Most strength guides hand you a table and leave you to guess. The right number depends on three things at once: how much you smoked, what device you use, and whether the nicotine is salt or freebase.
Start here: the 60 second picker
Answer three questions in order. First, how many cigarettes did you smoke on a normal day? Count your usual day, not your worst day. Second, what are you vaping on? Prefilled pods, refillable pods, and sub-ohm tanks are not interchangeable, even at the same number. Third, do you want a smooth draw or a noticeable throat hit? That points you toward nic salts or freebase.
If you smoked a pack a day or more and you use a prefilled or refillable pod, start at 20mg nic salt in the UK, or the closest available strength where you live. If you smoked 10 to 20 a day on the same kind of device, start at 10mg nic salt. If you smoked fewer than 10 a day, start at 5mg to 10mg nic salt, or 3mg to 6mg freebase if you prefer a sharper feel.
If you use a sub-ohm tank, ignore those numbers completely. Start at 3mg freebase, or 6mg only if you are a heavy former smoker who finds 3mg completely unsatisfying. High strength liquid in a high power tank is the most common beginner error, and it usually shows up as dizziness within a few puffs.
Read the label without getting tricked
Nicotine strength is usually shown as mg/ml, which means milligrams of nicotine in each millilitre of liquid. A 10ml bottle at 20mg/ml contains 200mg of nicotine in total, but that total is not what you take in with one puff. Your device, your puff length, and how often you vape all change the amount you actually absorb.
You may also see strength shown as a percentage. The conversion is simple: multiply the percentage by 10 to get mg/ml. So 2% is 20mg/ml, 1% is 10mg/ml, and 0.3% is 3mg/ml. This matters most when you compare a pod labelled in percent with a bottle labelled in mg/ml. They are the same scale, just written differently.
In the UK, the legal maximum for nicotine liquid is 20mg/ml, which is why 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg nic salts are so common there. In the United States, you may see much higher numbers, including 50mg/ml pods. A higher number does not mean a better product, and it makes device matching even more important.
Match your smoking history, not someone else’s
Your old habit is the best clue you have, but only when paired with the right device. The table below assumes a low power or prefilled pod. Sub-ohm users should use the lower freebase figures in the device section instead.
| What you smoked | Nic salt starting point | Freebase starting point |
|---|---|---|
| More than a pack a day | 20mg | 12mg to 18mg |
| About a pack a day | 20mg | 12mg |
| 10 to 20 a day | 10mg to 20mg | 6mg to 12mg |
| 5 to 10 a day | 5mg to 10mg | 3mg to 6mg |
| Fewer than 5 a day, or social only | 5mg | 3mg |
| Never smoked | 0mg | 0mg |
Two details refine this table. If you lit your first cigarette within a few minutes of waking up, you probably had stronger dependence, so start at the upper end of your band. If you smoked mainly socially and could happily go hours without one, start at the lower end.
Your device changes the answer
A pod makes a small amount of vapour per puff, so it needs a higher concentration to feel satisfying. A sub-ohm tank makes a large amount of vapour per puff, so the same concentration would deliver far more nicotine in a short time.
Prefilled pods and disposable style devices
Prefilled pods, including the sealed pods used in many popular kits, are built for simplicity. You do not mix liquid or change settings, and the draw is usually tight and cigarette like. In the UK these are almost always 20mg nic salt, and that fixed strength is part of the appeal for heavy smokers switching over. For help choosing the hardware itself, compare prefilled pod kits before you worry about fine tuning the liquid.
The limitation is obvious: you cannot step down inside a fixed strength pod. If 20mg starts to feel too strong, move to a refillable pod with 10mg liquid instead.
Refillable pods
Refillable pods are the most flexible starting point. You can choose nic salt or freebase, move between 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg salts, and adjust in smaller steps than a prefilled system allows. They suit a wide range of former smokers, from light social smokers to pack a day smokers, because the same kit can serve very different strengths.
A refillable pod still uses low power and a tight draw, so do not drop to sub-ohm strengths and expect it to work. A 3mg liquid in a small pod will often feel like flavoured air to a former pack a day smoker, and the usual response is chain vaping. If you want a closer look at the kits in this category, our guide to the best refillable vape covers battery life, pod size, and draw style.
Sub-ohm tanks
Sub-ohm tanks use low resistance coils and higher power to make large, dense clouds with a direct to lung draw. That vapour volume is why the strength must fall. The standard range is 3mg to 6mg freebase, and 3mg is the right starting point for most people, including many former smokers. Only move to 6mg if 3mg leaves you constantly reaching for the device and you have already checked your coil, wattage, and puff style.
Never put 20mg nic salt into a sub-ohm tank. You may feel dizzy, nauseous, or jittery after a short session, and you may blame the flavour when the real problem is the mismatch. If you already own a sub-ohm kit and you still smoke, the fix is usually a second, low power pod, not a stronger liquid in the big tank.
Why the same number feels different
Nic salts and freebase nicotine contain the same drug at the same mg/ml, but they do not feel the same. That difference confuses almost everyone at first, so it deserves a clear explanation rather than a one line definition.
Freebase nicotine is the traditional form. It gives a sharper throat hit that grows stronger as the strength rises, which many former smokers like because it resembles a cigarette. The trade off is comfort: above about 12mg it can feel harsh, and at 18mg it can dominate the flavour.
Nic salts are nicotine combined with an acid, which lowers the pH and smooths the throat hit. That smoothness is why salts can reach 20mg in the UK, and higher strengths elsewhere, without feeling as harsh as the same number in freebase. Salts also tend to satisfy cravings faster, which suits short, cigarette like sessions.
Here is the practical rule. Choose salts if you want high strength without harshness or you use a low power pod. Choose freebase if you want a stronger throat hit, if you vape at lower strengths, or if you use a sub-ohm tank. If you switch type but keep the same mg/ml, expect the feel to change even though the number has not. Very high nicotine can also mute flavour, so dropping one level often brings it back.
The signs you picked wrong
Give any new strength at least three or four days before judging it, unless it makes you feel unwell. The first day on a new kit always feels strange. After that settling period, your body gives fairly clear signals.
Signs your strength is too high
Dizziness or lightheadedness after a few puffs is the classic warning, especially in a sub-ohm tank or after switching to a stronger pod. Headaches, nausea, a racing or jittery feeling, and a harsh, scratchy throat that does not settle are also common. Some people start avoiding the device, not because they dislike vaping, but because each session feels unpleasant.
If you notice these signs, stop and drop one level rather than pushing through. Moving from 20mg to 10mg nic salt, or from 12mg to 6mg freebase, is usually enough. A lower number that you enjoy will keep you away from cigarettes far better than a higher number you dread.
Signs your strength is too low
The signs here are quieter, which is why they get missed. You vape almost constantly without feeling settled, you still think about cigarettes after a session, or you feel restless and irritable between sessions. Another clue is puff count: if you are taking far more puffs than you expected and still not feeling satisfied, the strength may be the problem rather than your willpower.
If that sounds familiar, move up one level and give it the same few days. If you are already on freebase and stepping up makes the throat hit too harsh, try the same mg level as a nic salt instead. The smoother delivery often solves the problem without forcing you to a number that hurts to vape.
How to step down without going back
Stepping down works best when it is boring and gradual. The goal is not to reach 0mg by a deadline, but to stay off cigarettes while your need falls at a pace you can hold.
A workable ladder for pod users looks like this: 20mg nic salt, then 10mg nic salt, then 5mg nic salt, then 3mg to 6mg freebase, then 0mg. Stay at each step for at least a month, and longer if cravings are still close to the surface. The jump from 20mg to 10mg is the standard first step in the UK because 10mg salts are widely available and still smooth.
Do not step down and change everything else at the same time. Keep the same device and flavour family for the first week at the new level, so you know what caused any change. If cravings return sharply, move back up for another month without treating it as failure. A temporary return beats a return to smoking. Some people never step down, and that is a valid outcome too. For wider context, our comparison of cigarettes versus vaping explains the differences in plain terms.
Seven mistakes that make a good strength feel wrong
Even the right number can feel wrong when another variable is off. First, using a sub-ohm strength in a pod, or a pod strength in a sub-ohm tank. Device and strength must be chosen together. Second, judging a new strength after three puffs. Satisfaction builds over minutes and days, not seconds. Third, chain vaping a weak liquid to compensate. A higher level in fewer, calmer sessions usually feels better.
Fourth, confusing a burnt coil with a harsh strength. A coil at the end of its life can taste acrid and scratchy in a way that mimics high nicotine. Check our burnt taste guide before you drop a level for the wrong reason. Also learn how long coils last so you replace them before flavour collapses. Fifth, changing flavour and strength on the same day, which hides the real cause. Sixth, copying a friend’s strength, when their device and history are not yours. Seventh, treating 0mg as the only respectable finish line. If 0mg leaves you craving cigarettes, it is not better than a stable low strength that keeps you smoke free.
What if you are switching from disposables
Disposable style devices have trained many vapers to expect one fixed experience: a tight draw, a smooth throat hit, and 20mg nic salt in the UK. If that is your starting point, your transition strength is already decided. Begin with 20mg nic salt in a refillable pod, keep the draw tight, and change only the hardware.
The adjustment period is usually about flavour and airflow, not nicotine. Give it a week before you conclude the strength is wrong. If you want to compare device styles first, our roundup of the best disposable vapes shows what disposable users are used to. Once settled, the normal step down ladder applies.
Frequently asked questions
What nicotine strength should a beginner start with?
It depends on your smoking history and device. A pack a day smoker on a pod should usually start at 20mg nic salt in the UK, a moderate smoker at 10mg to 20mg, and a light smoker at 5mg to 10mg. A sub-ohm user should start at 3mg freebase instead.
Is 20mg nicotine a lot?
In a low power pod, 20mg is a normal starting strength for a heavy smoker, and it is the UK legal maximum. In a high power sub-ohm tank, the same 20mg would be far too much, because each puff delivers much more vapour. Context decides whether a number is high, not the number alone.
What does 2% nicotine mean in mg?
Multiply the percentage by 10. So 2% is 20mg/ml, 1% is 10mg/ml, and 0.5% is 5mg/ml. If a pod is labelled in percent and a bottle is labelled in mg/ml, convert one to the other before comparing them.
Should I start higher or lower if I am unsure?
If you are switching from smoking and you are torn between two levels, start at the higher one for the first week, provided your device suits it. Starting too low is the more common reason people drift back to cigarettes, because the vape never feels satisfying enough. You can always step down once cravings are under control.
Why does my vape feel weaker than it did last month?
Several things can cause this without any change in strength. Your coil may be ageing, or your wattage or airflow may have shifted. Check the coil and settings first, and only change strength if the device is in good order. If the draw still feels unfamiliar, a refresher on how to vape can help you separate technique from nicotine level.
Before you settle
Pick a starting strength from the picker, match it to your device, and give it a fair trial of several days. Watch for the too high and too low signs, change one variable at a time, and step down slowly if that is your goal. The perfect strength is the level that keeps you satisfied, comfortable, and away from cigarettes on a normal day.
This guide is general information only, not medical advice. Nicotine is addictive, and vaping is not risk free. If you are unsure, speak to a pharmacist, your GP, or a stop smoking service. For more background, start at the VapeFeat homepage and explore the guides from there.