pre-rolled cigarettes. It's characterised by a harsher throat hit and compatibility with a range of vape kits.
Freebase Nicotine Pros:
- Compatible with a huge range of vape kits.
- Pronounced throat hit even at lower nicotine strengths.
- Huge range of strengths to choose from.
Freebase Nicotine Cons:
- Not suitable for high nicotine strengths as it will be extremely harsh.
- Takes a while to absorb into the bloodstream
Salt Nicotine
Nicotine salt is formulated by combining freebase nicotine with an acid (usually benzoic or salicylic) to lower the pH of the nicotine. This makes the nicotine smoother on the throat, as well as allowing it to satisfying nicotine cravings faster. Nic salt features the same formulation that you'd find in tobacco leaves.
Nicotine Salt Pros:
- Smooth on the throat without taking away from the satisfying throat hit.
- Enters the bloodstream quickly ensuring fast satisfaction.
- Offers a similar hit to a cigarette.
Nicotine Salt Cons:
- Limited nicotine strengths available, only available in 3 standard increments.
- Suited to low powered vape kits only.
Nicotine salts were the e-liquids used in disposable vapes, therefore many people find it easier to transition to vaping using nicotine salts.
Step 2a - Nicotine Salt Strengths
If you decided that nicotine salts are the e-liquids for you, then read on to discover the different nicotine strengths in order to decide which the best strength is for you. Nicotine salts typically come in 3 standard increments; 5mg (0.5%), 10mg (1%), and 20mg (2%).
20mg is the strongest nicotine strength available in the UK and is more popular with people who are quitting smoking or transitioning from disposable vapes. This is why the majority of disposable vapes had "2%' printed on them.
- 5mg: A 5mg (0.5%) nicotine strength is considered low strength. It offers a soft throat hit suitable for people smoking low strength cigarettes. If you smoked 1-5 cigarettes a day, 5mg is a good starting strength. You can shop our full range of 5mg nic salts here.
- 10mg: A 10mg (1%) nicotine strength is also known as medium strength. 10mg is one of the more popular nicotine strengths in the UK so you'll never struggle finding e-liquids in 10mg. If you smoked 5-10 cigarettes a day, 10mg is a suitable strength to start with. You can shop our extensive range of 10mg nic salts here.
- 20mg: A 20mg (2%) nicotine strength is recommended to heavy smokers (more than 10 cigarettes a day). 20mg offers a stronger throat hit, perfect for people who need a harsher nicotine hit. The majority of pre-filled pod kits feature a 20mg nic strength. If you were a disposable vape user, 20mg nic salt is the best strength to start with. You can browse our 20mg nic salt range here.
Vape Kits for Nic Salts
Remember that nicotine salt e-liquids work best with a low powered vape kit. For example, pod kits have been designed to work explicitly with nic salts, therefore they offer the best experience with them. Nic salts are usually mixed to a 50VG/50PG ratio. This simply means they are relatively thin. The PG in the liquid is what gives vape juices a more pronounced throat hit. If the nicotine strength feels right but you'd like a rougher throat hit, go for a nic salt with a higher PG ratio. If you're looking to save some money buy purchasing a vape kit and nic salts, take a look at our tailored bundle deals which take the stress out of buying compatible parts.
If you are unsure as to which vape kit to start with, we have a personalised list of all the best vape kits for nic salts. We handpicked this list, many people have started their vaping journey with the kits mentioned.
Step 2b - Freebase Nicotine Strengths
If you've decided that freebase nicotine is the way to go, take a look at the many freebase strengths you can choose from below. Freebase e-liquids are also known as traditional e-liquids, and they come in many pre-mixed strengths. As well as 10ml bottles, many shortfill liquids can be mixed with freebase nicotine, however we will get into that further when discussing the vape kits needed for freebase juice.
The most common strengths for freebase e-liquid, 3mg (0.3%), 6mg (0.6%), and 12mg (1.2%). Although freebase nicotine isn't as popular as nicotine salt, many brands still offer a freebase nicotine range.
- 3mg: A 3mg (0.3%) nicotine strength is the lowest nicotine strength that pre-mixed freebase juices are available in. Many 3mg juices are mixed to a higher VG ratio as they are more popular with sub-ohm vapers. 3mg is a very light nicotine strength, you'll likely not feel much of a nicotine hit using 3mg with a low powered vape kit.
- 6mg: A 6mg (0.6%) nicotine strength is the most common freebase nicotine strength to find. Many big brands like IVG use 6mg as the lowest strength in their freebase range. 6mg offers a relatively strong throat hit without overpowering the nicotine content. 6mg is a great place to start if you smoked around 10 cigarettes a day.
- 12mg: A 12mg (1.2%) nicotine strength is relatively harsh on the throat. It's more suited to people who smoked 15+ cigarettes a day or smoked strong cigarettes. You can find a 12mg nicotine strength in almost all freebase ranges.
- 16mg/18mg: 16mg (1.6%) and 18mg (1.8%) nicotine strengths are much rarer in the vaping world now. They are incredibly harsh on the throat, therefore they've been replaced with 20mg nic salts. You can still find some 16mg and 18mg freebase juices, however they are slowly being phased out by many brands.
Vape Kits for Freebase E-liquid
Freebase e-liquid, unlike nic salt e-liquid, comes in a large array of PG/VG ratios. Most low strength freebase juice is used by sub-ohm vapers. This is because high-powered kits vaporise a lot of e-liquid (therefore they vaporise a lot of nicotine per puff) so 3mg is the perfect strength for sub-ohm vaping. For thicker 3mg e-liquids like shortfills, you should use a sub-ohm vape
If you're looking for a MTL (mouth-to-lung) vape, then choose a 6mg e-liquid. The throat hit that a 6mg juice offers is quite harsh, so only low power is recommended. A vape kit that allows you to control the individual wattage is a better choice for freebase nicotine as you can tweak the throat hit to your liking. If you're looking for a highly-rated starter kit, take a look at our "best vape starter kits" blog where we've hand-picked the best beginner vapes of the year.
Zero Nicotine Vaping
Zero nicotine vaping is another common way to vape. There are many reasons why people switch to 0mg vaping. Whether you're just a hobbyist vaper, or you're still looking for that hand-to-mouth action without consuming nicotine. we have a huge range of zero nicotine e-liquid for you to browse. Although we'd recommend quitting smoking with a nicotine e-liquid, nicotine free e-liquids can be beneficial to many types of people.
If you've decided on zero nic vaping, check out our pre-made zero nicotine vape bundles. We've designed them as nicotine free disposable vape alternatives, they've helped numerous people quit nicotine for good.
It's recommended to start with a low strength and work your way up until you're satisfied. Having a nicotine strength too high can cause you to cough and feel lightheaded, putting you off vaping.
Conclusion
We hope our informative guide on nicotine strengths has helped you dive into vaping and begin your journey. It can seem intimidating learning all of the vape lingo, however we'll be here every step of the way. If you have any questions or need some advice, don't hesitate to reach out to our fantastic customer service team via phone, email, or live chat. We have hundreds of products catered specifically to beginner vapers, you'll get started vaping in no time. Remember, if your e-liquid is continually making you cough it may be too strong. If you're puffing on your e-liquid and not feeling satisfied, its too low. We'd always recommend only gradually changing nicotine strengths by one increment, ex. 5mg to 10mg not 5mg to 20mg. This will help your transition be smooth, and keep you off cigarettes for good.
