What Nic Salt Strength Should You Use?
Nic salts are available at 5mg, 10mg and 20mg in the UK. Choosing the right strength is the single most important decision you make when starting with nic salts. This guide tells you exactly which one to start with.
Quick answer: Start at 20mg if you smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day or if you used a disposable vape at 20mg. Start at 10mg if you smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day or are making a deliberate step down from 20mg. Use 5mg only if you are reducing nicotine intake and already comfortable at 10mg. If you start at a strength that does not manage your cravings, increase rather than reduce. Starting too low is the most common reason people go back to cigarettes.
The Three Nic Salt Strengths Available in the UK
Under the UK TRPR, nic salt e-liquids are subject to the same 20mg maximum nicotine strength as freebase e-liquids. The standard available strengths in the UK nic salt market are 5mg, 10mg and 20mg. Some brands also offer an intermediate strength such as 15mg. Here is what each level is for.
20mg Nic Salt
The highest strength available under UK TRPR and the most commonly used nic salt strength. Recommended for heavy smokers (10 or more cigarettes per day), ex-disposable vape users (who were using 20mg devices) and anyone who tried a lower strength and found it did not manage their cravings. Twenty milligrams delivers fast, satisfying craving relief in a pod kit and is the closest equivalent to the nicotine delivery of a cigarette in terms of speed and volume. This is the starting point for most people switching from smoking.
10mg Nic Salt
The middle-range nic salt strength. Suitable for light smokers who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, for established vapers stepping down from 20mg or for anyone who tried 20mg and found it too strong. Ten milligrams still delivers effective craving relief with smooth delivery in an MTL pod kit. It is also a common long-term maintenance strength for vapers who have successfully reduced from 20mg and want to stay at a lower level without going further.
5mg Nic Salt
The lowest commonly available nic salt strength. Not a starting point for anyone switching from regular cigarette use. Five milligrams is appropriate only for social or very light smokers, for vapers who have already stepped down through 20mg and 10mg and want to continue reducing. It also suits vapers who are approaching nicotine freedom and want a minimal level to assist the final stage. Starting at 5mg as a heavy smoker will almost certainly result in insufficient craving relief and a return to cigarettes.
Which to Choose If You Are Unsure
If you are genuinely unsure whether to start at 10mg or 20mg, start at 20mg. It is always easier and less disruptive to step down from a strength that is working than to increase from a strength that is not managing cravings. The risk of starting too high is that 20mg feels slightly stronger than necessary. The risk of starting too low is that insufficient craving relief drives you back to cigarettes. The safer error is always to start higher and adjust down.
Match Your Strength to Your Situation
| Your Situation | Recommended Nic Salt Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy smoker (20+ per day) | 20mg | Only starting point likely to match cigarette nicotine delivery effectively |
| Moderate smoker (10 to 20 per day) | 20mg, review after 2 weeks | Start at 20mg; step to 10mg once cravings are consistently managed |
| Light smoker (under 10 per day) | 10mg | 20mg may feel too strong; start at 10mg and increase if cravings persist |
| Ex-disposable user (post-ban) | 20mg | Disposables used 20mg; match this for the same experience in a refillable pod |
| Vaping 20mg and want to step down | 10mg | Drop one level at a time; allow 2 to 4 weeks to adjust at each level |
| Vaping 10mg and want to continue reducing | 5mg | Final step before nicotine-free; only attempt once 10mg is fully comfortable |
| Non-smoker or never smoked | 0mg only | Do not start using nicotine if you have never smoked; use 0mg freebase or nic-free e-liquid if vaping for flavour |
How to Know If Your Strength Is Right
The right nic salt strength satisfies your cravings within a few minutes of vaping without causing dizziness, headaches or nausea. Here is how to read the signals.
Signs Your Strength Is Too Low
You vape frequently without feeling satisfied. Cigarette cravings persist after a session. You find yourself chain vaping (taking puff after puff in quick succession) to try to feel the effect. You are tempted to reach for a cigarette within an hour of vaping. If you recognise any of these signs after three to four days at a given strength, increase to the next level up.
Signs Your Strength Is Too High
You feel dizzy or lightheaded after vaping. You experience headaches after sessions. Your heart rate increases noticeably. You feel nauseous. You are satisfied after just one or two puffs. These are signs of nicotine overconsumption. If you experience them at 20mg, step down to 10mg. If you experience them at 10mg, try 5mg. Allow three to four days at any new level before assessing.
Signs Your Strength Is Correct
Three to five puffs manage your craving for one to two hours. You do not feel the urge to chain vape. You do not feel dizzy or unwell after vaping. You are not tempted to smoke. You can put the device down between craving episodes. If your experience matches all of these, your current strength is working well. Stay at this level until you are ready to consider reducing.
Shop Celtic Vapours Nic Salt E-Liquid
Available at 10mg and 20mg across the Celtic Vapours nic salt range. Made in Wales. TRPR compliant. Fast UK delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Twenty milligrams per millilitre is the UK legal maximum for e-liquids under TRPR and is the standard strength used by most ex-smokers switching to nic salts. All TRPR-compliant products sold in the UK including Celtic Vapours nic salt e-liquids are within this legal limit. As with any nicotine product, it should only be used by adults who already smoke or use nicotine. Non-smokers should not start using 20mg or any strength of nicotine-containing e-liquid.
Light smokers who try 20mg nic salt may find it feels stronger than necessary and could experience mild dizziness or headache if they vape more than a few puffs per session. The solution is to step down to 10mg. Do not force yourself to stay at a strength that feels uncomfortable. Ten milligrams is well suited to light smokers and provides effective craving relief without the intensity of 20mg.
Stay at 20mg until your cigarette cravings are consistently managed and you feel confident that vaping is working as a replacement. This typically takes two to four weeks for most people. Do not attempt to step down during the first week when the switch from smoking is still unsettled. Once you are stable and not tempted by cigarettes, you can try reducing to 10mg at a pace that feels comfortable.
Yes. Mixing equal volumes of 20mg and 10mg nic salt in the same pod produces approximately 15mg. This can be a useful transitional technique when stepping down from 20mg to 10mg feels too abrupt. Use the same flavour from both bottles where possible to avoid an unexpected flavour combination. Both bottles should be from the same format (nic salt) and similar PG:VG ratio for best results.
Yes significantly. In a low-powered MTL pod kit at 10W to 15W with a 1.0 ohm coil, 20mg nic salt is comfortable and appropriate. In a slightly more powerful device at 20W to 25W with a 0.8 ohm coil, 10mg may be a better starting point as the higher power increases vapour volume and nicotine delivery per puff. Never use any nic salt strength in a sub-ohm device running above 30W. Always match your strength to your device type.
Explore the Celtic Vapours Nic Salt Guide
Our hub covers everything from how to use nic salts to how they compare to freebase and whether they are right for new vapers.