Nic Salt Strengths Guide: Choose 5mg, 10mg or 20mg

Nic salt strength changes everything about how your vape feels. The same pod kit with the same flavour tastes completely different at 5mg compared to 20mg. Throat hit, flavour intensity, how often you reach for it, and how fast cravings settle all shift depending on which mg level you pick.

Three strengths cover the UK market: 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg. All nic salt e-liquids sold in the UK use the same nicotine salt formula with benzoic acid. Only the concentration of nicotine inside the bottle changes between them. If you're not sure what nicotine salts actually are or how they differ from freebase, our guide to nic salts covers the basics.

Nic Salt Strength Chart

This is a quick reference. Match your smoking history to the right nic salt mg level.

20mg is the legal maximum for nic salt e-liquid in the UK under TPD rules. You won't find anything stronger on the shelves at any UK retailer.

20mg Nic Salt: Is It Strong?

20mg nic salt is the strongest vape juice you can buy in the UK. It's strong, but it doesn't feel as harsh as 18mg freebase nicotine would in the same kit. The benzoic acid in nic salts smooths the throat hit at higher concentrations.

At 20mg, you'll feel the nicotine land within a few puffs. Someone coming off 20 cigarettes a day usually needs this level for the first few weeks. It takes the edge off cravings fast and means you're not vaping constantly to get what you need.

Keep the wattage low with 20mg. Anything above 15W starts pushing too much nicotine per puff and can make you feel dizzy or nauseous. Tight MTL pod kits between 8W and 15W are the right match.

20mg Nicotine vs Cigarettes

People ask how 20mg nic salt compares to a cigarette. A standard cigarette contains roughly 10mg to 12mg of nicotine, but your lungs only absorb about 1mg to 1.5mg of that per cigarette. Nic salt absorption rates sit somewhere between the two depending on how you vape.

There isn't an exact puff for puff equivalent because draw length, wattage, and coil resistance all change the amount you take in. As a rough guide, a 2ml pod of 20mg nic salt contains 40mg of total nicotine in the bottle. You won't absorb all of it, but there's enough in one pod to cover what a pack a day smoker needs across a full day.

10mg Nic Salt: The Middle Ground

10mg is where most vapers end up long term. It's strong enough to keep cravings quiet without being so heavy that you notice it in your throat with every puff.

If you smoked between 10 and 20 cigarettes a day and you've been vaping for a while, 10mg usually hits the right balance. The flavour comes through clearly at this strength because the nicotine doesn't overpower it the way 20mg can with some profiles.

10mg works in any pod kit or MTL tank. You've got more flexibility with wattage here too. Anything from 8W up to around 18W gives a good vape without the nicotine becoming overwhelming.

10mg vs 20mg Nic Salts: Which to Buy

This is one of the most common questions in the shop. The short answer depends on where you are in your switch from smoking.

Starting on 20mg and stepping down to 10mg after a month or two is a common path. Once the cigarette cravings stop being a daily problem, most people find 10mg does the job without the heavier throat hit.

5mg Nic Salt: For Lower Nicotine Vaping

5mg is the lightest nic salt strength on the UK market. The throat hit almost disappears at this level and flavour becomes the main event. Fruit, dessert, and menthol profiles all taste noticeably sharper at 5mg because the nicotine isn't dulling them.

This strength suits people who only smoked a few cigarettes a day or vapers who've already stepped down from 10mg. It's also a good fit for all day vaping because you can puff regularly without taking in too much nicotine across the day.

5mg nic salts work in every refillable pod kit on the market. You can also run 5mg in slightly higher wattage kits (up to 20W or so) without any issues. At this strength, RDL style pods with a slightly airier draw work fine alongside standard MTL setups. 

Percentage to mg Conversion

Vape brands in some countries label nicotine as a percentage instead of mg/ml. In the UK, labels show mg/ml, but if you're comparing products from abroad or reading US reviews, you'll see percentages.

Anything labelled 2% or 20mg/ml is the same thing. The UK caps nicotine e-liquid at 20mg/ml regardless of whether it's nic salt or freebase. Any bottle claiming higher than 2% isn't legal for sale in the UK under TPD.

Wattage and Coil Settings for Nic Salts

The strength you're vaping affects which wattage works best. Higher nicotine at higher wattage pushes too much into each puff and can make you feel rough.

Most pod kits handle wattage on their own based on coil resistance. If your kit has manual wattage control, start at the low end of the range above and bump it up until the flavour cleans up. Our guide to finding your wattage goes into more detail if you want to dial it in.

Signs You're on the Wrong Strength

Your body tells you when the nicotine level isn't right. Here's what to look for.

Strength too high (drop down):

• Headaches or feeling lightheaded after a few puffs
• Nausea or a rough feeling in your stomach
• Throat feels too harsh even on a tight MTL draw
• You don't enjoy the vape because the nicotine overpowers the flavour

Strength too low (go up):

• Puffing constantly without ever feeling satisfied
• Strong cravings first thing in the morning
• Going through pods much faster than expected
• Reaching for a cigarette because the vape isn't cutting it

Give any new strength at least three or four days before switching. Your body needs time to adjust, especially when stepping down from 20mg to 10mg.

Choosing Your First Nic Salt Strength

If you've never vaped before and you're coming off cigarettes, the nicotine strength guide for smokers walks through matching your cigarette intake to the right vape strength.

For anyone already vaping on freebase and thinking about trying nic salts, match the mg level across. Vaping 6mg freebase on a sub-ohm kit isn't the same as 6mg in a pod kit though. Coil resistance and wattage change how much nicotine each puff carries. Start with 10mg nic salt in a pod kit and adjust from there.

Bar salts and regular nic salts both come in the same three strengths. The only difference between them is the flavour profile, not the nicotine formula. Pick whichever flavour range you prefer and choose the mg level based on the chart above.