When you’re starting out with vaping, the amount of choices available to you can be overwhelming. With new vape kits coming out more often than the latest iPhone model, it’s difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff and sift through them to find what’s right for you.
“Sub Ohm? Mouth to lung? Which kind of vape juice do I need?”
We get it. There are a lot of questions.
We’ll clear a few things up first - plenty of people by default go for a mouth to lung kit when they start out. They work well with high nicotine liquids and you inhale in the same way you would a conventional cigarette. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not the only option for transitioning smokers. Some people appreciate the familiar sensation of drawing vapour into the mouth before inhaling into the lungs. However, there are also plenty of people who enjoy going straight to a Sub Ohm, direct to lung kit when they pick up their first vape.
With that in mind, we’ve included a few options from both categories and explained why you might like them. We’ve started out with the most simple, then gradually ramped them up in terms of ease of use.
JUUL - STARTER KIT
Starting the list off we have a mouth to lung kit. The vape that made waves across the States and the UK did so for a reason. It’s quite simply the most easy to setup kit on the market as well as being one of the smallest. Just choose your pod, click it into place and inhale on the mouthpiece to vape. It features an internal 280mAh battery which will last most vapers the whole day (around 200 puffs). If not, you can now get a case to keep it in that charges your Juul for you while you’re on the go.
There’s no need to buy e-liquid, you don’t need to refill anything and the pods come in two strengths to choose from, made especially for the UK market. If you’re a heavy smoker - go for the 18mg option. If you’re a moderate smoker (less than a pack a day) go for the 9mg. The e-liquid in the pods is a nic salt base meaning you’ll get a near instant hit with every puff you take.
There’s also plenty of flavours to choose from - from traditional and familiar flavours like tobacco and menthol to fruitier options like Mango Nectar and Alpine Berry. If you’re more of a sweet tooth, there’s even a dessert option too.
SMOK - NORD
If you haven’t heard of SMOK yet, they’re one of the big names in vaping. Serving up a broad range of products, the Nord is one of their open pod, mouth to lung kits. A slight step up from the likes of a Juul, being open pod means you can refill the pods with whatever e-liquid you like. This means more flavour options and greater control over your nicotine level. It’s still the same mouth to lung design, just this one you need to press a button as you inhale.
The Nord has an impressive 1100mAh internal battery, meaning you’ll be able to vape all day without needing to worry about recharging. When you do, just plug it in with a micro-USB cord (there’s one included in the kit). The pod itself holds a generous 2ml of e-liquids and is one you keep a hold of rather than throw away when the coil burns out. When you start to lose flavour you remove the pod from the battery, click the old coil out and press a new one into place. The best part about this is that, because you can change the coil, the Nord will adapt well to just about any type of e-liquid you want - whether that’s a nic salt or a high PG liquid. This means you can gradually drop your nicotine intake with this kit (if and when you choose to).
INNOKIN - EQs
Similar in design to the SMOK Nord but with a few more features, the next level up in starter kits is the EQs pod mod by Innokin. It’s another one-button design kit and it features a 2ml pod with replaceable coils. The key thing that makes this a next level kit for beginners is you can adjust the wattage. It’s still made for mouth to lung vaping but will also allow for a restricted, direct to lung draw so you can try out both vaping styles.
The wattage levels allow you to choose how much power flows through the coil - the more power, the bigger the cloud and the stronger the hit. What this means for you is you can use this kit with a number of liquid varieties. A low wattage is best paired with a nic salt (so you get just the right hit) and a higher wattage is ideal for higher PG liquids. Power wise, you’ve got a decent amount of charge behind you with an internal 800mAh battery which will likely last you the whole day without breaking a sweat. The LED indicator lets you know if you are getting low on power so you know when to plug in.
ASPIRE - POCKEX
If we had to pick a kit from this list that just about every experienced vaper has owned, it would have to be the Aspire PockeX. This one is the ideal step into Sub Ohm, direct to lung vaping. It’s easy to set up, is great for higher VG e-liquids (hello lower nic levels and bigger clouds) while still being simple to use. Some people take a little longer to adjust to a direct to lung style vape if they’re used to conventional cigarettes, but this kind of kit is ideal if you were a lighter smoker and don’t want a super strong throat hit when you inhale.
That being said, there are two coil options for this kit - so if did you want to start out with a mouth to lung vape, you can still enjoy the PockeX too. Rather than pods you refill, this kit has a tank that requires you to unscrew the top cap and pour in liquid that way. With an internal 1500mAh battery it’s the biggest powerhouse on the list so far and operates with Bypass mode - meaning the more battery you’ve got, the bigger the clouds.
ASPIRE - TIGON
Finally, another one from Aspire, the Tigon is one of their latest models and is also the most versatile kit on this list. Whether you want to use it with nic salts or high VG liquids, Sub Ohm or mouth to lung - the the Tigon adapts to it all. They’ve doubled up on everything in this kit to suit the two styles of vaping - two drip tips, two coil resistance levels and two airflow slots.
Basically - no matter where you’re starting with your vaping journey, the Tigon is a safe (and satisfying) option to go for. Use the hourglass shaped drip tip, restricted airflow and 1.2ohm coil for nic salts and a mouth to lung draw. Or, if you were a lighter smoker and need a lower nicotine strength, want more clouds and a direct to lung hit - use the wide-bore drip tip, 0.4ohm coil, crank open the air flow and enjoy. Changing coils is still required but it’s a simple enough process - just opening the tank up at the base, pulling out the old coil and plugging a new one in. The Tigon has the biggest battery on the list too - coming in at 1800mAh it’ll last you plenty of vaping hours. Aside from all of that - it looks pretty great too especially given how big the colour range is.
And there you have it - five kits, five levels and a huge number of ways to vape. If you’re still not sure where to start with the basics of how kits work, we’ve got a guide for that. If you’re still stuck on which vape is best for you (or you’re torn between a few options) you can always get in touch with our customer support team who can give you a personalised recommendation.