Everything You Need To Know About The Disposable Vape Ban 2025

What Counts As A Disposable Vape Under The New Law?

Most of us are familiar with disposable vapes, however, the government’s definitions have some vapers a little confused, as their guidelines include more products than you might think!

A vape will be considered disposable if it’s:

• Not refillable by an individual user in the normal course of their use
• Not rechargeable
• Not refillable and not rechargeable
• Not able to be fitted with a replacement heating coil which is separately available and replaceable by an individual user in the normal course of their use

Points 1 and 2 are very clear; your vape has to be refillable (via bottles of e-liquid or replacement pods / refill packs) and its battery has to be rechargeable. Point 3 is there to explain that your vape has to be refillable AND rechargeable, it can’t be one or the other.

Point 4 is a little confusing, especially if you’ve only used disposables before. A coil sits inside a tank or pod and it heats your e-liquid into vapour. This coil must be replaceable. This can be achieved through either replacing the coil itself or in the case of certain kits, the entire pod.

What Are The Alternatives To Disposable Vapes

It might feel like you have a lot less options from June, but that’s not the case. Before disposables, vapers had plenty of options and that’s still true today. It’s all about finding out what these alternatives are and figuring out which will work best for you. Luckily, we’re here to help, and the following sections will walk you through exactly what’s available and which ones will be the best fit.

Before we get stuck in with some recommendations, it’s a good idea to tell you a little more about the two types of vape kits available. All vapes can be split into two categories: refillable and prefilled. They both work a little differently and offer distinct advantages over each other.

What Are Prefilled Vapes

There used to be two different kinds of prefilled vape: disposables and pods. With the upcoming ban you’ll only have one option – prefilled pod vapes. But that’s ok, they’re very similar to disposables in that they arrive with e-liquid inside. The main differences are, when they run out of vape juice you replace the pods rather than disposing of your entire device, and the battery is rechargeable.

What About Big Puff Vapes?

Hitting the shelves in 2024, big puff vapes are essentially larger prefilled pod kits. They are capable of storing a lot more e-liquid but are still legal to buy due to their innovative design. The law states that a pod or tank (a container that holds both e-liquid and a coil) can not be larger than 2ml, but these kits either use multiple 2ml pods – such is the case with 4 in 1 vapes – or they feature a 2ml pod that’s topped up by a separate 10ml e-liquid bottle that can be docked into the device – 10+2 vapes.

Clever designs aside, they are still prefilled pod kits and benefit from the same advantages and suffer most of the same disadvantages. The key difference lies in that they can be vaped for a lot longer before any parts need to be replaced, and are a lot bigger than classic 2ml pod kits.

Why Should I Switch From Disposables To Prefilled Vapes?

Prefilled pod kits are almost as simple as disposables, but they also offer a few advantages. For a start, you’ll be able to purchase one after June 1st 2025!

More than this, these kits are a popular choice because they can be reused. When they run out of liquid, you don’t throw away the entire thing, you just replace the pod, similarly, when it runs out of charge you just plug it in.

Being able to reuse a device is an advantage in its own right – it cuts down on waste – but it’s also a good opportunity to save money. Replacing a device whenever it runs of liquid can get expensive pretty quickly, replacing a small prefilled pod is a lot cheaper.

These two steps – replacing pods and recharging – are the only “maintenance” required and most vapers can easily transition from single-use devices to prefilled pods.

When it comes to pods, you’ll have a wide choice of flavours and nicotine strengths that’s equal and, in some cases, superior to disposables.

What Are The Best Prefilled Vapes?

Prefilled pods not only offer an option that feels more like a disposable, they can also taste just like them too. This means in terms of “experience” they’re a very close match.

2ml prefilled pod kits are a really compact option that you can take just about everywhere and they’re also really simple too, most of them don't even have buttons – you just need to inhale on the mouthpiece to vape.

Big puff vapes, on the other hand, are a lot larger and can hold a lot more e-liquid. This means not only are they long-lasting, they also often work out a lot cheaper as well.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, make sure you check out our Best Prefilled Pods guide.

What Are Refillable Vapes?

Refillable kits don’t share many similarities with disposables, but they offer the most variety and this makes them a very popular alternative. All refillable vape kits arrive empty and you fill them up with e-liquid. They’re available in two styles – refillable pod kits and open tank kits.

Refillable pods are generally the more compact option and use the same plastic pods as their prefilled counterpart.

Open tank kits are larger and often come equipped with bigger batteries. They use glass tanks rather than small plastic pods.

When it comes to upkeep, you’ll need to keep your kit filled with e-liquid and charge the battery whenever it runs low. You will also need to change the pod or coil regularly – around once a week or whenever you notice a slight burnt taste. Some kits use pods with built-in coils, these are a maintenance-light option as you swap out the entire pod rather than pulling out an old coil and replacing it with a new one.

Why Should I Switch From Disposables To Refillable Vapes?

The popularity of refillable vapes lies in the fact that they offer a more personal experience. You can pick e-liquid in any flavour and in strengths ranging from 0 to 20mg and the kits themselves are fitted with features like adjustable airflow and power levels that give you the opportunity to change how your vape feels. In short, you can easily tailor a refillable vape to suit your specific needs.

Being able to pick any e-liquid you like means you can try brands that taste like disposables, including bestsellers like Elfliq, Maryliq and Bar Juice 5000. But, you’re not just limited to disposable-inspired flavours. These vapes give you access to a huge range of options, from fruits to desserts, tobacco to menthol and everything in between. All this choice might seem a little daunting, luckily you can use the flavour filters on our e-liquid category and refine our selection to suit your taste.

What Are The Best Refillable Vapes?

There are a lot of options when it comes to refillable vapes. If you're looking for something that uses a glass tank we recommend our selection of vape pens and if you’re after a more powerful device there are box mod kits too.

If you find the idea of smaller pod kits a little more appealing, there are plenty to choose from.

The simplest kit is a pod with built-in coils, rather than having to remove the coil from inside the pod and replace it, you just swap the entire pod instead – each one lasts around a week.

Pods with removable coils offer a little more variety, as they’ll have more than one compatible coil and this means you can try out different levels of vapour production with the same kit. Their coils are removed and replaced approximately once a week, and the pod itself will need to be changed on occasion too unlike a glass tank (which only needs to be replaced when damaged).

These are just a handful of the refillable kits we have on offer, if you’re looking for more expert recommendations, make sure you take a look at our Best Refillable Pod Kits guide.

Do Any Of The Major Disposable Brands Make Prefilled Or Refillable Vapes?

Yes, the biggest selling disposable brands have been hard at work creating products outside of the disposable category, including ranges of prefilled pods, refillable pods, and even the e-liquids to go with them. For more information see our specific guides on Lost Mary alternatives, Elf Bar alternatives and Crystal Bar alternatives.

If you’re looking to explore more options, make sure you check out our full range of disposable alternatives.

Summing Up

When the disposable ban was announced, a lot of vapers were understandably a little worried about what the future held for them. Luckily, vaping existed long before disposables entered and will continue without them.

There are kits designed for every vaper and every budget; kits which match, and often surpass, the quality of disposables and offer a superior experience. So, don’t worry, there’s no reason to go back to smoking.

If you’re looking for more information or perhaps just a direct recommendation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Customer Service Team. They’re all vaping experts and are happy to lend a hand, seven days a week.