With Christman booze, cheese and chocolate supplies demolished, there’s no longer an excuse to put off those New Year’s resolutions.
New Year is the perfect time to switch to vaping. But what do you do once you’ve made the decision to ditch the cigarettes in favour of a less-harmful alternative?
Where to find a vape
There are three main sources for vape products: online stores, convenience stores/supermarkets and vape shops.
Online stores offer the pros and cons you would normally associate with online shopping.
Pro: there is a huge range of products available at competitive prices. Con: You don’t get the personal touch of the in-store experience. When it comes to vaping, this can be crucial.
However, many online shops offer great customer service. A good online vape shop will have the expertise to help you find the best device for you.
Convenience stores and supermarkets provide an increasingly wide variety of vapes, e-liquids and peripheries at competitive prices. However, with a few exceptions, staff are rarely trained on how to advise customers on the most suitable products.
Vape shops are by far your best option. There’s a huge variety of products, from basic pod systems to more advanced devices and a massive selection of e-liquids to choose from. But the best thing about vape shops is the expertise. Many vape shop staff are former smokers with the experience to guide you on your journey to a smoke-free life.
Which device to buy
Starter kits come in many shapes and sizes these days. And your choice of device will depend on a number of factors, from price to availability to ease of use. A good place to start is with a pod system or all-in-one (AIO).
Pod systems are simple, highweight devices that contain either pre-filled or refillable e-liquid cartridges. With these vapes, there’s no need to worry about replacing the tank or battery and they are incredibly easy to use.
All-in-one (AIO) devices offer a little more flexibility than pods as you can use replacement coils (the heating element in a vape) rather than a disposable pod, should you so wish. You can also adjust the power output of the device to tailor to your vaping and flavour preferences.
E-Liquids
Whether you use a cartridge-based pod device or an AIO, you’ll need the right e-liquid for the job.
Your first consideration should be nicotine. If you’re a heavy smoker, you will want a higher nicotine content to ensure than the transition to vaping is as smooth as possible. E-liquids are capped at 20mg/ml in the UK so many heavy smokers will start at the maximum level and then reduce their nicotine content over time.
Regulated e-liquids use two carriers, the first being propylene glycol (PG). PG is less viscous than VG and is often sought for its ‘throat hit’. This is one aspect that smokers often neglect when they switch.
Vegetable glycerin (VG) is sweeter and thicker than PG. It’s also significantly smoother. One major downside of VG is that it tends to batter your coils, so that’s something to think about if cost is an issue.
Thankfully, many e-liquids are available in PG/VG ratios that give you the best of both worlds.
Freebase vs salt nicotine
Freebase nicotine is the ‘default’ nicotine found in both e-liquids and cigarettes. It is extracted directly from the tobacco plant and can also be found in nicotine-replacement products, such as gums and patches.
Salt nicotine is the same as freebase nicotine but also includes benzoic acid. This addition makes salt nicotine e-liquid a much smoother vape, allowing you to consume higher nicotine e-liquids without a harsh throat hit.
So that’s the basics covered. If you have any questions let us know. Or, better still, pop into or call/email your local vape shop and ask a member of staff.
