Choosing a Nicotine Strength

We want to talk about the various nicotine strengths and give some guidance about choosing a nicotine strength that’s right for you.

nicotine molecule

Nicotine Strength quick guide

    • Heavy smoker – 20 or more a day – 18mg
    • Medium smoker – 10-20 a day -12mg
    • Light/social smoker – up to ten a day – 3 – 6mg

About Nicotine deep dive

E-liquid nicotine strength is measured in the amount of nicotine there is in each millilitre of e-liquid. So a 6mg strength e-liquid contains 6mg of nicotine for every millilitre of liquid. Similarly, the highest strength e-liquid available is 18mg, which means that there are 18 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of e-liquid. An alternative way of measuring nicotine is as a percentage we can easily translate this- an 18mg becomes 1.8% nicotine, while a 6mg e-liquid becomes 0.6% nicotine.

If we look at these strengths on a scale, at the lowest end, we have our 0mg strength e-liquid, which contains no nicotine at all. This is followed by 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg. So where should you start on this scale if you’re beginning as a new vaper? Well, if you are a heavy smoker and you’re planning on using an ego style device with a coil measuring 1 ohm and above, then 18mg or 12mg might be the best liquids to start with. It generally comes down to personal preference and it is best to try various nicotine strengths at first in order to find a strength that satisfies you and your nicotine cravings. There is no hard and fast rule- were all different and what works for one person may not be right for somebody else, so at the very beginning you will need to use a little bit of trial and error when it comes to deciding on  what your nicotine strength should be.

Things to bear in mind

When it comes to getting nicotine into your body, vaping is not as efficient as smoking- so you may find that you need to vape more often than you used to smoke your cigarettes and this is quite normal. You may find that a 12mg nicotine e-liquid is not satisfying enough for you and you might then think about increasing your nicotine strength and switching up to an 18mg liquid. Similarly, you may find that 12mg is too strong for you and then think about decreasing your strength to a 6mg. There is no hard and fast rule when you’re starting out and so you need to just explore the different options until you hit upon one that works for you personally. Too high and it will seem harsh but too low will be unsatisfying.