If you're buying a new disposable every few days, you've probably wondered whether a refillable vape would make more sense. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. This guide walks through the real differences - cost, effort, flavour and nicotine control - so you can pick the setup that fits how you actually vape.
It's for adults 19+ in Vancouver who already vape and want to make a smarter switch, or stay put with good reason.
The three ways to vape
Most devices fall into one of three groups, and knowing which is which clears up a lot of confusion at the counter.
- Disposables - pre-filled and sealed (or paired with a refill tank). Use it up, then replace it. Nothing to set up.
- Closed pod systems - a rechargeable battery that takes pre-filled pods. You keep the device and just swap pods.
- Refillable (open) pod kits - a rechargeable battery with empty pods you fill from a bottle of e-liquid. Most flexible, a little more hands-on.
We cover disposables in detail in our disposable vapes guide, so this one focuses on when the other two make more sense.
When a disposable is still the right call
Disposables win on convenience. There's nothing to charge on many smaller ones, nothing to fill and nothing to learn. They're great if you vape now and then, like trying lots of flavours, or want a backup for nights out. If that sounds like you, there's no need to switch.
Closed pods: the easy middle ground
A closed pod system keeps the no-mess feel of a disposable, but you hold on to the battery and only buy pods. Pods snap in, you puff, and when one's empty you pop in the next. It's a simple step up for people who like their usual flavour and don't want to deal with bottles.
The STLTH Device takes STLTH Pods, and S-compatible pods like Pop Hit Pods use a hybrid nic salt and freebase blend for a fuller throat hit. The Allo Sync Pods come three to a pack with 2 mL of e-liquid each.
There's also a newer style that sits between pods and disposables. The Flavour Beast Level X G2 (2+10) pairs a rechargeable pod with a larger click-in tank, and the Level X Boost G2 Base Device gives you a reusable battery with an LED display for battery, e-liquid level and mode.
Refillable pod kits: most control, best value for daily vapers
With an open pod kit you fill the pod yourself from a 30 mL bottle. A 2 mL pod fills about 15 times from one bottle, so if you vape every day, the running cost usually drops compared with buying disposables. You also get to choose your exact flavour and nicotine strength, and switch either whenever you like.
A few good starting points:
- UWELL Caliburn Air - ultra-light, button-free and draw-activated, with a bolder STORM mode and a smoother WAVES mode. The simplest way into refillables.
- Level X Refillable Dual Coil Pod Kit - a large 5.5 mL pod with dual mesh coils, so you refill less often.
Pods wear out - that's normal
Refillable pods have a coil inside that slowly burns out. When flavour fades or tastes burnt even with a full pod, it's time for a fresh one. Keep spares on hand: UWELL Caliburn G3 Refillable Pods, Level X Refillable Pods and Vaporesso XROS Replacement Pods all come in packs. Match the resistance to how you draw - higher ohms (around 1.2 Ω) for a tighter mouth-to-lung pull, lower ohms (0.4 to 0.6 Ω) for a looser, warmer draw.
Picking an e-liquid
Most pod kits are built for nicotine salt e-liquid, which feels smooth even at higher strengths. If you're coming from disposables, start with a familiar flavour line: Flavour Beast Salts 20mg, Gcore E-Liquid and STLTH E-Liquid all bring well-known disposable flavours to a bottle.
Refillables also make it easy to step your nicotine down over time. Flavour Beast comes in 10mg and 3mg too, so you can keep the same flavour while lowering the strength. Browse every flavour on our e-juice flavours page.
Quick way to decide
- Vape a little, want zero effort - stick with disposables.
- Vape daily, love one flavour, hate filling - try a closed pod system.
- Vape daily and want lower running costs or control over nicotine - go refillable.
Tips for switching
- Fill a new pod, then wait a few minutes before the first puff so the coil soaks up the e-liquid. Skipping this is the number one cause of a burnt taste.
- Fill to the line, not the top, and close the fill port firmly.
- Use salt e-liquid in low-wattage pod kits - it's not meant for sub-ohm tanks.
- Charge with a proper USB-C cable and keep devices out of a hot car.
Get your setup delivered today
Shop refillable vapes, pod systems and e-juices online. Order before 5 PM and we deliver the same evening, 6 PM to 7 PM, to Vancouver, Burnaby and parts of North Vancouver - delivery is free over $60. Full details are on our same-day delivery page.
Tobacconist & Vape is a franchised Express News store on East Hastings in Vancouver. Customers must be 19+, and ID is checked at pickup and on every delivery.
Warning: Nicotine is highly addictive. 19+ only.