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If you’re reading this article, then there’s few factors that may have brought you here.
Maybe in an attempt to finally quit smoking, you’ve bought a vape kit and some e-liquid, but it’s not quite hitting the spot. Or, perhaps you haven’t bought any vape juice yet because you don’t really know where to start.
It might even just be that you need us tell you the exact nicotine strength that’s equivalent to around 10 cigarettes a day.
Whatever it is, it’s hard to say exactly how much nicotine you’ll need, since it come down to your personal preferences and previous smoking habits.
That said, learning more about how the nicotine in vape juice works (both in your vape kit and your bloodstream) can give you an idea of the right nicotine strength for you to start out with.
So, we’ve put together this useful guide to help you gain a better understanding of nicotine strengths and which one is right for you.
Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right nicotine strength depends on your smoking habits, device type, and personal preferences for throat hit and vapour production.
- Freebase e-liquids come in strengths ranging from 3mg to 18mg, while nic salts are available in 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg strengths.
- If you’re in the process of quitting smoking, we suggest vaping a nicotine salt, due to the higher strengths and faster nicotine delivery.
- If you’re sub ohm vaping, we don’t recommend using a strength any higher than 6mg.
- Under TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) regulations, the highest nicotine strength that can be legally sold in the UK is 20mg.
What nicotine strength should you start with?
As mentioned, the right nicotine strength to start out with depends on your previous or current smoking habits. Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself before deciding what strength e-liquid to buy.
How many cigarettes a day did/do you smoke? The nicotine strength that you go for should depend on your smoking habits. If you smoke a pack a day, then an e-liquid in a 3mg or 6mg strength isn’t quite going to cut it. On the other hand, a 20mg nic salt will be way too strong for a social smoker/vaper.
Do you smoke/vape when you’re unwell or you’ve just woken up? Do you experience nicotine cravings in settings where you can’t vape or smoke? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you probably have a fairly strong habit, so you might want to opt for something in a 18mg or 20mg strength.
If you already vape, does the strength you’re currently using satisfy your nicotine cravings? If it doesn’t quite do the job, then you should increase your nicotine strength. Alternatively, you could switch the type of nicotine you’re using. Nic salts come in higher concentrations than freebase e-liquid, and satisfy your nicotine cravings faster too.
Do you vape quite a lot? If that’s the case, your nicotine strength might not be high enough. It’s important to be mindful when vaping, as the physical act of puffing can become a habit in itself, much like nail-biting or picking your nose (eurgh). If you find yourself vaping continuously without feeling satisfied, chances are your nicotine strength is too low.
Best Nicotine Strengths For Your Smoking Habits
Light Smokers
Less than 5 cigaretttes a day:
5mg-10mg nic salt
3mg-6mg freebase e-liquid
Moderate Smokers
5-10 cigarettes a day:
10mg nic salt
6mg-12mg freebase e-liquid
Heavy Smokers
More than 10 cigarettes a day:
20mg nic salt
12mg-18mg freebase e-liquid
Best Nicotine Strength For Your Vaping Style
We won’t go into too much detail here, as you can check out our Beginners Guide To Vaping Styles to learn more.
That being said, there are two main styles of vaping: MTL (Mouth To Lung) and DTL (Direct To Lung). There’s also RDL (Restricted Direct To Lung), which sort of bridges the gap between the two.
Mouth To Lung vaping mimics the act of smoking cigarettes. You hold the vapour in your mouth before inhaling it into your lungs.
With MTL vape kits, you can expect a discreet amount of vapour and a tight draw — any nicotine strength is suitable for this style of vaping, and it’s perfect for higher strength e-liquids.
Direct To Lung vaping, as its name suggests, involves inhaling large amounts of vapour directly into your lungs.
If you’re a cloud chaser who’s picked up a DTL kit, then we don’t recommend using an e-liquid stronger than 6mg. This is because you’ll experience an unpleasantly harsh throat hit at higher nicotine strengths.
Nicotine Content Percentages Explained
On some bottles of e-liquid (usually nicotine salts) , you’ll see a percentage displayed. If you’re new to vaping, you might find this a tad confusing, but don’t worry, it’s actually pretty simple.
For example, 2% nicotine content means that in a 10ml bottle of vape juice, there would be a total of 200mg of nicotine.
However, the total nicotine content doesn’t affect the nicotine strength. In both cases, the nicotine strength remains 2%, or 20mg.
Nicotine strengths are measured in milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml), so 20mg of nicotine per millilitre is equivalent to 2%.
The same goes for other nicotine strengths; 0.5% nicotine content equates to 5mg, while 1% is equivalent to 10mg.
What’s the highest nicotine strength?
Under UK regulations set by the TPD, the maximum legal nicotine strength for e-liquids is 2% or 20mg/ml. This limit applies to both freebase nicotine and nicotine salts, as well as disposable vapes and prefilled pods.
If you encounter any vape products advertising a nicotine strength higher than 20mg or 2%, you can safely assume that the product is not licensed for sale in the UK and may even be counterfeit.
Regardless, we strongly advise against using products that exceed the legal TPD limit.
Is it safe to vape nicotine?
If you’re reading this, then it’s fairly safe to assume you live here in the UK. If so, we’re sure that you’ve seen the super ugly, vomit-esque cigarette and tobacco packaging with all the graphic images and warnings.
To state the obvious, smoking cigarettes is incredibly harmful to your health. For years, it’s been drilled into our heads that “Nicotine is an addictive substance” — by everyone from our parents and the government, to health professionals.
What might not be so obvious to everyone, is that the nicotine itself isn’t carcinogenic, or even dangerous.
Nicotine is the substance gets people hooked on smoking cigarettes, and there’s tonnes of evidence and scientific research that backs this up.
But what actually kills you, however, is the thousands of deadly chemicals in cigarette smoke. Ironically, these harmful chemicals also make it even harder for smokers to quit.
Since vaping is relatively new, there hasn’t beeen as much research into its long-term effects when compared to smoking tobacco cigarettes.
However, while the long-term effects of vaping aren’t as clear yet, the deadly long-term effects of smoking are undisputed. In fact, researchers at Public Health England found that vaping is 95% less harmful than tobacco.
Plus, thanks to vaping’s success as a smoking cessation tool over the years, the UK has embraced it as the most ubiquitous harm-reduction strategy for smokers.
So, as of now, it’s hard to say whether vaping nicotine is harmful in the longrun. That said, Cancer Research UK found that the side effects of vaping are more or less the same as any other NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) product, such as nicotine pouches or gum.
Can you get nicotine-free e-liquid?
If you use a sub ohm vape kit, you’ll want to be vaping high-VG e-liquid, such as most shortfills — which don’t contain any nicotine unless you add a nic shot.
You can also find nicotine-free e-liquids that you can pair with pod vapes or starter kits.
It’s important to keep in mind that if you weren’t a smoker, then there’s no reason for you to be vaping.
What’s the best type of nicotine?
There are two types of nicotine; freebase nicotine and nicotine salts. Neither is better than the other, it just depends on what you need from your vape juice.
If you’ve just quit smoking, or you’re trying to, then using nic salts is your best bet. This is because they’re absorbed into your bloodstream at a very fast rate and satisfy your nicotine cravings in seconds.
Nic salts are made with nicotine derived from the tobacco plant. They’re created by adding salicylic, citric or benzoic acid to the nicotine molecule, altering its PH levels.
This is what helps nicotine salts reach your bloodstream faster and provide that mild throat hit that makes them so popular.
Nic salts come in three nicotine strengths; 5mg, 10mg and 20mg. However, some brands only offer the lower strengths. Among recent ex-smokers, 20mg is the most popular.
Regular freebase nicotine is the type found in 50/50 freebase e-liquid and most of the nic shots that you can add to shortfill vape juice.
Freebase nicotine is abasorbed by the bloodstream at a slower rate and provides a harsh throat hit at higher strengths.
The stronger throat hit isn’t for everyone, but some prefer it as it feels a bit more like the sensation of smoking a cigarette.
Freebase vape juice is ideal if you’re trying to reduce your nicotine intake, as its available in lower nicotine levels. Freebase e-liquids come in strengths of 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg.
Plus, the slower nicotine delivery of freebase e-liquids can make it feel like they satisfy your cravings for longer than nic salts — despite staying in the bloodstream for roughly the same duration, and having the same half life of around 2 hours.
Can you consume too much nicotine?
While you can consume too much nicotine, it rarely leads to any major side effects and any symptoms — such as light-headedness, headaches, or nausea, often referred to as ‘nic sick’— tend to subside within a few hours.
That said, these side effects are pretty uncommon, and the amount of nicotine needed to cause them varies depending on individual tolerance.
Our bodies have a natural ability to ‘self-titrate’ nicotine, meaning we instinctively stop when we’ve had enough. Studies have found that that vapers self-regulate their nicotine intake, taking more puffs when vaping low-strength e-liquiid and fewer when using higher strengths.
If you’re qutting smoking, focus on using the right strength to satisfy your cravings. You don’t have to opt for a lower strength out of fear of overconsumption — your body will let you know when it’s had enough.
Summary: Choosing The Right Nicotine Strength
Like we said, there isn’t a perfect calculator that tells you what strength you should go for, but it helps to follow this general rule of thumb:
Heavy Smoker (More than 10 cigarettes per day): Start out with a 20mg nic salt or 12mg-18mg freebase blend. We suggest that you pick a nic salt, due to its faster nicotine delivery.
Moderate Smoker (5-10 cigarettes per day): Start with a 10mg nicotine salt or a freebase vape juice between 12mg and 18mg.
Light Smoker (less than 5 cigarettes per day): Go for a 5mg or 10mg nicotine salt, or a freebase liquid between 3mg-6mg.
If you’re unsure of what nicotine strength e-liquid to buy, we recommend that you purchase a vape juice in two or three strengths to see what suits your needs.
If you need anymore help, feel free to contact us. Our lovely team of expert vapers (all of whom are ex-smokers) is available with valuable advice and personalised recommendations to help you in choosing a nicotine strength
