We had the pleasure of reviewing something a little bit different to what you’re used to seeing; Refilla – a new and innovative way to vape!
London-based Refilla strive to create a more sustainable future for vaping. Their refillable and rechargeable products aim to provide the same ease of use as disposable vapes, but at a lower overall cost and generating significantly less waste.
This review is going to be a little bit different from the usual as there are actually three crucial parts to the Refilla kit. We will be breaking down each part throughout this review.
Refilla Dock Specs
- Dimensions: 65mm x 62mm x 55mm, 102g weight
- USB-C powered
- 1.2A maximum power
- Charging Time: 35-minute full charge
- Refilling Time: 2 minutes
Refilla Vape Specs
- Dimensions: 3mm x 39mm x 18mm, 31.2g (empty), 33.2g (full)
- Vaping Style: MTL (Mouth to Lung)
- Available in 4 colours – no liquid inside
- Refill Capacity: approximately 500 puffs before it needs refilling/recharging
- Coil: 1-1.2ohm 316L stainless steel coil
- Battery: Built-in 500mAh battery (rechargeable up to approximately 10,000 puffs)
- Visual light performance indicator
- Automatically refills and recharges in the Refilla Dock
- Safety Features: ProFlow temperature control technology ensures no detectable levels of volatile carbonyls or metals in the vapor
- TPD Compliant
Bar Works E-Liquid Specs
- Capacity: 10ml nic salt
- Puff Count: approximately 3,300 puffs
- PG/VG Ratio: 50/50
- TPD compliant
- Nicotine Strength: 10mg and 20mg
- Designed specifically to work with the Refilla Vape and Refilla Dock
The Refilla kit is made up of three parts that are all needed in order for the process to work: the Refilla vape device, the Refilla charging dock and a 10ml Bar Works e-liquid (which has been specially designed with a cap compatible for refilling via the charging dock). Currently, you have to buy each part separately.
Refilla Vape Design & Performance
Retailing at £9.99, the Refilla vape device is designed for simplicity and ease of use. Shaped like many familiar disposable vapes on the market, this refillable kit is square, compact, and button-less with a built in 500 mAh battery. Just inhale and go – it doesn’t get much similar than that!
The Refilla vape kit offers a really smooth and clean Mouth-To-Lung (MTL) draw with plenty of vapour production on the exhale. As this kit has been designed for ease and simplicity, there is no option to adjust the airflow, which means you’re limited to a MTL vaping style only. If you’re a smoker looking to quit through vaping, a beginner vaper or just someone who prefers MTL vaping, this kit will hit the spot.
Depending on how often you vape throughout the day, the Refilla should last the majority of the day before you need to recharge it via the charging dock. Recharging to full capacity takes no more than 35 minutes.
Refilla Dock Design & Performance
The Refilla Dock is an impressive piece of kit and I really enjoyed testing it out. It is the most expensive part of kit retailing at £19.99, however the dock should last you a long time before needing to buy a new one, and would save you a lot of money overall compared to buying a new single-use vape each time you run out.
When a Bar Works e-liquid of choice is inserted, the intelligent docking station is able to detect if the vape needs refilling or recharging immediately, and automatically refills the device in approximately two minutes and fully recharges it in about 35 minutes, ensuring the vape is always ready for use.
One of the best bits about the refilling aspect of the Refilla Dock is that is can precisely fill the vape with the exact amount of e-liquid needed – meaning no overfilling or leakages, which so often happens when you try to refill a vape yourself.
I thought the docking station would be bigger than it is, however it’s pretty inconspicuous and would be easy to transport if you need to take it anywhere. Of course, it’s a bit bulkier than your regular USB-C charging cable, however you do get some standout features with the charging dock that make it worthwhile.
Bar Works E-liquids
The Bar Works nicotine salt e-liquids are formulated with a 50/50 VG/PG ratio blend. They deliver a smooth throat hit and come in a variety of flavours to satisfy your taste buds. Flavours include:
- Blue Razz Lemonade
- Blue Sour Raspberry
- Menthol Ice
- Red Grape Ice
- Spearmint Ice
- Strawberry Banana
- Sweet Strawberry
- Watermelon Ice
Retailing at around £4.99, the Bar Works 10ml bottles also have an expertly designed cap specially created to work with the Refilla Dock. Unfortunately, you can’t use any other 10ml e-liquid with the Refilla charging dock at present. It would definitely take this product to another level if you could.
Currently, you can get the Bar Work’s e-liquids in 10mg and 20mg nicotine strengths, which provides some choice depending on how strong of a nicotine hit you require.
How To Use The Refilla Vape Kit
Before you start puffing away on your new device, its important to note that the Refilla vape does not contain any liquid when first purchased, so you must filled the vape using the Refilla Dock. You can try to vape on the device before filling it with e-liquid, but nothing will happen. The coil won’t fire until it has first been put into the docking station and filled with e-liquid.
Here are a few steps to follow when you first start with Refilla:
- Charge the Dock: Plug a USB cable into the dock’s USB-C port. The Refilla Dock doesn’t come with its own USB-C charging cable, so you will need to either buy one or use one you already have. The LED lights on the dock will illuminate to show it’s receiving power.
- Fill the Refilla Vape: After waiting 10 seconds for the green light to appear on the dock, invert the e-liquid bottle and place it in the designated slot. Then, insert the Refilla device into the dock. The vape will automatically fill and shut off when full, typically taking around two minutes.
- Vape and Recharge: Use your vape as much as you need throughout the day. If the device needs recharging, place it in the Refilla Dock. A full charge takes about 35 minutes.
How Do The LED Indicator Lights Work?
Refilla Vape
- Green: Device is good and ready to use (also indicates full charge when docked)
- Flashing Green: Approximately 100 puffs remaining
- Flashing Red and Green: Insert device into dock
- Red: Less than 500 puffs remaining
- Flashing Red: Less than 100 puffs remaining
- Solid Red: End of device life – it’s time to replace
Refilla Dock
Various combinations of coloured lights indicate charging status, temperature warnings, empty e-liquid bottle, and improper device insertion.
Error Conditions:
- Bottom Blue Light + Second White Light: The dock is outside of its operating temperature range. Please wait for it to warm up or cool down before using.
- Bottom Blue Light + Fourth White Light: The refill bottle may be empty. If the bottle still contains liquid, remove and reinsert it into the dock.
- Bottom Blue Light + Third White Light: The device was inserted while the dock’s red light was illuminated. Remove the device, wait for the green light, and then reinsert the device.
Normal Operation:
- Green Light: The dock is ready for charging.
- Red Light (Bottom): The dock is not ready for use. Please wait for the green light before inserting the device.
- Green Light (Bottom): The device is fully charged.
Charging Progress:
- One White Light: 25% charged
- Two White Lights: 50% charged
- Three White Lights: 75% charged
- Four White Lights: 100% charged
Refilla’s Stand Out Features and Technology
An Innovative Refill and Recharge System
One of the standout features of Refilla is its automatic refill and recharge system. The docking station utilises advanced capacitive sensing technology to monitor the e-liquid levels and battery status of the vape device. This system ensures precise refilling and charging, eliminating the mess and hassle often associated with manual refills and separate charging processes.
Refilla’s ProFlow Technology
At the heart of Refilla’s innovation is its proprietary ProFlow technology. Unlike many vaporisers that rely solely on power to control heating, ProFlow precisely regulates the temperature to prevent overheating. This careful temperature control ensures that the e-liquid is heated below 215°C, preventing the formation of harmful compounds such as formaldehyde and acrolein. Independent laboratory analyses have confirmed that Refilla’s vapour contains undetectable levels of volatile carbonyls and metals, making it a safer choice for vapers.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Each device is engineered to last as long as 16 disposable vapes, significantly reducing waste from batteries, plastics, and silicone. This reduction in disposable components not only benefits the environment but also offers cost savings to users. According to research and testing by Refilla, they estimate potential savings of up to 70 percent compared to regular use of disposable vapes. As the impending disposable vape ban looms in the UK, this alone makes it a great alternative for those looking to move away from single use vapes.
Conclusion
It’s always a joy to see something new and innovative enter the market, particularly when I get to test it out! The Refilla kit is a clever set up which has been meticulously thought through from design to implementation. Everything worked like clockwork, and I had no issues trying to use the Refilla Vape or recharge and refill using the docking station.
There are a couple of things that I believe would make this kit even more impressive if implemented in the future, such as being able to use any 10ml e-liquid with the charging dock. However, its overall intuitive design, combined with its environmental focus, makes the Refilla kit a stand out for 2025.
Pros
- Refilla Dock is easy to set up and use.
- Refilla Vape is lightweight and compact, so easily fits into pockets.
- Refillable and rechargeable which dramatically reduces environmental impact.
- More cost effective overall than buying disposable vapes.
- Safer and cleaner option – you could tell a difference when compared to other devices.
- ProFlow technology protects users from overheated vapour.
- Refilla Dock’s smart automatic refilling prevents e-liquid overfilling and leaking.
Cons
- Have to buy the Refilla Vape, docking station and e-liquids individually. However, Refilla have stated that a ‘Starter Kit’ option will be available soon, which will allow you to buy all the components together for a reduced cost.
- Only able to use Bar Works e-liquids with the docking station.
- Restricted to MTL as the device has no options for adjusting airflow.
- Refilla Vape is fully sealed so you can’t replace the coil. When the vape reaches the end of its life, you will still need to disposed of it and replace with a new one.
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