Nic salts use salt nicotine rather than freebase nicotine. The key difference is that benzoic acid is added to the blend, which lowers the pH and makes the nicotine smoother to inhale at higher concentrations. Freebase nicotine at 20mg would feel quite harsh; nic salts at the same strength are noticeably gentler. Salt nicotine also absorbs into the bloodstream faster, which means cravings settle more quickly. For a full breakdown, read our nic salts vs freebase nicotine guide.

A rough guide: if you smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day, start at 20mg. If you smoked ten or fewer, 10mg is usually enough. Light social smokers can often get by on 5mg. Starting too low is the most common mistake, as it leads to more puffing to compensate, which negates the cost and convenience benefits. You can always step down to a lower strength once you have settled into a routine.

Not quite. Nic salts are designed for pod kits and MTL starter kits running coils of 1.0 ohm or above, typically at 10 to 15 watts. Using 20mg nic salts in a sub-ohm device is not recommended – the nicotine delivery would be overwhelming at that output. If you use a sub-ohm kit and want more nicotine, adding nicotine shots to a shortfill is the better approach. Browse our range of pod kits and starter kits if you need a compatible device.

Bar salts are a type of nic salt, not a separate category. The term refers to nic salt e-liquids that are specifically formulated to replicate the flavours from popular disposable vape bars – think Elf Bar, Lost Mary and similar devices. Products like Elfliq and Bar Juice 5000 fall into this group. They use the same salt nicotine base as any other nic salt, but the flavour development is focused on matching what you would get from a disposable.

The addition of benzoic acid during production reduces the alkalinity of the nicotine. High-alkalinity freebase nicotine is what causes that sharp, peppery throat hit at higher strengths. By lowering the pH, nic salts deliver nicotine in a form that the throat and airways handle more comfortably, even at 20mg. More detail on the chemistry is in our e-liquid ingredients: VG and PG explained guide.

That depends on how heavily you vape, but a realistic estimate for a moderate user is two to three 10ml bottles per week. At roughly £3 to £4 per bottle, that is £6 to £12 per week. Compare that to three to five disposable bars at £5 to £6 each and the saving is considerable. Heavy users may go through more, but even at four bottles a week the running cost stays well below disposables.

For most pod kit users vaping regularly throughout the day, a 10ml bottle lasts two to four days. Chain vapers may get through it faster; lighter users can stretch a bottle to a week. The device you use and how often you vape are the biggest variables. Pod kits with tighter draws and smaller coils tend to be more economical than larger MTL tanks.

Elfliq is the direct Elf Bar equivalent – the same flavours, same brand, in a 10ml bottle. Bar Juice 5000 covers a huge range of bar-inspired profiles and is one of the closest matches for general disposable flavours. Elux Legend is another strong option with recognisable profiles for anyone used to Elux disposables. Our guide to best nic salts after disposables goes into more detail on which flavours match which bars.

20mg/ml is the legal maximum for nicotine-containing e-liquid in the UK under TPD regulations. All nic salts we stock comply with this limit. You will sometimes see products described as “high strength” or “extra strong” but in the UK that always means 20mg or below.

This is not recommended. Sub-ohm devices vaporise liquid much faster than MTL kits, which means the nicotine delivery at 20mg would be excessive and likely uncomfortable. If you are using a sub-ohm kit, stick to freebase nicotine at 3mg or 6mg, or use nicotine shots to adjust a shortfill. For more on the difference between vaping styles, our mouth-to-lung vs direct-to-lung guide explains which setup suits which e-liquid.

Start with what is closest to your current habit. Coming off a disposable? Go for Elfliq or Bar Juice 5000. Quitting cigarettes and want something familiar? A tobacco nic salt from Pod Salt or Nexus by Pod Salt is a natural starting point. If you want variety at a low per-bottle cost, Riot Bar EDTN covers a wide flavour range without a premium price tag. Browse our Bar Juice 5000 flavours guide or our best Elfliq flavours page if you need a shortlist before committing.

Any pod kit or MTL starter kit with coils of 1.0 ohm or above running at 10 to 15 watts is ideal. This covers most compact pod devices and beginner-friendly kits. If you are unsure which kit to pair with your nic salts, our guide to the best MTL vape kits runs through the best options available right now.