Best Vape Juice UK 2026: Our Top E-Liquid Picks

July 17, 2026 By: David Phillips

What started out as a fairly small, niche industry barely a decade ago has evolved into something colossal, with thousands of brands and flavours competing to tickle your fancy. As a result, finding the best vape juice in the UK is a real challenge - where does one even begin?

The obvious starting point is focusing on what type of nicotine you're working with, because that determines your device, your PG/VG ratio, and ultimately which brands are even relevant to you.

We figured an easy-to-grasp guide might be helpful, one that organises the best vape juice brands in the UK into three categories based on nicotine type, including nic salts, freebase, and hybrid.

If you are switching from cigarettes, upgrading your setup, or maybe just looking for something new to enjoy, this guide should prove pretty useful.

TL;DR

The best vape juice for you depends first on nicotine type (nic salt, freebase, or hybrid), which is determined by your device and preferred throat hit.
Nic salts are the best starting point for switchers from cigarettes; they feature smooth delivery, fast nicotine absorption, and are designed for MTL pod kits.
Freebase e-liquids suit sub-ohm and direct-lung setups and offer more flexibility in nicotine strength and flavour complexity.
Hybrid nicotine combines both salt and freebase in one formula. Riot Squad is the standout UK brand in this niche category.
Top brands across all three categories include Bar Juice 5000, ElfLiq, Lost Mary, Vampire Vape, Dinner Lady, IVG, and Riot Squad, all available at Vape Superstore.

How to Choose Your E-Liquid by Nicotine Type

Before looking at the best vape juice in the UK, we should explain the relevance of nicotine, as it directly affects how the vape feels and what device you should be using.

Currently, there are three nicotine types available in the UK vaping market:

Nicotine salts use a different chemical form of nicotine that absorbs into the bloodstream faster and with a smoother throat hit than standard freebase nicotine.
Freebase nicotine is the traditional form used in most e-liquids. It produces a more pronounced throat hit at equivalent strengths, which some vapers prefer.
Hybrid nicotine blends both salt and freebase in a single formula, aiming to combine the smooth delivery of nic salts with the throat hit and vapour character of freebase.

Best Nic Salts Brands in the UK

Nic salts are the most dominant format for pod kit users and for anyone crossing over from cigarettes. Most nic salts are compatible with a wide range of MTL devices, running at a 50:50 PG/VG ratio and at up to 20mg of nicotine.

Bar Juice 5000

Bar Juice 5000 has carefully built its range around the most popular flavour profiles of disposable vapes, giving pod kit users access to a refillable, sustainable format. The brand has become one of the best-selling nic salt ranges in the UK because its execution is consistently reliable, and its flavours are well curated. They are known for holding up across long vaping sessions without fading or becoming artificial.

Top Bar Juice 5000 Flavours

Triple Mango

Yellow vape juice bottle with mango flavor and warning label.

Warm, ripe mango with no ice; full-bodied and consistent, one of the brand's best vape juices

Fresh Menthol Mojito

Mint, lime, and menthol in a cocktail-inspired blend; more complex than standard menthol options

Strawberry Ice

Sweet, ripe strawberry with a clean icy exhale; well-balanced between the fruit and the cool finish

Shop All Bar Juice 5000 Nic Salts

Elf Bar ElfLiq

ElfLiq is Elf Bar's very own nic salt range, developed to give vapers who enjoyed Elf Bar disposable vapes a way to carry their favourite flavours into a refillable setup.

Given that Elf Bar has been one of the UK's most widely used disposable brands, ElfLiq benefits from a large existing audience who already know which flavours they want. Flavour quality is consistent with what vapers expect, which is the main reason for the brand's strong repeat purchase rate.

Top Elf Bar ElfLiq Flavours

Watermelon

Sweet, juicy watermelon with a clean, light finish; straightforward and highly popular

Pink Lemonade

Bright citrus with a sweet, slightly tart lemonade base; a refreshing and distinctive fruit option

Mr Blue

ELFLIQ Nic Salts e-liquid bottle with warning label about nicotine addiction.

Sweet blueberry with a cool menthol exhale; the menthol is restrained enough to let the fruit character lead

Shop All Elf Bar ElfLiq Nic Salts

Lost Mary Nic Salts

Lost Mary launched their nic salt range to give disposable users a path into refillable vaping without losing the flavours they once used. The brand's flavour development is quite strong, with profiles that are layered and nuanced rather than one-dimensional and flat.

Lost Mary nicotine salts is among the most popular thanks to its fruit and mixed-fruit profiles, which account for the majority of its best-selling vape juice in the UK right now.

Top Lost Mary Flavours

Triple Mango

Sweet, tangy, and distinctly tropical; slightly tart on the exhale which gives it complexity

Watermelon Strawberry

A refreshing, fruity blend where the watermelon compliments the strawberry sweetness; an interesting combination

Kiwi Passionfruit Guava

A three-fruit tropical blend that balances sweetness and freshness well; popular with vapers who prefer multi-note profiles

Shop All Lost Mary Nic Salts

Best Freebase E-Liquid Brands in the UK

Freebase nicotine e-liquids are among the most widely used types in UK vaping, covering everything from basic 50/50 starter liquids to high-VG shortfills designed for sub-ohm setups.

The format offers greater choice in terms of device compatibility and nicotine strength options, and is probably the right choice for vapers who enjoy a more noticeable throat hit (or who are using a direct-lung device). Strengths run from 3mg up to 18mg.

Vampire Vape

Vampire Vape is a well-established, quite popular UK e-liquid brand thanks to its distinctive, wide-ranging flavours. Heisenberg, in particular, has achieved iconic status in the UK vaping community.

Top Vampire Vape Flavours

Heisenberg

Bottle of Vampire Vape e-liquid with purple cap and warning label.

Cool menthol with berries, a hint of aniseed, and a faintly sweet, complex character that's been consistently popular for years and is genuinely hard to replicate

Pinkman

Purple vape juice bottle with warning label about nicotine addiction.

A sweet, fruity blend of red berries with a smooth, rounded finish; one of the UK's best-selling e-liquids that is also a reliable everyday option

Bubblegum

A straightforward bubblegum with sweet, fruity candy that doesn't pretend to be anything else

Shop All Vampire Vape E-Liquids

Dinner Lady

Dinner Lady is one of the UK's most decorated e-liquid brands, having won awards at various international vaping expos. The brand's flavours are mostly built around dessert and sweet profiles, though the range has expanded into fruit, menthol, and tobacco categories in recent years.

The quality of flavour construction, especially in its best-selling vape juice, Lemon Tart, has helped them build a dedicated following, while their profiles are multi-layered in a way that cheaper brands can't quite compete with.

Top Dinner Lady Flavours

Lemon Tart

The brand's flagship, a sharp, zesty lemon curd sitting on a buttery pastry base, is one of the most replicated flavours in UK vaping and still one of the best executed

Mango Ice

Alphonso and honey mango with a clean ice finish; richer and more layered than most fruit-ice vape juices

Caramel Tobacco

Dark caramel and vanilla cream over a mild Cavendish tobacco base; dessert-forward with just enough tobacco on the exhale

Shop All Dinner Lady E-Liquids

IVG (I Vape Great)

IVG is another British vape juice brand that has grown into one of the UK's most instantly recognisable e-liquid names, owing to a broad flavour range and accessible pricing. The brand offers a wide variety of profiles, including fruit, menthol, dessert, candy, tobacco, and much more.

The appeal of IVG for many vapers lies with reliability, built around flavours that are clean and well-executed without being overly complex, which makes them easy to vape regularly without becoming fatiguing.

Top IVG Flavours

Blue Raspberry

Sharp, tart blue raspberry with a light icy edge; drink-inspired and refreshing without being overwhelmingly sweet

Forest Berries Ice

Blackberry, redcurrant, and blackcurrant with a cool finish; sour-leaning and punchy rather than candy-sweet

Tropical Ice

Watermelon and kiwi over crushed ice; clean and refreshing, more subtly tropical than the name suggests

Shop All IVG E-Liquids

Best Hybrid Nicotine E-Liquids UK

Hybrid nicotine is one of the newer formats to land in UK vaping, mixing freebase and salt nicotine into one liquid, aiming for the fast, smooth hit you might expect from salts, without giving up the throat hit and vapour that freebase brings. While it's still a niche category next to nic salts or freebase, it's picked up a large following among vapers who prefer a middle ground.

Riot Squad

As one of the boldest UK vape juice brands, Riot Juice is known for creative flavour profiles and a strong brand identity. Their hybrid range uses a nice combination of salt and freebase nicotine to deliver a unique experience that aims to satisfy both MTL and restricted direct-lung vapers.

The hybrid formula works best in low- to mid-wattage setups, and Riot Squad recommends using their juices in MTL or restricted DL devices for the best results. Available at 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg across the hybrid range.

Top Riot Squad Flavours

Tropical Fury

Mango, passion fruit, and guava in a vibrant tropical blend; one of the brand's most popular bottles and a strong example of how the hybrid format handles busy, multi-note fruit profiles

Rich Black Grape

Deep, slightly tart black grape with a pronounced ice finish; one of the darker, more distinctive flavours in the range and well-suited to vapers who find lighter fruit blends too sweet

Ultra Peach Tea

Herbal tea with a genuine peachy sweetness; one of the more convincing tea flavours in the category; hybrid nicotine formula at 20mg, 50/50 for MTL devices

Shop All Riot Squad E-Liquids

Bottom Line

There's no single best vape juice for 2026, at least, not really. What truly matters is whether the format suits your device and the brand's flavours appeal to your taste preferences. That said, finding your ideal vape juice isn't complicated - just sort out your nicotine type first, get that matched to your setup, then start digging through the brands that fit.

For switchers from cigarettes: Nic salts from Bar Juice 5000, ElfLiq, or Lost Mary are the clearest starting point.
For experienced vapers: Vampire Vape, Dinner Lady, and IVG cover the freebase market thoroughly.
If you're looking for something between the two formats: Riot Squad's hybrid range is the most developed option in the UK right now.

All of the brands covered in this guide are available at Vape Superstore, most with multibuy deals that make it easy to try a few options before committing to a regular order.

Shop all e-liquids at Vape Superstore

FAQ's

What is the best vape juice brand in the UK?

It really depends on who you ask, in all honesty, and mostly on your nicotine format and device. If you like nic salts, you should probably be looking at Bar Juice 5000 and Elfliq, both of which are best-sellers with the reviews to back it up. Freebase, Vampire Vape and Dinner Lady have been around long enough to earn their reputation. If you fancy something different, Riot Squad's hybrid range is worth a look.

What is the best-selling vape juice in the UK?

Nic salts lead the way these days, and brands with a disposable-style pedigree, Bar Juice 5000, ElfLiq, Lost Mary, keep turning up on bestseller lists. Freebase has its own long-runner too: Vampire Vape's Heisenberg has held onto a loyal following for years now and is still one of the most recognised flavours going in UK vaping.

What's the difference between nic salts and freebase e-liquids?

Nic salts are a chemically modified form of nicotine, and they absorb faster while going down smoother, even at higher strengths. Freebase is the older, traditional form, with a stronger throat hit, and it works across a wider range of devices. Which one's right for you really comes down to your setup: nic salts suit pod kits and MTL, freebase is better matched to sub-ohm and higher-wattage devices.

What is hybrid nicotine?

Hybrid nicotine blends both salt and freebase nicotine in a single formula. It aims to combine the smooth, fast delivery of nic salts with the vapour character and throat hit of freebase. Riot Squad is the leading UK brand in this category, and their hybrid range is designed for MTL and restricted direct-lung devices.

About the Author: David Phillips

David Phillips is the lead content writer at Vape Superstore, with a decade of involvement in the vaping industry. Armed with a journalism diploma, he has spent the past ten years exploring the world of vaping. David has a hands-on research approach and is committed to delivering fact-based content that is useful to readers. As a former smoker, he has personally experienced the advantages that switching to vaping has to offer, not only for well-being but also for cost savings. David is enthusiastic about raising awareness about vaping’s benefits and helping people make the switch away from tobacco.

Read all articles by David Phillips

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