What Is A Disposable Vape?
Disposable vapes have been at the fore front of the vaping world for the last few years, with many people preferring to use them as their vape device of choice.
But you may have some questions surrounding disposable vapes, which is why we've written this blog to explain everything you need to know about disposable vapes.
Join us as we embark on a journey telling you everything you need to know, as well as highlighting the pro's and con's of using disposable vapes and why considering an alternative like a refillable vape kit may future proof yourself ahead of an impending ban on disposable vapes.
Table of Contents
What Is A Disposable Vape? - What's Inside A Disposable?
- How Much Vape Juice Is In A Disposable Vape?
- What Vape Juice Is Used In A Disposable Vape?
- How Long Does The Battery Last In A Disposable?
- Are Disposable Vapes Rechargeable?
- Can I Refill A Disposable Vape?
- Pro's and Con's of Disposables
- Are Disposable Vapes Getting Banned In The UK?
- Why Refillable Vape Kits Are A Better Alternative
- Best Disposable Vape Alternatives
What Is A Disposable Vape?
Disposable vapes, also known as a puff bar, vape bar, or disposable e-cigarettes, are a pre-filled, pre-charged electronic vaping device. Some of the most famous brands include Elf Bar, Lost Mary and SKE Crystal. Unlike reusable vapes, which require refilling and maintenance, disposables offer a simple, no-fuss vaping experience. They come ready to use straight out of the box, requiring no assembly or upkeep.
Disposable vapes are small devices which are lightweight, and easy to use. A disposable vape is a great option for those who are new to vaping or for those who are looking for a more portable and discreet option.
Disposable vapes typically come pre-filled with nicotine salt e-liquid and come in a variety of flavours and nicotine strengths. The simplicity and compact nature of disposable vapes make them a popular choice for those who are looking for a simplistic vaping experience.
One of the first vaping devices to ever hit the market way back in 2008 was a disposable vape pen but known as a “Cig-a-like” This device was a battery with a screw on tip that contained e-liquid and it was in the style and design of a cigarette, hence the name.
The screw on tip was disposable after it was finished with, as was the battery once it ran flat, unless you happened to have a specialised charger. And now in the current day, there are so many different types of disposable vapes available on the market that the Cig-A-Like disposable vape kit have become a distant memory.
We've explored disposable vapes in depth in our guide about disposable vape's and the history of them which you can check out after you've read this blog.
What's Inside A Disposable Vape?
Despite their small size, there's actually quite a lot packed inside the plastic housing of a disposable vape, and you might be suprised to see just what is inside one. Below is a picture of an Elf Bar 600 which has been taken apart to show exactly what's inside a disposable vape.
• Battery: Powers the device and heats the e-liquid.
• Atomizer: Houses the heating element (coil) that vaporizes the e-liquid.
• E-liquid: Contains propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavourings, as well as nicotine.
• Wick: Absorbs the e-liquid and delivers it to the coil for vaporization.
For safety reasons, we would not recommend taking a disposable apart yourself.
How Much Vape Juice Is In A Disposable Vape?
The maximum legal amount of vape juice which can be put in a disposable vape is 2ml. This is to adhere to TPD legislations which were issued in 2017 for the EU which stated that any tank or container that vape juice is put into must not exceed over 2ml in capacity.
However in recent times, there has been an upsurgence in sales and popularity of big puff disposable vapes" (pictured)
These big puff devices are considerably larger than a standard disposable as they contain 4 individual 2ml pods of different flavour vape juices and they are contained within the big puff unit.
These have caused a lot of controversy in the vaping world, with claims that these are exploiting a loophole and touting the rules. But for now, these remain on shelves and growing in popularity with disposable vape users.
What Vape Juice Is Used In Disposable Vapes?
As far as we are aware, all disposable vapes are prefilled with nicotine salt e-liquid. The reason for our speculation of this is because they are commonly sold in 20mg nicotine strength, and with them being incredibly flavoursome as well as smooth on the throat when you inhale on a disposable, these are the tell tale signs of a nicotine salt base for the vape juice.
However, nearly all of the disposable vape brands on the market today originate from China where every part of the process of making a disposable takes place, including vape juice manufacturing. And unlike the UK, China do not have any regulations when it comes to vape juice manufacturing so there's a certain err of mystery that surrounds what exactly goes into their vape juice.
The TPD regulations we spoke about above also covers vape juices and what can be added to them. It put a stop to additional ingredients such as Taurine, Caffeine and Diacetyl from being added to vape juices, and all UK made vape juices must pass regulatory checks according to what is set out by the MHRA.
Here at LiQuid, we pride ourselves on the rigorous testing procedure that all of our vape juices undergo prior to submission to MHRA, and we also test all of our raw materials prior to use as well. This is why using LiQuid's UK made vape juices is considerably better than using a disposable vape, because we don't add in anything which shouldn't be there when making our e-liquids.
How Long Does The Battery Last In A Disposable?
You've probably seen a series of numbers after a disposable vape branding, such as Elf Bar 600 or Lost Mary BM600 and wonder what they mean. Well, those numbers relate to how many "puffs" you will get from a disposable before the vape juice runs out or the battery runs flat.
However, the battery may not last for the total 600 puffs especially if you're a frequent user of your disposable vape. The battery that powers the device is only 280mah which is relatively small when compared to a standard refillable pod vape kit battery that's normally 700mah or higher.
Therefore, a disposable vape may only last you one day before the battery runs out and you'll then need to buy a replacement disposable which is where the costs of using a disposable as your only vape device begin spiralling, and you may end up finding this an expensive way to vape.
Are Disposable Vapes Rechargeable?
A standard disposable like an Elf Bar 600 or Lost Mary BM600 is not rechargeable, and once the battery runs flat, you then have to dispose of the device.
However, the "big puff disposables" that we mentioned at the top of this blog are in fact rechargeable, and it's one of the selling points which the brands behind making these big puffs use to try and tempt people in to buying and using them.
Can I Refill A Disposable Vape?
No, disposable vapes of any kind are not refillable. They are a sealed unit that doesn't have a tank or pod in which you can refill once you vape juice has run out.
Another downside to disposable vapes is the fact you're paying £6 for 2ml of vape juice, whereas if you used a refillable vape device, you could pay just £2 for 10ml of UK made vape juice from us here at LiQuid. 5 times the amount of vape juice for 1/3rd of the price of a disposable...it's a no brainer!
Pro's And Con's Of Using Disposable Vapes
We've discussed plenty of the "con's" of using disposable vapes, and whilst they do have a significant amount of downsides, there are a few positives or "pro's" to using disposable vapes as we will elaborate on in this section of the blog.
Disposable vapes do offer a very convenient way to vape, in the way that they don't have to be charged or topped up with vape juice. As well as them being zero maintenance as there's no coils to change regularly, and these points could appeal to those who are new to vaping and may not want the hassle of keeping up with maintaining a vape kit.
They're also a cheap way to experiment with vaping as well, especially if you're unsure that you'll get along with vaping when quitting smoking as vaping isn't for everyone. So rather than spending out on a beginner vape kit and all peripherals required, you can just spend £6 on a standard disposable vape and see if vaping works for you. And if it does, you can then move on to refillable vape kits.
However, the con's of using disposable vapes do heavily outweigh the pro's, and as you would have gathered by now, we wouldn't recommend using disposable vapes as not only are they an expensive way to vape, but they're also a massive detriment to the environment due to the fact they cannot be recycled as they contain a battery.
Therefore millions of discarded disposables are being dumped into landfills every week in the UK, and it's estimated that plastic can take over 200 years to degrade coupled with the fact there's over 10,000 (approx) tonnes of lithium going to waste contained within these used disposable vapes.
Did you know? That enough lithium to make 1200 electric car batteries is discarded every year through disposable vape waste.
Pro's
- Convenient way to vape
- No maintenance or upkeep
- Good way to experiment with vaping
Con's
- Not refillable
- Not rechargeable
- Not sustainable to the environment
- Not a cheap way to vape
Are Disposable Vapes Getting Banned In The UK?
The popularity of disposable vapes has reached unprecedented heights over the last couple of years, and this popularity has bought it's fair share of controversy with it alongside. The reason being is that youth vaping figures in the UK have drastically increased with many of those surveyed admitting to using disposable vapes as their preffered vape device.
The use of disposable vapes amongst 11-17 year olds increased seven-fold in the course of a year between 2021-2022, and has continued increasing year on year and this has sparked many calls and debate for disposable vapes to be banned and begin curbing the youth vaping numbers from what they currently are.
Former PM for the UK Rishi Sunak announced in November 2023 his then Government's plans to bring in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which featured many different things aimed at stopping the start of a new generation of nicotine addicts from forming, and a disposable vape ban was announced for the future in the UK.
However, a sudden snap election in July of this year (2024) saw the Conservatives lose power, and Labour gain control which then put the future of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in limbo as it was uncertain what Labour had planned and if they would pick up where the Tories left off.
It looks like they have done exactly that as they've released their own version of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill they plan to bring to the UK and a disposable vape ban was promised in the not so distant future. It's uncertain as and when this is going to happen, but the Scottish government have since announced that disposable vapes will be banned from sale in Scotland in April 2025, so there is speculation surrounding whether this will be the same for the rest of the UK.
Why Refillable Vape Kits Are A Better Alternative
You may have guessed by now that our conclusion would be that using a refillable vape kit is a much better alternative for vaping rather than using a disposable vape for all of the reasons we've stated above.
Not only is it a more cost effective way to vape in the long run, it's also a considerably more sustainable way to vape as when using a refillable vape kit, the only thing you dispose of is either a used coil or used pod once the coil has burnt out.
And finally, whilst disposable vapes are earmarked to be banned in the UK, refillable vape kits haven't been mentioned in any upcoming plans, so you're essentially future proofing yourself by choosing to use a device that you'll still be able to buy peripherals like coils or replacement pods for.
Best Refillable Vape Kit Alternatives
There are so many refillable vape devices on the market today that vapers are spoilt for choice on what to go for as they seek out the latest and best refillable vape kits. If you've previously been using a disposable vape and are looking for an alternative to change to using, we've listed a few of the best devices that we have available here at LiQuid.
Aspire R1
The Aspire R1 is a unique vape kit in the way that it is techinically a disposable vape kit, but it has a refillable pod and it can also be recharged once the battery runs down.
The device is a sealed unit and once the battery reaches it's maximum charge cycles or the coil inside the pod burns out (approx 8/9 charge cycles) you then dispose of the device and get yourself a replacement.
Priced the same as the RRP of a standard disposable, the Aspire R1 will last alot longer and also give you the freedom of refilling with whatever vape juice you want!
Innokin Klypse Pro
The Klypse Pro has recently been added to our catalogue of vape devices available on LiQuid and it's an upgraded version of one of our best selling devices on site, the Innokin Klypse.
The Klypse Pro is a refillable pod vape kit thats powered by a 1000mah battery to give long lasting battery life as well as using the replaceable Klypse pods which have coils preinstalled offering ultimate convenience for vaping.
Priced at just £14.99, this is an exceptionally good value for money vape kit that we couldn't recommend more!
Aspire Cyber G Slim
The Cyber G Slim is the latest refillable pod vape kit from Aspire and it's one of the best value for money vape kits on the market today!
Using Aspire TG pods, they have Aspire's patented mesh coils inside to deliver maximum flavour from your vape juice. Powered by a 1200mah battery this will provide a full day use and a little bit more when fully charged.
Get the Cyber G Slim for only £11.99 today, less than the cost of 2 disposable vapes and get a device that delivers a high quality vaping experience to satisfy your needs!
Why Buy Your E-Liquids & Vape Kits Online From LiQuid?
Quality, Safety, Price - these are the three best reasons to choose the LiQuid brand as our trusted vape supplier, whether you are looking for vape juice or indeed any vaping product.
We have been proudly serving hundreds of thousands of customers every month for ten years, selling millions of bottles of e-liquid and constantly evolving our ranges through extensive testing, R&D and customer feedback. When you buy a bottle of e-liquid from LiQuid, you get the benefit of a decade of industry expertise, dedication to quality, and a commitment to low prices. You simply won't find a higher quality e-liquid for less in the UK.
We have developed an end-to-end manufacturing process that gives us unmatched control over the quality of our raw ingredients and e-liquid blending. This is combined with our full scope of laboratory testing that allows us to ensure the strictest standards are upheld at every stage of production to guarantee your satisfaction.
Beyond our promise of quality and value, becoming a member of the LiQuid community gives you acces to unique benefits as a vaper, including our subscription service and LiQuid loyalty point scheme to help you get even more from your vaping journey.
Written By James Drake
James discovered the world of vaping 7 years ago as an alternative to smoking. Since then, he's become a dedicated enthusiast, experimenting with various e-cigarettes, flavours, and nicotine strengths.
James is committed to sharing his in-depth knowledge to help both new and experienced users make informed decisions about their nicotine alternatives and his blogs are a platform for honest reviews, helpful tips, and discussions.
