The Juul changed vaping forever. The pod-style system made a name for itself pretty quickly, thanks to the beginner-friendly design, satisfying nicotine salt e-juice flavors and pre-filled pods. But the cost and limitations of the official pods have led many vapers to look for Juul compatible pods made by other companies. This drastically increases the number of flavors you can use with your Juul, and if you get a refillable option, it also decreases waste and saves money over the long term. But finding off-brand Juul pods is a little more difficult these days, with stocks of many of the most popular alternatives running low, so you may have to shop around or consider some alternatives to get what you’re looking for.
3 Best Juul Compatible Pods
The FDA’s ban on flavored, pre-filled Juul pods has really impacted the availability of Juul compatible pods, but there are still options if you’re looking for something refillable or for CBD Juul pods. As well as this, there are many devices out there that work in the same way as the Juul and do still have pods widely available.
3 – OG Labs CBD Pod
You can pick up a four-pack of OG Labs CBD pods for $35.
The CBD Juul pods from OG Labs are a great choice if you’re looking to use CBD in your Juul, with a small but varied selection of flavors and 125 mg of CBD per pod. The pods themselves basically look identical to Juul pods, and work perfectly with the official Juul device. The CBD is CO2-extracted, so it’s completely free from pesticides and solvents, with no THC or nicotine in the mix. The pods come in a choice of nine flavors: Cookies n’ Cream, Mint, Blue Razz, Sour Green Apple, Pineapple Express, Mango, Strawberry Kiwi, Watermelon Ice and Pink Lemonade.
Pros
- Nine flavors to choose from
- CO2-extracted CBD
- Excellent performance
- Good price for a four-pack
- Classic Juul pod design
- Lab reports available for each flavor
Cons
- No nicotine
- No choice of CBD level
- CBD only (not broad spectrum)
2 – Hempzilla CBD Pods
The CBD Juul pods from Hempzilla cost $19.99 for a two-pack.
Hempzilla’s CBD pods are some of the best Juul compatible pods on the market if you’re looking to vape CBD, with 150 mg of CO2-extracted CBD per pod. The pods fit perfectly into a Juul and the performance is easily on par with what you’d expect from an official Juul pod, much better than most other off-brand Juul pods. There are six flavors available in Hempzilla’s pods: Berry Wild Gelato, Strawberry Crème Gelato, Loop Milk, Tango Mango, Watermelon Ice and Natural Hemp. This is enough of a variety that there will be something in there to suit everyone’s preferences, and all of them are well worth testing out.
Pros
- Full-spectrum CBD
- 150 mg of CBD per pod
- Six delicious flavors to choose from
- Good price
- Lab results available
- Great vapor production and flavor
Cons
- No nicotine
- Pods can leak
- Some users report compatibility issues
1 – Blankz Pods
You can pick up a four pack of Blankz pods for $12.
The Blankz pods are refillable, empty Juul compatible pods, which make them much more flexible than the other options on this list, and the best option if you’re looking to vape nicotine e-liquid. They have 1.4 ohm coils with cotton wicks, which makes them a great choice when it comes to both flavor and performance in combination with a Juul. They have removable mouthpieces, with a silicone stopper underneath, which you remove to reveal two fill holes for the pod. This makes refilling about as easy as it can be, even if you’re new to vaping. The best thing about the Blankz pods is the flexibility to use essentially any type of nicotine salt or CBD e-juice in the pods.
Pros
- Empty pods – good for any nicotine salt or CBD e-juice
- Excellent price
- Good vapor production in combination with the Juul
- Easy to use
- Four pods per pack
Cons
- Start to lose flavor after a few refills
Which E-Juice Should I Use for Juul Compatible Pods?
Nicotine salt e-juice is the best choice for Juul compatible pods. They tend to have a 50/50 PG/VG ratio which keeps the consistency thin and means you can vape them easily in something like a vape pod, and they have higher nicotine levels which ensures a satisfying vape even at lower powers. Here are three of the best nicotine salt e-juices for your off-brand Juul pod.
3 Best Nicotine Salt E-Juices for Juul Compatible Pods
3 – Naked 100 Salt
Naked 100 Salt juices cost $15.99 per 30 ml bottle.
Naked 100 is one of the most popular vape juice brands on the market today, and the Salt line brings some of their most popular flavors into a form suitable for off-brand Juul pods. The vape juices mainly focus on clean fruit flavors, but there are some tobacco options in the line-up too, giving a bit of variety especially useful for just-switching smokers. Some of the best flavors you can get in the salt line-up include Lava Flow (strawberry, pineapple and coconut), Hawaiian Pog (passion fruit, orange and guava) and American Patriots (rich, full-bodied American tobacco).
Pros
- Excellent flavors
- Available in 35 or 50 mg/ml of nicotine (3.5 or 5%)
- 50/50 PG/VG ratio
- Good prices
- Tobacco and fruit flavor options
Cons
- No dessert options
- A lower nicotine option would be good for some vapers
2 – I Love Salts
The I Love Salts juices from Mad Hatter cost $13.99 per 30 ml bottle.
Mad Hatter has some quality e-juices across their lines of e-liquid, but the I Love Salts brand is the perfect option for Juul compatible pods. They bring some straightforward-but-delicious fruity blends into nicotine salt form and offer great performance in combination with either basic or higher-end pod systems. The line-up includes Spearmint, Blue Strawberry (coconut milk, pineapple and strawberry), Pink Lemonade (luau lemonade, pineapple and watermelon), Blue Raspberry (raspberry with a sour mix), Strawberry Candy, Juicy Apples and Strawberry Ice. The last three are available in a bundle for $33.99.
Pros
- 25 or 50 mg/ml of nicotine (2.5 or 5%)
- 50/50 PG/VG mix
- Well executed flavors
- Affordable e-juice
- Great for fans of fruity e-liquids
Cons
- Not much variety in terms of types of flavor
1 – Pachamama Salts
You can buy 30 ml of the Pachamama Salts e-liquid for $13.99.
Pachamama is a fruit-focused mixer that artfully combines exotic and more everyday fruits to produce unique and interesting blends. The Salt line-up basically puts a selection of the ordinary e-liquids into nicotine salt form, suitable for an off brand Juul pod or any other pod system, and the quality of the flavors isn’t affected by this change at all. The fruit replications from Pachamama are impressively realistic, and the combinations work beautifully. Most juices only incorporate fruit flavors, such as Fuji (apple and strawberry), Starfruit Grape (star fruit and grape) and Icy Mango (mango and menthol), but they also offer Apple Tobacco, which mixes fruit and tobacco to produce a surprisingly delicious result.
Pros
- 25 or 50 mg/ml of nicotine (2.5 or 5%)
- 50/50 PG/VG ratio
- Beautifully crafted flavors
- Fruit-focused with an excellent tobacco option
- Good price
Cons
- Not all Pachamama juices are available in salt form
3 Best Alternative Devices to the Juul
If you’re looking for Juul compatible pods and are feeling a little dismayed by the limited options out there, don’t lose hope for finding a reliable way to vape nicotine salt e-liquids. There are plenty of alternative devices to the Juul available – it basically spawned a whole class of vaping device and many of them improve on the basic formula. Here are three of the best options out there.
3 – Vaporesso Renova Zero Care
The Renova Zero Care from Vaporesso costs $16.95.
The Renova Zero Care takes the basic format of the Juul, boosts the size and improves upon the functionality. First off, the device has a 650 mAh battery, which is enough for over a day of use with the higher nicotine content and lower power settings common with pod-style vapes. It comes with two refillable pods, which both have a 1.6 ml juice capacity, with one 1 ohm mesh coil option and one 1.3 ohm ceramic option. It has a simple press-to-fill mechanism to make refilling simpler for new vapers, and some great little extra features like automatic low liquid detection and auto temperature control. The output depends on which pod you use, with the device reaching over 12.5 W with the mesh option.
Pros
- Two refillable pods included
- 650 mAh battery
- Mesh coil in particular offers excellent flavor and vapor
- 1 A charging
- Simple push-to-fill mechanism
- Lightweight design
- Dedicated on-off button
- Excellent price
Cons
- Coils aren’t replaceable – you need a whole new pod
- Smaller battery than some other options
2 – Innokin Sceptre
The Innokin Sceptre pod system costs $19.99.
The Sceptre from Innokin might have diverged a little from the basic Juul-like design many pod systems adopt, but in terms of capability and performance it’s a huge improvement on the archetype. The look of the device is a little like a cross between a box mod and the Juul, with a vaguely pen-like shape but a huge 1,400 mAh battery, which will comfortably get you through a day of use even at higher power settings. The Sceptre has a refillable pod with changeable coils, so you don’t have to replace the whole pod when the performance starts to falter. It also has two power settings, so you can put it in “Boost” mode if you want an increase in flavor and vapor.
Pros
- Refillable pod with changeable coils
- 3 ml capacity pods (2 ml in EU)
- Adjustable airflow
- 0.5 ohm and 1.2 ohm coils included
- Side-filling system
- Up to 20 W of power
- 1,400 mAh battery capacity
- Magnetic pod connection
Cons
- Changing coils adds complexity
- Less portable than a Juul-like system
1 – Smok Novo 3
You can pick up the Smok Novo 3 for $18.95.
The Novo 3 from Smok is one of the leading pod-style vaping systems on the market today, with the simplicity and rough form of the Juul but several improvements that really build on the concept. The battery is a substantial 800 mAh, striking a good balance between battery life and portability, and it works in the same way as the Juul so you just take a puff to vape. The Novo 3 comes with two refillable pods, which hold 2 ml of e-liquid and have 0.8 ohm mesh coils built-in. This offers both simplicity (since you don’t have to change coils) and great performance thanks to the mesh coils, which support vaping at up to 25 W.
Pros
- Simple but powerful pod system
- Two 0.8 ohm mesh coils included
- Up to 25 W of power
- 800 mAh battery
- User-friendly side-filling system
- Dual internal airflow system
- No-nonsense design
Cons
- You need a whole new pod when a coil dies
- Some reports of leaking
Juul Compatible Pods – User Guide
Juul compatible pods are straightforward enough in principle, but you may have some questions about the details, such as how to refill a blank pod, or why you might want a non-official pod in the first place. This brief guide is here with the answers you’re looking for.
What Are Juul Compatible Pods?
Juul compatible pods are simply any pod that fits in the Juul and can be used to vape with it. These can come pre-filled or empty, although really the best Juul compatible pods will allow you to use any e-juice with them. Although there are many different pod vapes on the market today, most of them have a unique design so there isn’t cross-compatibility between devices unless it was originally intended that way. This is why you need to look for options specifically designed to work with the Juul.
Why Would You Buy One Instead of Official Juul Pods?
Juul compatible pods might seem like a strange thing to buy when official Juul pods are still widely available. However, there are a few key reasons that people might want to buy off brand Juul pods rather than the real thing.
- Firstly, they are often cheaper than the official Juul pods, despite working just as well.
- Secondly, many of them allow you to put any e-liquid in them, thus giving you the opportunity to enjoy a much wider range of flavors than you can get from the official Juul options.
- Thirdly, refillable pods can be used multiple times, which means you don’t have to toss out the whole pod when it’s empty, saving you tons of money in the long-term.
Refillable vs. Pre-Filled Juul Compatible Pods
One of the major choices you have to make when you’re buying off brand Juul pods is whether you want it pre-filled or refillable. Official pods also come pre-filled, which is good if you want as simple a vaping experience as possible, and this same argument carries through to unofficial pods. The convenience is the main benefit of pre-filled pods, because you just push it in to the slot and start to vape. Additionally, if you’re looking for CBD Juul pods, it’s also basically the only option.
Refillable pods are a great option if you’re looking to vape nicotine or already have CBD e-liquid, because of the huge improvement in flexibility they offer. Instead of being limited to a handful of flavors, you can pick up different juices from any company you like, including premium brands that would rarely (if ever) have their juice in pre-filled Juul compatible pods. Admittedly they are slightly more complicated to use than pre-filled options, but filling one up with juice is really a simple process.
How to Refill Blank Juul Compatible Pods
Blank Juul compatible pods are really easy to refill. Ordinarily, there is a silicone plug underneath the mouthpiece or on the side of the pod, and you simply remove the plug, put the spout of your e-liquid bottle into the hole and then fill up. The process is easier than with most traditional vape tanks, but if you’ve ever used any type of refillable tank or pod system before you’ll be right at home with it.
To give a concrete example, to fill one of the Blankz refillable pods, you pull the black mouthpiece section off the top of the pod, and then remove the two-plugged silicone stopper underneath. This reveals two filling holes, for each half of the pod. To fill up, simply take your e-juice bottle, remove the cap and insert the spout into one of the holes. Squeeze the bottle to fill up the half of the pod with juice, and then repeat the process with the other half. Now all you have to do is replace the silicone stopper and the mouthpiece, wait for the juice to soak into the cotton wick and start to vape. Five minutes is enough time to wait before you start vaping, and you can suck the pod – not attached to your Juul – to speed up the process.
How to Refill Juul Pods
If you have an empty Juul pod and want to get the most out of it before buying more official ones or another Juul compatible pod, you can refill an official Juul pod with a little bit of work and a few basic tools. The key part of the task is taking off the mouthpiece section of the pod, which reveals the place you can fill it up. Look at the sides of the pod – where the mouthpiece connects – and you’ll notice two little blocks of plastic poking through two holes in the mouthpiece section. You can push these in with the point of a small screwdriver, and then it will be easy to pull the mouthpiece up.
Under the mouthpiece, you’ll see a black rubber cover above the pod, with a small hole in the center for the chimney that guides the vapor up to the mouthpiece. You need to remove this carefully, avoiding pushing it down into the pod (because you might not be able to get it back). My approach is generally to give it a gentle push on one side with a small screwdriver and grip the other side when it rises up a little, but if you have tweezers you can grip the edge and pull it straight up.
Once you have it open, you can simply drip your e-juice into the pod, avoiding the central tube and only filling up to slightly underneath the mark near the top where the rubber cover sits. If you overfill it can spill when you replace the rubber cover, or even lead to flooding and inconsistent performance. Once you’ve put the rubber cover and mouthpiece back in place, you’ve completed the Juul pod refill and can start vaping.
Additionally, after a few refills, the cotton in the Juul pod will become discolored and won’t carry flavor as well. When you’ve opened the top during the refill process, you can remove this (tweezers are invaluable here) and replace it with an appropriately-cut piece of Japanese organic cotton.
Have Flavored Juul Pods Been Banned?
The FDA has banned pre-filled, flavored Juul pods. The ban basically means that pre-filled pod systems can’t have fruit, dessert or mint-based flavors, while tobacco and menthol are exempted from the ban. This doesn’t affect pods that come empty and you fill with your own e-juice, and it doesn’t affect ordinary disposable vapes. It also doesn’t cover “open system” devices like vape mods and tanks, and really this is why empty, refillable Juul compatible pods aren’t covered by the ban.
Finding the Best Juul Compatible Pods: Conclusion
Finding Juul compatible pods isn’t as easy as it used to be, but with some options for refillable pods, CBD Juul pods and plenty of alternative devices, you can easily keep vaping in a Juul-style way despite the limitations. Once you get to grips with a basic system like the Juul, there are tons of similar pod systems that can take your vaping to the next level and help you get the same type of experience with more flexibility built in. The Juul might be limited by new laws, but pod system vaping is here to stay.