What Are VG and PG?

You'll see a VG/PG ratio on every bottle of e-liquid you pick up. Most guides turn this into a chemistry lesson, but it's not complicated.

So what does VG vs PG actually mean? VG is vegetable glycerine, the thick part of the juice. The more VG in your juice, the bigger your clouds and the smoother the draw feels. You won't get much throat hit from it.

PG is propylene glycol, the thinner part. PG carries the flavour and gives you that hit at the back of your throat when you inhale. If you've smoked before, that's the bit that feels familiar.

Together they make up the base of every vape juice. The ratio between VG and PG decides how the juice performs in your kit, how thick the vapour is, and how the nicotine lands.

Common VG/PG Ratios and What They Do

Four ratios cover nearly every e-liquid on the market. VG is always the first number.

So when you see 70/30 on a bottle, that's 70% VG and 30% PG. Thicker juice, bigger clouds, less throat hit.

Which Ratio Works with Your Kit?

Wrong ratio, wrong experience. Too thick for your coil and you'll get dry hits. Too thin and it floods.

Quick rule of thumb: above 1.0 ohm, use 50/50. Below 0.5 ohm, go 70/30 or thicker. Coils between 0.5 and 1.0 ohm sit nicely with 60/40.

One of the most common mistakes is putting a thick 70/30 juice in a small pod kit. The coil can't wick fast enough and you taste burnt cotton instead of flavour.

Does VG/PG Affect Nicotine?

Your nicotine strength stays the same no matter what ratio you pick. 20mg nic salt in a 50/50 bottle hits 20mg in a 60/40 bottle too.

Where you'll feel the difference is in the throat. PG gets nicotine to the back of your throat faster and sharper. VG softens it out, so the same 20mg feels gentler on the inhale.

That's a big reason why nic salts come in 50/50. The PG carries the nicotine quickly, and the nic salt formula smooths out what would otherwise be a rough 20mg hit. Try that same 20mg as freebase in a 50/50 mix and the throat hit is noticeably harder.

What Ratio Are Nic Salts?

50/50 across the board, almost without exception. Nic salt e-liquids from ElfLIQ, Lost Mary Nic Salts, bar salts, and pretty much every other 10ml brand in the UK all use 50/50.

You'll occasionally find a nic salt in 60/40 or 70/30, but they're rare. For pod kits, 50/50 nic salts are the standard.

What Ratio Are Shortfills?

Opposite end of the scale. Shortfill e-liquids are usually 70/30 or 80/20 VG/PG, built for sub-ohm tanks running coils below 0.5 ohm.

Pod kit users aren't locked out though. Brands like Doozy and Fantasi sell 50/50 shortfills in the 50/50 vape juice range, so you get the bigger bottle without needing a sub-ohm setup.

Our shortfills guide covers how nic shots and mixing work if you haven't tried them before.

What Ratio Should I Start With?

50/50. Especially coming from disposables or cigarettes. It's the closest match to how a disposable vape feels, and every beginner kit and refillable pod kit on the market runs well with it.

Once you know what you like, you can try thicker juice for bigger clouds or stay put. Plenty of pod kit vapers never bother going past 50/50 because the flavour and throat hit already suit them.

Already on a sub-ohm tank? The high VG e-liquids collection covers everything at 70/30 and above.