If you’re planning to explore the world of vaping in order to find the perfect e-liquid products for your unique requirements, it may be difficult to know where to start!
The e-cig community is full of enthusiasts who really know their stuff, and the terminology used in many forums – and in product descriptions or high street vape shops – can be a little confusing and intimidating.
It’s important that you get to know your own vaping preferences naturally, and in a way that suits you.
This article explains the basic elements you should consider when seeking the perfect e-juice, whether you’re new to the community or you feel like changing your approach after vaping for a few years.
Flavour
The main draw for many vapers is the taste and smell of certain e-liquids. Just like with food and drink, everyone has different preferences when it comes to juice flavours – and there is a whole world of choice out there!
You’ll be surprised at the detailed flavour notes that certain brands are able to achieve, with ever-popular dessert and sweet-shop juices featuring cakey, sugary or fruity hints, coffee options providing the smokey, chocolatey hit of an espresso and even tobacco flavours that recreate those rich and classic notes perfectly.
So – what’s your flavour? Try a few and talk to people who enjoy the same things as you to create a shortlist of favourites.
Ingredients
Reading up on the specific ingredients of a particular e-liquid is more important than you might expect. All vape juices contain a ratio of VG to PG (that’s vegetable protein to propylene glycol), with the two combined making up 100%.
So, a vape juice may have a PG:VG ratio of 40:60. 40 + 60 = 100.
But what do each of these elements actually do?
Juices with a higher PG content (that are therefore lower in VG) offer the strongest possible “throat hit” and intense flavours, but won’t produce the huge and impressive vapour clouds that many e-cig users covet.
High VG e-liquids, on the other hand, do not provide a major throat-hit and their flavour is perhaps a little gentler, but you’ll be able to create massive clouds!
You can explore different ratios to find the balance that suits you – but take care, as very high VG juice should only be used in specialist “sub-Ohming” kits, as they may cause coil burnout, and high PG liquid should not go in a sub-Ohm device, as it can easily clog the vape up irreparably.
Bottle Size
If you don’t vape much, you won’t need to buy a lot of juice at once. Remember, e-liquid can degrade over time, so you need to work out how much you’re likely to get through before you need to buy a new bottle.
The e-juice suppliers at Cloudstix offer containers of e-liquid from a selection of manufacturers that range from 10ml to 120ml in volume.
Nicotine Content
Many companies offer the same juice with a variety of different nicotine levels – typically in 6mg, 12mg and 18mg strengths. You can choose your preference depending on elements such as previous smoking habits and approaches to cutting down.
You can also purchase 0mg juices, as well as shortfills to which you can add “Nic Shots” – nicotines additives that allow you to develop your own perfect blend.