Are you a vaper or smoker that’s considering buying a disposable vape or vape juice that contains 5% nicotine? If you are, you might be wondering whether 5% is a lot of nicotine and the answer is most certainly a resounding yes.
Why 5% Nicotine Is Very Strong
Given that there are nicotine-free (0%) vape juices that don’t contain any nicotine, an amount like 5% is considered very strong. In the early days of vaping, a strength of this caliber was nonexistent. But that was at a time when vaping was in its infancy and there were no vape juices or devices that used nicotine salts — back then it was all about freebase nicotine. Today, nicotine salts are insanely popular, particularly with vapers that use disposables and pod vapes.
How High-Strength Vape Juice Became The Norm
Nic salts, as they’re sometimes called, were revolutionary, allowing vape juice manufacturers to increase the strength of their juices to levels that were previously unheard of. While some might jump to conspiracy theories about maniacal vape companies infusing their liquids with more nicotine than ever before in an attempt to get more people hooked on vaping (and I’m not saying that’s not the case), the real reason for the higher strengths that came around as nic salts were introduced, if you ask me, is due to the nature of nic salts. Unlike freebase nic, salts can be vaped at higher strengths without becoming so harsh to inhale that you cough up a lung trying to take a puff. That’s right, nic salts are smoother. As a result, it suddenly became possible to create e-liquids with more nic in them. The result? Vape manufacturers started producing higher-strength vaping products, which caught on fairly quickly.
This brings us to the present where 5 percent nicotine is commonly found in disposable vapes and prefilled vape pods, which are generally what you’ll find for sale at local stores, such as gas stations and convenience stores.
Is 5% Too Strong For Beginners?
The kneejerk response to whether 5% nicotine is a lot for a beginner, or perhaps too much, is yes, however, that’s not entirely accurate. Sure, 5%, which corresponds with 50mg of nicotine per ml of vape juice (50mg/ml), is undoubtedly a lot, but that does not mean that it’s too much for beginners. For heavy smokers that are switching to vaping, it could very well be the right amount. Is it possible that even heavy smokers might find it to be too much? Sure, but that’s certainly not the case for all smokers that switch to vapes. Using myself as an example, I typically vape with 5% nicotine e-liquid and I do not find it to be too strong. For me, the strength makes sense. Yes, it’s definitely high, however, I used to be a heavy smoker before I switched to e-cigarettes. I was smoking a pack a day (or more) and there was hardly anything casual about it. So for me, it makes sense to switch to e-cigs that contain a high level of nicotine. But remember, it depends on who you are and what your habits are. If you’re a light smoker that’s switching to e-cigs, you might want to tone it down and try starting off with a weaker e-juice.
Who 5% Nicotine Is Right For And Who It’s Not
If you are a light smoker that’s transitioning to electronic cigarettes, you might want to steer clear of disposable vapes because 5% nicotine is relatively commonplace for disposables. I recommend picking up a refillable vape, which you should be able to find at a local or online vape shop. With a refillable, you can select the e-juice flavour and strength that works best for you and you’ll find that you have far fewer limitations as far as e-liquid is concerned when you’re using a refillable device.
As for other strengths on the market, you will find strengths higher than 5% if you search hard enough. They aren’t particularly common but they do exist. You will also find many strengths lower. So instead of 50mg/ml, you might want to consider something much lower, such as 6mg/ml or even 3mg/ml — it all depends on what’s suitable for you. What works for me will not necessarily be the right fit for you so take that into consideration and try using an e-liquid strength calculator to help you make the right decision. You might also consult with a vape shop employee, as many employees of vape shops have a good grasp of e-liquid strengths and they might be able to help you choose an e-juice that’s right for you.
