The Best E-Juice for New E-Cigarette Users

Vaping is undeniably the single best alternative to traditional analog cigarettes in the world today. It delivers the nicotine that smoker’s crave, while simultaneously satisfying the throat hit and oral fixation that is also desired. However, electronic cigarettes are not only used by those seeking a smoking alternative, but is also an activity enjoyed as a hobby by those who have never smoked. This is one of the many characteristics that makes vaping so uniquely popular among all demographic groups across the globe.

While the ostensibly endless array of available products is certainly part of the fun associated with vaping, selecting your first setup, as well as the e-juice used to fill your first tank, can be a daunting task. The difference between the PG-to-VG ratios, the various flavor categories, the many available nicotine strengths, as well as other variables can be extremely difficult to navigate through when you first embark on your vaping journey.

This article will help new vapers determine what the best e-juice types and flavors are for your individual needs, and will help serve as a useful guide for future e-liquid purchases.

Selecting The Right PG-to-VG Ratio:

Aside from nicotine and flavorings, the two primary ingredients in e-liquid are vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). One of the important determinations to make prior to selecting your e-liquid is the amount of VG contained within it. There are various factors to take into consideration when making this determination. First and foremost, you must understand the hardware you are going to use with the e-juice. The majority of beginner electronic cigarettes are incapable of accommodating liquids with high levels of VG. This is due to the fact that vegetable glycerin is substantially thicker than propylene glycol, and will therefore tend to clog less powerful atomizer coils.

As a general rule of thumb, if you are using a standard resistance atomizer coil (1.0 ohms or higher), you will want to purchase e-juices with no more than 40% VG. Conversely, if you are using an ultra-low sub-ohm atomizer coil (0.4 ohms or lower), then using an e-liquid with too low of vegetable glycerin content will tend to burn the atomizer coil, and not deliver a satisfying vaping experience. It is recommended that atomizer coils with a resistance less than 0.5 ohms (0.4 ohms or lower) should be used with liquids that contain at least a 50% vegetable glycerin.

The second factor that must be accounted for when selecting the PG-to-VG consistency of the e-liquid you will use is based on your personal preferences. The higher the level of vegetable glycerin is, the more vapor that will be produced, but will also deliver a lesser throat hit sensation. On the other hand, the higher the PG content of an e-liquid is, the smaller the volume of vapor that will be manufactured, while simultaneously delivering a much stronger throat hit.

Quick Reference Guide:

For Smokers: You want atomizer coils with a resistance of 1.0 ohms or higher, coupled with e-juices with no more than 40% vegetable glycerin (VG).

For Non-Smokers/Hobbyists: You want atomizer coils with less than a 1.0 ohms resistance, and e-juices with 50% or higher VG consistency.

Choosing the Appropriate Nicotine Content:

Another important and confusing decision for a new electronic cigarette user is the amount of nicotine that your e-juice should contain. This determination comes down to two primary factors: whether or not you are a smoker, and the resistance of your atomizer coil. If you are not a smoker seeking an alternative to cigarettes, then we strongly recommend purchasing e-juices with no nicotine. You will still enjoy the flavor of the liquid, as well as the vapor cloud production, but without the unnecessary nicotine.

If you are, however, a smoker seeking a smoking alternative, then determining the appropriate nicotine content of your e-juice will be based on various factors. First, you must note the resistance of the atomizer coil you are using. The lower the resistance is of your coil, the higher the wattage output will must be. As a result, the nicotine content of your e-liquid must be low as well. This is due to the fact that high wattage coupled with high levels of nicotine will result in incredibly harsh hits that will certainly make you cough and gag. Therefore, if you are using an atomizer coil with a resistance lower than 1.0 ohms, you are advised to select an e-liquid with a nicotine content of 6mg (0.6%) or less.

The second factor that must be considered when choosing the proper nicotine level of your e-liquid is the number of cigarettes you currently smoke. Heavy smokers who are accustomed to consuming two packs of cigarettes a day or more would likely need an even higher nicotine level of 24mg (2.4%). Smokers who go through a pack or more of cigarettes per day will likely need to begin with a nicotine level of 18mg (1.8%) or so. If you smoke approximately 10 cigarettes per day, then an e-juice with 12mg (1.2%) should be satisfactory for you.

*It is important to note that if you are going to use e-liquids with 12mg or higher nicotine content, you certainly want to make sure that your atomizer coil is 1.0 ohms or higher.

Quick Reference Guide:

For Smokers: If you smoke two packs per day or more, then you will likely want to start with 24mg (2.4%) nicotine to start. For a pack-a-day smoker, 18mg (1.8%) should be adequate. For smokers who burn through 10 cigarettes per day or so, 12mg (1.2%) nicotine content should be satisfactory. If you smoke closer to 5 cigarettes per day, then you will likely want to start at around 6mg (0.6%) nicotine content.

For Non-Smokers/Hobbyists: It is strongly advised that you only use nicotine-free e-juices.

Picking The Best Flavor:

Choosing the best e-juice flavor for you is entirely a matter of personal preference. With a virtually endless array of options to choose from, determining the ones you will like can be confusing, but is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of vaping. Tasting various e-liquid flavors is very fun, and selecting the ones most agreeable to you can only be determined by trying various flavor categories until you have identified the ones that are most suitable to your specific palette.  The very first thing that you must determine prior to being able to select individual flavors that you enjoy are the broad flavor categories that you fancy. There are 7 primary e-juice flavor categories: Dessert, Drink, Fruit, Tobacco, Menthol, Candy, and Cereal. Generally speaking, smokers tend to begin with tobacco e-juices and slowly migrate over to flavored options, while non-smokers will tend to avoid tobacco-flavored liquids altogether. Likewise, individuals who smoke menthol cigarettes will generally begin with tobacco and menthol blend, and then slowly move towards flavored ones with added menthol, such as fruit flavors that are combined with menthol.

Here is a brief description of each general flavor category to help you make a more informed decision:

Quick Reference Guide:

Dessert:

Dessert-flavored e-juices include items such as cakes, custards, ice ream, pudding, pies, and pastries. Some liquids in this category will attempt to mimic popular desserts, such as strawberry cheesecake and crème brulee, while others will consist of exclusive recipes concocted by the specific e-juice artisan who created the flavor.

Drink:

Drink-flavored e-juices consist of a variety of fluids, including soft drinks, coffee, lemonade, energy drinks, teas, bobas, champagne, and cocktails.

Fruit:

Fruit-flavored e-liquids can consist of individual fruits, such as watermelon, strawberry, peach, and pear, or can be combinations of them. Pure fruit flavors will not include any other flavor additives, while other can includes hints of cream, vanilla, mint, or menthol.

Tobacco:

Tobacco-flavored e-juices come in several varieties. Some are designed to mimic the taste of cigarettes, while others are meant to represent the flavor of pipe tobacco or cigars. Many popular tobacco e-juices, such as RY4, will include hints of vanilla, honey, and other slightly sweet notes, which tend to deliver a very pleasant aftertaste.

Menthol:

Menthol-flavored e-liquids come in several forms. Pure menthol juices will have no other flavors added, and will only deliver the cool menthol taste and sensation. Other menthol e-liquids will include other flavors, such as tobacco, fruit, candy, or drink.

Candy:

Candy-flavored e-juices generally mimic the taste of popular candies, such as Sweet Tarts, Gummy Bears, Jolly Ranchers, Red Vines, Nerds, and Bubble Gum.

Cereal:

Cereal-flavored e-liquids commonly represent the taste of popular breakfast cereals, such as Fruit Loops, Cap N’ Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Fruity Pebbles, Trix, Apple Jacks, and Cocoa Puffs.

It is recommended that you try small bottles of various flavor categories until you are able to narrow down the ones that you enjoy the most. Once you have identified the general categories you like, you can then select specific flavors within them until you have a list of your favorites.