Posted by Pure E-Liquids on 1st May 2026
Last updated: May 2026
Vaping products are for adult smokers and existing vapers only. Not suitable for non-smokers or those under 18.
The question we get most often is some version of "which e-liquid should I buy?" - and the honest answer is that it depends almost entirely on what you are vaping with. A nic salt that works perfectly in a pod kit will perform badly in a sub-ohm tank. A 70VG shortfill will flood the coil of a cigalike. Device first, liquid second.
What follows is our take on the brands we actually stock - not a ranking of every brand on the market, but a guide to what we carry, what sells, what customers come back for, and occasionally what we think is underrated. A few of these entries are longer because the brand warrants it. A few are short because there is not much to say beyond "it does what it says." That is the honest shape of it.
Every brand in this guide is stocked at Pure E-Liquids.
For Pod Kit Vapers: Nic Salts and 50/50 Freebase
Pod kits - MTL devices, tight draw, running nic salts or 50/50 freebase - are by far the most common setup among our customers. The disposable ban accelerated that shift significantly. These are the brands that work in that format.
IVG
IVG has been in our catalogue longer than most and consistently earns its place. The range is wide - nic salts, 50/50 freebase, shortfills, prefilled pods - and the quality across all of it is notably consistent. You do not get the occasional dud batch that you do with some brands.
Their Caribbean Crush nic salt is the flavour we recommend most often when someone does not know where to start - a tropical blend that hits cleanly at 20mg without being overwhelming. Their Exotic Aloe Grape is the surprise one; customers who try it on our recommendation tend to reorder it. The Pineapple Ice shortfill moves well too, for the sub-ohm side of things.
IVG is not the cheapest brand we stock but when our customers try it, they almost always reorder and there is a reason why.
Bar Juice 5000
Bar Juice was specifically designed to replace the flavour experience of disposable vapes in a refillable format, and it does that job well. The 40/60 PG/VG blend is slightly VG-heavy for a nic salt, which keeps coils cleaner than some alternatives, and the flavour intensity is noticeably higher than older-style liquids - which is exactly what former disposable users are looking for.
The range is almost entirely fruity and sweet - if you want tobacco, this is not your brand. But for the disposable-to-pod-kit switcher who wants the same kind of flavour hit, this is the first place we point them.
Vampire Vape
Right. Vampire Vape. This is the brand we feel most strongly about recommending that most vapers have never tried.
They have been making e-liquid in the UK since 2012 - longer than most brands most people have heard of - and their Heisenberg flavour has something close to a cult following among experienced vapers. It is a mixed berry and menthol blend with a faint anise note that is hard to describe precisely. People either do not know what to make of it at first, or they try it and it becomes their all-day vape for the next two years. We have both types of customer.
The newer brands with bigger budgets dominate recommendations everywhere. Vampire Vape just keeps quietly making good liquid. Both the freebase and nic salt ranges are priced below IVG and Bar Juice. If you have not tried Heisenberg, try Heisenberg.
Pod Salt
Pod Salt was among the first UK brands to focus entirely on nic salts before the format went mainstream, and the Fusion range in particular has stayed popular. Strawberry Watermelon and Mango Ice are the two we restock most. The nicotine delivery is fast and smooth - no harshness even at 20mg - and it is one of the best value nic salts we carry.
The range is narrower than IVG or Bar Juice but that is almost beside the point at this price. For everyday all-day use where you want reliable quality without thinking too hard about it, Pod Salt is difficult to beat.
Elfliq
Elfliq is Elf Bar's own e-liquid range - essentially the same flavour profiles as the Elf Bar disposables in a refillable 10ml bottle at 20mg. Blue Razz Lemonade and Watermelon move fastest for us. It is not particularly cheap but it serves a specific customer well: someone who was using Elf Bar disposables before June 2025 and wants to carry on with the same flavours in their pod kit.
It is not the range we would recommend if you want to explore. It is very much "if you liked X, here is X in a different format."
Hangsen Bar Fuel
Hangsen have been around since the early days of vaping - they manufacture e-liquid for several other brands in addition to their own - and Bar Fuel is their nic salt range. A good price and solid quality, nothing flashy. We include it because at the budget end of the market there are a lot of brands we would not feel confident recommending, and this one we would. The manufacturing quality is there.
Hayati Pro Max Nic Salts
Hayati launched their standalone nic salt range off the back of their Pro Max device. They are the most competitively priced nic salt we stock right now. Early days in our catalogue but customer feedback since adding them has been good - the Blueberry and Strawberry Watermelon have been the two that sell consistently. Worth considering if price is the primary factor and you like fruit-forward flavours.
For Sub-Ohm Vapers: Shortfills
Shortfills - typically 50ml or 100ml of 0mg e-liquid that you add a nicotine shot to - are designed for higher-wattage sub-ohm devices. Higher VG content, bigger coils, more vapour production. Very different from the pod kit experience.
Dinner Lady
There is a reason Dinner Lady's Lemon Tart is one of the bestselling e-liquids in UK vaping history. It is an excellent flavour - sharp lemon curd over a buttery pastry base - and crucially it does not become fatiguing over extended use the way a lot of sweet liquids do. We have customers who have been ordering it for years.
Beyond the dessert range, Dinner Lady now covers tobacco, drinks, and fruit profiles in shortfill format, all at £12.99 for 50ml. The quality is consistent across the range rather than just the flagship. If you are a sub-ohm vaper and you have not tried them, Lemon Tart is the obvious starting point.
Their nic salts are also available for pod kit users who want the Dinner Lady flavour character at lower wattage.
IVG Shortfills
The IVG 50ml shortfills are solid - the 100ml option is particularly good value - though they get less attention than their nic salts. If you already use IVG in a pod kit and want the same brand across devices, the shortfill quality is consistent with what you know. Pineapple Ice is the top seller in this format for us.
Nasty Juice
Nasty Juice is a Malaysian brand and probably the most distinct flavour range in our shortfill catalogue. Where most UK brands have moved toward candy-fruit and bar-salt-influenced profiles, Nasty leans into actual tropical fruit - the Slow Blow (pineapple lemonade) is complex in a way that a lot of the newer UK ranges are not. High VG content means it needs a sub-ohm device rather than a pod kit.
Not for everyone. But if you are bored of the UK flavour conventions, this is the one to try.
Double Drip
Reliable sub-ohm shortfills at a good price. The customer reviews have been consistently good since we added them and the fruit and dessert ranges both have their following. Less well-known than Dinner Lady but worth the comparison.
Brands That Work Across Both Formats
VSAVI Platinum
VSAVI Platinum is available in freebase 10ml, 30ml and 50ml, the 50/50 PG/VG ratio works in pod kits and lower-wattage sub-ohm setups. We also carry a 100% VG range for vapers with a PG sensitivity - one of the few ranges that actually covers that - plus a Gourmet range and Nicotine Salts.
The Red Tobacco is the consistent bestseller and has been for years. A smooth authentic tobacco flavour that is the first recommendation we make to switchers from cigarettes. We have customers who have been ordering it since 2015.
OXVA Ox Passion
Developed to pair with OXVA's pod devices but works well in any MTL kit. The Triple Mango nic salt is a layered ripe mango that is noticeably more complex than most alternatives in the same price bracket. Worth picking up alongside an OXVA device or on its own.
The October 2026 Tax - What It Means for Buying Liquid Now
The Vaping Products Duty adds £2.20 per 10ml to every e-liquid from 1st October 2026. A nic salt currently around £3.99 moves to roughly £6.63 after the duty and VAT. That is a meaningful increase for regular vapers.
Stocking up before October is worth considering if storage is not an issue - nic salts in sealed bottles keep well for 18 months or more when stored correctly. Our 10 for £20 deals on selected nic salts are a practical way to do that at current prices.
For a full breakdown of the numbers by format, our UK vape tax guide has the detail.
Where to Start If You Are Not Sure
If you are new to vaping or trying a new format for the first time, the short version is this: pod kit with nic salts, start with IVG or Pod Salt. Former disposable user who wants the same flavour intensity, go straight to Bar Juice 5000 or Elfliq. Switching from cigarettes and want something familiar, VSAVI Platinum Red Tobacco is the first recommendation we make. Pod Salt and Vampire Vape are both strong choices at the budget end.
Sub-ohm vapers who want a shortfill - Dinner Lady first, then IVG if you want to stay with a brand you already know in nic salt form, then Nasty Juice if you want something genuinely different to what most UK brands offer.
For freebase 50/50 in a pod kit, VSAVI Platinum and Vampire Vape are both solid. Hangsen Bar Fuel if you want to keep costs down.
That covers most scenarios. The rest of the guide above has the full reasoning behind each pick.
FAQ
What e-liquid brand do you sell the most of? IVG and Bar Juice 5000 for nic salts. Dinner Lady for shortfills. VSAVI for the cigalike and prefilled pod market. Vampire Vape's Heisenberg has a smaller but unusually loyal following - the kind of customer that reorders it every month for years.
Which brand should I try if I have been using disposables? Bar Juice 5000 or Elfliq, depending on which flavours you were using. Bar Juice is UK-made and gives you the high-intensity fruit flavour of disposables at £3.95. Elfliq is the direct carry-over if you were specifically on Elf Bars. Either way, start at 20mg in a pod kit.
Are these brands all UK-made? Not all. IVG, VSAVI, Vampire Vape, Pod Salt, Dinner Lady, and Bar Juice are UK-based or UK-manufactured. Elfliq and Hayati are Chinese-produced for UK distribution. Nasty Juice is Malaysian. All are TPD-compliant and MHRA-registered.
Which is better value ahead of the October 2026 tax - nic salts or shortfills? Nic salts are the most practical format for stocking up. Compact, stable, and the per-ml cost even after duty is reasonable for regular use. Shortfills carry a higher absolute cost per bottle under the duty but the per-ml rate stays lower than nic salts. The right answer depends on your device - you cannot really stockpile one format if you vape the other.
Vaping products are for adult smokers and existing vapers only. Not suitable for non-smokers or those under 18.