Your Guide to Finding the Best Refillable Pod Vapes in the UK.
For quite a while now, many of the best vapes in the UK have been pod vapes – and considering the fact that the UK government plans to institute a ban on disposable vapes in the near future, it’s likely that pod systems will outsell all other types of vapes by next year.
People love the fact that pod systems are small, simple and easy to use. They also like the fact that the best pod vapes are optimised to deliver a great experience with high-strength nicotine salt e-liquids, giving you the same satisfaction and assertive throat hit you’d get from smoking a cigarette.
So, if you’re on the hunt for the best pod vape in the UK in 2024, you’re definitely not alone – and in this comprehensive guide, we’re going to help you find the right one for your needs. We’ll get right to the top devices, and in between our recommendations, we’ll also add a bit of buying advice that we think you might find useful.
Vaporesso XROS 4: Best Pod Vape Overall
The hardest part of writing a guide like this is choosing the best pod vape overall – the one that offers something for everyone and has the best combination of looks, features and price to please the most people possible. We believe that the Vaporesso XROS 4 is just that device. It’s got the simple fill-it-and-puff usage pattern that beginners love, and it also has a great design that’s fashionable and modern without being overly trendy. Experienced vapers who need more features will love the fact that the XROS 4 works with the full range of XROS pods, has adjustable airflow and offers three different power levels. The XROS 4 is as simple or as flexible as you need it to be, and that’s why it’s our pick as the top pod vape in the UK.
Refillable vs. Pre-Filled Pod Vape: Which Is Better?
Benefits of Refillable Pod Vapes
- They give you the freedom to use whatever flavour and nicotine strength you prefer.
- They cost less over time because buying bottled e-liquid gives you more vape juice for the money compared to pre-filled pods.
- They often have advanced features like variable power, adjustable airflow and higher-end coils. These features allow refillable pod vapes to generate bigger, more flavourful clouds.
Benefits of Pre-Filled Pod Vapes
- They’re extremely convenient and easy to use. Just charge the device, push in a pod and start vaping.
- They have a very low cost of entry because the starter kits are usually very inexpensive.
- It’s easy to switch flavours simply by removing a pod and installing a new one.
Innokin Trine: Best Pod Vape for the Environmentally Conscious
The Innokin Trine is the first pod system with a removable battery that’s specifically designed for trouble-free recycling. This presents a potential solution to the biggest problem in vaping: the fact that the devices are so difficult to recycle that many people don’t bother at all and end up throwing their old devices away instead. The Trine resolves that issue with a battery that’s removable and clearly labelled for easy recycling. What’s even better is that the device also has a self-discharge feature that drains the battery’s charge automatically, allowing you to drop the dead battery off at any collection point in complete safety. The fact that the Innokin Trine has a removable battery is also a unique feature in its own right because it means that you can continue using the device indefinitely instead of replacing it when the battery stops holding a charge.
Pod Vape vs. Pod Mod: What's the Difference?
The term “pod mod” is a portmanteau of “pod vape” and “vape mod,” which describes this type of device perfectly. A pod mod has the advanced features that you’d expect in a full-sized vape mod, such as variable wattage, replaceable coils, great vapor production and long battery life. Instead of using a 510-threaded vape tank, though, a pod mod uses a proprietary pod and doesn’t work with any third-party attachments. So, although a pod mod lacks the full range of options that you’d get with a traditional vape mod, it also provides power similar to that of a vape mod in a much more compact package. A pod mod usually has a large selection of coils, though, to provide some measure of the flexibility that you’d get with a vape mod and a traditional tank.
Aspire Flexus Q: Best Pod Vape for the Impatient
If you’re the type of person who always buys two vaping devices so you can use one whilst charging the other, the Aspire Flexus Q is a pod vape that deserves your attention because it’s perhaps the first device ever released that supports 3-amp quick charging via USB-C. The quick-charge feature allows the device to reach an 80-percent charge in just 10 minutes, making it the ultimate vaping solution for the impatient. The Flexus Q also has the flexibility you need if you’re a picky vaper, offering two pod options, adjustable airflow and three selectable power levels.
What Type of E-Liquid Works Best in a Pod Vape?
One of the benefits of using a refillable pod vape is that you can use whatever type and flavour of e-liquid you prefer. That means you’ll need to choose between nicotine salt and freebase nicotine vape juice. Here’s an overview of the differences between the two types.
Nicotine Salt E-Liquid
- This type of e-liquid is usually available in strengths of 10 mg/ml and 20 mg/ml.
- The salt form of nicotine has a more neutral pH than the freebase form, so this type of e-liquid is usually smoother at high strengths.
- You should use nicotine salt e-liquid if you want the highest possible nicotine strength or if you have tried freebase e-liquid and experienced throat irritation.
Freebase Nicotine E-Liquid
- This type of e-liquid is available in a larger range of strengths, usually starting at 3 mg/ml on the low end and going up to 18 mg/ml on the high end.
- The freebase form of nicotine has a more alkaline pH than the salt form, so this type of e-liquid produces a strong and assertive throat hit at high strengths.
- You should use freebase nicotine e-liquid if you want the most possible freedom in choosing your nicotine strength or if you have tried nicotine salt e-liquid and didn’t find it satisfying because the throat hit wasn’t strong enough.
Freemax Galex Nano: Best Pod Vape for Cloud Chasers
The Freemax Galex Nano has one of the most interesting combinations of simplicity and flexibility we’ve ever seen, and that’s why it deserves a place on our list of the best pod vapes in the UK. It’s a simple device in that it supports puff-based firing only; the button on the device only serves to switch between three available power levels. It’s also powerful, though, because it uses the same type of mesh heating element featured in some of the best vape tanks on the market. Supporting a minimum coil resistance of 0.8 ohm and operating at up to 4.2 volts, the Freemax Galex Nano easily produces some of the most impressive vapour clouds we’ve ever seen from such a small device.
How Long Does a Pod Vape Last?
Unless a pod system has a removable battery – which is the case with the Innokin Trine described above – it lasts until the internal battery stops holding a charge. A lithium-ion battery typically holds a strong charge for around 300-500 charge-discharge cycles. After that, the capacity begins to drop rapidly. Assuming that you recharge your device once per day, that gives you a total expected lifespan of about one year.
Here’s how to make a pod vape last as long as it can.
- Don’t charge it with the mains adapter for a computer, tablet or smartphone. Most vaping devices can’t support the higher amperages of these charging adapters.
- Keep it away from extreme temperatures. A lithium-ion battery is always happiest in a cool room. Extreme heat can cause internal damage to a battery cell. Extreme cold drains a battery, which means that you’ll have to recharge it more often.
- If a pod leaks, dry it and your device as quickly and thoroughly as possible. If e-liquid contaminates the device’s internal components, it could cause a short circuit that ruins the device permanently.
Voopoo Argus G2: Best Pod Mod for Connoisseurs
In recent years, the pod mod has evolved as a new type of vaping paradigm. Pod mods combine the features of full-sized vape mods with the simplicity of pod systems, and they’ve been very successful among experienced vapers. By necessity, though, cramming the features of a vape mod into a pod system usually results in a device that’s fairly large and not as pocketable as other pod systems. The Voopoo Argus G2, however, is an exception to that rule. It’s a true 30-watt sub-ohm vape crammed into the body of a traditional stick-shaped pod system, and it offers just about everything you could ever want if you’re a vaping connoisseur. If you want a pod vape that offers the best possible combination of power and portability, this is the one you should buy.
