Nic Salt Strength Guide: 5mg, 10mg or 20mg — Which One Do You Need?

Picking a nic salt strength feels like it should be simple, but get it wrong in either direction and you'll either be back on the cigarettes within a week, or coughing your way through your first vape. Here's how to actually land on the right number.

Go by how much you smoked, not how you feel right now

Cravings after quitting can make you think you need more nicotine than you actually do — the habit of reaching for something is separate from the nicotine itself. Base your starting strength on your old smoking habit, not on how strong the urge feels today. If you're brand new to vaping altogether, start with our Beginner's Guide to Vaping before you get into the finer detail here.

20mg

The right starting point if you were a 15-a-day smoker or more, or you smoked roll-ups. This is the strength most ex-smokers land on for their first few months.

10mg

Suits lighter or social smokers — under 10 a day, or if you only smoked at certain times rather than throughout the day.

5mg

Not really a starting point for ex-smokers — this is where people usually end up after months of vaping, once they've naturally cut down and want a lighter hit without giving up vaping entirely.

Signs you've picked wrong

Too low, and you'll notice yourself vaping constantly, taking huge drags, or still wanting a cigarette — that's your body telling you the nicotine isn't landing. Too high shows up fast: a harsh, scratchy throat hit, feeling light-headed, or the flavour tasting more chemical than sweet. A harsh throat hit can also just be your VG/PG ratio rather than strength — see our VG vs PG guide if that sounds familiar.

Neither is a big deal to fix. Nic salts come in 10ml bottles, so switching strength just means picking a different bottle next time you order rather than being stuck with a big investment in the wrong one.

The device matters too

Higher strengths (20mg) are built for low-power pod kits with a tighter draw — that's genuinely what nic salts were designed around. If you're vaping a sub-ohm tank with big clouds, you want a shortfill instead, not a strong nic salt — see our Nic Salts vs Shortfills guide for the difference.

Browse nic salts by strength — filter by 5mg, 10mg or 20mg to see what's actually in stock.