Choosing the Right Nicotine Strength for Your Vape Juice (0mg to 20mg)

18+ only. Nicotine is addictive. If you do not already smoke or use nicotine, do not start.

Choosing the wrong nicotine strength for your vape juice is one of the fastest ways to waste money and end up annoyed with vaping. Too low and you’ll chain-vape and still feel on edge. Too high and you’ll feel rough and put the device down.

This guide helps you pick the right strength from 0mg up to 20mg (2%), with simple starting points for smokers, how to step down, and how to avoid overdoing it.

Quick answer: what should I buy?

Most people land here:

• Refillable pod kit (MTL) + nic salts: start with 10mg or 20mg
• MTL tank (tight draw) + freebase: start with 6mg, 12mg, or 18mg
• Sub-ohm or DTL (big airflow, lots of vapour): start with 3mg or 6mg
• 0mg: only if you’re already comfortable without nicotine and just want flavour and the habit

If you’re switching from cigarettes, the first goal is simple: cravings handled without feeling sick.

UK nicotine strengths

• 20mg/ml is the maximum strength sold as standard retail e-liquid in the UK (often shown as 2%).
• You’ll usually see nicotine e-liquid in 10ml bottles.
• Big bottles like shortfills are usually 0mg until you add nicotine shots.

Step 1: match nicotine strength to your device

Nicotine strength is only half the story. Your device decides how much vapour you inhale per puff.

Small pods and tight draw (MTL)

• Less vapour per puff
• Higher nicotine works well
• Best match: nic salts 10mg or 20mg

Bigger tanks and airy draw (RDL/DTL, sub-ohm)

• More vapour per puff
• Lower nicotine works best
• Best match: 3mg or 6mg freebase

Rule of thumb: the more vapour your kit produces, the lower the nicotine should be.

Step 2: smoker starting points

This is not an exact science, but it gets you close enough to start without guessing.

If you’re using a pod kit (MTL)

If you used to smoke…	A sensible start
Social or under 5 a day	10mg nic salt
5 to 10 a day	10mg nic salt
10 to 20 a day	10mg to 20mg nic salt
20+ a day or first thing in the morning smoker	20mg nic salt

If you’re using sub-ohm / DTL

If you used to smoke…	A sensible start
Light smoker	3mg
Average smoker	3mg to 6mg
Heavy smoker	6mg (sometimes 3mg if you vape a lot)

If you’re unsure, choose the lower option if you vape constantly, and the higher option if you only take a few puffs here and there.

Nic salts vs freebase (quick version)

• Nic salts feel smoother at higher strengths and suit pod kits.
• Freebase is common in lower strengths for higher power kits and can feel sharper at higher mg.

If you want the full breakdown, read our nic salts vs freebase guide.

How to tell if your nicotine is too low

Signs it’s too low:

• You’re chain-vaping and it still doesn’t hit the spot
• Cravings are still loud between vapes
• You keep thinking a cigarette would “sort it”

What to do:

• Go up one step next bottle: 10mg to 20mg, or 3mg to 6mg
• Or tighten the draw / lower airflow if your device allows it

How to tell if your nicotine is too high

Signs it’s too high:

• Nausea, headache, dizziness
• Hiccups
• Harsh hit that makes you not want to vape

What to do:

• Put it down for a bit and sip water
• Take shorter puffs when you go back
• Drop one step next bottle: 20mg to 10mg, 6mg to 3mg, 18mg to 12mg (for tight MTL)

If you’re using a high power tank, avoid high nicotine. A strong liquid in a big vapour setup can feel horrible fast.

The “two strengths” trick (it works)

You don’t need one strength to do everything.

Try this:

• Higher strength for mornings, cravings, breaks
• Lower strength for casual vaping through the day

Examples:

• Pod kit: 20mg for cravings + 10mg for all day
• Sub-ohm: 6mg for normal use + 3mg if you tend to chain-vape

This stops you overdoing nicotine while still covering cravings when they hit.

When to step down nicotine

Step down when vaping feels settled, not when you feel you “should”.

Good signs you’re ready:

• Cravings are quiet
• You can go longer between puffs
• You’re vaping more for habit and taste than need

Simple step down ladders:

• Nic salts: 20mg → 10mg → (5mg if you use it) → 0mg
• Freebase: 12mg → 6mg → 3mg → 0mg

Stay on each step for at least a couple of weeks. If you drop down and start vaping twice as much, you probably moved too fast.

0mg: when it helps and when it backfires

0mg works well if you:

• already feel fine without nicotine
• want flavour and the habit without nicotine

0mg backfires if you:

• still want nicotine and try to brute-force it with 0mg
• end up chain-vaping to chase a feeling that isn’t there

If you’re not ready for 0mg, use the two strengths trick instead.

Shortfills and nicotine shots: what strength are you actually making?

Most shortfills are 0mg until you add shots.

Two common mixes:

• 50ml shortfill + 1 x 10ml 18mg nic shot = 3mg (60ml total)
• 100ml shortfill + 2 x 10ml 18mg nic shots = 3mg (120ml total)

That’s why shortfills are mainly a low nicotine route. If you want 10mg or 20mg, 10ml bottles (often nic salts) are usually the easier option.

Common mistakes

• Using 3mg in a tiny pod and wondering why cravings are still there
• Using high nicotine in a sub-ohm tank and feeling sick
• Dropping nicotine too quickly and “fixing” it by vaping constantly
• Forgetting airflow and coil choice can change the hit as much as the nicotine strength

FAQs

Is 20mg the strongest nicotine I can buy in the UK?

For standard retail e-liquid, 20mg/ml (2%) is the maximum.

Why does 10mg feel stronger in one kit than another?

Power, coil, airflow, and how much vapour you inhale all change how it feels.

Can I mix two strengths?

Yes. It’s one of the easiest ways to balance cravings and comfort.

What nicotine strength is best for sub-ohm vaping?

Most people stick to 3mg or 6mg.

What nicotine strength is best for pod kits?

Most people use 10mg or 20mg nic salts, then adjust based on cravings.