If you spend the majority of your vaping budget on the most popular vapes, you’re very used to the high-nicotine vaping experience because that’s the majority of what people buy these days. As you would probably guess, the reason why most vapes are high in nicotine is because the majority of the people who switch from smoking to vaping want to recreate the experience of smoking as closely as they possibly can. That’s exactly what a high-nicotine vape does; it delivers almost as much nicotine per puff as a cigarette while replicating the assertive throat hit that you get from conventional tobacco products.
There’s another side to vaping, though, that’s completely different from your current experience. We’re talking about low-nicotine vaping. There are millions of vapers in the world who don’t consume anywhere near the nicotine that they’d get from smoking, and they’re completely happy and have no interest in changing anything.
Why are low-nicotine vapes so popular? There are actually a few compelling reasons.
- Using a low-nicotine vape juice means that you can focus fully on cloud chasing and enjoying the boldest flavors possible. While high-nicotine vapes tend to provide a stronger throat hit, low-nicotine vapes have very little throat hit and are more flavorful.
- If you experience throat irritation when using a high-nicotine vape, switching to a low-nicotine vape will probably solve that issue.
- Switching to a low-nicotine vape is the first step if you want to reduce or eliminate your nicotine intake.
Reading this comprehensive guide, you’re going to learn everything you could possibly want to know about using a low-nicotine vape.
What Is a Low-Nicotine Vape?
Let’s begin the guide by defining the topic. What, exactly, is a low-nicotine vape? The answer to that question depends on the type of vape you’re using. The more powerful your device is, the more vapor – and thus, the more vape juice – you’ll inhale each time you puff on it. So, the right nicotine strength for your device depends on how much vapor it produces.
- For a large vape mod or a powerful pod mod, the strength that constitutes low-nicotine vaping is usually 3 mg/ml.
- For a small disposable vape or pod system, the most common strength for low-nicotine vaping is about 20-30 mg/ml.
There’s a big difference between nicotine strengths of 3 mg/ml and 20-30 mg/ml, and that’s because there’s a big difference in vapor production between a small vaping device and a large one.
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Low-Nicotine Vape
If you’re interested in experiencing a low-nicotine vape, there are three important things that you need to know before you get started.
- Using a low-nicotine vape doesn’t have to mean that you won’t get enough nicotine or that you’ll have an unsatisfying experience. If you switch to a lower nicotine strength while also switching to a new type of vape that produces bigger clouds, the difference in nicotine strength will even out in the end.
- If you switch to a lower nicotine strength without changing the type of device you’re using, you will absorb less nicotine per puff than you currently do. This may mean that you’ll need to puff on your vape more times per day in order to maintain the same level of satisfaction. It’s a good idea to track how many times you puff on your device each day in order to ensure that you’re not consuming more nicotine than you actually need.
- Large vape mods are typically designed for the direct-to-lung inhaling style. That’s going to feel different to you if you currently use a mouth-to-lung vape, but direct-to-lung inhalation is the way to get the biggest clouds and boldest flavors when vaping.
What If You Want to Use a Nicotine Strength Below 3 mg/ml?
One of the top reasons why people switch to low-nicotine e-liquids is because they want to reduce their nicotine intake. If you do that, though, you’ll eventually reach a wall because there are almost no vape juices on the market today with nicotine strengths lower than 3 mg/ml. What can you do at that point? The answer is actually surprisingly simple; you can buy nicotine-free e-liquid and mix it with 3 mg/ml e-liquid. If you mix the two strengths in a half-and-half proportion, you’ll get a strength of 1.5 mg/ml. You can make even lower strengths if you like just by changing the proportions.
Best Refillable Vapes for Low-Nicotine Vaping
Now that you understand what low-nicotine vaping is and why you might want to try it, let’s discuss what you need to do next. You’ll have many more options for the flavor and strength of your e-liquid if you use a refillable vape, so that’s where we’ll start. Here are the best refillable vapes for low-nicotine vaping.
Best Vape Mod: Voopoo Drag 4
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- Ideal Strength for Low-Nicotine Vaping: 3 mg/ml
- Ideal Vape Juice: Freebase
Just when you might start to think that the vape manufacturers of the world are done innovating in the area of full-sized vape mods, a device like the Voopoo Drag 4 comes along and reminds you that anything can change at any time. The Voopoo Drag 4 is easily the most advanced vaping device to pass through the VapeJuice.com lab to date, and it’s probably the most beautiful vape mod on the market at the moment as well. Featuring a stylish wood or resin side panel, the Drag 4 really oozes luxury. It reaches a maximum power of 177 watts using two 18650 batteries (not included), and it features a 3-amp charging circuit to ensure that you’ll never have to wait long when the batteries die.
Best Pod Mod: SMOK RPM C
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- Ideal Strength for Low-Nicotine Vaping: 3-6 mg/ml
- Ideal Vape Juice: Freebase
Incredibly stylish and very powerful, the SMOK RPM C represents the new wave of pod mods that can pump out some incredibly impressive clouds despite being only slightly larger than the traditional pod vapes of the past. The RPM C has an internal 1,650 mAh battery and reaches a maximum power of 50 watts when used with SMOK RPM 2 coils. SMOK’s new RPM C pod has a sliding top cap, which makes the RPM C easier and faster to fill than any other pod-based vaping device. With fully adjustable airflow and wattage, the RPM C feels like a traditional vape mod in a much smaller package. It’s a perfect choice if you want a low-nicotine vape that can provide the ultimate balance of power and portability.
Best Pod Vape: Vaporesso XROS 4
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- Ideal Strength for Low-Nicotine Vaping: 20-25 mg/ml
- Ideal Vape Juice: Nicotine Salt
Vaporesso XROS devices have long been some of the most popular small pod systems on the market, and the XROS 4 takes the series in a new direction by adding some advanced features without compromising the portability and simplicity that have made the series so popular within the vaping community. Pressing the button on the front of the XROS 4 allows you to switch between three available power levels, and the device also has an adjustable airflow slider that makes it easy for you to obtain your perfect puff every time. Continuing the tradition of interoperability in this series, the XROS 4 works with all Vaporesso XROS pods – and on top of everything else, this device’s aluminum unibody shell looks nice and feels great in the hand.
Best Low-Nicotine Disposable Vapes
As we explained earlier in this guide, buying a refillable vape is the easiest way to experience low-nicotine vaping because it’s the only way to use whatever flavor or nicotine strength you want. If you prefer disposable vapes, you won’t have quite as many options because almost all of the disposables on the market today have a nicotine strength of 50 mg/ml. Nevertheless, a few great low-nicotine disposable vapes are available, and we’ll describe those as we bring this guide to a close.
Flonq Max Pro
Lasting up to 20,000 puffs and featuring a pleasant egg shape that people really enjoy, the Flonq Max Pro offers two vaping modes including a dual-coil boost mode that’s perfect if you’re using a lower nicotine strength. The Flonq Max Pro is available in strengths of 50 and 20 mg/ml, and you can also get a nicotine-free version. Can’t find the flavor you want? Take a look at the Flonq Max Smart, which lasts up to 10,000 puffs and also has a low-nicotine version available.
7 Daze Clickmate
The 7 Daze Clickmate is a disposable vape with a surprising twist: You can actually replace the e-liquid pod! Each pod lasts about 7,500 puffs. The starter kit includes two pods, as do packs of replacement pods. You don’t get to choose your nicotine strength when buying the device, but replacement pods are available in strengths of 50 and 20 mg/ml. This is a great substitute for a traditional refillable vape, with pods costing just $9.95 per two-pack.
Lost Mary BM5000
Easily one of the best disposable vapes on the market, the Lost Mary BM5000 is an industry stalwart that’s been around for a while and has a very large flavor selection at this point. It’s also a good choice if you’ve tried other low-nicotine disposable vapes and found that they didn’t quite work for you because it’s available in a strength of 30 mg/ml rather than the usual 20 mg/ml.