When you browse the selection at V2 Cigs UK or another major vape shop, you’re bound to see nicotine salt e-liquid repeatedly. Since the first nicotine salt e-liquids began to hit the market a few years ago, they’ve been unbelievably popular – especially with new vapers.
One of the reasons why nicotine salt e-liquid has been so successful is because it enables a small, low-power vaping device to produce an extremely satisfying and cigarette-like experience without causing the throat irritation that’s so common with traditional freebase nicotine e-liquid at higher nicotine strengths. Because of that fact, manufacturers of vaping products around the world have been using nicotine salt in their products for several years now.
Let’s suppose, however, that you’re an experienced vaper rather than a new one. You have a basic understanding of the benefits of nicotine salt vape juice, and you’re probably aware that switching to nicotine salt will most likely require you to use a different vaping device. Would the switch be worth it?
In this article, we’re going to help you understand whether you should switch to nicotine salt e-liquid if you already vape – and as you’re about to learn, the answer to that question largely depends on how much you enjoy your vaping experience as it currently is.
Where Do You Live?
Although you may not realize it yet, the region where you live might actually have a major influence on whether switching from freebase nicotine e-liquid to nicotine salt is the right decision for you. That’s because freebase nicotine e-liquids with strengths higher than 6 mg/ml are much more common in the United Kingdom and Europe than they are in the United States.
If you’re currently using one of those e-liquids – especially if the nicotine strength that you’re using is close to the 20 mg/ml limit imposed by the Tobacco Products Directive in the UK and EU – switching to nicotine salt may not require you to purchase a different vaping device because you’re already using a device designed for higher-nicotine vape juice.
If you’re currently using a higher-strength freebase nicotine e-liquid, switching to nicotine salt probably won’t produce a substantial difference in your satisfaction level because your total nicotine consumption will remain about the same as it is now.
One of the benefits of nicotine salt e-liquid, however, is that it tends to be smoother than freebase nicotine e-liquid at a given nicotine strength. If you’re currently using a higher-strength freebase nicotine e-liquid and find that it produces an overly scratchy and irritating throat hit, you’ll probably enjoy switching to nicotine salt. If you derive a significant portion of your satisfaction from experiencing an assertive throat hit, though, you should probably stick with the e-liquid that you’re currently using.
What Type of Vaping Device Do You Use?
The second factor that you should consider if you’re thinking about switching to nicotine salt e-liquid is the type of vaping device you currently use.
In the United States, nicotine salt vape juice usually has a strength of 25 mg/ml or higher. In the United Kingdom and Europe, it usually has a strength of 10 mg/ml or higher. If you’re currently using a small vape pen or pod system, you’ll probably be able to try nicotine salt e-liquid without buying a new vaping device because the nicotine strength will most likely be similar to what you’re already using. If you’re currently using a larger vape mod, though, you’ll need to buy a smaller and less powerful device to try nicotine salts. Here are two things to consider before you do that.
- If you’re currently using a large vape mod because you enjoy the big clouds and bold flavors, you’ll find that switching to nicotine salt will fundamentally change your vaping experience. Nicotine salt e-liquid delivers a subtler flavor and a much stronger throat hit compared to lower-strength freebase nicotine vape juice.
- Using nicotine salt e-liquid may mean that you’ll need to change your inhaling style. If you’re currently using a vape mod with a large glass tank, you most likely vape by inhaling the vapor directly into your lungs. With a higher-nicotine e-liquid, using the direct-to-lung vaping style is generally impossible because it’ll result in throat irritation. You’ll need to switch to mouth-to-lung vaping – and if you don’t want to do that, nicotine salt e-liquid probably isn’t right for you.
Are You Unhappy with How Much Vaping Costs?
The last factor that may influence whether you should switch to nicotine salt e-liquid is the amount of money you spend on vaping.
If you’re currently using a larger vape mod, there’s a good chance that vaping is fairly expensive for you. You may even find that you don’t spend significantly less on vaping than you would have spent on smoking. That’s partially because using a powerful vaping device means that you use a large amount of e-liquid every day. Thanks to supply chain issues and increased shipping costs, you probably also find that you’re spending more on vape juice than ever before.
The second factor contributing to high costs is that the longevity of a vape coil largely depends on the volume of e-liquid that you put through it. It’s not uncommon for users of high-end vape mods to consume 20 ml of vape juice – or even more – per day. If you’re using that amount of e-liquid, you probably need to buy new coils constantly.
If you switch to nicotine salt e-liquid, you’ll almost certainly end up spending less on vaping. That’s because nicotine salt vape juice mitigates both of the factors mentioned above. Since you’ll be using a higher-strength e-liquid, you’ll naturally vape less frequently in order to maintain the same level of satisfaction. You won’t need to buy e-liquid as often, and you’ll spend less on vape juice as a result. Since you’ll be putting less vape juice through your tank or pod every day, your coils will last substantially longer. In the end, you may find that switching to nicotine salt reduces your vaping expenses by half or even more.