What Nicotine Strength Should I Vape?

Choosing the right nicotine strength when vaping

16 March 2022 | Hannah Rubery

If you’re looking to make the switch from smoking to vaping, then it’s only understandable you might be wondering where to start. Identifying the right strength of nicotine for you is vital for a smooth transition. There’s also the consistency of your E-Liquid (PG/VG ratio) and what vape kit you intend to use, that can impact your nicotine strength. So, let’s take a look at the basics…

What is Nicotine?

Nicotine is a chemical compound derived from the tobacco plant. It can also be found naturally in many vegetables such as potatoes and aubergine, and fruits like tomato, although only in very small amounts. Over the years it has also been possible to even create synthetic nicotine in labs. It is one of the main parts of E-Liquid. The majority of which are available in strengths of 0mg (nicotine-free), 3mg, 6mg, 12mg up to 20mg; the legal maximum strength in the UK.

What are Nic Salts and how are they different from regular nicotine?

Nicotine Salts are the revolutionary step to creating the perfect E-Liquid for helping smokers quit. This product is created from taking Freebase (regular) Nicotine and adding an acid (such as Benzoic or Citric acid) to balance the pH, creating more neutral nicotine that provides a gentler throat hit. Because of the balancing of the pH done to the nicotine to create the Nicotine Salts, higher strengths of nicotine can be achieved and be enjoyed without treating your throat to a harsh hit. Here at Pod Salt we specialise in nic salts for helping smokers quit.

What do the numbers on bottles of E-Liquid mean?

The numbers on the bottles of E-Liquid equate to how many milligrams of nicotine there is per millilitre. Therefore, a bottle that reads 6mg will have 6 milligrams of nicotine per ml. It is often also shown as a percentage, in these cases, it would read 0.6% nicotine.

Which nicotine strength is right for me?

This really comes down to your own smoking habits and preferences. How many cigarettes you have a day can impact on the strength of E-Liquid you may need. You can either choose to start on a slightly stronger nicotine strength which you can then gradually decrease over time. Or you can start on a slightly lower strength and vape until you’re satisfied rather than possibly having too strong of a hit.

The lowest strength you can get is 0mg, often known as shortfills or longfills. 0mg nicotine E-Liquid is nicotine-free and is perfect for those looking to quit nicotine altogether. For smokers who only casually or socially smoke, and are looking to start vaping, they are ideal. You can even add your own nicotine to these E-Liquids to tailor to your needs.

For those who are looking to quit smoking and used to get through a few cigarettes a day (anything from 3-10), we’d suggest starting on either 3mg or 6mg of nicotine. These low-level strengths of vape juice will still give you a slight nicotine buzz while not being too strong or too weak to be noticed.

Average smokers who are likely to get through a pack a day are more likely to benefit from 12mg nicotine. This strength is likely to keep away the nicotine cravings but might start to feel a little harsh if you are using regular nicotine E-Liquids. Nicotine Salts usually come in 11mg/ml which are also perfect for this, giving a gentler feel but strong hit.

Those that are likely to get through more than a pack of 20 a day and smoke a lot, will probably benefit from an 18-20mg strength. Again, this strength in regular freebase nicotine can be a little harsh for some. This is why 20mg nic salts are perfect for providing high nicotine strengths whilst being friendly on your throat. A lot of disposable devices nowadays offer 11mg or 20mg nic salts in the devices, making them perfect for smokers making the switch to vaping and want to try the different strengths.

The final tips for picking your vape juice strength are to think about what it is you want and need. If you’re a heavy smoker you’re going to need a stronger E-Liquid. If you like the harsh throat hit associated with cigarettes then you want to use Freebase E-Liquid or vape juice with a 50:50 ratio of PG/VG – the more PG there is, the similar the feeling to cigarette smoking.

If you’re using a low powered kit, then nicotine salt vape juice is perfect for these. If you want to lower your nicotine intake, shortfills or 0mg vape juice is ideal as you can mix your own nicotine in or leave nicotine free. Experiment until you find your ideal strength but don’t give up on quitting smoking.