Russ WareChoosing the right nicotine strength can be the difference between sticking to vaping or giving up on the spot. If you choose an ejuice where the nicotine strength is too low, it may not be satisfying enough and will leave you craving for more. Choose an ejuice where the nicotine strength is too high, and it may be too intense and harsh on the throat, causing coughing.
Picking just right will give you the satisfaction your body craves while delivering that relaxing, calming feeling that you’re used to. It sucks to buy a bottle of ejuice, only to find out that it either isn’t satisfying enough or is too harsh on the throat to vape. Is 5% vape liquid too strong? Does buying low-strength liquid always mean you have to puff constantly?
These questions and many more are explored in this article, as we go over the different types of nicotine as well as the different nicotine strengths so that you can choose the perfect nicotine level ejuice that will work for you.
- Vape liquid is available in a wide range of nicotine strengths. Nicotine content in e-liquid can vary, depending on the country you live in, from zero nicotine to as much as 60 milligrams per milliliter (mg/ml).
- There are two types of nicotine: freebase and nicotine salt. Nic salts are made in a slightly different way, but the main difference is that nic salts can be used in strong liquids without producing harshness on the throat.
- Regular nicotine e-juices generally come in strengths ranging from 1.5mg/ml all the way up to 24mg/ml. Nicotine salts can range from 10mg/ml to 60mg/ml. 60mg/ml freebase liquid would be very harsh.
- Social smokers might want to go with an e-liquid strength between 3-9mg/ml. If you smoke 20 a day, nicotine strength around 12-20 mg/ml will be better. Heavy smokers should consider 20 mg/ml and above liquids.
Nicotine Strengths – Percentage or MG/ML?
When buying e-liquid or pre-filled disposables there are a couple of different ways that the nicotine strength can be shown. The most common way is in terms of milligrams per milliliter or mg/ml, and most bottles of e-liquid and disposable vapes will display it this way even if the product description (at an online vape store for example) also shows the alternative strength measurement. The alternative measurement sometimes used is the nicotine percentage of the overall volume.
Nicotine in mg/ml
As mentioned, this is by far the most common nicotine strength measurement used on anything that contains e-liquid, including disposable vapes. It can seem slightly confusing to non or new vapers but, in simple terms, it means that for every milliliter of liquid, there is the specified amount of nicotine. For example, “12mg/ml” means there are 12 milligrams of nicotine for every 1 milliliter of liquid. In a 10ml bottle, that would equate to 120mg of nicotine.
Nicotine as a Percentage
Some e-liquid brands use nicotine percentage by volume (NBV) as the measurement method for their products. An example of this will be something like “0.6%”, which denotes that nicotine comprises 0.6% of the total volume of the e-liquid in whatever container it is sold in. The remainder of the liquid volume (99.4% in this case) will be the VG, PG, and flavorings.
How to Convert E-Liquid Percent to mg/ml
It’s not unusual to be confused if you’re used to seeing one of the nicotine measurement methods and then unexpectedly come across the other. Luckily, converting from one to the other is easy. All you have to do is either multiply the percentage by 10 to give you the mg/ml measurement or divide mg/ml by 10 to give you the percentage.
For example, 0.6% strength is the same as 6mg/ml (0.6 x 10 = 6).
Below is a table showing the conversions of the most common strengths:
| mg/ml | Percentage | mg per 10ml of E-Liquid |
|---|---|---|
| 3 mg/ml | 0.3 % | 30mg |
| 6 mg/ml | 0.6 % | 60mg |
| 12 mg/ml | 1.2 % | 120mg |
| 18 mg/ml | 1.8 % | 180mg |
| 20 mg/ml | 2 % | 200mg |
| 30 mg/ml | 3 % | 300mg |
| 50 mg/ml | 5 % | 500mg |
Regular Nicotine or Nicotine Salt E-Juice?
There are two types of nicotine: regular nicotine and nicotine salt. Nicotine salts use a compound called benzoic acid which reduces the harshness of the nicotine. This means that nicotine salts are able to deliver higher concentrations of nicotine without the harsh throat hit of regular high nic ejuices.
Regular nicotine ejuices come in strengths from 1.5mg/ml all the way up to 24mg/ml. Nicotine salts go from 10mg/ml to 60mg/ml, and potentially even higher.
If you’re a heavier smoker, you’ll probably want to pick up a nicotine salt ejuice. Anything above 12mg/ml with a regular nicotine ejuice will deliver a very harsh throat hit that can induce coughing.For most people it will be a painful draw.
Nicotine salts will allow you to vape 30-60mg/ml strengths while providing a much smoother and more pleasant draw.
Choosing the Right Nicotine Strength Level
Choosing the right nicotine strength depends primarily on how much you smoke and on what type of device you’re going to be using.
If you’re a social smoker or smoke 10 cigarettes or less a day, you’ll want to go with a lower nicotine strength. If you smoke around a pack a day, you’ll want to go for a medium nicotine strength. Two packs a day or more means you’ll want a high nicotine strength.
Higher strength nicotine ejuices are better with low powered devices as anything else will deliver too much nicotine per puff. This also means lower cloud output with high strength ejuices. On the other hand, lower nicotine strength ejuices can be used with sub ohm tanks and higher powered devices to deliver larger clouds without getting too much nicotine.
Low Nicotine Strength
- Regular Nicotine: 1.5-6mg/ml
- Nicotine Salts: 10-20mg/ml
If you’re a social smoker, or someone who smokes less than 10 cigarettes a day, then you’ll want to go with a low nicotine strength ejuice. This falls in the range of 1.5-6mg/ml for regular nicotine ejuice and 10-20mg/ml for nicotine salts. These nicotine strengths can be used with all sorts of devices, but sub-ohm tanks and other high-powered devices will deliver the best experience.
Lower nicotine strength ejuices are also great for those looking to blow huge clouds. You’ll get satisfaction from vaping, but still be able to vape a lot and blow huge clouds without feeling nic sick.
Medium Nicotine Strength
- Regular Nicotine: 6-12mg/ml
- Nicotine Salts: 20-30mg/ml
Medium nicotine strength ejuices are best for those who fall somewhere in the middle range of smokers of around a pack a day. Strengths of 6-12mg with regular nicotine or 20-30mg/ml with nicotine salts will work best and will provide the most satisfaction. These ejuices are best used with medium-powered e-cigarette devices, but will work great in pod vapes as well.
High Nicotine Strength
- Regular Nicotine: 12-18mg/ml
- Nicotine Salts: 30-60mg/ml
On the far end of the scale, high nicotine strength ejuices are best for those who smoke two packs a day or more and will provide the maximum nicotine satisfaction in an ejuice. This will be around 12-18mg/ml with regular nicotine and 30-60mg with nicotine salts.
Pod style vapes or vapes with a tight mouth to lung draw will work best for high nicotine strength ejuices. High powered devices are not recommended with high nicotine strength ejuices as they will deliver too much nicotine per puff.
E-Liquid Nicotine Strength Variations Around the World
In the United States, there is technically no upper limit to the nicotine strength legally allowed in e-liquid, and it is not unusual to see vape juices that contain 50mg/ml. This includes several of the 34 e-cigarette products that have so far been granted marketing authorization by the FDA. So is 5% nicotine a lot?
It seems that the health authorities in most other countries think so. For example, the maximum legally allowed strength that can be sold in the United Kingdom and most of Europe is 20mg/ml (2%) or less. Similar limits also apply in Canada and many other countries.
Whether or not you choose, as a vaper in the United States, to use 50mg/ml liquid is up to you. But it is worth considering the fact that the average cigarette contains around 14mg of nicotine (a significant percentage of which is not absorbed), so just because you were a “heavy” smoker, that doesn’t always mean that you’ll need to start vaping at the highest strength.
How to Tell You’re Using the Right Strength E-Liquid
Even if you follow all of the advice here, finding the perfect nicotine strength for you can take a bit of time and experimentation. Just because you previously smoked 20 cigarettes a day, it doesn’t mean that a straight swap to the equivalent milligram amount of vaped nicotine will feel right. Often, the best way to tell you’re using the right strength e-liquid is to listen to your body for tell-tale signs.
Satisfaction – If you aim to vape as you once smoked (taking a series of puffs as and when you need them, as opposed to “grazing” on your e-cigarette throughout the day), pay attention to how satisfied you feel each time. Craving constant puffs could mean you should increase the nicotine strength slightly.
Not Craving Cigarettes – When you first switch to vaping, craving a cigarette can be considered normal. However, this craving should fade fairly quickly as your body gets used to the new nicotine delivery method. If those cigarette cravings don’t go away, consider increasing the nicotine level until they do. You can always taper back down once you have beaten them.
Vaping Comfort – If making the switch from cigarettes to vaping is to be successful, the experience has to be no less enjoyable than smoking. If your vape is making you cough or the throat hit is particularly harsh, the nicotine strength might be too high. It is usually best to start vaping low and find the perfect level gradually, rather than assuming you will need 50mg/ml e-liquid from the get-go.
No Side Effects – There are many potential side effects of using too much nicotine that you should look out for, even if you didn’t experience them when smoking. Common side effects include mouth ulcers, nausea, and a sore throat, but you might also experience stomach upsets, heartburn, dizziness, fatigue, dental problems, and worse. All are a good sign that you are vaping at a nicotine strength that is too high, but always seek help from a medical professional if they persist.
Adjusting Your Nicotine Strength
One of the best things about swapping tobacco for vaping is that if you’re not feeling satisfied after vaping a certain nicotine strength you can and should try adjusting it, one strength level at a time, until you find what works. For example, if you’re vaping a 3mg ejuice and aren’t feeling satisfied enough, try a 6mg/ml ejuice. On the other hand, if you feel the throat hit is too harsh from a 9mg/ml ejuice, try a 6mg ejuice.
The Bottom Line
No matter whether you get your e-liquid in 60ml bottles or a disposable vape, finding the right nicotine strength for your needs is one of the key tasks in ensuring your switch from smoking to much less harmful vaping goes smoothly.
There are no hard and fast rules to say what strength vape juice you’ll need to buy, but the guidelines and advice here should give you a head start in choosing the perfect nicotine strength level for you.
Adam Alhiraki
I like the tip that you gave to use high nicotine liquid in low powered devices. My wife and I have been talking about finding new vape juice with a higher nicotine content than the one that we have right now, and it would be important for us to know that we could use it correctly. If we decide to get new vape juice, I will be sure to use it in the right powered device.
Thanks. I’ve been trying to move to salts and received lots of conflicting advice. 20mg seemed way too low when 18mg of nic was a bit too low. Now I’ll just have to try it out but start around 30mg and work upwards.