The best vape setups for nic salts, matched to how you vape

A nic salt setup has three parts: the kit, the pod or coil inside it, and the liquid. When all three suit each other, nic salts are smooth and satisfying. When one is off, you notice straight away. Below are four complete setups for four different kinds of vaper, with examples from our range.

The short version: almost every good nic salt setup is a mouth-to-lung pod kit, a pod or coil of around 0.8 ohms or higher, and a 10 or 20mg/ml nic salt. What changes from one vaper to the next is the size of the kit, the battery, the strength and the flavour style.

If you want the reasoning behind the kit choice, read which devices work best with nic salts. For help with strength, see how to pick the right nic salt strength.

Setup 1: your first kit

Who it suits: adults moving on from smoking or from a single-use vape who want something simple that just works.

• Kit: a straightforward refillable mouth-to-lung pod kit with few or no settings to learn.
• Pod or coil: the standard MTL pod, ideally at the higher resistance end (around 1.0 ohm). Buy a spare pod on day one, so a worn coil never leaves you stuck.
• Liquid: a 10 or 20mg/ml nic salt in a simple fruit or menthol flavour. Bar-style ranges, which recreate the flavours single-use bars made popular, are a familiar place to start.

Would you rather skip refilling altogether? A prefilled pod kit is the simplest alternative: when a pod runs out, you click in a new one.

Setup 2: the all-day vaper

Who it suits: people who vape steadily from morning to night and need a kit that keeps up.

• Kit: a refillable pod kit with a bigger battery, so it lasts the day on one charge. Battery capacity is listed on each product page, so compare a few.
• Pod or coil: a higher resistance pod, somewhere between 0.8 and 1.2 ohms, with two or three spares in rotation. Swap a pod as soon as the flavour fades or tastes burnt rather than pushing on.
• Liquid: 10mg/ml rather than 20mg/ml. When you puff often, a lower strength is usually more comfortable across a whole day. Choose a flavour you will not tire of, such as a clean menthol, a light fruit or a fruit and ice blend, and keep a second bottle in so you never run dry.

Setup 3: discreet and low-key

Who it suits: people who want a small kit and modest vapour. Wherever you are, follow the rules on vaping at work, on public transport and in venues.

• Kit: a compact or "mini" mouth-to-lung pod kit that slips easily into a pocket.
• Pod or coil: the highest resistance pod available for the kit, around 1.0 ohm or more, with the airflow closed down. Higher resistance and a tighter draw both mean less vapour per puff.
• Liquid: 20mg/ml, if that strength suits you, because a stronger salt satisfies in fewer, smaller puffs. Mint and lighter fruit flavours work well at low vapour.

Prefilled pod kits suit this setup too, because there is no bottle to carry.

Setup 4: flavour first

Who it suits: vapers who care most about taste and enjoy dessert, tobacco or layered flavours.

• Kit: either a refillable pod kit with adjustable airflow and power, or a mouth-to-lung tank on a small mod for the most control.
• Pod or coil: a mesh MTL coil, usually around 0.8 to 1.0 ohm. Mesh coils heat evenly, which many vapers find brings out more detail in complex flavours. Prime every new coil by letting liquid soak in for a few minutes before your first puff.
• Liquid: 10mg/ml often works best, because you may take longer, slower puffs to enjoy the flavour. Look for dessert or tobacco ranges made as nic salts.

Sweet and creamy liquids are harder on coils than fruit or menthol, so expect to change coils a little more often in this setup.

The four setups side by side

Setup	Kit type	Pod or coil	Liquid
First kit	Simple refillable pod kit	Standard MTL pod, around 1.0 ohm	10 or 20mg/ml, fruit or menthol
All-day	Pod kit with a bigger battery	0.8 to 1.2 ohm, spares in rotation	10mg/ml, a flavour you will not tire of
Discreet	Compact or mini pod kit	1.0 ohm or higher, tight airflow	20mg/ml, mint or light fruit
Flavour first	Adjustable pod kit, or MTL tank on a mod	Mesh MTL coil, around 0.8 to 1.0 ohm	10mg/ml, dessert or tobacco

Small habits that make any setup better

• Fill pods to just below the maximum line and close them firmly to avoid leaks.
• Let a freshly filled pod sit for a few minutes before you vape.
• Wipe the pod's contacts and the connection on the device now and then, as nic salts can leave a sticky film.
• Change the pod or coil once the flavour fades or turns burnt.
• Keep e-liquid and spare pods out of reach of children and pets.

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