Best E-Liquids UK 2026: Flavours, Nic Salts & Shortfills

Whether you've just swapped your first cigarette for a vape or you're an experienced cloud-chaser hunting your next all-day flavour, e-liquid is the thing that makes or breaks your vaping experience. With hundreds of brands, thousands of flavours, and multiple formats to choose from, it can feel overwhelming. This guide cuts through the noise.

We've put together the most complete UK e-liquid resource for 2026 — covering everything from the basics of PG and VG, through to nicotine strengths, the best brands, and how to match the right liquid to your device. Use the contents below to jump straight to what you need, or read through from start to finish.

What Is E-Liquid?

E-liquid (also called vape juice, e-juice, or vape liquid) is the fluid that gets heated by your vape device to produce vapour. Every e-liquid contains the same basic building blocks, even if the brand or flavour changes.

Propylene Glycol (PG)

PG is a thin, odourless liquid that carries flavour extremely well. It also produces the "throat hit" that many smokers find satisfying when they first switch to vaping. E-liquids with higher PG content feel more like a traditional cigarette, but produce less visible vapour.

Vegetable Glycerin (VG)

VG is a thicker, slightly sweet liquid derived from plants. It's responsible for the dense, billowy clouds you see sub-ohm vapers producing. High-VG liquids feel smoother on the throat and deliver a slightly sweeter taste, but they can mute flavour intensity slightly compared to high-PG alternatives.

Nicotine

Most vapers choose e-liquids with some nicotine to help manage cravings when switching from cigarettes. UK law caps nicotine content at 20mg/ml (2%) in ready-to-use liquids. You can also choose 0mg if you enjoy vaping for the flavour alone. Nicotine comes in two forms: freebase (found in most traditional e-liquids and shortfills) and nicotine salt (nic salts), which uses benzoic acid to make higher strengths smoother and faster-absorbing.

Flavourings

Food-grade flavourings are what give each e-liquid its character — whether that's a sharp mango, a creamy vanilla custard, or a cool spearmint. Reputable UK brands use flavourings approved for inhalation and must declare all ingredients to the MHRA under TRPR rules.

Types of E-Liquid

Walk into any UK vape shop (or browse our e-liquids collection) and you'll encounter several different formats. Here's how they compare:

Type	Bottle Size	Nicotine	PG/VG	Best For
50/50 E-Liquid	10ml	0–18mg freebase	50/50	MTL kits, pod devices, beginners
Nic Salt	10ml	10mg or 20mg	50/50 or 60/40	Pod kits, switchers from cigarettes
Shortfill	50ml or 100ml	0mg (add nic shot)	70/30 or Max VG	Sub-ohm kits, cloud chasers
Bar Salt	10ml	10mg or 20mg	50/50	Replicating disposable bar flavours in a refillable pod

Nicotine Strengths Explained

Choosing the right nicotine strength is one of the most important decisions you'll make when you start vaping. Too little and you won't satisfy cravings; too much and you'll feel dizzy or nauseous. Here's a quick overview of every strength available in the UK.

Strength	% Nicotine	Who It's For	Typical Format
0mg	0%	Non-smokers, those quitting nicotine entirely	Shortfill, 50/50
3mg	0.3%	Very light or social smokers; stepping down	50/50, shortfill + shot
6mg	0.6%	Light smokers (up to 10/day)	50/50, shortfill + shot
10mg	1%	Moderate smokers; nic salt beginners	Nic salt, bar salt
12mg	1.2%	Moderate-to-heavy smokers	50/50 freebase
18mg	1.8%	Heavy smokers; stepping down from 20mg	50/50 freebase
20mg	2% (UK max)	Heavy smokers (20+ cigarettes/day)	Nic salt, bar salt

For a deeper dive into which strength suits your smoking history, read our full nicotine strength guide.

Best E-Liquid Flavour Categories

The UK vape market offers an enormous range of flavours. Here's a quick rundown of the most popular categories and what to expect from each one.

Fruit Flavours

The single most popular category in the UK. From tropical blends like mango and passion fruit to familiar favourites like strawberry and watermelon, fruit e-liquids are bright, refreshing, and endlessly varied. They work especially well as nic salts in pod kits.

Menthol & Mint

Since the UK ban on menthol cigarettes in 2020, menthol vaping has exploded. Whether you want a pure, icy blast of mint or a fruit-menthol blend, there are more options than ever. See our best menthol e-liquids guide for our top picks.

Tobacco

The classic choice for smokers making the switch. Good tobacco e-liquids replicate the warmth and depth of a cigarette without the harshness. Styles range from classic Virginia to American blend, dark tobacco, and RY4 (tobacco with a caramel undertone).

Dessert & Bakery

Custards, doughnuts, creamy cheesecakes, and toffee puddings — dessert e-liquids are rich, indulgent, and a world away from cigarette taste. They work beautifully in sub-ohm setups with a high-VG shortfill.

Candy & Sweet

Bubblegum, cola bottles, candy floss, and fizzy sweets — this category is unashamedly fun. Bar salts have brought candy flavours to nic salt vapers who want big sweetness in a pocket-friendly pod device.

Top UK E-Liquid Brands

The UK e-liquid market is crowded, but a handful of brands consistently lead on quality, flavour range, and TPD compliance. Here are five you'll find stocked at UK Vape World.

IVG (I Vape Great)

One of the UK's biggest homegrown brands, IVG produces an enormous range of nic salts, bar salts, and shortfills. Their Bar Salts range is particularly popular — designed to replicate the flavours of popular disposable vape bars in a 10ml bottle format that works in any refillable pod kit.

Pukka Juice

A Manchester-born brand with a devoted following. Pukka Juice is known for bold, punchy fruit flavours and excellent consistency across their nic salt and shortfill ranges. If you're after fruit-forward e-liquids made in the North of England, Pukka Juice is a great place to start.

Dinner Lady

Dinner Lady shot to international fame with their Lemon Tart shortfill — still one of the best-selling dessert e-liquids in the world. Their range has since expanded into nic salts and bar salts, keeping the same high flavour quality that made them famous.

Bar Juice 5000

Bar Juice 5000 is purpose-built to satisfy disposable vape fans who want to switch to a more sustainable refillable setup. Their 10ml nic salt bottles replicate popular bar vape flavours at a fraction of the cost of buying single-use devices.

Nasty Juice

Originally from Malaysia but hugely popular in the UK, Nasty Juice specialises in tropical and exotic fruit blends. Their shortfills and nic salts are bright, complex, and well-regarded for flavour depth.

How to Choose the Right E-Liquid

With so much choice, a little structure helps. Work through these three questions and you'll narrow things down quickly.

1. What device are you using?

Your device type determines which e-liquid format is suitable:

• Pod kits and MTL (mouth-to-lung) starter kits — use 50/50 e-liquids or nic salts (10ml bottles)
• Sub-ohm kits and box mods — use shortfills with 70VG or higher
• Disposable-style refillable pods — use bar salts (10ml nic salts)

Browse our vape kits collection if you're still choosing your device — it helps to choose kit and liquid together.

2. What PG/VG ratio do you need?

Match your ratio to your device. Pod and MTL kits run best on 50/50 or 60/40 blends. Sub-ohm coils handle thicker 70VG or Max VG liquids comfortably. Using a high-VG liquid in a pod kit can result in dry hits or burnt coils. Read our PG vs VG guide for the full breakdown.

3. What nicotine strength do you need?

Match your strength to your previous smoking habits. Heavy smokers generally need 20mg nic salts; moderate smokers do well at 10mg; light smokers and those stepping down might prefer 3mg or 6mg freebase. Our nicotine strength guide walks through the decision in detail.

All E-Liquid Guides

Use the links below to explore every guide in our e-liquids content pillar.

Frequently Asked Questions