Refillable devices offer a wider range of compact designs, offering more choice. They come with the added advantage of being cheaper to run in the long term, and also offer more flavour choice. However, prefilled pod devices are slightly more convenient to use.

Learn more: prefilled v. refilled pod guide.

Based on both user testing and customer feedback, our top pick is the Vaporesso Xros 4 Nano, which delivers exceptional performance for a compact device. We also like the Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini - while slightly longer, its 1500mAh battery has an impressive battery life for its size.

The best prefilled pod vapes are smaller devices which contain 2ml of e-liquid, as these are more compact than big puff devices. We particularly like the Elf Bar 600 and Crystal Pro 600 for their range of bold flavours and satisfying draw.

Compact vapes offer a comparable performance to larger devices. The biggest potential drawback is battery life, as small devices typically have less capacity than larger devices. However, modern devices increasingly offer a battery capacity that can provide all-day-vaping before charges are needed.