Everything You Need To Know About
Disposable Vapes
If you've been involved in the vaping world for the last few years, chances are you've heard about, seen or used a disposable vape. The popularity of disposables as we know them today has accelerated to unprecedented heights over the last few years, but the gain in popularity didn't come without some controversy which has ultimately led to them being earmarked to be banned in the UK in the not so distant future.
Join us as we take you through everything you need to know about disposable vapes, where we discuss the ins and outs of these devices, as well as explaining why there are not only more sustainable ways to vape, but also considerably cheaper ways to vape compared to using single-use vape kits.
Table of Contents
What Is A Disposable Vape? - When Did Disposables First Come Out?
- The Evolution of Disposable Vapes
- How Do Disposables Work?
- 2022 - The Year of the Disposable
- The Problems Caused By Disposables
- Are Disposables Being Banned?
- Are Disposables Cheap To Use?
- Pros and Cons of Disposables
- Best Alternatives for Disposable Vapes
What Is A Disposable Vape?
A disposable vape is quite literally what it says on the packaging, a vape that's disposable once the lifespan of it comes to an end. This is reached by either the vape juice inside the device running out or the battery running out of power. We go into this in more detail a little further on in this blog.
They offer a simplistic and no fuss approach to vaping which can appeal to many people, especially those who are wanting to experiment with vaping to see if it works for them. They're ready to go straight out of the packet, with no buttons to press, no need to refill or recharge the device or upkeep with any of the usual maintenance practices involved with standard vape devices.
When Did Disposable Vapes First Come Out?
The history of disposable vapes is quite an interesting subject, as many people will believe that they first came out around 2021/2022 when the disposable vape boom happened here in the UK, but this isn't quite accurate as it stems right back to the very early days of vaping with the first devices which came onto the market.
If you're a seasoned vaper and know your stuff like we do, you will remember the days of the "Cigalike" vape devices, appropriately named as they looked just like a cigarette (see picture).
Cigalikes share very similar characteristics as modern day disposable vapes. A sealed unit that contains a small wire coil, a wick, vape juice and a small battery to power the device. Cigalikes could not be refilled nor could they be recharged (with the exception of later models), the only difference between the these and disposables today would be the battery size; they were slightly smaller in mAh output with a Cigalike.
Cigalikes paved the way for vaping technology to then advance and this is when refillable vape kits began to enter onto the market and Cigalikes fell out of favour with vapers who were looking for a device that they could refill as well as recharge.
Cigalikes never completely vanished off the market and they're actually still available today if you shop around, it's fascinating to see the vaping trend now go full circle with disposable vapes being all the rage again!
The Evolution of Disposable Vapes
Vape juice flavour options with Cigalikes were nothing like what they are today with disposable vapes. People had the choice of either tobacco or mint/menthol. And the vape juice used in them was standard freebase nicotine vape juice normally in either 12mg or 18mg.
Fast forward to current day, and people are spoilt for choice when it comes to the flavours of vape juice in disposables, with this being one of the key selling points for them and what makes them so appealing.
The vape juice used inside disposables has evolved as well with pretty much all disposables now using nicotine salt vape juice to provide a stronger and more satisfying nicotine hit, as well as a richer flavour from the concentrates reacting with the nicotine salt base.
Finally, the design and style of today's disposables have significantly evolved from what they were. No longer replicating the aesthetics of a cigarette, the brightly coloured devices come in all different shapes and sizes these days!
How Do Disposable Vapes Work?
How a disposable vape works all comes down to what is housed inside the colourful plastic casing which cannot be seen by the naked eye, as disposables are factory sealed and not designed to be opened.
Inside every device is a small wire coil, that's wrapped a specific amount of times to give around a 1.0ohm or higher resistance. All disposable vapes are inhale activated, meaning that when you inhale, this will activate the coil to heat up the vape juice and turn it into vapour.
Each device will come prefilled with 2ml of vape juice which is the legal maximum amount that disposables can contain under TPD guidelines which were introduced back in 2017.
These devices are all powered by a small lithium ion battery (around 280-300mAh power) which is connected to the device with internal wiring.
It's pretty impressive just how much they can get packed into the disposable vape devices considering the size of them!
2022 - The Year of the Disposable Vape
As we have mentioned, over the last few years there's been a surge in popularity and usage of disposable vapes amongst vapers in the UK, with 2021/22 being the standout years for when things really took off.
In a report published by Public Health England in 2022, it showed that disposable vape usage amongst adult vapers in 2022 sat at 15.2% which was a drastic increase from the 2.1% it was in 2021 according to the survey conducted that year.
And this only increased further in 2023 with the percentage of adult users of disposable vapes more than doubling to 31% according to survey results published by Action on Smoking and Health.
But unfortunately, it wasn't just adult vapers that disposable vapes were popular with and this is really where the problems caused by disposable vapes began to rise as we continue below.
The Problems Caused by Disposable Vapes
Unfortunately, it wasn't just adult vapers that disposable vapes were becoming popular with. A separate report from ASH showed a worrying rise in disposable vape usage by 11-17-year-olds in the UK.
In 2021, disposable vape usage by this age group was 7.7% but in 2022, this sky rocketed to an astounding 52% and only continued to increase in 2023 with the figure hitting 69% and this is arguably the most prominent problem with disposable vapes.
Survey results showed that Elf Bar and Lost Mary were the most popular brands of disposables amongst the age group and the reason for the continued and heightened use was the appealing flavours used in these brightly coloured devices.
There were numerous calls for intervention from the government to tackle this "youth vaping problem" head on and ban disposable vapes which we will elaborate on below, but underage users weren't the only problems that disposable vapes were causing.
Despite them being made from plastic, disposable vapes are not recyclable due to the fact that they contain a small lithium-ion battery meaning they're classed as electrical waste.
Therefore, there are millions of used disposables being dumped into landfill every single week and this number is only increasing with more and more units being sold every single week in the UK and this is incredibly harmful to the environment due to plastic taking up to 250 years to degrade! Also coupled with the fact that over 10,000kg of lithium is dumped into landfill every year which is going to waste and could be put to good use in other resources.
Late in 2023, it appeared that enough was enough and formal action was announced to ban disposables from sales in the UK, but this was then slightly knocked off track due to a snap general election and a new Government taking control, so what was next for the future of disposable vapes?
When Are Disposable Vapes Being Banned?
Back in September 2023, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that he and his government would be bringing in a generational smoking ban alongside banning the sale of disposable vapes as their answer to tackle the problems of youth vaping head-on.
However, these plans got put on hold with the announcement of a snap general election and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was scrapped due to running out of time to get it pushed through before Parliament dissolved prior to the election.
Scotland recently announced that they are continuing on with their banning of disposable vapes in April 2025 which we covered in a separate blog, and since we published that, it's been announced that Labour is going to pick up where the Conservatives left off and push forward the banning of disposable vapes in the UK.
It's currently unknown when they will be banned but it would not come as a surprise if we follow suit with Scotland and the ban happens in April 2025.
Are Disposable Vapes Cheap? The True Cost of Using Them
As we have mentioned, disposable vapes do offer a very convenient way to vape with the fact that they are ready to go out of the packet and offer an all in one device that doesn't require any sort of upkeep or maintenance as you don't have to buy coils to replace or vape juice to top them up with.
However, if you're a frequent vaper and use your disposable a lot, chances are that one disposable is only going to last you for one day before you'll need to buy a replacement disposable and this is where the costs really begin adding up.
The average price of a disposable like an Elf Bar is around £6 and if you're using one a day, that's £43 a week you're spending on disposables or £172 a month when looking at the wider scale. This really is not the most affordable way to vape when considering other options.
Vaping is considerably cheaper than the cost of smoking is, but if you consistently use disposables as your sole vape device, the total savings between the two will begin narrowing and not seem so impressive like it would if you used a refillable vape device.
The Pro's and Con's of Using Disposables
- No maintenance or upkeep
- Wide range of flavours
- Not an affordable way to vape
- Normally only 20mg nicotine strength
- Doesn't last long if you're a frequent vaper
- Likely getting banned in next 12 months
The Best Alternatives to Disposable Vapes
We would recommend using a refillable vape kit, such as a pod vape kit or even a pen vape kit as the best alternative for disposable vapes. These are considerably better than disposables and for many reasons.
Firstly, you can refill them with your preferred vape juice of choice. Meaning you can pick the nicotine strength that's right for you, as well as exploring the hundreds of different flavours which are available on the market to find the perfect flavour for you.
Secondly, nearly all refillable vape kits are also rechargeable, so when the battery runs flat, you can simply pop it on charge and not have to throw it away like you would with a disposable. The battery in a refillable vape kit is normally double if not triple the mah than what is in a disposable so it will last you all day if not longer before you need to charge it again.
And finally, they are a lot more cost effective way to vape as we mentioned above. Buying a refillable vape kit may seem expensive at first glance, but that's just a one off cost as the only things you'll need to buy from that point is replacement coils or replacement pods and then the vape juice you need to top up your pods or tanks to be able to continue to vape.
We've got a fantastic selection of disposable vape alternatives available to buy here at LiQuid as well as our incredible Bar Salts flavours which have been inspired by the popular flavours of disposable vapes, now available in 10ml bottles in tapered nicotine strengths to suit your needs!
Written By James Drake
James discovered the world of vaping 7 years ago as an alternative to smoking. Since then, he's become a dedicated enthusiast, experimenting with various e-cigarettes, flavours, and nicotine strengths.
James is committed to sharing his in-depth knowledge to help both new and experienced users make informed decisions about vaping and alternatives to smoking and his blogs are a platform for honest reviews, helpful tips, and discussions.
