How to Choose E-Liquid: PG/VG Ratios and Flavours Explained
E-liquid is a short ingredients list: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavouring, and usually nicotine. The proportions of the first two decide how the liquid behaves in your device, and getting that wrong causes more problems than picking the wrong flavour ever will.
Browse the full range in E-Liquid.
What PG and VG do
Propylene glycol (PG)
Thin, clear and almost tasteless. It carries flavour well, wicks quickly into cotton, and produces the throat hit that ex-smokers tend to want. It makes little visible vapour.
Vegetable glycerine (VG)
Thick and slightly sweet. It produces the visible cloud and gives a smoother, softer inhale. Being viscous, it wicks slowly — which matters, because a coil that cannot draw liquid fast enough will burn.
Every bottle is a balance of the two. That balance is what the ratio on the label means.
Choosing a PG/VG ratio
| Ratio | Character | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 50/50 | Balanced, firm throat hit, thin enough to wick easily | Pods, MTL tanks, salt nicotine |
| 60/40 VG | Smoother, moderate vapour | Mid-power tanks |
| 70/30 VG | Soft inhale, large vapour | Sub-ohm mods |
| Max VG | Very thick, minimal throat hit | High-power rebuildables only |
The practical rule: small device, more PG. Large device, more VG.
Put a 70/30 VG liquid in a small pod and it will wick too slowly, giving dry hits within a few pulls. Put a 50/50 in a sub-ohm tank and it will thin out and leak past the seals. Most salt nicotine is 50/50 for exactly this reason.
Nicotine strength
Strength depends on the type of nicotine and the device. In short: high-strength salts for pods, low-strength freebase for mods. Our guide to nic salt vs regular e-liquid covers the numbers.
Zero-nicotine liquid is also available if you have tapered down and want to keep the habit without the nicotine.
Flavour categories
Thousands of flavours exist, but nearly all sit in a handful of families. Working out which family you like narrows the field fast.
- Fruit — the most popular category by a wide margin. Bright, easy all day, rarely tiring.
- Menthol and ice — cooling, often layered over a fruit. Suits hot weather; the Tokyo Super Cool Series is an example.
- Dessert — custard, bakery, cream. Rich and satisfying, but heavily sweetened, so expect shorter coil life.
- Candy — sweet and simple. Same coil caveat.
- Beverage — cola, coffee, lemonade.
- Tobacco — the usual first choice when switching, though most people move to fruit within a few weeks.
If you are starting out, buy one fruit and one tobacco or menthol. You will learn more from two contrasting bottles than from three similar ones.
Sweeteners and coil life
Worth knowing before you commit to a dessert flavour. Sucralose caramelises on a hot coil and leaves a dark crust that muffles flavour. A heavily sweetened liquid can cut coil life from three weeks to under one.
That is not a reason to avoid them — just budget for more replacement coils. See how to change a vape coil.
Bottle sizes and steeping
Salt nicotine usually comes in 30ml bottles; freebase commonly in 60ml, because mods consume far more.
Some liquids, particularly dessert and tobacco blends, improve after sitting for a week or two as the flavours settle. Fruits and menthols are generally fine straight away.
Storing e-liquid
Heat, light and air degrade e-liquid. Keep bottles closed, upright, somewhere cool and dark. In the UAE that means not in a car and not on a sunny windowsill — a glovebox in summer will darken a bottle in days.
Stored properly, most liquid is good for a year or two. Darkening alone is oxidation and normal; a sharp or off smell means discard it.
Frequently asked questions
Which PG/VG ratio is best for beginners?
50/50. It wicks reliably in almost any device, gives a firm throat hit, and works with both salts and lower-strength freebase.
Can I use high-VG liquid in a pod?
Not well. Pod coils are high-resistance and low-power, and thick liquid will not reach the coil fast enough, causing dry hits.
Does e-liquid expire?
It degrades rather than spoils. Flavour fades and nicotine oxidises over one to two years. Most bottles carry a best-before date.
Why does my e-liquid taste different after a week?
Either steeping, which usually improves it, or vaper's tongue — flavour fatigue from using one liquid constantly. Rotating between two bottles solves the latter.
Shop e-liquid at Vapor Space
Browse E-Liquid for freebase in 50ml and 60ml, or Saltnic for pod-friendly salts. Need a device to go with it? See Pod Systems.
