Updated: February 2023
Arguably, the most important part of an e-cigarette is the vape tank (or pod).
Sure, you can find a lot of modes in an advanced device. But their essential function is to provide power to your tank. It’s the tank that converts that power into vapour, flavour and nicotine.
There’s a lot that goes into providing a great tank and it’s different for every tank, depending on what you need out of it.
For example, if you want a sub-ohm tank for big clouds of vapour, you’ll need a tank with plenty of wicking, a low resistance mesh coil, a design that funnels air up, wide, adjustable airflow holes and a wide-bore drip tip. Or, if you’re new to vaping, you’d more likely want a tank with a high-resistance coil, a narrow bore drip tip and a tighter airflow.
As with our other round-up posts, rather than identify the overall ‘best’ tanks, we start by identifying different needs and then match the best tanks for them.
If you are looking for a mod to go with these tanks do check out our best vape mods post. Meanwhile, if you prefer your tank to come as part of a complete kit, you’ll find options available on our best vape kits post.
Contents
- Best vape tanks at a glance
- Best vape tank for big clouds
- Best MTL tanks
- Best vape tanks for beginners
- Best vape tanks for flavour
- Toughest vape tank
- Best all-round vape tank
- How we chose the best vape tanks
- Team favourites
| Tank | Best For | What's Special? |
| Geekvape Zeus SE Tank | Clouds | - Dense clouds - New, longer-lasting coils - Easy sliding top fill |
| Aspire Nautilus 3 | Mouth-to-Lung | - Wide airflow range - Sliding top fill - Choice of drip tips |
| Aspire Nautilus Mini | Mouth-to-Lung | - Long-lasting coils - Big flavour - 4-level adjustable airflow |
| Innokin Go S | Beginners | - Fixed coil - Easy to fill |
| Innokin GoMax | Direct-Lung Beginners | - Fixed low-resistance coil - Easy sliding top fill - Adjustable airflow |
| Vaporesso iTank | Direct-lung Flavour | - Innovative turbo airflow system - Mesh design coils - Easy filling & coil changes |
| Innokin Zlide Top | Toughness | - Robust build - Supports MTL, RDL & DL vaping - Childproof sliding top fill |
| Voopoo PNP-X Pod Tank | All Round Tank | - Doubles as a pod & tank - Supports MTL & DL vaping - Can be paired with a wide range of devices |
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Geekvape’s original Zeus tank has long been considered the best sub-ohm tank around - with top-to-bottom airflow design and low-resistance mesh coils for rich, dense vapour. The Zeus SE tank, however, manages to improve on its predecessor - boasting all of these features, plus longer-lasting coils!
Geekvape’s newest Z (Zeus) coils come with a new, more durable design that provides up to 50% more vaping time - giving you large clouds for longer. A top-placed rotating airflow control also means you can easily tailor your inhale between tight and restricted or loose and airy, while the removable drip tip design means you can pair the tank with any mouthpiece of your choice.
Designed to be used with 45W+ mods, the Zeus SE also features a convenient sliding top fill and an extra-safe childproof lock for peace of mind.
What we like:
- New, longer-lasting coils
- Top-to-bottom airflow design for enhanced vapour
- Easy sliding top fill
- Childproof lock
Aspire’s Nautilus tank series already has a reputation for producing great vape tanks and the latest in the collection, the Nautilus 3 tank, is no exception.
Compatible with the Nautilus coil range, the tank can be used for both Mouth-to-Lung and Direct-Lung vaping styles but really comes into its own as an MTL tank.
The strength of the Nautilus 3 tank lies in its wide airflow range - with 7 airflow holes ranging in size from a narrow 0.8mm all the way up to a wide 30mm. This gives users a chance to precisely tailor the airflow to create a very restricted or very airy vape depending on what they prefer. As well as the airflow ring, the Nautilus 3 tanks come with a choice of both a wide and a narrow drip tip to further tailor the draw.
The tank also benefits from easy-to-use features suited to even the most inexperienced vapers, including leak-free coil installation thanks to sliding shutters on the coil chamber and a sliding top-fill cap.
Works best for Mouth-to-Lung vapers who might want to occasionally play around with Direct-Lung vaping.
What we like:
- Wide airflow range
- Sliding top fill
- Choice of drip tips
The Aspire Nautilus Mini is one of the older tanks on this list but has stood the test of time as one of the best Mouth-to-Lung vape tanks on the market. Its popularity lies in its classic design and reliability as well as its long-lasting, flavourful coils.
A smaller incarnation of the original Nautilus tank, it is very compact and provides great flavour thanks to the BVC coils it uses. BVC coils are long-lasting and provide a satisfying cigarette-style draw.
The Nautilus Mini has a great build quality of durable stainless steel and is pretty simple to disassemble and reassemble for coil changes and cleaning.
The adjustable airflow ring offers a choice of 4 levels of air intake with holes ranging from 0.8mm - 1.8mm for precise control.
What we like:
- Long-lasting coils
- Big flavour
- 4-level adjustable airflow
The Innokin GO S tank is perfect for beginner vapers as a very simple and easy-to-use MTL tank as minimal settings mean it’s a great setup for fuss-free vaping.
While they were originally intended for the Go S device, Go S tanks have a 510 connection which means they can be used with most vape mods. What’s more, its high-resistance coils mean you don’t need a high-powered device to get the most out of it.
For new vapers, or those with reduced mobility, the mechanics of changing coils can be confusing and time-consuming. This is particularly challenging for former smokers trying to resist the urge to pick up a cigarette. Luckily, the Go-S tank has a fixed, 1.6Ω kanthal coil which means there’s no need for fiddly coil changes. When the coil is used up you simply replace the whole tank. That doesn’t mean taste is compromised - the fixed kanthal coils use organic cotton and wood pulp wicking for improved flavour.
The Go S tank also has a quick and easy slide-to-open design which makes filling it with e-liquid quick,easy and mess-free.
Although very simple, the Go S tank does feature an adjustable airflow ring so you can tailor the air intake for a tighter or airier vape. That makes it perfect for beginners who want to experiment with their vaping as they go along.
What we like:
- Fixed coil
- Easy to fill
Following on from the Go-S, in 2021 Innokin released a new groundbreaking update - the GoMax tank.
With all the ease of use and features of the popular Go-S (including sliding top fill and adjustable airflow), the GoMax is the first disposable tank that allows new users to enjoy large clouds without the hassle of coil changes.
At a cost of just £2.49, the GoMax tank offers a budget-friendly option for vapers to try Direct-Lung vaping without the cost or complexity of an advanced tank.
Featuring a fixed 0.19Ω coil that can handle up to 80W, the GoMax tank isn’t restricted to low-powered beginner devices - meaning users can experiment with higher-powered devices and high VG e-liquids and shortfills.
For an easy-to-use companion to the GoMax tank see the GoMax device, which features all the power needed for the tank - while still being super easy to use with a single-button design and auto wattage setting.
What we like
- Fixed low-resistance coil
- Easy sliding top fill
- Adjustable airflow
The Vaporesso iTank has only been in stock for a couple of months at the time of writing this, but when we tried it as part of the Target 100 kit we were so impressed we had to include it on this list. When paired with the Target mod’s F(t) mode, the iTank produced the best flavour we’ve seen.
But, as a stand-alone tank, it’s still impressive. Designed for Direct-Lung vaping and for use with 60W+ mods, its innovative Turbo airflow system places 3 inlets at the bottom of the tank that allows air to fully circulate around the tank and coil. This, combined with the mesh design of the compatible GTi coils, creates a smooth, pure flavour and impressive vapour clouds. The adjustable airflow ring also allows you to tailor your vape between more airy or more restricted.
The iTank also has all the convenient design features you’d want from a vape tank, with easy top filling and a push-fit coil installation design.
What we like:
- Turbo airflow system
- Mesh coils for great flavour & vapour
- Convenient top-filling & push-fit coil installation
Innokin’s Zlide has long been one of our favourite vape tanks thanks to its toughness and versatility. The updated Zlide Top tank retains this durable design while adding a new and improved top-placed airflow for more precise control and extra protection against leaks.
A great all-rounder, this new incarnation retains the Zlide’s versatility too. Working with the Z coil range, the Zlide Top is able to support both MTL and DL styles, while the new and improved airflow control means you can switch between a tighter or looser inhale. The sliding top fill design also makes refilling quick and easy.
The only downside you may find with the Zlide Top is the screw-in design of the compatible Z coils - which are a little more fiddly than the newer, push-fit designs we’re seeing.
What we like:
- Tough design
- Supports MTL & DL vaping
- Precise airflow control
- Easy sliding top fill
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The Voopoo PNP-X Pod Tank doubles as both a magnetic-based pod for Voopoo devices including the Drag Series, and a 510 connection tank that can be used with most other mods. An update on the original PnP Pod Tank, this new iteration comes with new and improved airflow and more convenient filling.
The PnP-X pod tank works with PnP coils to support both MTL and DL vaping styles and can be paired with devices ranging anywhere from 12W - 80W. Newly added 360° adjustable infinite airflow also gives you precise control over your inhale.
The addition of a side-filling port is also a more convenient update compared to the original’s bottom-filling design.
What we like:
- Versatile pod tank design
- Supports MTL & DL vaping
- 360° adjustable infinite airflow
To select the tanks here we’ve used a combination of our own ratings, the popularity of these devices, both in terms of sales and ‘on the scene’, as well as taking into account customer feedback.
Very occasionally, we’ll add a just launched tank to the list – but only if it totally blows us away in testing.
All of the tanks here are made to UK standards and are compliant with EU and UK regulations.
The tank you go for depends on your needs and preferences. But with so many to choose from, we thought we’d share some of the team’s favourites, and why they like them.
James’ favourite is the Innokin Zlide:
“I’m clumsy and often drop tanks. Just yesterday I knocked the Zlide tank off my desk on to a wooden floor. That would have cracked a lot of tanks, but the Zlide just kept on working. I also like the fact it’s reliable, the coil lasts for ages and the filling mechanism is super convenient. It’s certainly not my favourite tank for DL, but for my preferred vaping style (MTL) and my favourite e-liquid (Halo Menthol Blast) it’s great!”
Corey, from our customer service team, had been enjoying the Falcon II tank but has recently been experimenting with the Sakerz:
“While the tank is a bit awkward to fit, the coils last well for a Direct-Lung tank, the flavour is excellent and it has a quieter airflow than the original Falcon II. Overall I really rate Horizontech coils for their excellent flavour, both in the Sakerz and the Falcon II, although the Falcon II has a slight edge for flavour.”
Store Manager Lee Williams is a fan of the Smok TFV8 Mini V2:
“I look for a tank with a nice range of coils so that I can get it to perform how I like.
“The Smok TFV8 Mini V2 has a wide range of compatible coils. I can use S1 coils, turn the airflow and power down to 40W, have a decent amount of vapour, and save on my battery life. Or, if I want some larger clouds, I’ll go for A1 coils and turn the wattage up.
“I find the tank gives me excellent flavour, and it is effortless to fill. After over a year of owning the TFV8 Mini V2, I have not experienced any leaking problems.”
