Russ WareFor anyone new to vaping or thinking about making the switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes, working out how much this new lifestyle choice will cost is likely to be, after weighing the potential health benefits, one of the first things to be considered. Getting it wrong at the start can be both expensive and frustrating, and could be a deciding factor in whether you stick to this new path or go back to cigarettes.
Thankfully, vaping is almost always less expensive than smoking at a baseline level, and if you are willing to shop around, do a bit of research, and adjust how you vape in subtle ways, it can be even more cost-effective. Here are a few simple ways you can reduce the cost of vaping, all without ruining the elements that attracted you to it in the first place.
1. Choose a Refillable Vape Instead of Disposables
At first glance, a $15 disposable vape that offers 15,000 puffs can seem like a much more cost-effective way to vape than a $35 refillable pod vape and a $10 bottle of e-liquid, but that usually isn’t the case. We have previously examined, in some detail, the true cost of vaping with disposables versus refillables, and in the long term, single-use devices prove to be the more expensive option; and by quite a large margin.
The initial outlay for a refillable vape, pods/coils, and e-liquid is very likely to be more than the cost of a single big-puff disposable, but that disposable will cost the same every week or month from then on. A refillable setup, even taking into account buying new coils and vape juice, will become more and more cost-effective as time goes on. The cost will often come down to just a few dollars a month if you buy smart and look after your coils.
It is also worth noting that just because a disposable is rated to provide 10,000 or 15,000 puffs, you are unlikely to ever get those amounts from them. The puff count is always an estimate, based on machine testing, volume of e-liquid, device wattage, nicotine strength, and several other variables.
This isn’t deceptive marketing, and reputable brands will certainly have verified that number of puffs before they make the claim, but only under optimal testing conditions. If you take longer draws, inhale more aggressively, or leave shorter intervals between puffs, the total number of puffs from a disposable could be reduced by between 25% and 50%.
2. Avoid the Cheapest Starter Kits, and the Premium Ones
So, you have decided to buy a refillable device, but which one should you buy? When making the switch from smoking to vaping, the first vape you buy can have a big effect on how well the switch goes, and whether you stick with it. But beyond that, choosing the right device at the start will be much more cost-effective than cycling through three or four different devices to find the “right” one.
It is very easy to find refillable vape kits costing less than $15 (usually advertised as Starter Kits), but “cheapest” isn’t always the most cost-effective. The cheapest devices generally won’t use the most long-lasting materials, and are likely to include less robust internal components. $15 isn’t so much of a bargain if the device only lasts 6 months.
Our advice would be to stick with the most well-known brands (VAPORESSO, OXVA, Innokin, Geekvape, etc.) and go for a mid-range device. Devices like the OXVA XLIM, Vaporesso XROS 5, Uwell Caliburn G3, and Geekvape Wenax are all fine choices for around $30-$35.
New and budget-conscious vapers should avoid the more complex premium pod mods and tank mods. They are far more expensive to buy, overly complex for most beginner needs, and will go through many more coils and much more vape juice than a decent pod device.
3. Buy E-Liquid in Larger Volumes
E-liquid, like everything from washing detergent to milk, is more cost-effective when bought in larger volumes. A 10ml bottle of vape juice will typically cost around $5 (equating to $0.50/ml), whereas a 60ml bottle could cost as little as $12 ($0.20/ml). You can go even further and get the largest bottle size that is widely available, 120ml, for as little as $15 ($0.13/ml). We’d be very surprised if 120ml of e-liquid didn’t last the average vaper a couple of months.
Buying vape liquid in larger volumes is a bit less straightforward if you live somewhere, such as the UK and most of Europe, where the law restricts bottle size to 10ml. Thankfully, there are ways (legal ways) around this, in the shape of Shortfills. Shortfill bottles are larger bottles, usually 60ml or 120ml, that contain 50ml or 100ml of flavored but nicotine-free e-liquid.
The end user (you) can then add a 10ml “shot” or two of unflavored nicotine liquid. Give it a shake to mix it, and voila, you have 60ml or 120ml of nicotine e-liquid ready to vape. You’ll have to do some maths to work out the strength of the resulting liquid, but it’s pretty simple stuff.
Buying shortfills and nicotine shots is likely to be a bit more expensive than buying 120ml of pre-mixed vape juice, but it will still be more cost-effective than buying 10ml bottles in the long run.
4. Learn How to Manage Coils Effectively
The biggest ongoing expense associated with refillable vapes, aside from vape juice, is the replaceable coils or pods (with fixed coils). Thankfully, modern coils from reputable vape brands last far better than they did just a few years ago, and if you learn a few simple things about how to manage them, they can often last for several weeks each. So, how can you make coils/pods last longer?
Prime the Coil Before Use – Priming the coil simply means allowing the wicking material inside it to become fully saturated before putting power through it. This can be done in a couple of ways, depending on the type of coil/pod setup you are using.
Use Appropriate Wattage – While the sort of devices mentioned above will often limit the wattage to within a safe range based on the coil that is detected, you’ll usually be able to manually adjust power within that range. Running a coil at the top end will always result in a shorter lifespan than running it at mid or low range.
Avoid or Reduce Use of Sweet Flavors – E-liquids that use sweet flavorings are usually slightly stickier than those that don’t. Sticky liquids will leave more residue inside the coil, potentially shortening its lifespan. However, it might be better to risk a shorter coil lifespan if sweet flavors are the thing that makes vaping a better personal choice than smoking.
Don’t Let it Run Dry – Drawing on a coil that has no e-liquid to feed it will result in burn damage to both the wicking and the mesh/ceramic material inside (it also tastes terrible). While a single dry hit won’t always kill a coil outright, its viable lifespan will be massively reduced.
Doing these few simple things, which should quickly become second nature, will give your coils the best chance to last for weeks on end. We have had coils from OXVA, Vaporesso, Uwell, and others that lasted for more than a month, which is incredible value for money.
Using the OXVA Xlim as an example, a pack of three pods with pre-fitted coils costs around $10, potentially providing three months of use, for a cost of just over three bucks a month.
5. Extra Money-Saving Vape Tips
Choose the Right Nicotine Strength – While 5% strength e-liquid generally costs the same as 2% strength, most vapers won’t use them at the same rate. The higher the strength, the more nicotine that gets into your system per puff. That means fewer puffs, fewer refills, and less e-liquid to buy. If you are happy with your 2% liquid, by all means stick with it. But if you feel you are getting through a bottle too fast, even a slight increase in strength could help.
Avoid Knockoff Devices – Knockoff or black market vapes and e-liquid are often cheaper to buy than those from well-known brands, but cheaper doesn’t always mean more cost-effective. And it certainly doesn’t mean safer. Devices from reputable, known brands will almost always last you longer and perform better over time.
Track Your Spending – Tracking your vape spending might seem a bit of a chore, but if one of the reasons you switched to vaping from smoking is cost, it can really help to make the savings clear. It might seem like you’re constantly having to order refills, coils, etc., which can make vaping feel more expensive. Keeping track of what you spend will show you, whenever you have doubts, that it isn’t.
The Bottom Line
Switching from cigarettes to vaping will almost always save you money, but how much you save is very much up to you. One of the most attractive things about vaping is that it is adaptable to suit many requirements, and if one of your requirements is being budget-friendly, there are multiple ways to make vaping more cost-effective. From picking a device that will last to buying e-liquid in larger volumes, there are ways to save cash in almost every element of the vaping experience.
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