Your Vape Juice Questions, Answered
If you spend some time with a seasoned vaper, you’ll quickly find out that the choice of vape juice can be such a personal thing. Asking two different people what the best vape juice is will likely get you a lot of answers, and they aren’t likely to be all the same.
Vape juice is generally categorized into three types, according to their flavor. These are fruit, pastry, and “other,” and the chances are high that you’ll find yourself solidly on one particular side but willing to try interesting options from the other two.
But what is vape juice and how do you find which one to suit your tastes? Read on to find out the answers to these questions, and more.
There are standard and optional vape juice ingredients.
What’s in Vape Juice
There are 3 standard vape juice ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol or PG, and Vegetable Glycerin or VG. Artificial flavorings are commonly added to this mix, such as those that mimic fruit or pastry flavors,
In addition, menthol can be put in for a little (or a lot, depending on the particular vape juice) cooling sensation. Nicotine is an option that is usually present as well, although you won’t have a hard time finding zero-nic juices if you prefer them.
Of these components, PG is responsible for carrying the flavor and nicotine, and also provides the so-called “throat hit” familiar to current and former smokers. VG, on the other hand, makes the produced vapor thicker both visually and as a sensation.
While there isn’t a standard ratio for the proportions of these two components, 50:50 and 70:30 (in favor of VG) are typical.
There can be many variations of vape juice available.
Vape Juice Isn’t all the Same
It might seem that there isn’t much difference between the vape juice options you’ll find, but this isn’t true. The choice of flavorings, for one, can make a vaper prefer one brand over another, even if they nominally have the same composition and taste.
The type of nicotine used can also make a difference. While the regular (also known as freebase) version is commonly used, in recent years the salt-nic variant has become popular for its ability to provide high nicotine levels while still not proving irritating to the throat when vaporized.
Also, there are vape juices which are optimized for drip-type atomizers (also known as RDAs, or Rebuildable Drip Atomizers), tank atomizers (Rebuildable Tank Atomizers, or RTAs), and pods. The differences are in the formulation, usually the PG:VG proportions and nicotine type).
Choosing vape juice from a reputable maker removes a lot of the guesswork.
How to Choose Vape Juice
What does all this mean for you? Well, basically you’ll have many options, and you’ll end up going through a lot of trial and error before you find the right vape juice for you when you switch to vape.
If you’ve already left cigarettes behind you, you’re probably already familiar with the experience of trying new vape juice. Taking that first puff and seeing if you found something to add to your must-stock list is always an interesting time.
Remember also that you should take your vape into consideration when choosing your vape juice. Pick the ones that fit your gear best, and always ask the salesperson if you aren’t sure.
This gets easier if you have a closed-pod system. This already comes with the juice filled into the pod, so you’ll avoid guesswork. Instead of refilling, you just have to change the whole pod, eliminating a possibly messy and sticky situation.
If you’re using a RELX Infinity or Essential vape, you’ll have many choices that come straight from the company itself. This gives you some confidence in the quality of what you’re buying, as opposed to some other options (usually for non-pod mods) which may be from unknown sources, which can be a bit of a gamble in terms of how good it is.
Want some recommendations on what to try? There isn’t any best vape juice flavors that are enjoyed by everyone, but Fresh Red (which has a very summer vibe) and Tangy Purple (complex and fresh taste) are best-sellers for a reason. If you’re a menthol fan, White Freeze makes your vaping ice-cold for those hot days.
Into non-standard flavors? Ludou Ice has that rich and earthy mung bean (munggo) taste which many people find appealing.
Happy vaping and enjoy your juice! To enjoy the widest possible variety, make sure to stock up before May 25, 2022.