Nicotine salts (also called nic salts) have become a very popular choice of e-liquid for vapers in recent times. They are a newer type of e-liquid, and the main reason for their popularity is that they offer vapers a smooth throat hit even at higher nicotine strengths. Nicotine salt is the natural state of nicotine that is found in the tobacco leaf which is then combined with an acid, commonly benzoic acid to form an e-liquid that has a lower pH level than other e-liquids.
What’s the difference between nic salt and freebase nicotine?
In its purest form, nicotine is a weak base. This natural form of nicotine is difficult for our bodies to absorb effectively, so it must be altered before vaping or smoking. By extracting the nicotine from the Tobacco plant and adding ammonia, it can be ‘freebased’. Freebase nicotine is the kind you’ll find in most e-liquids. It’s also the kind of nicotine that’s been used in cigarettes for decades. Freebase nicotine has a higher pH level, which can make it harsher on your throat.
On the other hand, nic salts are a more recent development. They’re designed to give you a smooth throat hit, even at high nicotine strengths. Nic salts are made by combining the naturally-occurring nicotine with benzoic acid. This lowers the pH level, making it easier on your throat.
Nic salts are also absorbed by your body more quickly than freebase nicotine, so you’ll get a faster nicotine hit. Whether you prefer freebase nicotine or nic salt e-liquids is a matter of personal preference. Some people find that freebase nicotine gives them a stronger throat hit which they enjoy, while others find that nic salts are smoother and more satisfying.
Benefits of nicotine salts
High nicotine strength
Nic salt e-liquids are a great choice for ex-smokers due to their high nicotine strength. They often come in 20mg, but can also be found in a variety of other strengths such as 18mg and 10mg.
Smooth throat hit
The nicotine salt formulation provides a smooth throat hit despite the high concentrations of nicotine. This is due to the benzoic acid that helps to reduce the pH level compared to freebase nicotine. Some ex-smokers enjoy that throat hit, but for other vapers it can be a little too harsh when using higher strength juices. Nic salts remove this problem, providing a smooth hit even at high levels of nicotine .
Fast absorption
As well as a smooth throat hit, the addition of the acid also helps nicotine salts to be absorbed into the bloodstream a lot quicker than freebase e-juice. Nicotine salt e-liquid is absorbed into the body in under 10 seconds which is similar to that of cigarettes, making it an excellent e-liquid choice for ex-smokers.
Long shelf life
Nicotine salts have a longer shelf life than freebase e-juice and other more e-liquids due to their more chemically stable state. This means that you can store them for longer without them going bad.
What type of vape device can I use to vape nicotine salts?
You’ll want to make sure you’re using the right vape device when using nicotine salts to avoid an unpleasant vaping experience. Nic salt e-liquid is best used for mouth-to-lung vaping, so to get the best results from nicotine salts vapers will use a pod kit or vape pen. These low-powered vape devices are perfect for producing a smooth throat hit and a satisfying vape with discreet vapour. Here are some examples of great devices for nic salt vaping.
Uwell Caliburn G2
Uwell have been producing quality vapes for years, standing at the top of the mountain when it comes to MTL vaping. The Caliburn G2 is an updated version of the hugely popular Caliburn G, featuring many of the great design features that vapers loved but expanding upon them to give even greater control and better flavour. The adjustable airflow has an updated design as a wheel, allowing vapers to control the airflow as they vape with finer precision than before.
Those who enjoy MTL vaping will tell you a big part of what they like is the simplicity that comes with these vape kits. The G2 embodies this idea perfectly, as its stylish yet minimal design allows for ease-of-use, not having to worry about any complicated features and buttons. Simply press the button to vape or use the autofire feature. As well as this, this device has a fixed wattage range at 18W so it’s ready to use straight out of the box.
The G2 is also compatible with 0.8 ohm pods and 1.2 ohm pods, whereas the original was only compatible with 0.8 ohm caliburn pods. These pods feature a top-fill design for easy refilling with e-liquid, and even have a clever window to help monitor your e-liquid levels.
Disposable vape
If you’re after even more simplicity, then disposable vapes are where it’s at. Typically, disposable vapes are pre-filled with nicotine salt e-liquid making them a great choice for every type of vape.
What about sub-ohm vaping?
‘Can you vape nic salts with a sub-ohm device?’ I hear you ask! Unless you want to experience an extremely harsh and unpleasant throat hit, we’d recommend not to. Sub-ohm vaping is about producing huge clouds of vapour, and to do this you need a powerful device and an e liquid with a high VG ratio, not so much a high nicotine content.
More powerful devices also vaporise e-liquid faster, which is why shortfills are sold in bigger bottles. If you were to use nic salts, you would burn through these 10ml bottles extremely fast and it would result in being very expensive.
Our recommendations
We’ve looked at the best vape kits to use with nicotine salts, but now we need an e-liquid to put in them. All nicotine salts come in 10ml bottles due to TPD regulations and are available in a range of nicotine strengths, ensuring that there is a juice for all types of vapers. We have a wide range of nic salts here at Legion of Vapers and after sampling the best of the best, here are our top recommendations.
Bar Juice 5000 Nic Salt
Made right here in the UK, Bar Juice 5000 is a quality nic salt made from the finest ingredients to maximise flavour and guarantee a smooth vape. This is one of the long-standing favourites and for good reason, as this nic salt is available in a whopping 20 flavours for you to try and enjoy – you may also recognise them from somewhere…
Not only does this nic salt come in a variety of flavours but also strengths, ready to purchase in either 10mg or 20mg to help cater to everyone’s nicotine needs.
Riot Squad
Riot Squad do not mess about when it comes to big flavour. We stock a wide range of nic salts from Riot Squad, because when the quality is this good, how can you not? So instead of narrowing it down to one, here are some of the best collections and flavours:
The Riot SALT collection offers some huge flavours such as Pink Grenade, a strawberry lemonade concoction for an explosion of flavour.
Also, try their Punx nic salts collection, packed full of fruity flavour combinations to excite your taste buds such as Guava, Passionfruit and Pineapple. We also stock other great options such as their fantastically fizzy Cherry Cola nic salt and Watermelon Ice for a sweet, fruity flavour with a cool menthol breeze.
Bar Series Nic Salts
If you love the flavours that come in disposable vapes, but you’ve graduated to a more sophisticated device then you’ll love the Bar Series nic salts. These nic salt e-liquids are created to replicate your favourite e-liquids from your disposable vapes, including flavours such as Blueberry Ice, Mango Ice, Peach and more! These 10ml nic salts come in two different strengths of 10mg and 20mg.
Ohm Brew nic salts
Last but not least, we have the Ohm Brew nic salts. This range features nic salts with real depth of flavour and even some more unique flavours such as Black Jacked, Fizzy Cherry Cola and Lime and Lemon Lolly. Available in 18mg, 12mg, and 6mg, there is an e-juice for everyone. There’s no doubt that Ohm Brew nic salts make for a seriously exciting vape, we can’t get enough of them.
If you still feel you’re not too sure what e-liquid is best for you, don’t hesitate to contact us and our team of expert vapers will be happy to help!