In-Depth Guide to Vaping in 2025

What Does Vaping Mean? What Is Inside a Vape?

Vaping means to inhale an aerosol (Vapour) created by the electronic cigarette called “Vape.” But what’s really inside a vape? Although every vape design is different, there are some common components that you may want to know about:

• Battery: Usually rechargeable, powering the whole device.
• A Tank or Pod cartridge: Holds the e-liquid. Some are refillable, others are pre-filled.
• Coil: A heating element that turns liquid into vapour.
• Mouthpiece: The part you inhale from.

They have a very straightforward design, whether you are into mouth-to-lung vaping or direct-to-lung. They are also user-friendly. All you have to do is press the button or simply inhale to vape. Some vapes work automatically when inhaled.

Accessories Used in Vaping

To keep your vaping device running and enjoyable, you need to have these accessories at hand. The vape device itself is just the start of your journey; the accessories play a big part here. Let’s take a look at the most common accessories:

• Replacement Coils & Pods
• E-Liquid Bottles
• Chargers & Cables
• Spare Batteries
• Drip Tips (Mouthpieces)
• Carrying Cases & Pouches
• Cotton & Wire (for DIY users)
• Silicone Bands & Covers
• Adapters & Extenders

These accessories help you vape safely, extend device life, improve flavour and enhance the overall experience.

Different Types of Vapes & E-Cigs in 2025

There are many types of e-cigs or types of vapes, each is designed to provide you with a unique experience. Additionally, some are larger, while others are powerful and even refillable. Here are the different types of e-cigs and vapes to help you buy the one that suits your needs.

Cig-a-Likes (The First E-Cigs)

Cig-a-likes are the ancient electronic cigarette types. The first-of-its-kind. They are slim, lightweight, and designed to look and feel like a real cigarette. Many of these are disposable or come with replaceable cartridges (known as cartomisers).

Vape Pens

A vape pen is shaped like a pen and is bigger than a cig-a-like vape device. It is equipped with a rechargeable battery, a refillable tank, and a replaceable coil. This makes it a versatile device.

Pod Systems

In recent times, pod systems are the most popular type of vape. They use small pods instead of tanks. Pods can be pre-filled (closed pods) or refillable (open pods).

Disposable Vapes

Disposable vapes have exploded in popularity over time; however, on June 1st, 2025, they are banned in the UK due to their impact on the environment. They’re pre-filled, pre-charged, and easy to use. Once the liquid or battery runs out, you just throw them away. After the ban on single-use vapes, there are two kinds of devices that are gaining popularity.

• Prefilled Pod Kits

Prefilled pod systems are simple, mess-free devices that come with pods already filled with e-liquid. In these devices, the battery is reusable and rechargeable, and the pods are replaceable. Ideal for beginners, they offer consistent flavour and easy swapping. Examples include Hayati Pro Max Plus, Hayati Rubik 7000, and many more.

• Big Puff Vapes

Big puff vapes are high-capacity vapes designed for extended use, delivering thousands of puffs from one device. They suit heavy vapers wanting convenience and longevity. They come in different design setups, like 2ml + 10ml and 4-in-1. Examples include Hayati Pro Ultra Plus 25K and Crystal Pro Switch 30K.

Box Mods & Advanced Vape Kits

Box mods are larger and more powerful vape devices. They come with customisable settings like wattage, airflow, and temperature control. Paired with sub-ohm tanks, they can create massive vapour clouds and strong flavour.

Mechanical Mods (Mech Mods)

Mechanical mods are unregulated devices with no electronics. They just contain a battery, a coil, and a switch. They deliver raw power; in other words, the output depends on your battery and coil setup.

What Are Rebuildable Vaping Devices

Rebuildable vaping devices are more advanced vaping kits that allow you to build your own coils and wicks. Instead of using an already-made coil, you will be building your own. It gives you real control over flavour, vapour and performance of your device.

Types of Rebuildable Devices

• RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser): In this device, you drip e-liquid directly onto the coil and wick. RDAs are known for their strong flavour but need frequent dripping.
• RTA (Rebuildable Tank Atomiser): Works like a regular tank but with a built-in deck. You get the convenience of a tank and the custom flavour of rebuildables.
• RDTA (Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomiser): It is a hybrid tank that combines dripping and a tank system. It’s mostly used for direct-to-lung (DTL) inhales. It gives you bigger clouds with a strong flavour, while storing the e-liquid below the coil so you don’t have to drip each time.

What Are E-liquids & How They Work

In order to understand vaping, you also need to understand what helps create a vapour. Well, it is the e-liquid, more like the fuel for vape devices that are heated to produce the vapour you inhale. E-liquids, also called vape juice, have four main components:

• Propylene Glycol (PG): Delivers a stronger throat hit and carries flavour well.
• Vegetable Glycerine (VG): Creates thicker vapour clouds and a smoother inhale.
• Nicotine (optional): Available in varying strengths, from high to nicotine-free.
• Flavourings: Food-grade flavours that give your vape its taste.

There are also nicotine salt e-liquids offering you a quick and smooth throat hit.

What Are the Different Types of E-liquids?

Here are some common types of e-liquids you may want to know about:

• Nicotine Salts: This type of e-juice offers a smoother throat hit, they are laboratory-made, and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Available in 10mg/ml and 20mg/ml nicotine strength, they are a perfect fit for MTL vaping and pod kits.
• Freebase Liquids: Freebase e-liquids are available in 3mg/ml, 6mg/ml, and 12mg/ml nicotine strengths, available in different PG/VG ratios. They offer a harsh throat hit and are mostly compatible with sub-ohm devices.
• High PG E-Liquids: Best for smaller devices and pod systems, offering a strong throat hit.
• High VG E-Liquids: Best for sub-ohm tanks and cloud chasing, providing you with a smoother inhale.
• 50/50 Blends: Balanced option, suitable for most beginner-friendly kits.

Which one you choose will depend on your personal preference and your vaping device.

Benefits of Vaping: A Detailed, Evidence-Based View

Vaping is not free of risk; however, for many smokers, it can be a beneficial option. Below are the benefits of vaping over smoking. You’ll learn all about vaping and its advantages.

Major Benefit: Harm Reduction

Cigarettes contain thousands of harmful chemicals, which are known as carcinogens. What you need to know is that these chemicals are not found in the vapes in very high amounts. Several UK public health reviews concluded that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking.

It Can Help People Quit Smoking (Effective as a Stop-Smoking Tool)

Vaping is most commonly used as a quitting aid. In the UK, the health services and quit smoking guidance include e-cigarettes as a practical option to help people stop smoking. Especially when vaping is used alongside behavioural support, it can really increase your chances of quitting smoking. If your goal is to break the smoking addiction, then you must treat vaping as a tool rather than just another addiction. Set a quit date and smoothly move on.

You Can Control and Taper Nicotine Precisely

E-liquid comes in different nicotine strengths. In other words, you have the option to choose a specific nicotine strength that can meet your cravings. Public health evidence shows that many ex-smokers who started vaping have reduced nicotine strength over time. This makes a gradual taper feasible for many users. Why does that matter? Well, controlled tapering helps you break physiological dependency at a pace that suits you.

Less Smell, Cleaner Environment and Practical Daily Benefits

Vape vapour does not leave the same smell as cigarettes do. There will be no ash, no cigarette butts, and no stained fingers. For many ex-smokers, this is the biggest quality of life improvement. In short, your clothes, your furniture, or anything at all won’t smell like a cigar anymore.

Reduced Second-hand Harm Compared with Smoking

E-cigarette aerosol has far lower levels of many toxic chemicals when compared to tobacco smoke. That means the user is exposed to fewer harmful substances than they would from a cigarette.

Transitioning from Smoking to Vaping

Transition is not always easy, but it sure is smoother when it comes to transitioning from smoking to vaping. As you know, vaping is not exactly like smoking; however, it can make you feel like you are smoking. 

But how does a vape work? Cigarettes burn tobacco while vapes convert liquid into vapour. It is not the same thing, but it sure is a less harmful alternative. When tobacco is burned, thousands of harmful chemicals and tar are produced, but a vape does not do that.

So, in order to transition first, you need to choose the best vape device. Here is what you need to know about the best vape for beginners to make the transition easy:

Choosing Your First Vape

If you are starting your vaping journey fresh, the best vape for beginners like you would be a pod system or a pen-like vape device. Their design is straightforward, they are portable and are also affordable.

What Vape Should I Buy?

We all have the same question when we are trying to convert from smoking to vaping. If you are wondering which one, first, ask yourself:

• Do I need a discreet or a long-lasting device?
• Am I looking for a high nicotine delivery or flavour?
• Am I willing to do maintenance like refilling or changing the coil?
• What is my vaping style?

If you are looking for the best vape. It all depends on your needs, budget, and experience level. Here are the vape devices that you can buy depending on your needs.

• Beginners: A refillable pod kit or vape pen. Simple to use, affordable, and easy to maintain.
• For Ex-Smokers: A mouth-to-lung (MTL) pod system with nicotine salts. Closest to smoking.
• Cloud Chasers: A box mod with a sub-ohm tank. More vapour and custom settings.
• On-the-Go Users: A compact, rechargeable pod system. Discreet and portable.

How to Vape for the First Time or How to Use a Vape

Anyone vaping for the first time will always ask: “How do you vape, or how to vape for the first time. Don’t worry, it is not that hard. Here, take a look:

• Charge your pod kit fully.
• Insert the pod or fill it with e-liquid.
• Wait a few minutes for the coil to absorb the liquid.
• Switch on the device (or use auto-draw if available).
• Take small draws. Don’t pull too hard or too quickly. Pod devices are required to be inhaled gently.
• Let the vapour rest. Hold the vapour briefly in your mouth before drawing it into your lungs. This slows down the impact on your throat.
• Choose the right nicotine strength. High nicotine levels can be very harsh. If you don’t want to cough, switch to a lower strength.
• Stay hydrated. Vapour can dry your throat. A sip of water before vaping helps smooth the experience.

How to Inhale a Vape Properly

You should also know how to inhale a vape properly. Have a look:

• Mouth-to-Lung (MTL): Draw vapour into your mouth before inhaling. Just like smoking.
• Direct-to-Lung (DTL): Inhale straight into your lungs. Creates bigger clouds, best with more powerful devices.
• RDL (Restricted Direct-Lung): A hybrid style. You inhale straight into your lungs (like DTL), but the airflow is more restricted. This gives you a tighter draw than DTL, but looser than MTL. More flavour than pure cloud chasing. Provides a balance between throat hit and vapour production.

How to Vape Properly and Safely

We have learned how to vape for the first time, but let’s discuss how to vape safely. You need to know the essential steps to vape properly. Here are those:

• Use the compatible e-liquid for your device. Pod systems usually work best with nicotine salts or 50/50 blends.
• Let the e-liquid soak into the cotton in the coil before you vape; it will take a minute. In other words, you should prime your pod before vaping.
• Avoid chain vaping. Thinking about how long you should vape for in one go? Well, a few puffs at a time are enough.
• Always keep your device clean and check for leaks.

By following these steps, you can safely vape without having a hard throat hit and without damaging your pod.

Legal & Regulatory Landscape in 2025

How Old Do You Have to Be to Vape?

In the UK, you should be at least 18 years old to buy or use vapes. Selling to minors is illegal.

Cost Over Time: Are Vapes Cheaper Than Smoking?

If you are still confused, let us help you with that. You can get a starter kit for around £20–40. Moreover, if you are looking for replacement pods or e-liquids, you will get them at around £5–10.

So does that make vaping cheaper than smoking? Yes, it does. Smoking a pack of cigarettes can cost you around £300+ per month. However, vaping with pods will cost you around £50 per month. This makes them a far less harmful and expensive option.

Can You Bring a Vape on a Plane? Travel, Etiquette & Practical Tips

If you plan to travel with your vape, keep these things in mind:

• For air travel: Your vape devices must go in hand luggage, not checked bags. E-liquids should follow the 100ml liquid rule.
• Customs: Some countries (for example, Thailand and Singapore) have banned vapes entirely. So you must check before travelling.
• Etiquette: Never assume you can vape in public spaces. You must respect signs and people around you.

What Type of Vapes Are Banned in 2025?

Many countries are cracking down on disposable vapes. Why is that so? Disposable vapes have a great environmental impact. Millions of disposable vapes are thrown away every single week. Moreover, instead of being recycled, they end up in the general waste. Their lithium-made batteries often pose a fire risk. 

Single-use products add up to plastic and battery waste. Single-use vapes are banned in the UK from June 1st, 2025. Here are the banned e-cigarettes:

• Vapes that cannot be refilled with e-liquid.
• Vapes that cannot be recharged.
• Both nicotine and nicotine-free disposables.

Here are the vapes that are still legal:

• Refillable vape pens, pod systems, and mods.
• Any device that is both rechargeable and refillable.

So devices like pod kits, refillable/modular vapes, and rechargeable systems with changeable parts are still legal, provided they meet regulatory requirements. So if you are quitting smoking and turning to vaping, you should get refillable and rechargeable vapes that are still legal.

Final Thoughts

With many types of vapes available in the market, the choice depends on your goal. If you want to quit smoking, you should get cig-a-likes or pod systems. If you are looking for power and customisation options, then you should get a box mod. Looking for balance? You should get a refillable pod system. The most important thing is to match your device with your lifestyle and demands as a former smoker. When you understand the different vape devices, you’ll know what you need for the best experience.