Best Vape Devices for Heavy Smokers in 2024 (UK)

This website wouldn’t exist if my mum hadn’t been a heavy smoker.

It was she who came across a basic cigalike device in 2008. Fortunately, for her it worked, and she hasn’t had a single (tobacco!) cigarette since.

That simple device has helped tens of thousands of smokers switch from tobacco to vaping.

It didn’t work for everyone. But since then both vape technology and our understanding of what helps people switch has come on immensely. What's more, studies in smoking cessation like this now suggest vaping is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy.

In previous posts, we’ve looked at the best overall vape kits and best vape kits for new vapers. In this post we’ll be drilling down a bit further and looking at the best devices for a heavy smoker.

You’ll also find the factors you need to consider - based on both research and 12+ years of experience working with smokers who want to switch to vaping.

Also see: Which Vape Kit Should You Buy?

Content

• Best vape devices for heavy smokers
  • At a glance
  • Best disposables
  • Best closed pod system
  • Best open pod systems
  • Best mod & pod mod kits
• Factors to consider when choosing a vape
  • Nicotine delivery
  • Throat hit
  • Adjustable airflow
  • Vape style
  • E-Liquid choice
  • Ease of use
  • Battery life
• Related guides

Disposables are the easiest way to vape and, while we’d always recommend a rechargable device for both cost and environmental reasons, we can’t deny they’re a great way to introduce smokers to vaping. Ready to use out of the box with no filling, recharging or buttons/settings to worry about they require next to no effort.

The SKE Crystal Bar collection is one of our favourite disposable vape ranges. Firstly, they look great, with a sleek and stylish crystal-like finish. They also have one of the largest and most varied flavour selections of any range we stock, with everything from fruit to tobacco to choose from. Add to this a 20mg strength to satisfy smokers’ nicotine cravings and a battery that lasts up to 600 puffs and they make a great first step on your vaping journey.

Spoilt for choice? See our Best Crytal Bar Flavours for inspiration.

While disposable vapes are a great way to get smokers off the cigarettes, their disposable design does mean they have a limited life - they can’t be recharged or refilled and you are restricted to a certain flavour selection.

The Aspire R1, however, is a disposable with a difference. While it still needs to be disposed of after a certain amount of time, a refillable pod and rechargeable battery mean it lasts much longer than regular disposables.

A great midway point between disposables and starter kits, the R1 features a fixed coil, and you only need to dispose of it when the coil burns out and stops producing vapour. The R1 can last up to 10 refills before this happens, lasting much longer than regular disposables, with less cost and environmental waste. The refillable pod also means you can use any flavour vape juice you like - the possibilities are endless!

Also see: Best Disposable Vapes and Disposable Vape Guide.

Reviewed by: Lloyd, ECD Team 

If you’re familiar with Elf Bar disposables, the Elfa Pro device has all the convenience and flavour you’d expect - just in a replaceable, prefilled pod format. 

The device is easy to use, and similar to disposables, with the main difference being that you can replace the pod when it’s empty. The battery can also be recharged, and the clear RGB indicator light at the bottom lets you know when the battery is running low.

The inhale firing activation is ultra-convenient and I found it very responsive and easy to inhale

The build quality of this device is excellent and, being made from metal, feels far superior to Elf Bar disposables. 

Testing the device using the Blue Sour Raspberry pod, I found the flavour was great and the set airflow produced a surprising amount of vapour for such a compact device. 

Using the device straight from the box, I found I had to recharge it before the end of the day (probably due to the battery not being fully charged at first). However, when I’d fully recharged the battery it comfortably lasted a full day. 

There are over 30 Elfa Pro pod flavours to choose from and, as an added bonus, the device is also compatible with Elfa and Lost Mary Tappo pods - offering even more options.

Reviewed by:  Corey, ECD Team

Vaporesso’s original Xros Mini device was featured on this list for a while as one of our favourite no-fuss starter kits. 

However, I’ve been using the newer Xros 3 Mini as my main device for a couple of months now and it’s even more impressive. In fact, it’s one of the best devices I’ve tried (and, working for a vape company, I’ve tried a lot!)

Firstly, it has an impressive battery life for such a compact device – I’m a pretty heavy vaper and found the 1000mAh battery lasted me most of a day. Vaporesso has even estimated it can last up to 2 days depending on usage frequency.  

Using fixed-coil pods, inhale firing and automatic power settings, the Xros 3 Mini is easy enough for even the most novice of vapers to get to grips with. You just fill and attach the pod and inhale! 

There’s also the bonus of a new 0.6ohm Xros pod – which gives you the option of a restricted Direct-Lung (RDL) inhale style alongside the Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) pods already available.

I personally liked the extra airflow and loose draw the new pod provided, and was pleasantly surprised to find that a single pod lasted me a week before I had to replace it. When I used the device with the new pod and a ‘Bar Salts’ e-liquid, it was very similar to using a disposable. 

There is one slight downside with this device as, when the pod is filled completely, it tends to flood the coil – causing some gurgling and spitback. However, I easily solved this by filling the pod to just 90%. 

Reviewed by: James, ECD Team

When the Aspire PockeX first launched in 2017, it was considered an easy-to-use device. 

However, in terms of filling, it has now been superseded by more modern devices. To refill, you have to remove the top cap, put in the e-liquid and then replace it. Originally that was great, as you didn’t have to remove the coil - but nowadays, most kits allow you to fill the device without having to remove the cap at all. Being an older, mostly metal device, it does tend to get hotter than more modern PCTG-material devices.

So why is the PockeX still making it onto this ‘best of’ list? Quite simply, it’s the taste and the throat hit. I find the PockeX provides a uniquely satisfying throat hit that still remains unmatched by most vape devices today. Crucially, that throat hit can prove particularly satisfying for smokers looking to switch to vaping.  

What’s more, beyond the filling, it’s an easy-to-use device, with simple, one-button control. While it’s not a modern device, it still provides excellent flavour (especially with my favourite, Halo Menthol Blast!) and airflow. 

Still, if you are looking for the easiest device to use, you’d be better off with something like the Xros 3 Mini. However, if you are looking for a satisfying hit, and other devices don’t cut it, you might want to join the legion of PockeX fans out there!

Reviewed by: Lloyd, ECD Team 

Uwell’s Caliburn Series has provided some of our most popular pod devices. A collection of easy-to-use kits, they provide some of the best flavour production we’ve seen from MTL pod devices.

My first thoughts on the Caliburn AZ3 were that it is much smaller than I expected. Fitting in the coin pocket of my jeans, it’s easy to carry around. Although it’s a small device, the build quality is still very good and the aluminium alloy design with corrugated sides makes it feel robust. 

The AZ3’s fixed airflow is perfect for MTL vaping. Using the 0.8ohm A3 pod and ‘bar salt’ nic salts produced a good airy inhale and decent clouds for a smaller MTL device. The top filling, fixed-coil pods were also very convenient - easy to refill without removing them from the device and without any messiness from changing coils. 

The battery life was impressive - with the 750mAh battery lasting me over a day of use between charges and the battery life indicator around the Caliburn logo was clear and easy to monitor. 

My only criticism of this device would be that although its smaller size is convenient, a slightly larger size would mean it fitted more comfortably in hand and would also allow for a larger battery capacity. 

Overall, this is a great MTL kit suited for all experience levels - particularly beginners as fixed-coil pods, inhale firing and automatic power settings make it a perfect no-fuss first kit. 

Reviewed by: Lloyd, ECD Team 

I’m very impressed with Smok’s Novo Master kit; it has everything I look for in a pod vape - from its design to its battery life, flavour and versatility. 

Firstly, the metal alloy build feels solid and robust in my hand which is always a bonus. I also liked that you get the choice of either inhale or button-activated firing. This, combined with the adjustable airflow feature gives this device the versatility I look for when choosing a pod kit.

I tested the Novo Master using the 0.6ohm pod with VG:PG 50:50 e-liquid and took advantage of the Boost Mode feature. When activated, this increased the wattage to 30W and created a noticeable increase in both flavour and vapour. 

The only downside to using Boost mode was the cost of some extra battery life. Despite this, as a moderate vaper who uses around 4ml e-liquid daily, the 1000mAh battery still lasted a full day on a single charge so was great for using when out and about. 

Finally, the pods’ top-filling design means they were easy to top up and I found they fit snugly into the device with no leaking.  

Overall, this is a great MTL pod kit and would be particularly suited to vapers who value great flavour and want a no-fuss device with long-lasting battery. 

Also see: The Novo Master Box for a square-shaped version. 

Reviewed by: James, ECD Team

My first introduction to a cigarette-filter-style device was the Innokin Filtr. I loved the device, but unfortunately, problems emerged with the bung and the tank fit. 

Fortunately, Aspire followed up with the Viltr, which captured the benefits of the Filtr without its drawbacks. 

And what are those benefits? It’s the filter tip - a drip tip which fits neatly into the mouthpieces and perfectly replicates the feel of a cigarette in your mouth. It also delivers a restricted Mouth-to-Lung vape which I found very similar to that of a cigarette. 

The filters do need replacing from time to time (each one will last around two to three refills) - but if you get tired of replacing them, you also have the option of using the simple mouthpiece. 

I’m not sure I’d recommend this device for long-term use however. While it’s super light, the trade off is a 450mAh battery, meaning it’s going to struggle to provide all-day use unless you are a light user. The filling could also be easier. But if you are looking to replicate the sensory feel of a cigarette, this device is hard to beat. 

Reviewed by: Corey, ECD Team 

The Oxva Oneo pod kit ticks all the boxes of what I look for in a vape device - particularly flavour, quality and battery life. 

While the Oneo is slightly larger than most fixed-coil pod kits, this does accommodate a larger-than-usual 1600mAh battery and the device is still easy to use with fixed-coil pods and automatic power settings. 

The metal-design build quality is excellent and the customisable RGB light display was a nice, eye-catching touch. 

Using the included 0.8ohm Oneo pod with nic salts, the flavour produced was one of the best I’ve ever experienced from a pod device (due to Oxva’s flavour-enhancing Unicoil tech).

Although I prefer a Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) vape style, I like the fact there are pods to support Direct-Lung (DL) and restricted Direct-Lung (RDL) inhales. This is perfect if you like to switch up your vape style without swapping devices and for newer vapers who may want to experiment in future without having to buy a new kit.  

(Find out more about different vaping inhale styles in our vaping style section below.)

The Oneo pods’ fixed-coil design is ultra convenient but, as I’m more used to devices that use top-filling pods, I did find the filling process (removing the metal cap and the rubber bung) a little frustrating. However, this is the only small flaw I noticed with this device. While having to remove the metal cover to get to the pod can be a little inconvenient it does offer extra protection to the pod itself. 

For former smokers, a long-lasting battery is key as it means less charging (and temptation to go back to cigarettes). As a heavy vaper, I was really impressed with the battery life of this device - easily lasting me a full day between charges. The colour-coded indicator also made it easy to monitor battery life.

Overall, this is a great pod kit that could work for vapers of all experience levels and inhale styles - particularly those who value convenience, flavour, and battery life.

Aesthetics is often not considered when switching from smoking to vaping, but that’s a mistake. If something feels great to hold and is great to look at, you’re more likely to use it than a device that looks like it’s been designed by a chemist.

For great aesthetics, the Smok IPX 80 is well worth considering. It looks great and is a pleasure to hold. But there’s more to this device than pure aesthetics.

First of all, it’s tough! Rated IPX67, the device is resistant to water, shocks and dust - making it a great option for those who spend a lot of time outdoors and need a device that can withstand the elements.

It’s also a versatile device that allows you to experiment. The IPX 80 can be used with different resistance coils and has a wider power range than other devices here - 1- 80 watts. That means it’s great for vapers who want to experiment, and who want a device for the long term. You can start off with a tight, restricted vape which is more similar to a cigarette, but then progress to the looser, airier vape preferred by many long-term vapers.

Related: Vape Pod Buying Guide | Pod Mods Buying Guide

The iStick Power 2 mod kit stands out for its superb battery life. This eliminates the need for frequent charging and is a great feature for those former heavy smokers who can’t be without their vape for too long.

The 80W mod and tank combo features a huge 5000mAh battery that can power the device for a day or more between charges. The device is packed with intelligent features and modes that allow you to customise your vaping and appeal to vapers of varying experience levels.

The iStick Power 2 mod has a choice of 3 vaping modes to suit different levels of expertise while the included GTL pod tank supports both MTL and DL vaping styles. You can further tailor your vape between an airy, cloud-filled vape or a more restricted cigarette-style draw using the pod tank’s adjustable airflow ring.

The Innokin Endura series has been consistently popular with new vapers - it's already the second of the series we have covered in this post - and we think the Endura T22 Pro will continue this success.

The device comes with high-resistance mesh coils, meaning it's great for use with the high-nicotine e-liquids and nicotine salts we recommend for heavy smokers. (See section on nicotine delivery below for more information.) What’s more, the 3000mAh battery will provide a superb battery life for even heavy smokers, making it ideal for people who are on the move.

The biggest factor in switching to vaping is the amount of nicotine you get. That’s even more important for heavy smokers. At the time of writing, this is limited to 20mg (2%), although in practice this is usually capped at 18mg.

You might think that the more power in your device, the more nicotine you will get from your e-liquid. That’s not necessarily true.

Low-powered devices can be used with high-nicotine e-liquids. However, high-powered devices are used with lower nicotine e-liquids, as you get more nicotine with each puff. It all tends to balance out.

If you’re starting out, though, we recommend using a low-powered device with a high-nicotine e-liquid, as this ties in with other recommendations here (ease of use and vape style).

Related: How to choose the right e-liquid nicotine strength

Many heavy smokers miss the throat hit smoking gives them when they switch to vaping. So it’s important to choose a device that can give you a good throat hit.

To get a good throat hit, you usually need to use a higher resistance coil. These typically have a resistance of 1Ω or higher, although some modern devices may go a bit lower.

You don’t need a high wattage range when you are using high-resistance coils. Kits with a range of 10-25 watts are perfect.

It’s important to use the right VG:PG ratio. Halo Vapour Co. has a VG:PG ratio of 50:50, which gives the perfect throat hit for most users. Menthol Blast has a particularly good throat hit which is ideal for switching to vaping. If you need something even stronger, try Vapemate, which has a VG:PG ratio of 30:70 for a super strong throat hit.

If you find the throat hit too harsh, it’s probably worth trying nicotine salts. These allow you to combine high nicotine content with a smooth sensation on the back of the throat.

Alternatively, you might want to use a combination of regular (freebase) e-liquid and nicotine salts. These hybrid e-liquids have a great balance between the smoothness of a nicotine salt and the harsher throat hit of a regular e-liquid. Nicotine salts are provided by the Hexa devices and Hexa pods, as well as in the Riot Squad S:ALTS range.

Learn more about throat hit when vaping.

Some vape devices come with adjustable airflow, which allows you to choose between a loose, airy vape or a tighter or more restricted vape. We’ve found that this is especially valued by new vapers who used to use roll their own cigarettes and like being able to mimic the effect of a tightly/loosely rolled cigarette.

Some starter pod systems have a pod that can be removed and rotated 180 degrees to switch between a tight or loose vape. Other methods, such as a wheel, allow more precise control. The main takeaway is that if you like to vary the airiness of your cigarette/vape, make sure your device has adjustable airflow.

You inhale vapour differently to how you smoke. Instead of a short, sharp inhale, you inhale slowly and steadily. (It’s important not to inhale air at the same time).

That’s further divided into two main vape styles. Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) is when you inhale into your mouth, hold it there for a second or so, and then inhale it into your lungs. Direct-Lung (DL) is when you inhale in a steady stream directly into your lungs.

Most heavy smokers prefer MTL when they first start vaping, as it’s closer to smoking. However, if you want to experiment, it’s worth getting a device which can deliver both MTL or DL.

Learn more about MTL and DL.

Several studies have shown that people who switch to vaping with non-tobacco flavours are more likely to succeed in switching. So our number one tip here is to use a non-tobacco flavour if you can.

That said, it’s important to adjust what you use for your needs. If you’re desperate for a tobacco taste, consider trying something like Classic Virginia.

Alternatively, you might want to try a vape juice which is a crossover between tobacco and another flavour. This can help you to gently make the switch from tobacco to non-tobacco flavours.

Our favourites here include Vanilla Tobacco by Vampire Vape, and Doozy Vape Caramel Tobacco (salts). If you do end up using high VG e-liquids, a blend like The Mighty Mighty Cinnamon Tobacco gives more depth than a standard tobacco flavour.

While vape devices have been getting easier to use over the years, there is still a range of complexity with the devices. If you’re making the switch from a 20 a day habit to vaping, the last thing you want to do is fiddle with advanced settings while your body craves a cigarette.

Cigalikes and pod systems are some of the easiest devices to use, but most of the devices we’ve selected here have a relatively gentle learning curve. The exception is the Drag X Plus - the higher wattage ranges here mean there is a slightly steeper learning curve,. If you're starting with a device like this, it's important both to master priming coils and to use the correct power output.

If you’re using a device at home or in the office, you don’t need to worry about battery life too much. Indeed, many devices can be used while you charge them. (This is usually called ‘pass through’ vaping.)

If, however, you are out and about a lot, battery life is important. That’s especially the case if you are a heavy smoker, as you are likely to use the device more than a light smoker would.

Battery capacity is measured in mAh. The higher the mAh, the more capacity it can hold. But there’s also a playoff in terms of the wattage you use it at. If you’re using a high-resistance coil at lower wattages, you won’t use as much battery capacity. But if you’re using a low-resistance coil at high wattages, you’ll use more battery capacity.

Because of that, vapers who like big clouds of vapour often use 18650 batteries, which have a capacity of around 3000mAh. (Sometimes these are doubled up to provide around 6000mAh). But for lower-powered devices such as starter kits and basic pod systems, you don’t need anything like this. In fact, a 1000mAh battery will often last even a heavy smoker a day or more.

Learn more about vape batteries.

Remember, everyone is different

I’ve known people who switched from smoking to vaping after one vape. I’ve even known people who accidentally switched to vaping.

I’ve also known people who took months or even years to fully make the switch.

If it takes time, don’t be hard on yourself. There’s research that shows that even if you partially replace cigarettes with vaping, you’re still reducing the harm from smoking. The main point is not to give up trying to make the switch. If you are struggling, do check out these ten tips to help make the switch.

• Beginner's Guide to Vaping
• Which Vape Kit Should I Buy? 
• Best Vape Kits
• Best Vape Starter Kits