Best Alternatives to Disposable Vapes in the UK

The UK’s ban on disposable vapes (effective June 1, 2025) has made it necessary for vapers to find an alternative to disposable vapes; rechargeable, longer-lasting (by way of refilling or swapping pods) devices. The good news is that there’s a booming market of prefilled pod kits, refillable vapes, and advanced kits that produce the same flavours and nicotine hits, but without the waste that was accompanied by single-use vapes.

Prefilled pod kits, where you pair a rechargeable battery with snap-in pods prefilled with vape juice, are especially popular. Reusable devices often mimic the draw of disposables but pack thousands of puffs. While many of these alternatives are as convenient as single-use vapes, some, especially more advanced ones, require additional vape accessories to operate and maintain. 

Many prefilled kits combine a 2 ml flavour pod with a larger 10ml refill tank and a strong battery. This setup allows you to vape on a single device for weeks on end. This, in turn, reduces plastic waste and saves you money in the long run, since now you are only replacing small pods instead of entire vapes. We’ve broken down the main alternatives to disposable vapes below, along with our top kit picks for each category.

If you loved how simple disposables were, a prefilled vapes or a big puff vape will feel very familiar. You get a sleek battery that you can recharge, and one or more ready-filled pods ready to be dropped into the battery device (mostly secured via magnetic connection). These pods come in dozens of flavours (tobacco, fruit, drinks, desserts, menthol, etc.) and often use nicotine salts for a smooth, cigarette-like hit.

Many brands explicitly copy their best disposable flavours into prefilled kits, so you can switch to this alternative to disposable vapes without even noticing the difference. In fact, these kits can deliver anywhere from 2400 puffs to a massive total of 50,000, far beyond a one-time disposable. And because you only discard the tiny empty pod (instead of a whole battery), you cut down on waste.

Top 3 Prefilled Pod Kit Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Gold Bar XL 10K – A high-capacity pod kit with about 10,000 puffs per battery. It uses a large 1200 mAh cell and dual-reservoir design (2 ml pod + 10 ml refill). Gold Bar’s pods deliver their familiar sweet, fruit and tobacco flavours in smooth 2% nicotine salt.
• Elux Legend 1500 2‑in‑1 – A compact pod kit that comes with two pods (two flavours) in one package. Each 2 ml pod holds 20 mg nicotine salt e-liquid and offers roughly 1500 draws. The Legend 1500 adds a handy slide-adjust airflow, so you can fine-tune the draw tightness. It’s exactly the kind of device former smokers or busy vapers turn to for that quick and easy hit.
• SKE Crystal Pro 600 – A truly pocket-friendly prefilled kit designed to mirror the popular SKE Crystal Bar disposables. It packs a 400 mAh battery and a 2 ml prefilled pod, yielding about 600 puffs in total before you need a pod swap. The built-in mesh coil in each pod gives consistently smooth flavour from first to last puff. It’s ideal for vapers who want the classic Crystal fruit/menthol blends without binning a unit every couple of days.

Rechargeable & Reusable Vape Kits

Rechargeable and reusable vape kits are the core solution after the disposable vape ban. These vapes are built to last through dozens, or even hundreds, of charging cycles. These all-in-one kits have built-in batteries (often 800–2000 mAh) and feature refillable pods or take replaceable pods. Inside most of these kits lies a smart chipset that extends battery and coil life.

These non-disposable vape kits allow you to keep reusing the same device body and only replace the pod or coil. This cuts down significantly on the waste. And you can mix and match pods or e-liquids of different strengths and flavours, so it’s a more flexible system. In short, you don’t throw away the battery; you just swap a pod or refill it. This makes daily vaping much more eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Top 3 Rechargeable Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Juicy Pod Novamax 10K – A top-of-the-line rechargeable kit with a massive 2000 mAh battery and an innovative dual-reservoir system. It holds a 2 ml pod plus an extra 10 ml auto-refill container, stretching to about 10,000 puffs on one charge. This juggernaut is for vapers who demand multi-day battery life and ultra-long flavour runs.
• SKE Crystal CL6000 – A sleek, crystal-clear pod system with an 800 mAh battery and an OLED screen. It promises around 6,000 puffs and uses 20 mg of nic salts for a knockout throat hit. The translucent chassis lets you always see your e-liquid level, and the screen displays battery %, which is handy if you hate guessing. Compact and simple, it’s great for all-day use.
• IVG Air 4 in 1 – An ultra-versatile pod kit that comes with four different pods (flavours) in one box. It runs on a rotating chamber configuration, where there are four slots for the pod, and you rotate between them. For vapers who hate being limited to one flavour or style, this catches every preference in one device.

Refillable pod kits are the thriftiest long-term option for you when moving away from disposables. These devices come with an empty pod (and a spare pod, in most cases) with your kit. You fill pods with an e-liquid of your choice. This means you can use any flavour, any brand, any nicotine strength you like. Refillability is only one of the ways in which a refillable pod kit is different from a prefilled vape.

Over time, this saves a ton of money as bottles of vape juice cost much less per ml than pre-filled pods. It also generates far less waste as you reuse the same pod until the coil finally wears out (usually 1–2 weeks). You can start off with pre-filled pods, but you can switch to these refillable kits once you know what you like in terms of flavours and nicotine levels. The trade-off is that refillable systems need a tiny bit more maintenance than prefilled options.

Top 3 Refillable Vape Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Vaporesso XROS Mini – A highly regarded refillable pod kit, loved for its consistent flavour delivery and leak-resistant design. It’s compact (pocket-friendly) and uses a simple slide-in pod. Each refillable pod lasts well over 1 ml of juice, and a full battery charge can power you through a day of MTL vaping. Flavour-wise, it is one of the best refillable vapes that hits like a disposable.
• Aspire Gotek X – A long-lasting pod pen with a whopping 2ml tank capacity and a 1500 mAh integrated battery. It uses replaceable coils, so you can pick different resistances. This means you can “dial in” your draw; for example, put in a tight 1.0Ω coil for cigarette-like hits, or a 0.6Ω coil if you want a slightly more open inhale. Big juice capacity and battery make it a true all-day performer.
• OXVA Xlim Pro – A premium pod mod with every feature. It has adjustable wattage (so you control the power exactly), as well as airflow control on the device. Pair it with OXVA’s refillable pods (either 3 ml pods or larger 4 ml “tank” pods) and you can fine-tune everything from throat hit to cloud size. The Xlim Pro is for vapers who want total customisation in a small package.

MTL Vape Kits

MTL (Mouth-to-Lung) kits are designed to feel like smoking a cigarette. These vape kits have a tighter airflow and higher coil resistance, to produce a smaller vapour cloud but a stronger throat hit. Most prefilled and refillable pod systems are MTL by default. The big draw of MTL is familiarity and discretion as you inhale into your mouth, then to your lungs, just as you did with a cig. MTL kits usually use nicotine salt e-liquids (up to 20 mg) to deliver nicotine quickly on each puff.

Because of the tight draw, MTL vape kits are gentle on the juices too, so you go through e-liquid more slowly than with DTL kits. This makes them discreet and excellent for former smokers or anyone vaping on-the-go. In fact, many “beginner” vape pens and pod systems are set up for MTL vaping by design.

Top 3 MTL Vape Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Smok Nord 2 – A best-selling compact pod kit that supports multiple coil types. It lets you vape MTL or a looser Restricted-DTL by swapping coils. The Nord 2 has a 1500 mAh battery (big for its size) and can output up to 40 W. It’s a versatile starter kit that still feels pocketable.
• Geekvape Weenax Q – An ultra-lightweight, durable MTL pod kit. It’s made of aluminium alloy and has a draw-activated firing (no buttons) for true simplicity. Weenax pods come in various resistances for MTL or mild RDL vaping. It’s perfect as a backup device or for anyone who wants a simple grab-and-go.
• Elf Bar Elfa Pro – The refillable sibling to the popular disposable Elf Bar. It’s a sleek, pen-style MTL device with refillable 2 ml pods and adjustable airflow. The Elfa Pro is very beginner-friendly (click open the cap, inhale, and enjoy), yet offers the reliability and familiarity that former disposable users expect.

DTL Vape Kits

DTL (Direct-to-Lung) kits cater to a very different vape style. With a DTL vape, you inhale vapour straight into your lungs, like taking a deep breath. The devices are built with wide airflow and low-resistance (sub-ohm) coils so they can run at higher power. This produces large, dense clouds of vapour and a much more intense inhale. DTL kits are great for vapers who have “graduated” and want to chase clouds or max out flavour. You can learn more about how MTL vaping compares to DTL vaping in our guide.

Because of the high power, DTL vapes use high-VG e-liquids (usually 70–80% VG) and low nicotine (3–6 mg) to avoid throat burn. These kits often feature sub-ohm tanks or mesh coil pods and adjustable settings to tweak vapour production. If you’re an experienced vaper who loves huge clouds and intense flavours, a DTL kit is where you’d go next.

Top 3 DTL Vape Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Smok Priv N19 – A compact, stylish sub-ohm kit that’s surprisingly beginner-friendly. It uses Smok’s Nord coil series (0.6Ω or 0.8Ω mesh coils), which can produce good clouds at just 25–30 W. Its design is ergonomic with a big single fire-bar (no fiddly buttons), and it has a 2500 mAh battery, which is plenty for a portable cloud-blower.
• Smok R-Kiss – A dual-18650 box mod kit from Smok. This means it takes two big batteries (sold separately) and can put out very high power. It comes with the RPM Tank, which is versatile: you can pop in RPM coils (for MTL or RDL) or the larger TFV series coils (for true DTL) by buying different coil adapters. In simple terms, the R-Kiss is a “Swiss Army” vape mod. It is very powerful and configurable if you decide to experiment beyond basic pods.
• Geekvape Aegis X – A legendary, durable mod, famous for being shockproof, waterproof, and dustproof. It has a huge 2.4″ colour TFT screen and runs on dual 18650 batteries (for lots of power). Paired with Geekvape’s Z series tanks or other sub-ohm tanks, the Aegis X will churn out massive vapour. This is an enthusiast’s device: you can fine-tune wattage, temperature, power curves and more.

At the high end are advanced vapes or sub-ohm kits; the true “race cars” of vaping. These devices use coils below 1.0Ω and can crank the wattage up to 200+ W for maximum flavour and cloud production. That is not all; these high-tech vape devices come with all the bells and whistles. You will find mods with full OLED touchscreens, temperature control, adjustable airflow, and even TC modes for TC coils. They are explicitly aimed at vapers who love to tinker: changing coils, mixing custom e-liquids, and chasing the densest vapour possible.

Because many advanced vapes rely on sub-ohm coils, you’ll be using very high-VG juice (70%+ VG) to keep the vapour smooth. These kits can be an alternative to disposable vapes, but not for casual or first-time vapers; they require some learning, but the payoff is unrivalled cloud size and flavour intensity.

Top 3 Sub-Ohm Vape Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

• Smok G-Priv 4 – A high-wattage box mod (up to 230 W) with a large touch-screen interface. It’s paired with Smok’s TFV16 or 22 series tanks, and delivers truly massive vapour output. The G-Priv 4 is designed for those who want full control (wattage, temperature, coil type) right at their fingertips.
• Voopoo Musket – An advanced pod mod kit that blurs the line with tanks. It can fire up to 80 W and uses Voopoo’s PnP coils (ranging from 0.15Ω up to 1.2Ω). It features temperature control and a robust flavour engine. For an enthusiast, it offers the convenience of pods with the versatility of a mod.
• Smok Morph 3 – A 230 W box mod with a bright TFT display, capable of handling dual 18650 or even 21700 batteries. It’s often bundled with Smok’s TF Tank, which has top-fill and top-airflow, a relatively modern tank design for big sub-ohm coils. The Morph 3 looks rugged and has all the ports and modes a hobbyist could need.

When shopping for an alternative to disposable vapes, it is helpful to keep a few points in mind. The following checklist will help you buy the best reusable kit suited to your individual needs and preferences.

• Match nicotine strength: If you were on 20 mg disposables, stick with nicotine salts in your new device (10–20 mg) until your cravings are satisfied. Nic salts satiate cravings fast. If you decide to try a DTL kit (which usually uses 3–6 mg freebase), don’t forget to lower the nicotine level or switch to high-VG juices, because bigger clouds dilute nicotine.
• Consider portability: You don’t want to haul around a bulky vape if you are always on the go. A small pod kit or vape pen is likely the ideal choice in this situation. If you mostly vape at home or require longer battery life, a larger mod or pod kit with a high-capacity battery may be a better fit for you. But many of these powerful mods are heavier and take some time getting used to.
• Check coil/pod availability: Now, what good is a reusable vape if you can’t easily find replacement pods or coils for it? Popular kits have lots of retailers like Alectrofag stocking their a href="https://www.alectrofag.co.uk/collections/vape-pods">replacement pods and a href="https://www.alectrofag.co.uk/collections/vape-coils">coils. So, buy from a brand with widely available coils so you won’t be hunting for spares later.

And once you have settled on one, it is essential to learn how to troubleshoot your vape pod kit to get the maximum out of it (both flavour- and vapour-wise, and to extend its life).

Final Words

The UK’s ban on disposable vapes is a big change for both vapers and vape retailers. But it has opened doors to much more sustainable vaping, in the form of reusable vape kits. Vapers aren’t really missing out on much when transitioning from single-use to non-disposable vapes, as all your favourite flavours are available in replacement pods as well as e-liquid bottles.

New reusable vape kits cover the needs of both new and pro vapers, with their varied form factors, availability of dozens of flavours, and easy customisability on top of that. With the right device in hand, you can not only save money but also reduce plastic waste in the process. In fact, you will find that many vapers are seeing this transition as an upgrade, as they are getting to experiment with innovative new vape kits. If you were hesitant about the ban, now you know that there are dozens, in fact, hundreds of high-quality pod kits and mods ready to be your new go-to vape.