UK vape nicotine content explained

Nicotine is measured in milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml). Here is the full breakdown of UK strengths and what they mean.

UK TPD limits

Three legal limits set by the UK Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. E-liquid concentration: 20mg/ml maximum (2% by volume). Applies to all nicotine-containing vape products sold in the UK regardless of brand or device type. Tank or pod capacity: 2ml maximum. No single tank or pod can hold more than 2ml of e-liquid. Refill bottle size: 10ml maximum. Standard nic salt bottles in the UK are 10ml because that is the legal maximum. Combined, these limits mean any single UK vape product contains at most 200mg of nicotine (10ml at 20mg/ml). Nicotine-free e-liquid (0mg) has no concentration cap, which is why 100ml shortfill bottles exist; they are sold as 0mg and topped up with separate 10ml nic shots.

Total nicotine by container size

Quick reference for total nicotine content. 2ml pod at 20mg/ml: 40mg total nicotine. The standard pre-filled pod or maximum-fill refillable pod. 2ml pod at 10mg/ml: 20mg total. 10ml bottle at 20mg/ml: 200mg total. The maximum nicotine content of any UK vape product. 10ml bottle at 10mg/ml: 100mg total. 100ml shortfill (0mg + 2x 10ml nic shots at 18mg/ml): roughly 36mg in 120ml total = 3mg/ml mixed strength. 600-puff disposable or rechargeable pod at 20mg/ml: 40mg total. 5000-puff rechargeable big puff vape at 20mg/ml: still 2ml per pod x 20mg/ml = 40mg per pod, with multiple pods over the 5000 puffs.

Common UK strengths and what they mean

0mg/ml: nicotine-free. Available in 100ml shortfills, used by people who quit nicotine but kept vaping or by hobby cloud chasers. 3mg/ml: very low strength. For sub-ohm DTL setups or long-term vapers stepping down. 6mg/ml: low strength. Suits ex-smokers who smoked under 10 cigarettes/day or sub-ohm setups. 10mg/ml: medium strength nic salts. Most popular UK step-down strength from 20mg. Suits ex-smokers reducing or light former smokers starting. 12mg/ml: less common. Mid strength used in some MTL devices. 18mg/ml: rare in UK; used to be common pre-2016, now mostly replaced by 20mg/ml nic salts. 20mg/ml: UK legal maximum. The most popular strength in pod kits and pre-filled pods. The closest match to cigarette nicotine delivery for moderate-heavy ex-smokers.

Per-puff nicotine delivery

Total nicotine is one thing; per-puff delivery is what your body actually receives. UK pod kits at 0.8-1.0Ω with 20mg/ml nic salts typically deliver 0.7-1.4mg of nicotine per 15 puffs according to Lost Mary research. Per single puff: roughly 0.05-0.1mg at the lower end and 0.1-0.2mg at the upper end. Sub-ohm devices with bigger vapour production deliver more nicotine per puff (up to 0.4mg per puff) but typically use lower-strength e-liquid (3-6mg/ml) so absolute nicotine per puff stays similar. Variables affecting delivery. Puff length: 4-second deep draws deliver 2x nicotine of 2-second short puffs. Device wattage: higher wattage produces more vapour and more nicotine. Coil resistance: lower resistance heats more e-liquid per puff. Inhalation depth: DTL absorbs more than MTL. Personal physiology: lung capacity, breathing pattern and individual nicotine metabolism.

Nic salts vs freebase nicotine

Two forms of nicotine in UK vape juice. Nic salts: nicotine combined with an organic acid (typically benzoic acid). Smoother throat hit at higher strengths. Faster absorption (closer to cigarette speed). Ideal for pod kits and MTL devices at 10-20mg/ml. Most popular UK pod kit format. Freebase nicotine: pure nicotine without acid pairing. Smoother at low strengths. Bigger clouds and richer flavour at sub-ohm wattages. Ideal for sub-ohm and DTL devices at 3-6mg/ml. Used in 100ml shortfills. Both forms are subject to the same UK 20mg/ml maximum and produce identical metabolic effects (both convert to cotinine in the liver). The choice depends on device type and desired strength rather than effectiveness; at equivalent total nicotine content, both deliver the same dose.

Comparison to cigarettes

One cigarette contains 6-12mg of nicotine total but smokers only absorb 1-2mg per cigarette due to combustion losses. A pack of 20 cigarettes therefore delivers roughly 20-40mg of absorbed nicotine. A 2ml UK pod at 20mg/ml contains 40mg total nicotine, roughly equivalent to a pack of cigarettes by total nicotine. However, vapes deliver nicotine more slowly than cigarettes due to combustion vs vaporisation, so the user experience differs. By per-puff delivery: a vape puff at 20mg/ml delivers 0.05-0.4mg vs a cigarette puff delivering roughly 0.07-0.2mg absorbed. Comparable per-puff levels but with different absorption kinetics. This is why ex-smokers often need to puff more on a vape than they did on cigarettes to feel satisfied; the brain senses satisfaction more slowly with vaporised nicotine.

For the related question on cigarette equivalence see our how many puffs of vape equal one cigarette guide. For UK pod kit options head to our pod kit collection.

For more on nicotine strength choice and UK vape law head over to our full vaping guides hub.