Pod kits, disposables or refillables: what to buy after the ban

For a few years, the throwaway vape was the default first device for a lot of smokers. That ended with the UK-wide ban on single-use vapes, which came into force on 1 June 2025 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Anything sold now must be rechargeable and either refillable or take replacement pods.

The rules on strength and size did not change. Nicotine liquid is still capped at 20mg per ml, pods and tanks at 2ml, and bottles of nicotine liquid at 10ml. Those limits come from the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, which is why every device on the shelf looks so similar in size.

Think of it as a sliding scale between convenience and cost. A prefilled pod kit such as the Elf Bar 600 Pod Kit works exactly like the old disposables, except you keep the battery and swap the pod. A refill-pack kit like the Lost Mary BM6000 comes with a 2ml prefilled pod and a 10ml container to top it up. A refillable kit uses an empty pod you fill from any bottle.

The more you do yourself, the less you pay and the more flavours you can choose from. None of the three needs any settings changed, so even the refillable is a five-minute learning job.

Here is an example week for someone who vapes about 2ml of liquid a day, using real shelf prices. On a refillable, that is 14ml of nic salt at £2.99 per 10ml plus one pod from a £9.99 four-pack, which comes to roughly £6.70. On a BM6000, each £6.95 refill pack gives 12ml, so the same 14ml costs about £8.10.

For contrast, a sub-ohm vaper on 15ml a day of shortfill, at £8.98 for 60ml once the nic shot is added, spends roughly £15.70 a week before coils. Big clouds are not cheap. Prefilled pod prices vary a lot by brand, so check the per-pod cost before you commit.

The best device is the one you will actually keep using. If filling a pod over the kitchen sink sounds like a chore you will skip, buy prefilled and accept the higher running cost. If you vape all day every day, the savings on a refillable add up to a meaningful amount over a year.

Plenty of people use both: a refillable at home and a prefilled kit in the car or for nights out. Tap the answer that fits you best, then read our deeper comparison of prefilled and refillable pods if you are still torn.

Example figures only get you so far, because everyone vapes differently. Plug in how much liquid you get through, what you pay for it and how often you change pods or coils, and the calculator gives you a weekly and yearly figure.

If you do not know your usage yet, start by noting how many days a 2ml pod lasts you. Most MTL vapers land between one and three days. Our full guide to what vaping costs per week walks through every line, including the bits people forget, like charging cables and the odd lost pod.

Since the ban, a few ideas have stuck around that are not quite right. Some people think the new pod kits are just disposables with a different name, while others assume refillables are only for hobbyists with drawers full of coils.

Neither is true, and getting it straight can save you money. Tap each card to see the facts. If you are switching from the old disposables, the second card is the one worth remembering. Most people who try a modern refillable for a week are surprised how little effort it takes, and the money saved shows up within the first month. The fourth card matters too: buying the wrong pods is an easy way to waste a tenner.