How to Choose the Right Nicotine Strength in Your E-liquid

Choosing the right amount of nicotine strength is not just a matter of looking at a number on the bottle or how much nicotine is in a vape. It’s about how your body responds, what you're used to from smoking, and the kind of vape you’re holding. If the strength’s too low, you’ll be puffing all day without much satisfaction. Too high, and it can hit like a truck, being rough and unpleasant.

What matters here is fit. You want a setup that actually works for you, something that takes the edge off cravings without making you feel like you’ve overdone it. That sweet spot depends on more than one factor, including which e-liquid works best with your device and how it interacts with your setup.

The best place to start is how much you used to smoke. Most people underestimate this, but it matters. A single cigarette typically delivers around 1 to 1.5mg of nicotine into your system. If you were on a pack a day, you were absorbing 25–35mg daily. A few a day? Maybe closer to 5–12mg.

There’s another twist, though. Cigarettes hit in spikes; quick, sharp doses with a break between each one. Vaping doesn’t work like that. People tend to vape more steadily, which can sneakily add up.

Your device doesn’t just change the flavour or how much vapour you get; it directly affects how nicotine gets delivered. Some setups give you a soft, cigarette-like experience. Others are more like breathing in a cloud.

Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Devices

• Feels close to smoking
• Uses low power (usually under 15 watts)
• Smaller coils, tighter airflow
• Meant for higher-strength liquids like 12–20mg/ml

Direct-to-Lung (DTL) Devices

• More open airflow and warmer vapour
• Higher wattage (25W and up)
• Best with low-nicotine juice (around 3–6 mg/ml)
• You get more vapour—and more nicotine—per puff

There’s also a middle ground with pod systems. Some come with mesh coils or adjustable settings that sit somewhere between the two styles. As a general rule, the more vapour you’re getting with each inhale, the lower your nicotine strength should be.

Not all nicotine is created equal. What’s in your e-liquid changes how it feels when you inhale.

Freebase Nicotine

Freebase nicotine is the purest form of nicotine used in e-liquids, created by chemically altering natural nicotine to make it more potent when vaporised.

• Stronger throat hit
• Slower to absorb
• Often used by people who like big clouds or want a more “open” vape
• Comes in lower strengths—typically 3 to 12mg/ml

Nicotine Salts

Nicotine salts are made by combining nicotine with an acid (usually benzoic acid), which lowers the pH and makes the vapour smoother to inhale.

• Smoother, even at higher strengths
• Absorbs faster, closer to the hit you get from a cigarette
• Popular in pods and MTL setups
• Usually 10 and 20mg/ml

If you were a heavy smoker, and you want something that feels familiar, salts in the 10–20mg range are usually a safe bet. If you’re more focused on flavour or vaping casually, freebase at lower levels might feel just right.

Getting the nicotine strength right isn’t just about preference; it affects how often you vape, how you feel afterwards, and whether it actually helps with cravings. Too little, and you might end up puffing nonstop. Too much, and your body will push back fast. Too Low:

• You keep reaching for the vape
• Cravings creep in soon after you’ve just used it
• You might feel edgy or unsatisfied

Too High:

• Dizziness or headaches
• Scratchy throat, nausea, or a tight chest
• You avoid using it altogether

Ideally, a few puffs should feel enough. You shouldn’t need to chain-vape, and you definitely shouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

How Much Nicotine Are You Actually Taking In?

Nicotine strength is written on bottles in mg/ml. So a 10ml bottle with 12mg/ml has 120 mg total. But you don’t absorb all of it.

Absorption Estimates:

• MTL setups: roughly 30–50% absorbed
• DTL setups: around 50–65% absorbed

Let’s say you use 2ml of 12mg/ml juice per day in a pod:

• That’s 24mg inhaled
• At 40% absorption, you’re actually getting around 9.6 mg
• Which is similar to 8–10 cigarettes

So while the maths gives a guide, your usage habits and how your body responds matter just as much.

Not everyone vapes for the same reason, so your nicotine strength should line up with what you're trying to do.

Just don’t rush it. Let your body settle into a level before moving down. It’s more important to feel stable than to get to zero quickly.

Age, Medication, and Other Considerations

Your age, health, and even the medications you take can all affect how nicotine feels. Older adults often process nicotine more slowly. Certain prescriptions, like those for blood pressure or depression, can interact with it, too. If you’re unsure, speak to a healthcare professional.

If you’re still smoking while vaping, things get muddy. Your body might not get the full benefit of vaping because cigarettes are still doing the heavy lifting. Try going vape-only for a few days to get a clearer sense of whether your setup is working.

Other Details That Affect the Experience

Nicotine strength plays a big role, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. The way your vape is set up and how you use it can change how strong or satisfying it feels, even if the liquid strength stays the same.

• PG/VG Ratio: Higher PG gives more throat hit. Higher VG feels smoother and is better for big clouds.
• Flavour: Tobacco and menthol feel stronger. Fruity or dessert flavours often feel milder, even at the same strength.
• Wattage: More power means more vapour, which can make a low-nicotine strength feel stronger than it is.
• Puff Duration: Longer, slower drags deliver more nicotine than short sips.

Getting the nicotine strength right is one of the most important steps in making vaping work for you, especially if you are trying to break free from smoking. It’s not something you can pick at random or based on what a mate uses. Your body, your history with smoking, and your goals all factor in.

Think of it less as a perfect number and more as a starting point. The right strength should take the edge off your cravings without making you feel weird or uncomfortable. If you feel stable, satisfied, and aren’t constantly reaching for your vape or avoiding it altogether, you’re probably in the right zone. And if not, it’s okay to adjust. Vaping gives you that flexibility. Use it.