Vaping is changing the face of nicotine use around the world, and if you’re looking to make the switch in Britain, finding the best e-cig in the UK maximizes your chances of success.
The big issue for UK vapers is that the EU’s TPD bans vape tanks with capacities over 2 ml, and this reduces the options available to UK vapers substantially.
However, for a new vaper looking for the best e-cigarette in the UK, big tanks aren’t strictly necessary, and there are tons of options available that perform excellently and are simple enough to use for a new vaper.
We’ve collected 10 recommendations for anybody looking for a UK e-cig to help them quit smoking, and under the main list we’ve added some background information about types of electronic cigarettes available and more.
Best E-Cigs UK
10 – Eleaf iStick T80
The iStick series from Eleaf is basically an industry institution by this point. The series consistently keeps prices low while offering an impressive range of features in a beginner-friendly format, so it’s no surprise that the new T80 makes this best e-cig list for devices available in the UK. The T80 – as the name suggests – puts out up to 80 W of power, with the classic, curved box mod look the series is known for. It has a well-presented display, with a large firing button and two smaller keys below for adjusting your setting.
The T80 has a 3,000 mAh internal battery, which is more than enough to keep you vaping for a whole day between charges. It comes with a USB-C charging cable, and supports fast charging. The device comes in a kit, paired with the Pesso tank, which comes with one 0.3 ohm and one 0.6 ohm atomizer head. The tank has a simple top-filling system, as well as adjustable airflow around the base. In combination with the sub ohm coils, this leads to excellent vapour production and clear, well-captured flavour.
You can pick up the kit for £34.25 ($44.71).
9 – Aspire PockeX
Aspire has a huge range of devices on the market, and is renowned for quality and reliability in their devices. With this in mind, it’s not such a big surprise that they offer one of the best e-cigarette starter kit options in the UK in the form of the PockeX. The device is a little unusual in that it’s an “all in one” style vape pen, which basically means that the tank is incorporated into the main battery section. This is perfect for beginners because there are fewer components to deal with and you get everything in one convenient unit.
The PockeX has a 1,500 mAh internal battery, with a 0.6 ohm coil pre-installed and a spare 1.2 ohm coil included in the kit too. The airflow is fixed, but it’s at a medium level that works well for both flavour and vapour production, as well as making the transition from smoking a little easier than most sub ohm devices. The tank is top-filling, so it’s really easy to use, and the coils attach to the underside of the top cap. It also works with Nautilus X and XS coils, if you have one of these tanks.
You can pick up the kit (with a free bottle of e-juice) for £15.99.
8 – FreeMax Twister
The Twister from FreeMax has the look of a standard vape pen but a little thicker and capable of putting out impressive amounts of power. The Twister has a basic, vape pen-like look, but is built around a chunky 2,300 mAh battery with adjustable wattage incorporated into the rotatable base. This means you can adjust your power setting between 5 and 80 W (although not completely freely) without the need for complicated buttons and dials. Aside from this, all you need to do is use the single button to fire and switch the device on or off.
The Twister comes in a kit with the FireLuke 2, which comes with two mesh coils as standard. These have tea cotton for wicking, which produces great flavour – as well as the exceptional vapour production you expect from any mesh coil – and maintains the flavour for longer than standard wicks. It has a simple slide-to-open top-filling design, and the standard slot-style adjustable airflow built around the base. The combination of the capable battery and the excellent tank really puts this up there with the best e-cig options on the market.
You can pick up the Twister for £26.80 ($34.95).
7 – Voopoo Drag S
The Drag S from Voopoo is technically a pod device but it has the looks and functionality of a mod. The design is like a compact box mod, with a curved back section coated in leather to maximize comfort, with a front panel including a well-presented, colour display screen, fire button and two adjustment buttons. It uses the Gene.TT chipset, offering super-fast firing, and the ability to adjust your power setting between 5 and 60 W, and it automatically switches to an appropriate setting based on the coil you’ve inserted.
The device runs from a 2,500 mAh battery, which is really impressive for such a compact device (way bigger than a vape pen battery, for instance), and at the power settings on the Drag S is easily enough for a whole day. The device comes with a pod-like tank, which is refillable (from the bottom) and has changeable coils. You get a 0.2 and 0.3 ohm coil with the kit, both of which work really well in terms of both flavour and vapour production, and you can use them with standard e-juices as well as nicotine salt options.
The Voopoo Drag S kit costs £28.35 ($36.99) and comes with the device, pod, two coils and a USB charging cable.
6 – Vaporesso PodStick
The PodStick from Vaporesso is basically what it sounds like: a stick-looking pod system. The company has come a long way in a short time, going from being a relative unknown to one of the big players in just a few years, and the PodStick sees them moving with the trend towards simpler, beginner-friendly devices designed to be paired with nicotine salt e-liquid. The PodStick is one of the best e-cigs in the UK in large part because of the simple design and the very low price, but it also does a great job of offering great performance and flexibility in a beginner-friendly format.
The PodStick is built around a 900 mAh battery, which isn’t too much in comparison to some of the other devices on this list but is pretty solid in comparison to other pod e-cigs. It gives you three different power options, which you switch between with three quick presses of the button. There’s also a line of LEDs on the front which serve as a five-point battery level indicator. It comes with a 1.3 ohm pod (designed for salt e-liquids) and a 0.6 ohm mesh coil pod (works with both salt and ordinary e-juice), and it has a user-friendly top-filling design.
Overall it’s a great option for beginners, and costs around £11 ($14.25).
5 – Suorin Vagon
The Drop from Suorin was one of the best options in the early days of pod system vaping, but the Vagon takes the same sort of performance and puts it in more of a standard form for a vaping device. It has a curved body, but generally it looks like a usual vape pen. Of course, it’s a pod device, with refillable 2 ml pods that slot into the top of the battery section and activate when you take a puff, so it works roughly like smoking a cigarette. It’s this simplicity in combination with the impressive performance that makes it a top rated e-cig despite all the high-power mods around.
The resistance of the pod is between 1.3 and 1.4 ohms, which means you’ll need to use nicotine salt e-liquids to get the most out of it, but it’s perfectly tailored to them in terms of performance. The battery capacity of 430 mAh is definitely less than many options on the market, but with high-strength e-liquid you can still vape most of the day on a single charge. It also only takes an hour to recharge, and the smaller battery makes it a pretty solid option in terms of portability too.
The Suorin Vagon costs £13.75 ($17.95).
4 – Smok Vape Pen 22
The best UK e-cig for newer vapers could take many forms, but sub ohm compatible vape pens definitely have advantages. The Smok Vape Pen 22 is such a device, maintaining the simplicity of most beginner-friendly vaping devices but offering substantial vapour output and plenty of handy extras like the ability to vape while charging. Unlike the Smok Stick V8 Big Baby Beast, the tank on the Vape Pen 22 has a TPD-friendly 2 ml capacity.
The battery on the Smok Vape Pen 22 has a capacity of 1,650 mAh, which puts it above many entries on this list and means you should be able to get through a day of work on a single charge despite the high power output. The tank features two 0.3 ohm coils, and has a top-filling design to ensure the device is really easy to refill. The airflow comes from the bottom, but is fixed so you can’t really adjust it to suit your preferences. It’s still very deserving of its title of 6th best electronic cigarette in the UK, though, because the performance is hard to fault provided you’re happy with a more open, DL draw.
The Smok Vape Pen 22 offers many advantages over standard vapour cigarettes, and even though it isn’t perfect for everybody, the $19.95 (£15.10) price-tag makes it a very tempting option.
3 – Innokin Endura T20
Innokin has long held a spot as one of the most popular vape brands in the industry, and their Endura T20 is one of the best devices for MTL vapers in particular. The device follows up on the success of the Endura T18, but surpasses the original in a lot of ways. Like the older device, it’s intended for MTL vaping, which makes it a great choice for new vapers. However, the 2 ml tank keeps it TPD-friendly and the expanded 1,500 mAh battery keeps you vaping for longer between charges.
The Endura T20 is still really easy to use. With a top-filling tank and simple, one-button operation, it’s perfectly designed for just-switching smokers, but it doesn’t sacrifice performance. The Prism T20 tank included with the kit includes a 1.5 ohm atomizer, which keeps the power output low (a maximum of 13 W) but the vapor production and flavor are still hard to fault. It can also cope with higher-VG juices really well, so your options for e-liquid are kept wide open. The combination of all of these factors is why many consider it the best e-cigarette for UK vapers.
The Endura T20 kit costs $24.95 (around £18.85) and comes with the device and tank, a 1.5 ohm atomizer head, two drip tips, a cap for the drip tip, a USB charging cable and some spare O-rings.
2 – Smok Novo 2
The Novo series of pod devices from Smok has being among vapers’ choice for best e-cig since the first one hit the market, and the second does an excellent job of improving on the formula while still keeping what made the first one so popular. On the face of it, it’s a pretty standard-looking pod system, with automatic (i.e. puff-to-vape) operation but it packs a lot of capability into an unassuming package. It’s really easy to use as well – you fill the pod by opening the fill hole at the side, drop it in the battery section and you’re good to go.
The in-built battery has a 800 mAh capacity, and while you can even find pod systems with bigger batteries, it works really well at the typical power output from the device. The pods have a 2 ml capacity (so they’re TPD-friendly) and you get one 1 ohm and one 1.4 ohm option in the kit, with the lower-resistance option making use of mesh. This limits the power output, but both flavour and vapour from the device are impressive, and many consider it the best beginner device on the market. The Novo has an LED indicator light on the front, which uses a traffic light system to give you an indication of your remaining battery life.
Overall it’s a very user-friendly pod system and it performs excellently. You can get the Smok Novo 2 for £14.50 ($18.95).
1 – Smok Nord X
Although Smok is dominating the top of this list, the Nord X truly deserves the title of best e-cig in the UK this year. The Nord series, much like the Novo, is one of the biggest names in pod vaping at the minute, but it generally does everything a little better if you’re looking for the ultimate vaping experience. The key difference is that it has manual operation rather than automatic, which may take a little while to get used to as a smoker, but generally improves performance substantially.
The Nord X has a display screen on the side (like the Nord 2), with two adjustment buttons beside it that allow you to set the wattage anywhere between 5 and 60 W. This boosts the output from the previous version, while still keeping a similar form and design. It has a 1,500 mAh battery, and comes with two mesh coils, with resistances of 0.16 and 0.4 ohms. Both of these offer performance on par with mods but still in the very user-friendly pod format that makes it a great choice for new vapers. You can use it with RPM and RPM 2 coils too, so you’re not limited to the low-resistance options if you prefer a tighter draw.
You can get the Smok Nord X for £36.99.
E-Cigarettes: A Beginner’s Guide
After the list of the top 10 e-cigs UK above, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed, especially if you’re not too sure about what e-cigarettes are, the different types available and how to make your choice.
Although there is a lot that could be said on the topic, we’ve put together this basic guide to finding the best-performing UK ecig.
What Are E-Cigarettes?
The simplest question you can have about vaping is “What are e-cigarettes?” and thankfully, the answer is pretty easy to understand.
E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that vaporize “e-liquid,” which is a combination of PG (propylene glycol), VG (vegetable glycerin), food flavorings and (usually) nicotine.
The e-liquid is usually contained in a tank, and this feeds e-liquid into a wick, which is usually made of cotton.
The wick is inserted through a coil that gets hot when you “fire” the e-cigarette, which heats the e-liquid and turns it into a vapor you inhale.
Every device on our list meets this basic description. However, there are many different types of e-cigarettes and each has some defining characteristics.
Types of E-Cigarettes
The different types of e-cigarettes all have the same basic operation, but the number of features, the size of the devices and how exactly they work varies a little between types. Here is a quick run-down of the major types of e-cigs:
Cigalikes
Cigalike e-cigs are early models that look and work a lot like cigarettes. They have a thin, tube-shaped battery, and a liquid-containing cartridge is screwed into the end.
The cartridge contains the coil and some wicking material, which has around 1 ml of e-juice soaked into it. The cartridges are disposable (similar to disposable vapes), so when the e-liquid is gone you simply throw it away.
Most cigalikes activate when you inhale from the tip, making the experience a bit like smoking.
Pod Systems
Pod-style devices like the JUUL by Pax are very similar to cigalikes, but are worth mentioning separately because they’re a modernized version of the same basic approach.
These have cartridges that are more like liquid-containing pod, and the device itself doesn’t look like a cigarette. The JUUL, for instance, looks like a long USB stick.
Vape Pens
Vape pens are larger devices that replace the cartridge with small tanks called clearomizers.
These still have wicks and coils, but the tank holds more liquid than a cartridge could (usually at least 1.5 ml) and allow constant replenishment of the wick as you vape.
As the name suggests, vape pens are about the size of a pen, and they’re operated by a button rather than activating when you inhale from the tip. Most of the devices on this best e-cig UK list can be described as a vape pen.
Vape Mods
Vape mods are bigger, often more feature-packed units that send power to your tank or atomizer.
Modern devices are usually paired with sub ohm tanks, which are like bigger clearomizers with a better design and lower-resistance coils.
Combined with the more powerful and longer-lasting mod batteries, they offer superior vapor production and are more likely to last you through a whole day of vaping.
A variable voltage e-cig is a mod or vape pen that allows you to change the voltage going to the atomizer, but most mods these days work by varying the wattage or even setting a maximum temperature for the coil (called temperature control).
These are the main types of e-cigarette you’ll encounter when you’re looking for new devices. We’ve covered the main battery types, but there are other types of atomizer (particularly rebuildable devices) that we haven’t addressed here.
But if you’re looking for the best vape starter kit to buy and you’re a newer vaper, these aren’t really recommended anyway – they’re really intended for longer-term users.
Variable Voltage Vaping Explained
The previous section briefly defined a variable voltage ecig, in the context of mods, but some of the options on our top e-cigarette list do feature variable voltage too.
In short, a variable voltage e-cig gives you control over the amount of power going to the tank, and many vape pens offer this feature as standard.
You might be wondering why you’d want a variable voltage or variable wattage device, so we’ll go through some of the basics here.
The easiest way to understand the appeal of variable voltage devices is to note that, if you’re using the same tank, a higher voltage means more vapor and often more flavor.
If you haven’t found vaping satisfying with a simpler device, a variable voltage e-cig could provide the extra punch you’re looking for.
There are limits to how high you can set the voltage or wattage and still get good performance, but this depends on your tank and the coil you have installed.
In general, lower-resistance atomizers (like sub-ohm tanks) can tolerate higher settings than higher-resistance ones.
Vaping Kits: What Do You Get and Are They Worth It?
If you’ve read the list above, you’ll have noticed that most of the devices come in “kits,” rather than just the device alone. This is because just buying the e-cig wouldn’t really give you everything you need to start vaping.
That’s why vape starter kits are common: they offer the battery and the tank or atomizer, as well as a charging cable, so all you need to get is a bottle of vape juice to use.
For new vapers looking for something to help them make the switch, getting a reliable vape starter kit in the UK is a better idea than just picking up a mod or battery without any accessories or extras.
You’ll pay a little more than you would for the device on its own, so you might be put off the idea if you’re looking for a cheap vape, but you need more than just the battery if you want to start vaping.
Realistically, an e-cigarette starter kit will get you a better deal than picking up all the individual components separately, so they’re well worth the extra up-front investment.
What is the Best Vape to Buy in the UK?
Although the above list of the top 10 e-cigs in the UK should give you plenty of options to consider, finding the best vapour cigarette for your needs means thinking a little bit about what you want from a device. Here are a few things you can consider to make sure you choose the right device:
- How simple should it be? Even among beginner-friendly e-cigs, there is quite a bit of variation in how complicated the devices are. A basic vape pen is easy enough to use, and most devices in the top UK e-cig list above are easy-to-use too, but options like the Pro Series 3X have variable voltage or other features that make things a little more complicated. The very simplest devices are all-in-one style options, but there are benefits of choosing something a little more complicated when it comes to performance.
- How important is battery life? Most vapers have experience the problem of running out of charge when you’re out of the house. The basic solution to this is to pick up a longer-lasting battery, with a bigger capacity as measured in mAh (milli-amp hours). If you’re looking for a top-rated vaporizer in the UK, choosing one with a higher capacity is a good idea, but it’s worth noting that more battery life tends to mean less portability. You need to think about which is more important to you when you’re making your choice.
- How important is vapor production? Putting out huge “clouds” of vapor isn't a big priority for most smokers looking for the best vape on the market. However, if you’ve found vaping unsatisfying in the past, choosing a device with better vapor production can make a big difference. In general, if you want more vapor or a stronger hit, it’s worth choosing a “sub ohm” device, because these tend to work at higher powers and put out more vapor.
- What do you want to vape? Any of the options on our list work well if you’re just interested in vaping e-liquid. But your options are narrowed significantly if you want to vape dry herb or concentrates. Most wax pens also supports oil vaping, and some dry herb pens like the Pax 3 have cartridges for both dry herb and concentrates, so is easily the best vape to buy if you want more than just e-liquid vaping.
These simple points can help to point you in the right direction, but there is no substitute for reading high-quality e-cigarette reviews before you pick your device. Reading a few reviews of the devices you’re considering really helps you pin down the answer to “what is the best electronic cigarette?” before you pull the trigger and make your purchase.
Find the Best E-Cig in the UK and Maximize Your Chances of Quitting
Finding the best UK e-cigarette isn’t about competing with other vapers for the coolest vape pen or the most feature-packed mod, it’s about giving yourself the best chance of quitting smoking and staying away from ciggies.
That’s why it’s important to think carefully about your choice and not just choose the cheapest e-cig you can find. Put a bit of extra effort in now and your lungs will thank you later.