The Best E-Liquid for New Vapers
If you are new to vaping and switching from cigarettes, the right e-liquid makes all the difference. This guide covers exactly what to choose, what to avoid and how to get started with confidence.
Quick answer: The best e-liquid for new vapers switching from cigarettes is a 20mg nicotine salt at a 50:50 PG:VG ratio in a flavour you already enjoy in food or drink form. Use it in a refillable MTL pod kit. If you smoked menthol cigarettes, start with Celtic Vapours Celtic Menthol. If you smoked regular cigarettes, try Celtic Vapours Tobacco. If you want to move away from cigarette flavours entirely, Celtic Vapours Mixed Berries or Strawberries and Cream are the most accessible starting points. Avoid 0mg, sub-ohm setups and complex flavours in your first week.
Why the Right E-Liquid Matters So Much for Beginners
Most people who try vaping and go back to cigarettes do so because their e-liquid did not satisfy them. Either the nicotine strength was too low to manage cravings, the flavour was unfamiliar and off-putting or their device and liquid were mismatched. Getting all three elements right from the start gives you the best possible chance of making a successful permanent switch.
According to ASH UK data from 2025, fruit flavours are now the most popular choice among UK vapers at 51% of all vaping adults, followed by menthol and mint at 20% and tobacco at 11%. This shift from tobacco dominance reflects how effectively vaping has moved away from replicating smoking and towards being its own distinct habit. For new vapers, the choice is yours: start with something familiar or start with something completely different from cigarettes. Both approaches work.
The Four Decisions Every New Vaper Needs to Make
Choose Nicotine Salt Over Freebase
For new vapers switching from cigarettes, nicotine salt at 20mg is almost always the better starting choice over freebase nicotine at any strength. Nic salt absorbs into the bloodstream faster and feels smoother at high concentrations, providing quicker craving relief without the harsh throat hit that freebase at 18mg or 20mg would produce. This combination of speed and smoothness makes nic salt the closest analogue to the nicotine delivery pattern of a cigarette. You can always step down to freebase at lower strengths later once you are settled.
Choose a 50:50 PG:VG Ratio
A 50:50 or 60:40 PG:VG blend is the standard format for 10ml e-liquids and the correct choice for any MTL pod kit or starter vape pen. This ratio produces enough vapour to feel satisfying while keeping the liquid thin enough to wick correctly in a low-powered device. High-VG shortfills at 70:30 or above are designed for sub-ohm devices and are not suitable for most starter kits. Celtic Vapours e-liquids use a 60:40 PG:VG ratio, which is ideal for MTL pod kits and vape pens and maximises flavour delivery per puff.
Choose a Familiar or Approachable Flavour
Your first e-liquid should be something you find immediately pleasant, not a challenge to enjoy. If you smoked menthol cigarettes, a strong menthol like Celtic Vapours Celtic Menthol will feel instantly familiar. If you smoked regular cigarettes, a tobacco e-liquid provides the closest sensory parallel. If you want to move away from cigarette associations entirely, a simple fruit profile such as mixed berries or strawberries and cream is the easiest transition. Avoid very complex layered flavours, very sweet candy profiles or sharp citrus in your first few days while you adjust to vaping.
Buy a Small Quantity First
Even if you are confident about a flavour, buy one or two bottles before committing to a multi-bottle bundle. Flavour preference can shift quickly in the first week of vaping as your palate adjusts and cigarette taste fades. The flavour you choose on day one may not be what you want to vape long term. Celtic Vapours offers a 3 for £10 deal on its own-brand range, which gives you enough variety to try three different flavours at low cost before deciding on your regular go-to.
Best Celtic Vapours E-Liquids for New Vapers
Celtic Vapours produces its e-liquid range in Swansea at a 60:40 PG:VG ratio using EU-grade flavour concentrates and pharmaceutical-grade nicotine. Every bottle is TRPR registered with the MHRA. Here are the Celtic Vapours flavours that work best for new vapers based on their flavour profile and accessibility.
Celtic Menthol: Best for Ex-Menthol Smokers
A strong eucalyptus menthol profile that delivers the sharpest, most recognisable cooling hit in the range. For vapers who smoked menthol cigarettes, Celtic Menthol provides the most familiar sensory experience and is consistently the brand's top-selling flavour. Available in 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg freebase. Pair with a 20mg nic salt if you need higher nicotine delivery with the same cooling character.
Tobacco: Best for Ex-Regular Cigarette Smokers
A warm, earthy tobacco profile designed to provide a familiar sensory experience for smokers who are not yet ready to move away from tobacco character entirely. Tobacco e-liquids do not replicate cigarette smoke exactly because there is no combustion involved. They do provide the closest flavour parallel in the vaping world. A good starting point for new vapers who find fruit and menthol flavours too unfamiliar in the first week.
Mixed Berries: Best for Vapers Ready to Move On
The most popular fruit option in the range and a genuinely excellent all-day vape. Mixed Berries is sweet without being cloying and has a broad enough flavour character to remain enjoyable across long sessions. For new vapers who previously used fruit-flavoured disposables or who want to associate vaping with something completely different from cigarettes, Mixed Berries is the simplest and most reliable starting fruit option.
Strawberries and Cream: Best Gentle Introduction to Sweet Profiles
A lighter dessert-fruit hybrid that suits new vapers who want something sweet without committing to a full dessert profile. The strawberry is approachable and the cream note adds smoothness without richness. This is a better first dessert choice than a heavy vanilla custard for new vapers because it is less overwhelming and transitions easily from a fruit starting point.
What New Vapers Should Avoid
Knowing what not to choose is as useful as knowing what to pick. These are the most common mistakes new vapers make with their first e-liquid.
Starting at 0mg or 3mg when switching from cigarettes. This is the most common reason new vapers go back to smoking within the first two weeks. If you smoked ten or more cigarettes per day, a 0mg or 3mg e-liquid will not manage your cravings. Start at 20mg nic salt and step down when you are ready.
Using a high-VG shortfill in a starter kit. A 70:30 or 80:20 VG:PG shortfill is designed for sub-ohm devices. Using it in a small pod kit causes wicking issues and dry hits. Always use a 50:50 or 60:40 e-liquid in any MTL pod kit or starter vape pen.
Choosing a very complex or very sweet first flavour. Heavy custard, intense candy or strong citrus blends can be off-putting for new vapers whose palates are still adjusting from cigarettes. Start with something clean and approachable and expand to more complex profiles once you are settled.
Buying a large quantity of an untried flavour. Taste preferences change quickly in the first weeks of vaping. Always try a single bottle before committing to a bulk purchase.
Start Your Vaping Journey with Celtic Vapours
Made in Wales since 2011. Over 25 TRPR-compliant flavours. Available in a range of nicotine strengths from 0mg to 18mg with fast UK delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a 20mg nicotine salt at a 50:50 PG:VG ratio in a flavour that feels approachable. For menthol smokers, choose a strong menthol. For tobacco smokers, start with a tobacco profile. For vapers who want to move on from cigarette flavours entirely, a simple mixed berry or strawberry profile is the easiest transition. Use it in a refillable MTL pod kit. Avoid 0mg and high-VG shortfills as your first choice.
Most new vapers go through a 10ml bottle in two to four days when vaping as a cigarette replacement. In the first week you may vape more frequently than you eventually settle into, which can mean going through liquid faster. As you adjust and cravings become easier to manage, consumption typically stabilises. A moderate vaper going through two to three bottles per week would spend significantly less than on cigarettes even before multi-bottle deal savings.
Yes. New vapers often find that e-liquids taste different to how they expected for the first few days. This is partly because your taste receptors are still adjusted to the taste of cigarette smoke and the flavour compounds in e-liquid register differently until the adjustment happens. Most vapers find that by day four or five, flavours taste noticeably cleaner and more distinct. If you are still finding the flavour unpleasant after a week, try switching to a different profile before assuming vaping is not for you.
No. The e-liquid must match the device type. A 50:50 or 60:40 PG:VG e-liquid suits MTL pod kits and starter vape pens. A high-VG shortfill at 70:30 or above suits sub-ohm tanks and direct-to-lung devices. Using the wrong ratio can cause wicking issues, dry hits and flavour loss. Celtic Vapours 60:40 e-liquids are compatible with all MTL pod kits and vape pens.
Celtic Vapours offers three 10ml bottles for £10 across its own-brand e-liquid range. This is one of the best value multi-buy deals available for own-brand made-in-Wales e-liquid. It allows new vapers to try three different flavours at low cost before settling on a favourite. See the full 3 for £10 e-liquid deal guide in the Celtic Vapours 10ml guide for more details on how to make the most of this offer.
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