Plenty: prefilled pod kits, refillable pod kits and tank kits are all on sale, because each one recharges, refills and takes a replaceable coil. If you loved disposables for being easy, a prefilled pod kit is the closest thing, and it costs less per puff than you might think.
The short version
- Prefilled pod kits: closest to a disposable. Charge it, swap the pod.
- Refillable pod kits: fill from 10ml bottles, more flavour choice.
- Tank kits: most flexible, more to learn.
- All three meet the rechargeable, refillable, replaceable coil rule.
The three options, side by side
Since 1 June 2025, every vape on sale has had to be rechargeable, refillable and take a replaceable coil. That leaves three families of device, and they suit different people.
Prefilled pod kits feel the most like a disposable: no bottles, no fiddling, just clip in a new pod. Refillable pod kits take a little more effort but open up the whole e-liquid shelf. Tank kits give you adjustable power, airflow and coils, and reward people who like to tinker.
All three have their fans. The table gives you the quick version before we dig into each.
Prefilled pod kits: the easy swap
A prefilled pod kit is a rechargeable battery with a slot for sealed pods of liquid. When a pod runs out, you pull it out and click in the next. The coil lives inside each pod, so you get a fresh one every time.
Take the Lost Mary BM6000 Pod Kit: a 1000mAh battery, a 2ml prefilled pod with a mesh coil and a 10ml refill container, in 0mg, 10mg or 20mg. The Elf Bar 600 Pod Kit runs a 500mAh battery with 20mg pods.
Nicotine is addictive, so pick a strength you are comfortable with; 20mg is the UK maximum.
Refillable pod kits: more flavour, less waste
Refillable pod kits look almost the same as prefilled ones, but the pod has a fill port. You top it up from a 10ml bottle, so any nic salt or freebase on the shelf is fair game.
The Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini has a 1500mAh battery and 2ml pods with mesh coils. The Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite has a 1200mAh battery and a 2ml pod. Pods last a week or more with sensible use, and you replace them when the flavour fades.
Bigger batteries are one reason people move up from prefilled kits: a 1500mAh kit goes a lot longer between charges than a 500mAh one.
Source: Manufacturer specs as listed in our shop
Tank kits: for the tinkerers
Tank kits pair a battery, sometimes called a mod, with a tank that takes swappable coil heads. You choose the coil resistance, set the power and adjust the airflow. That control is the whole appeal.
They range from simple pen-style kits like the Innokin Endura T18E, with a 1000mAh battery and 2ml tank, through to bigger devices like the Aspire Zelos 3, which runs a 3200mAh battery. Every UK tank holds 2ml or less under product rules.
Tank devices are the most common main device among UK vapers at 48%, according to ASH. Browse all vape kits to compare.
- 1Drip tip
- 2Top cap and fill port
- 3Glass and chimney
- 4Coil head
- 5Airflow ring
- 6510 connection
- 7Mod: screen and buttons
- 8Battery bay
Which one suits you?
The right kit depends on what you actually liked about disposables. Was it the zero effort? The tight draw? The flavour range? Answer honestly and we will point you the right way.
There is no wrong answer here. Lots of vapers start on a prefilled kit and stay there happily. Others try a refillable kit after a few months because they want a flavour that is not sold in pods. Both are fine.
If you want to see how the costs stack up now the duty is here, check what the duty adds to pods.
What did you like most about disposables?
Go for a prefilled pod kit. Charge it, click in a pod, done.
Any MTL pod kit gives that. A refillable one lets you choose from far more liquids.
A refillable pod kit. Any 10ml nic salt or freebase works in it.
A tank kit with a sub-ohm coil and a high-VG shortfill.
Switching from a disposable
The first week on a new kit is where most people either fall in love or get frustrated. These few habits make the difference.
Priming is the big one. A new pod or coil needs a few minutes for the cotton to soak before you vape it, or the first puff tastes burnt. Keep a charging cable handy, because unlike a disposable, a dead battery is a five-minute fix rather than the end of the device.
Tick off each one as you go.
Most people who struggle in week one are pulling too hard and too fast, the way a disposable trained them to. Ease off, give the pod time to wick, and it settles in quickly.
Quick answers
Can you still buy pod vapes after the disposable ban?
Yes. Prefilled and refillable pod kits are rechargeable and use replaceable pods or coils, so they are still on sale.
What is the closest thing to a disposable now?
A prefilled pod kit. You charge the device and click in a new sealed pod when the old one runs out.
Are refillable vapes cheaper than prefilled pods?
Often, because you buy liquid by the bottle. The duty is the same per ml either way, at £2.20 per 10ml plus VAT.
