Earlier this year, the federal government struck a major blow to users of pre-filled pod systems – and JUUL users in particular – when it banned all pre-filled vape pods and cartridges in flavors other than tobacco and menthol. The intent of the ban was to make vaping less attractive to kids – most of whom are JUUL users – but the ban also did significant collateral damage by leaving millions of adult JUUL users out in the cold.
Our government officials tell us that adults can just switch to tobacco or menthol JUUL pods. Adult vapers are trying to give up cigarettes, so they want to vape something that tastes like a cigarette – right?
Actually, no. Most adult vapers don’t use tobacco e-liquids, nor do they want to vape anything that’s even reminiscent of a cigarette. A 2018 survey of more than 20,000 adult vapers proves exactly that. Adults are more likely to quit smoking if they use non-tobacco e-liquid flavors.
That’s why you’re here. You use the JUUL or another pre-filled vaping device, and you don’t want to vape tobacco e-liquids. You’re looking for the best JUUL pod alternative, and we’re here to help. As you’re about to learn, the best JUUL alternative isn’t a JUUL at all.
What About Disposable E-Cigarettes?
If you’ve done any reading about the flavored pod ban, you’ve probably heard that there’s a little loophole: the ban excludes disposable e-cigarettes. Already, disposable vapes are beginning to pop up everywhere because they can still legally be sold in all of the flavors that are no longer available for pre-filled pod-based devices. Elsewhere on this site, though, we explain why disposable e-cigarettes aren’t the JUUL alternative you want. In short, it’s because disposable e-cigarettes are far too expensive for the equivalent of a pack-a-day smoker, and they really don’t provide a good vaping experience at all.
What Features Should the Best JUUL Alternative Have?
There are a few features that you should look for in a vaping device that’s going to become your JUUL alternative, but one thing stands out above the rest. It’s our opinion that you should never buy a vaping device lacking this one crucial feature.
Refillable Pod or Tank
If you want to have the best vaping experience possible, you should absolutely be buying bottled e-liquid and filling your own tank or pods. That was true even before the flavored pod ban, but it’s truer than ever now that your only alternatives to bottled e-liquid are tobacco and menthol pods or flavored disposable e-cigarettes. With the flavored pod ban in place, some makers of disposable e-cigs have really upped the ante in the flavor department. That being the case, though, no disposable vaping product has more than a dozen or so flavors available, and that’s nothing compared to the incredible variety of flavors available when you buy bottled e-liquid.
Using a refillable vaping device doesn’t just mean that you have access to more flavors; it also means that you’ll spend significantly less to vape. A bottle of e-liquid costs around the same amount of money as 1-2 packs of JUUL pods, and it contains significantly more e-liquid. A bottle of nicotine salt e-liquid is typically 30 ml. Bottled freebase nicotine e-liquids are even larger. Two packs of JUUL pods, on the other hand, contain just 5.6 ml of e-liquid.
Top-Quality Coils
As long as the JUUL alternative that you select is refillable, you’re going to be happy with almost anything that you choose and should let your personal tastes dictate the rest. A larger vaping device gives you more power and more battery life, while a smaller device is more discreet and easier to carry in your pocket. Regardless of the type of device you choose, though, the design of the device’s atomizer coils is absolutely crucial.
The atomizer coil is the component of the e-cigarette that produces the vapor you inhale. You could therefore argue that it’s the most important component of the entire device. Keep these pointers in mind to ensure that you’ll get the best JUUL pod alternative for your needs.
- The coils should deliver a flavor that’s consistently smooth, without any burning, scratchiness or off flavors. It’s not easy, of course, to identify a coil that delivers consistently great performance just by looking at it. The friendly experts at your local vape shop can be a great help in this area, as they’ve presumably tested most of the products they sell. You can get a good idea of a coil’s performance, though, by looking at its wick openings. A coil can’t deliver smooth flavor consistently if it has insufficient wicking performance.
- If the device in question is a pod system, it’s a huge plus if you can replace the coils independently from the pods. That’s good for cost effectiveness – you shouldn’t have to buy an entirely new plastic enclosure each time you need a new coil – and it’s also good for the quality of your vaping experience because it gives you the freedom to vary your vaping style and e-liquid type. Recent pod systems like the SMOK Nord have the ability to support both the mouth-to-lung and direct-to-lung inhaling styles and can give you a great experience with both nicotine salt and freebase nicotine e-liquids. That level of flexibility also makes it easy for you to dial down your nicotine intake over time; one vaping device can take you all the way from a nicotine strength of 50 mg down to nothing.
Why the JUUL Isn’t Really a Great Vape After All and The Best JUUL Alternatives is a Disposable Pod System
Adult JUUL users rightly felt a bit miffed by the flavored pod ban because it made their chosen vaping device significantly less enjoyable to use. In the end, though, the fact that you’ve decided to seek out a JUUL alternative may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. After all, the JUUL isn’t such a great vape when you really think about it.
- As we just described above, the JUUL is far too expensive compared to a refillable device with bottled e-liquid. If you use more than one pod per day, you’ve not just consuming way too much nicotine; you’re also spending just as much to vape as you would spend on cigarettes. Vaping is supposed to be a money saver!
- Refillable JUUL pods allow you to use any flavor you like with your JUUL despite the ban. Third-party JUUL products, however, are notoriously questionable in quality. People frequently complain about problems such as leaks and unpleasant burned flavors with refillable JUUL pods.
- The JUUL provides no easy way to reduce your nicotine strength below 3 percent. The JUUL is a great introduction to vaping because it delivers a cigarette-like level of nicotine – but do you really want to consume that amount of nicotine forever?
- The JUUL is a vaping device from 2015. While we don’t want to downplay the JUUL’s considerable influence on vaping technology, the industry has evolved a great deal in the past decade. Newer devices feature some important technical advances that the JUUL lacks.
- The JUUL brand is partially owned by a Big Tobacco company and has a history of questionable marketing tactics. Is that really the type of product that deserves your money?
Visit The Vape Bar Today
The Vape Bar is the premier vape shop in Oklahoma City. If you’re in the OKC area, we invite you to drop by. Play a game, chat with our friendly staff and browse Oklahoma City’s best selection of vape gear!
