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Once a relatively niche product found in places like Germany, longfill e-liquids have become a hot new trend in the UK vaping landscape.
They’re a cost-effective option for vapers who are patrial to a bit of DIY and mixing their own vape juice at home.
We reckon they’re going to surge in popularity once the UK Vape Tax comes into effect, since they’ll save you a lot of pennies compared to pre-mixed e-liquids.
However, like a lot of things in the vaping realm, longfill e-liquids may seem quite complex and even a little daunting — especially for newbies.
So, lets’s break down how they work, how to mix in your nic shots, and what type of vape kit you’ll want to pair them up with.
Key Takeaways
- Longfill e-liquids come in partially filled bottles, leaving room to add nicotine shots or additional flavouring to customise the strength and taste.
- Typically available in larger bottle sizes, like 60ml, with only a portion of the bottle containing e-liquid, allowing space for nic shots.
- Ideal for vapers who prefer nicotine-free vaping or want flexible control over nicotine levels without compromising flavour intensity.
- Unlike shortfills, longfills require users to add their own base liquid alongside nicotine, offering a unique way to achieve a personalised vape experience.
- Longfills are perfect for vapers seeking greater flavour intensity.
What are longfills?
Longfills are an convenient and cost-effective way to create your own DIY e-liquid. They allow you to customise your desired nicotine strength and PG/VG ratio — for a more tailored vaping experience.
Longfill e-liquids usually come in a 60ml bottle with 20ml or 30ml of flavour concentrate inside. The extra space in the bottle is for you to add nicotine shots and base mix (VG/PG), creating 60ml of vape juice in a nicotine strength of your choice.
You have options of both salt and freebase nicotine shots in range of strengths, giving you complete control of the nicotine type and strength of your e-liquid.
Not only that, there are also numerous options for propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) depending on the vape kit you use and vaping style you employ, ensuring that your DIY e-liquid is compatible with your device and coils.
Longfill Pros & Cons
Pros
Cost-Effectiveness
Flavour Intensity
Personalised Vaping Experience
Cons
Can be tricky for beginners
Leftover PG/VG
Not very pocket-friendly
How does longfill e-liquid work?
Longfill e-liquids are typically made up of 2 or 3 ingredients. What you’ll need for the e-liquid mixing process depends on the brand of longfill you buy.
For instance, if you’ve picked up a Nixer e-liquid, then all you’ll need is the longfill itself and the mixer kit that comes with it. Longfills by other manufacturers, such as Vampire Vape, will also require the base mix and nic shots.
In most cases, you’ll have a 60ml bottle that contains 30ml of concentrated flavour. However, the amount of flavour concentrate you get can vary from brand to brand.
In the case of nixer longfills, you can just add the contents of your Nixer mixer pack into the bottle. These mixer kits include 3 x 10ml bottles, which add up to 60ml of vape juice combined with the rest of the contents.
With other longfill e-liquids, you’ll need to add your base mix and your nic shots of choice.
So, let’s go through the steps needed to create your very own DIY e-liquids!
Turning Your Longfill into E-Liquid
Step 1: Pick A Longfill Flavour Concentrate
The most exciting aspect of longfills has to be picking a flavour profile. Fancy something fruity? We have layered berry blends like Strawberry Raspberry Cherry Longfill E-Liquid Concentrate by Nixer 30ml.
Or, if you’re feeling like something a bit more exotic, Pineappe Passionfruit Longfill E-Liquid Concentrate by Nixer 30ml should hit the spot.
Maybe you’d prefer something a bit more indulgent. If so, Salted Caramel Macchiato or Vanilla Tobacco are both great shouts.
Whatever tickles your fancy, We have a plethors of punchy options when it comes to picking a longfill flavour concentrate.
Step 2: Choose a Base Mix
When deciding what base mixture (PG/VG ratio) to get, you should consider your preferred style of vaping and what type of vape kits you use.
For Mouth To Lung (MTL) vaping with pod vapes or starter kits, you’ll want a PG concentration of at least 50%.
If you prefer Direct To Lung (DTL) vaping with sub ohm kits, you’ll want to go heavier on the VG — with a 70% concentration being the standard.
Just make sure that you leave around 10ml or 20ml of room in the longfill bottle so you have ample space to add your nic shots.
Step 3: Add The Nic Shots
With nic shots, you can tailor the desired nicotine strength of your longfill e-liquid to suit your preferences. If you choose a freebase shot, you can expect a stronger throat hit and slow release of nicotine.
If you get a nic salt shot, you’ll experience a much smoother throat hit and faster nicotine delivery — satisfying your cravings in no time.
While nicotine shots are typically unflavoured, some are mixed with ice or menthol to give your vape juice a nice frosty finish.
Nicotine shots come in 10ml bottles and they’re available in a wide range of nicotine strengths and VG/PG ratios.
When purchasing nic shots, it’s important to double check its PG/VG ratio matches up with the concentration of your e-liquid. This is because it’ll affect the PG and VG levels of your vape juice.
Step 4: Give Your Longfill Bottle A Good Shake
Once you’ve filled your longfill bottle with all the ingredients you need, it’s time to shake them all up!
You’ll want to shake the bottle for at least five minutes to make sure that the flavour concentrate and nicotine shots are mixed properly.
For best results, let the e-liquid settle for a bit, and then shake the longfill bottle again. You’ll then have throughly mixed your e-liquid, so you’re all set to start vaping!
Some vapers prefer to ‘steep’ their DIY e-liquids by storing them in a cool, dark place for a few days. This process allows the flavours to blend and intensify, resulting in a full-bodied and rich flavour.
While steeping is an optional step, it’s a good idea if you’re looking to enhance flavour intensity and your overall vaping experience.
Shortfills Vs. Longfills
Since both longfills and shortfills are larger bottles of vape juice that have been underfilled to make room for nic shots, we understand why you’d confuse the two. That said, they’re used for pretty different reasons.
Shortfill e-liquids arrive with both the flavouring and the base mix of VG and PG, so all you need to do is add the nic shots. 50ml shortfills require one nicotine shot, while 100ml shortfills need two.
Longfills, on the other hand, just come with the concentrated flavour, which is suspended in PG. This means you’ll want to add some VG and likely more PG into the mix.
Unlike shortfills, the purpose of longfill e-liquids is for you to customise the VG/PG and nicotine levels of your vape juice — rather than just the nicotine strength.
Flavour Concentrates Vs. Longfills
If longfills have sparked your interest, then it might also be worth trying a flavour concentrate.
Concentrates offer the same level of cost-effectiveness as longfills, but they come in 30ml bottles instead of 60ml ones. They also require a bit more planning and some more accessories to mix.
While longfills only require nicotine shots and in most cases, VG/PG base liquid, concentrates are intended to be blended in separate bottles.
This means you might also need syringes, measuring tubes, or weighing scales — depending on how you want to mix your vape juice.
Are Concentrates Cheaper?
Buying concentrates and mixing them with a PG/VG mix and some nic shots can be more economical than longfills in the long run, though the initial cost of mixing accessories can be higher upfront.
Some vapers prefer longfills for their relative ease-of-use and efficiency, but concentrates offer the advantage of customising your e-liquid exactly to your taste.
Are longfills cheaper than nic salts?
When mixed with nicotine shots, longfill vape juice is a lot more cost-effective than buying nic salts individually.
Longfills provide nicotine hits comparable to nic salts by allowing for a higher nicotine strength when mixed with nic shots that use salt nicotine.
With the flexibility to mix in any type of nic shot, you can also create a 60ml bottle containing traditional freebase nicotine, providing a more affordable alternative to 10ml e-liquids in general
Can you vape longfills on their own?
While there’s technically nothing stopping you from vaping longfill e-liquids on their own, we wouldn’t recommend it.
They’re not designed to vaped without adding the other ingredients. So, unless you fancy overly-concentrated flavour, way too much PG, and no nicotine at all, then there’s not much point.
Longfill Safety Measures
When mixing longfill e-liquids, it’s important that you’re handling everything safely. This is especially true when it comes to adding nicotine, which can be toxic if large amounts get in contact with the skin.
Ideally, you’ll want to have some gloves and eye wash when mixing your own vape juice. Additionally, MI syringes, labels and pipettes are also necessary tools for safely mixing longfill e-liquid.
Summary
With the UK vape tax looming over us, we’re not too sure how longfill e-liquids will be impacted by it. However, if history is any indicator, the UK vape industry will continue to find ways to meet the needs of vapers.
When the TPD introduced the 10ml volume limit on all nicotine-containing e-liquids, shortfills emerged, allowing DTL vapers to purchase larger bottles of nicotine-free vape juice to satisfy the sub ohm tanks and coils that use it up a lot faster.
We don’t yet know if longfills will be taxed in the same way as pre-mixed e-liquid, but for a lot of vapers, DIY e-liquid mixing will likely remain the more cost-effective solution for maintaining their vape habits.
As always, you can explore a variety of options on out site. We’re here to help anyone trying to quit smoking at ShopVapesUk!
If you need advice or recommendations, don’t hesistate to contact us via live chat or email for personalised support.
