The Best E-Liquid Buying Guide: How to Choose

When I started breathing in 2008, there was not much I could do. Unless you were in a modding / DIY camp, there was little choice but to use a few cartridges and a few cigars, too many PGs, Nicotine E Liquid.

Today, however, there is a ton of choice. You can choose between high VG and high PG, between nicotine salt and free base, between 10ml and short infusions, and more.

In many ways that is a good thing. The variety of options available means that vaping can meet the needs of many people. But it can also be very confusing when you start spraying!

We’ve put together this post to explain what different types of e-liquid are, and what needs they face, so you can choose the right liquid for your needs.

Key terms defined

MTL: When you inhale in the mouth and hold your breath for a while before inhaling into the lungs.

DTL: When inhaled directly into the lungs. See MTL v. DTL for more information.

Nicotine salts: A type of e-liquid that uses salt found in tobacco leaves to form a smooth throat. Nicotine-free E-liquid is known as a liquid-free base.

Hybrid Liquids: Contains both liquid-free base salt and nicotine.

PG: Propylene glycol. Used in e-liquid, it is thinner than VG and causes a lot of sore throats.

VG: Vegetable glycerine. Thicker than PG, slightly sweeter, it slips down the throat and creates larger clouds of vapor. See PG v. VG for more information.

Short filling: A large bottle of non-nicotine e-liquid. There is space at the top of the bottle to add nicotine gum.

Nicotine shot: A small bottle of usually non-liquid e-liquid can be added to a short filling.

Choosing the right nicotine power

Jacques Houzec is a scientist who has spent a lot of time training vape shops and helping smokers quit.

His experience is that many vapers prefer nicotine strength that is too weak to change it effectively. (Remember that the maximum nicotine dose allowed in the UK is 20mg (or 2%), which is much lower than the 5% levels sold in the US at JUUL preferences.)

If you smoke 15–20 cigarettes a day or more, it is probably best to use the strongest e-liquid you can get, usually 18mg in a 10ml bottle.

If you smoke less or prefer light / light cigarettes (e.g. Silk Cut), you may be able to drop to 12mg (1.2%), but if you find that vaping does not work for you, you will probably need high nicotine strength. Generally, when you start, high levels of nicotine are better, although most vapers gradually reduce energy over time.

Vape juice for a strong throat hit

Cigarettes can be hard on the back of the throat, and many people avoid that when they stop smoking. If you are looking to replicate that sore throat, you need e-liquid with a lot of propylene glycol.

The key here is to look at the VG rating: PG. VG: PG 50:50, similar to Halo Vapor Co. or WizMix, provides enough throat for most smokers, though if you want a stronger throat blow, you might want to look at a 40: 60 VG rating.

If you are starting to use a high liquid PG, Dr. Houzeq advises you to take longer and do not let too much air in, as this can cause coughing. In both high PG and high liquid nicotine situations, it is best to use a vape device designed for mouth-to-lung training, such as the TECC Arc 5S.

It is not just the e-liquid that affects the throat. For more tips, see our post 7 Ways to Make Your Throat Feel

Smooth E-liquids for a smooth throat

There are two ways to soften e-liquid.

The first is to use nicotine salt. Nicotine salt is relatively new. They were first introduced because vapers found that nicotine-induced exposure to e-liquids (legal in the US, but not available in the UK) was extremely harsh.

Nicotine salt, which uses the first form of nicotine found in tobacco leaves, causes the throat to slip. It can also speed up the delivery of nicotine, making it more satisfying.

Nicotine salt is very popular with new vapers, and it is suitable for smokers who prefer lighter tobaccos and milder tobaccos. However, if you are accustomed to hitting hard behind the throat, it may not be yours. Among the nicotine salts are Nasty Juice Salts, Ohm Brew, and Halo Salts.

Another way to reduce throat swelling is to use VG in high liquid. However, high-volume VG liquids are best used with more sophisticated equipment. Below we discuss cloud vaping in more detail.

E-liquids vape tobacco style

If you want to change the feeling of smoking, there are two options.

The first is an e-liquid with added propylene glycol, usually with a VG: P50 ratio of 50:50, which gives the throat the same as that of a cigarette. Pod systems and low-power machines are ideal for using these e-liquids, which have a strong, limited pulsation that closely resembles cigarettes.

But more recently, many vapers have reported that pod systems use a combination of nicotine salts and regular e-liquid, such as the Hexa V2, to enjoy a real smoking experience. Hexa is a closed pod system, but hybrid salt has also started to be used in 10ml bottles, such as in Riot S: ALTS.

Juices for open pod systems and startup resources

Original kits and pod systems are generally designed to be used with high PG values ​​(eg VG: PG 50:50). You can check this by checking your coil resistance. If your coil resistance is more than 1 ohm, it is usually better if you use a high-pressure PG e-liquid.

E-Liquids for chasing clouds

If your priority is to blow up large clouds of vapor, you will be much better off with a short fill. Summary of larger e-liquid bottles, which come with space at the top of the bottle to add a shot of nicotine.

Short fillings such as Cotton & Cable and Nasty Juice usually have a higher VG ratio, such as VG: PG 70:30 or 80:20. VG has a cloud component, but remember that you need to use them with the most advanced kits. That’s because the battery needs to provide extra power, and the coil in your tank needs to be built to hold that energy and thick e-liquid.

To trap congested e-liquid and produce those clouds, you also need to use coils with low resistance (usually less than 1 ohm) and wide holes in the coil to help absorb e-liquid.

What is the taste?

The flavor is personal, and the best way to get the best taste is to check it out, so we won’t write too much about it here. But one key point is that although most smokers start with the smell of tobacco, evidence suggests that smokers who start with a non-tobacco taste may change successfully.

So even if you like cigarettes, it is best to try non-tobacco flavors since you are off.

Conclusion

Choosing your first Nicotine E Liquid can seem like a pit of the pit if you see all the other options. But if you can see your needs using the above guide, you can quickly reduce the type of e-liquid you need to get started. Then you can start exploring the wonderful and varied world of e-liquid flavors!