If you’ve been shopping around for the perfect e-liquid for your vape, there’s no doubt that you’ve come across shortfills. They’re just one out of the many different types of e-liquids available these days and keep growing in popularity every day. But for someone who’s new to vaping and e-liquids, this term may seem a bit confusing at first. If you’re one of these people, don’t worry! We’ve put together this guide to help you understand what sbortfills are and how best to use them.
What are shortfills?
Shortfills are a type of e-liquid that contain no nicotine and are usually available in larger bottles compared to other types of vape juices. Vape juice manufacturers started producing shortfills in response to the Tobacco Products Directive of 2017. Before the introduction of the TPD, vape retailers were able to sell bottles of e-liquid in any quantity. With these new regulations, e-liquids that contain nicotine can only be sold in a maximum capacity of 10ml. An e-liquid’s nicotine strength also can’t exceed 20mg/ml.
With shortfill e-liquids, vape manufacturers are able to comply with the directive while still catering to all vapers. The 10ml capacity limit only applies to e-liquids with nicotine pre-mixed into it. This means producers are still able to sell these bigger bottles of e-liquid as long as they don’t contain any nicotine. All you have to do is mix a separate nicotine shot into the e-liquid. You’ll be able to do this easily since every bottle will have a gap at the top to leave enough space to add your nicotine shot, which is where the term ‘shortfill’ comes from.
What are shortfills made of?
E-liquids in general are made of the same four ingredients: vegetable glycerine (VG), propylene glycol (PG), food-grade flavourings, and nicotine. Usually the difference between the types of e-liquids comes from the varying proportions of these ingredients, as well as their nicotine content.
Shortfills tend to be a high VG e-liquid, meaning they contain a higher ratio of VG to PG. This gives them a slightly thicker consistency that lends itself well to large vapour production. This makes shortfill e-liquids a great choice for vapers who prefer direct-to-lung vaping (AKA sub ohm vaping), especially if they’re aspiring cloud chasers.
How do I use shortfills?
If you’re interested in vaping with shortfills, we recommend using sub-ohm vapes with a low resistance coil. High VG e-liquids are best suited for sub-ohm vape kits as you’ll need more power to turn this thicker e-liquid into vapour.
To use shortfills with nicotine, you’ll first need to pick up a nic shot. Depending on your desired nicotine strength, you can use one or two nic shots with each shortfill bottle. Since the industry standard for nicotine shots is that they come in 10 ml bottles with 18mg nicotine each, adding 1 nic shot will create an e-liquid with 3mg nicotine strength. Adding 2 nic shots will increase that nicotine strength to 6mg. If you find yourself having a hard time calculating this yourself, you can use an online nic shot calculator to help you figure out the right amount of nicotine you’ll need.
Once you have your nicotine shots, it’s as simple as adding it straight into your shortfill bottle and shaking it vigorously. Once shaken, leave it to sit for a few minutes to allow the e-liquid to settle and properly combine with the e-liquid. Before you know it, your shortfill will be ready for you to vape!
Can I vape shortfills without nicotine?
Of course! Although that space at the top of the bottle was initially to leave room for nic shots, you don’t necessarily need them to vape shortfills. In fact, shortfills are a great option for vapers who are trying to cut down on their nicotine consumption but still enjoy the act of vaping itself. Not only can you vape without nicotine, you can also customise your e-liquids’ nicotine strength, helping you tailor your vaping style to your personal preferences.
Shortfills are one of the most popular forms of vaping e-liquids on the market, and for good reason. They’re jam-packed full of flavour, can produce massive clouds, and are extremely customisable. Now that you have a handle on how they work, all you need to do is pick out the perfect shortfill for you.
Here at Legion of Vapers, we stock a wide range of different shortfills and nic shots. Some of our most popular brands include the famous Dinner Lady, known for their succulent dessert-inspired e-liquids, and Dr Frost who are the leading producers of menthol flavoured vape juices.
If you have more questions about shortfills, or any questions at all about vapes and e-liquids, please don’t hesitate to shoot us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
