Here at VapeJuice.com, we offer some of the best deals on disposable vapes that you’ll find anywhere. Disposables are also in extremely high demand, and stocks change frequently – so when you see the device you want at the price you want, you’re naturally going to want to stock up. That leads to a question: when do disposable vapes expire? If you decide to buy in bulk, how long can you expect your vapes to last? In this article, you’re going to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how and when vapes expire.
VapeJuice.com is the top source for disposable vapes online. Click the link to view our inventory now. Not sure what’s right for you? Read our list of the best disposable vapes on the market today.
When Do Disposable Vapes Expire?
If you want to know when a disposable vape expires, the real question is whether the package is open or not because that makes a huge difference.
- A disposable vape that’s left in the original package expires about one year after it’s manufactured. Disposable vapes generally ship in foil or plastic pouches, which are essentially airtight and greatly slow the chemical processes that cause vape juice to degrade. To provide further protection, disposable vapes also usually ship with covers over their mouthpieces and airflow holes.
- A disposable vape that’s removed from the original package expires within a few months. Once the seal is opened, the e-liquid in a disposable vape is completely exposed to the elements and will oxidize rapidly. An opened vape expires much more quickly than a bottle of vape juice because there’s no way to close or seal it. For that reason, air comes into contact with the e-liquid at all times.
How Do You Know if a Disposable Vape Is Expired?
One of the big differences between a disposable vape and a bottle of vape juice is the fact that you can easily look at the e-liquid in a bottle to see if it’s cloudy or discolored. Learn more about how long vape juice lasts. With a disposable vape, on the other hand, you can’t see what’s inside the device – so you’ll have to go by your sense of taste unless you’ve left the device in the original package.
- If the vape is still in its original box, it’ll probably have an expiration date printed on the package. In that case, you can just use the expiration date as your guide. It’s usually safe to use a vape if it’s a little past the expiration date, though, as long as you’re still happy with the flavor quality.
- If the disposable vape is opened or has no expiration date, you can tell if it’s expired by the way it tastes. If an e-liquid tastes bad, you shouldn’t use it – it’s as simple as that. If the vape juice in the device has experienced severe degradation, the flavor won’t be anything like it was when the device was first opened.
Note that when we discuss when a disposable vape expires, you usually don’t need to worry about the battery. Although a lithium-ion battery does experience some self-discharge, the rate of discharge is so low that the e-liquid will expire long before the battery dies. Rechargeable vapes are the norm these days, anyway.
What Happens to a Disposable Vape After It’s Opened?
To understand why a disposable vape expires so quickly after it’s opened, you need to understand what’s actually happening inside the device. Oxidation is the main degradative process that happens in a disposable vape. Oxidation causes the flavors and nicotine in the e-liquid to break down, and it happens through exposure to air and heat. In a disposable vape, the e-liquid is usually stored in a fabric wick, which means that a large surface area is exposed to the elements. That’s why a disposable vape expires much more quickly than a bottle of vape juice once it’s opened. With e-liquid, you can at least close the bottle when you aren’t using it.
Oxidation causes two things to happen to the vape juice in a disposable vape.
- It causes volatile flavor compounds to break down.
- It causes nicotine to break down, reducing it to a form that’s no longer available to your body.
As oxidation happens, subtle flavor notes in vape juice become more difficult to taste, and the overall flavor profile degrades into a sort of non-specific sweetness. The oxidation also causes the device’s nicotine content to drop. The degradation of the nicotine is so slow, though, that you’ll probably notice a distinct change in the device’s flavor long before the change in nicotine content becomes noticeable.
How Can You Prevent a Disposable Vape from Expiring?
If you’re thinking about buying vapes in bulk, the biggest question on your mind after reading the above information is probably this: What can you do to prevent your disposable vapes from expiring for as long as possible? As we explained above, the expiration date on a vape is really just a rough guideline. It’s perfectly fine to use a vape after it “expires” as long as you’re still happy with the device’s flavor quality. So, how can you ensure that a vape will be just as tasty a year from now as it is today? It’s really quite simple.
- Keep the vape in its original package until you’re ready to use it. The packaging for a disposable vape is essentially airtight, and it’ll keep the device safe until you open it.
- Keep the vape in a cool, dark place that protects it from light and heat. A closed cabinet in an air-conditioned room is ideal.
You may have read that you can store vape juice in a refrigerator – or even a freezer – to preserve it long after the expiration date. That’s true of bottled e-liquid, but it’s not true of a disposable vape because the device has a lithium-ion battery. An extremely cold storage temperature will drain the battery’s charge and may even cause permanent chemical changes inside the cell. A cool room will have the ideal temperature for keeping a lithium-ion battery in good condition.
Fresh Disposable Vapes Last Longest
If you want your disposable vapes to last as long as they possibly can, you need to buy devices that are freshly received from the manufacturers and haven’t been sitting on warehouse shelves for months. At VapeJuice.com, we have the best prices on disposable vapes and the best selection anywhere. We also have the fastest turnover, so you know you’re getting a fresh product that hasn’t been languishing in storage. Get the freshest vapes on the market; shop our disposable vapes now.