Looking for the best vape juice reviews UK vapers can use to narrow down a brand? This guide picks four of the most popular e juice brands sold in the UK, AquaVape, Vampire Vape, Nasty Juice and Ossem Juice, based on award lists, community reviews and our own tasting when the guide was written, and explains what makes a great e-liquid in the first place. Ranges and nicotine options change, so check each brand's current line-up before you buy.
When you're spending your hard-earned money on any product, the goal is to get as much satisfaction from it as you can. E-juice is no different.
While all e-liquids share the same basic ingredients, the end result can be very different, even between e-liquids with a similar flavour profile.
A satisfying vape juice strikes the right balance between flavour, throat hit and vapour, and that balance depends on the type of e-liquid you're using. PG-heavy juices are big on flavour and throat hit, while high-VG e-liquids deliver more vapour.
For instance, a high-PG juice might taste great but produce a thin exhale. That doesn't make it below average; it simply reflects the higher proportion of propylene glycol in the juice.
Similarly, a 100% VG e-liquid will produce huge clouds, but you could have a hard time picking out the flavours, because vegetable glycerine doesn't carry flavour as well.
In short, a satisfying vape juice is one that brings out the best of the ingredients in it.
That said, the flavour profile is usually the biggest factor in how good an e-liquid really is. It's what separates the best-in-class from the run-of-the-mill. Our guide to choosing the right vape juice for your tank covers the technical side.
Clear Distinctions
One thing that sets great e-liquids apart is a flavour that's both rich and memorable. Standing out is quite a feat, given how competitive this segment is.
The top e-liquids aim to be distinctive as well as high in quality.
In the same way a good wine or chocolate offers notes that range from robust to subtle, the best e-liquids make the underlying flavour notes come through in harmony, rather than tasting of a single base flavour.
To use the wine comparison again, it's the difference between a fine wine and a good grape juice. Both start with grapes and both taste good, but the wine gives the palate more to savour.
All Flavours Are Not Equal
One of the best things about vaping is the number of e-liquid flavours available. Check out our e-juice 101 post for what goes into them.
Most vapers start with a few familiar flavours. Over time, many want to see what else is out there.
With so many flavours, flavour combinations and other factors to consider, narrowing down the best e-juice brand in the UK, let alone the perfect flavour, can quickly become a head-scratcher for beginners.
It doesn't help that similar flavours from different brands can taste very different.
A strawberry-mango blend from Brand A can taste completely different from a strawberry-mango blend from Brand B, apart from a few surface similarities. With so many brands to choose from, that only adds to the confusion.
In other words, for a discerning palate, the brand matters when you're shopping for flavours.
Does Price Matter?
In a word, yes.
As with wine, most experienced vapers will tell you that you get what you pay for.
Going for the cheapest option rarely pays off, because you may end up with poor-value products, and that applies to both e-liquids and vaping hardware.
That said, you don't want to overpay for your e-juice either. Premium e-liquids usually cost more than ordinary juice, but many brands run occasional deals that let you stock up on your favourite flavours without spending a fortune.
Deals like these are also a chance to broaden your tastes as you build up your e-liquid collection, so keep an eye on the deals or clearance section of your supplier.
The Best E-Juice Brand in the UK
If you're wondering which is the best e-juice brand in the UK, we've compiled a list of top names, along with a few of their flavours that have proved popular for good reasons.
We based the list on online reviews and e-liquids that have been a hit with the vaping community, and we tried them ourselves to see what the fuss was about.
Here are the names that made the cut.
1. AquaVape
AquaVape is a British vape company that makes both hardware and e-liquids.
The brand featured at Number 3 in T3 magazine's 2019 Top 10 list of the best e-liquids in the UK, and took the top spot for menthol e-liquids.
The brand develops its own flavours with a long-established local flavouring house, which helps explain its loyal following.
It carries a wide range of flavours, but two in particular are worth trying:
Wild Berry
AquaVape's Wild Berry blends juicy wild berries into a flavour with plenty of twists and a memorable finish.
Given its popularity, the brand offers it in several versions.
If you're mainly after flavour, the 0mg blend is a good choice, and there's also a 20mg nicotine salt version.
The flavour comes in a 50/50 PG/VG blend, which makes it an easy entry point for most devices.
AquaVape Menthol
Another signature range from AquaVape, its Menthol line is a favourite with menthol and mint fans in the UK.
Also made in a 50/50 base, this is the range that won best menthol in T3's 2019 list of the best e-liquids in the UK.
At the time of writing it came in five flavours: Cherry Menthol, Fresh Menthol, Fruit Menthol, Ice Mint and Raspberry Menthol.
You'll also find it as a nicotine salt and as a 70VG/30PG 0mg shortfill e-liquid for bigger clouds.
2. Vampire Vape
Known as much for its distinctive name and packaging as for its rich, complex flavours, Vampire Vape has made a name for itself as one of the best e-juice brands in the UK.
The British e-liquid maker produces some of the best-selling e-liquids in the country.
The brand has picked up multiple awards over the years, and two flavours in particular have proved a hit with the vaping community.
Heisenberg
Vampire Vape describes its Heisenberg flavour as "the Daddy of all-day vapes".
The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but like every other brand listed here, it complies with UK rules for nicotine e-liquids.
What we do know is that Heisenberg is a blend of subtle fruity notes followed by a cool, crisp finish.
It comes in strengths from 0mg to 18mg; UK rules cap nicotine-containing e-liquid at 20mg/ml under the UK e-cigarette regulations. Heisenberg is also available as a nicotine salt in 10mg and 20mg.
KonceptXIX - Heisenberg 50ml 0mg
KonceptXIX Heisenberg brings together two well-known names in the UK vaping scene.
The result is another popular product, this one well suited to cloud production.
The 80VG e-liquid comes in a 50ml shortfill bottle, which leaves room for a 10ml nic shot if you want to add nicotine.
3. Nasty Juice
Anyone who has tried Malaysian e-liquids will tell you they're known for distinctive flavours.
Nasty Juice is one of the top e-liquid makers in the country. The brand is best known for adding its own twist to familiar flavours, creating flavour profiles you won't find anywhere else.
It has several popular names in its collection, a few of which also appeared on T3's 2019 list, but this one particularly impressed us:
Cush Man
Cush Man is about as tropical as mango e-liquids get. There are plenty of mango flavours around, but this one stands out.
Cush Man is part of the Nasty Juice Yummy Fruity series, with a luscious tropical sweetness and a faintly tart aftertaste.
The 50ml shortfill e-liquid has a hint of mint, which adds a gentle cool kick without being overpowering.
Nasty Juice Cush Man is mixed at 70VG/30PG and is often praised for its smoothness.
It's available in three nicotine strengths: 0mg, 3mg and 6mg/ml.
A must-try for mango fans.
4. Ossem Juice
If vaping had an equivalent of the BAFTA Awards, Ossem Juice would be a regular contender for best design, thanks to its colourful packaging.
Ossem Juice is another Malaysian brand that prides itself on being different, and that uniqueness comes at a premium price.
If you can stretch to it, Ossem Juice makes a nice treat or a gift for a fellow vaper.
The Ossem range is divided into four categories: Fruity, Mixed, Summer and Tobacco Premium. There's one flavour in particular we'd encourage every vaper to try at least once.
OSSEM Raging Fury (Jackfruit & Pineapple)
Raging Fury comes from Ossem's fruit range. It's a bold blend of two tropical fruits, jackfruit and pineapple, that suits sunny days.
It also works as an all-day vape, because this rich, sweet fruit mix is hard to get tired of.
Ossem Raging Fury comes in a 50ml shortfill bottle in a 70VG/30PG mix, which gives thick vapour with plenty of flavour. At the time of writing it was available in 0 to 6mg, with an optional cooling booster for a cooler hit.
