This article is intended for existing adult vapers and smokers in the UK aged 18 and over. Vaping products contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance.
For most UK vapers in 2026, the choice comes down to two formats: a refillable pod kit, or a rechargeable big puff vape (a reusable device with replaceable prefilled pods). Refillable pod kits are cheaper to run long-term, give you more flavour control, and produce less waste. Big puff vapes are simpler to use, require almost no maintenance, and feel closest to the disposables they replaced.
As vapers move on from disposables, this is the decision most are facing. Which one suits you depends on how much effort you want to put in, what you're willing to spend upfront, and how you actually vape day-to-day. Here's how the two compare.
What Happened to Disposables, and What Replaced Them?
Single-use disposable vapes were banned across the UK on 1 June 2025 under the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) Regulations 2024. The ban was driven primarily by environmental concerns and youth access - millions of disposables were being binned every week, and the lithium batteries inside them were causing fires at waste facilities.
The market responded in two distinct ways. Some manufacturers (Lost Mary, Elf Bar, SKE and others) released rechargeable big puff vapes - devices that look and feel like the old disposables but feature a rechargeable battery and replaceable prefilled pods. We've covered one of the most popular examples in our Lost Mary BM6000 review if you want to see how these devices work in practice. Others doubled down on refillable pod kits, which use a rechargeable device with refillable pods and bottled e-liquid. Both are fully legal, both work, and both have their place. The question is which one fits how you vape.
What Is a Refillable Pod Kit?
A refillable pod kit is a small, rechargeable vape device with a pod that you fill yourself using bottled e-liquid. Most use replaceable coils (the heating element inside the pod) that need swapping out every one to three weeks depending on how much you vape. The device itself typically lasts a year or more with proper care.
How it works in practice: you buy the kit once (usually £15-£35), then ongoing costs are limited to e-liquid bottles and replacement coils or pods. You unscrew or open the pod, fill it from a 10ml bottle, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and you're ready to vape. Recharging takes 30-60 minutes via USB-C on most modern kits.
At Vsavi, our refillable pod kits are designed to pair with low-powered, mouth-to-lung vaping — the style most ex-smokers and former disposable users tend to prefer. Best suited to: vapers who want lower running costs, more control over flavour and nicotine strength, and don't mind a small amount of weekly maintenance.
What Is a Big Puff Vape?
A big puff vape is a rechargeable device that uses prefilled pods - sealed plastic units containing e-liquid and a built-in coil. When the pod runs out, you replace it with a new one. The device itself is rechargeable and reusable, but you don't refill anything yourself.
The category gets its name from the puff counts these devices advertise - typically anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000+ puffs per pod, depending on the model. In reality, puff counts are estimates and your actual usage will vary. What matters more is the e-liquid volume per pod, which is capped at 2ml under UK regulations.
How it works in practice: you buy the kit (usually £8-£15), then buy replacement pods as you use them (typically £4-£6 per pod or pack). Pods snap or click into place - no filling, no coils to change, no e-liquid to handle. You charge the device with USB-C when the battery runs low. Vsavi stocks a curated range of big puff vapes from brands including Lost Mary, SKE and Elf Bar — all rechargeable, all TPD-compliant, and all legal alternatives to the old disposables.
Best suited to: vapers who valued the convenience of disposables and want the closest legal equivalent, or anyone who finds refillable kits too fiddly.
Cost Comparison: Which Is Cheaper to Run?
This is where the gap becomes meaningful, and it's the single biggest reason most experienced vapers eventually move to refillables.
A refillable pod kit running on 10ml bottles works out at roughly £3-£5 per 10ml of e-liquid. Most vapers get through 2-4ml per day, meaning a single 10ml bottle lasts 3-5 days. Add in coil replacements (around £2-£3 each, every 1-3 weeks) and your monthly running cost typically lands somewhere between £20 and £40 depending on how much you vape.
A big puff vape using prefilled pods costs more per ml of e-liquid because you're paying for the pod hardware each time. A typical replacement pod containing 2ml of e-liquid costs £4-£6. If you get through one pod every two days, you're looking at £60-£90 per month.
Over a year, that gap typically adds up to several hundred pounds — which is why most regular vapers eventually settle on a refillable setup once they're comfortable with the basics.
The October 2026 vape tax changes the maths further. From 1 October 2026, all e-liquid sold in the UK will carry a £2.20 per 10ml duty. This affects both formats, but the proportional impact differs. Refillable e-liquid bottles will see the duty added directly - a 10ml bottle currently around £3-£4 will land closer to £5-£6 once VAT is applied on top. Prefilled pods containing 2ml will see roughly 44p per pod added in duty. In percentage terms, both go up, but refillables remain the cheaper-per-ml option by some margin.
Convenience: How Much Effort Are You Willing To Put In?
This is the other side of the coin. Big puff vapes are easier - there's no question about it. You charge the device, click in a pod, and use it. When the pod runs out, you swap it. There's nothing to clean, nothing to fill, no coils to prime.
Refillable pod kits ask a bit more upfront — but for most vapers, that quickly becomes routine and well worth it for the savings and flavour variety. You need to fill the pod from a bottle (which takes about a minute), let new coils soak for a few minutes before first use, and replace the coil every week or two. None of this is difficult, but it's not zero effort either. If you've never done it before, the learning curve takes a day or two.
For people who came to vaping specifically because disposables were simple, a big puff vape stays closer to that original experience. For people happy to invest a few minutes a week in exchange for lower costs and more flavour options, refillables are the natural step up.
Flavour Range and Customisation
Refillable pod kits win comfortably on choice. Because you're using bottled e-liquid, you can pick from hundreds of options across nic salts, freebase, and shortfills. You can switch flavours whenever you like, mix and match, and adjust nicotine strength precisely to suit you.
Vsavi specialises in premium UK e-liquid for refillable devices. Depending on your preference, you can choose from three core ranges:
- VSAVI Platinum freebase e-liquids — for a stronger throat hit and a more traditional vaping experience
- VSAVI 100% VG e-liquids — for vapers with PG sensitivities or those who prefer thicker vapour
- Nicotine salts — for smoother, faster-acting nicotine delivery in low-powered pod kits
If you're not sure which type suits your kit, our guide to nic salts vs freebase breaks down the differences in detail, and our nicotine strength guide helps you find the right mg level for how much you vape.
Big puff vapes are limited to whatever pods the manufacturer makes for that specific device. The flavour selection has expanded significantly since the disposable ban - most major brands now offer 15-25 flavours per range - but you're still locked into one ecosystem. If you find a flavour you love, that's fine. If you like variety, refillables give you far more freedom.
Environmental Impact
Both formats are massively better than disposables in environmental terms, but refillables come out ahead overall. Over a typical month, a refillable setup might generate one or two small e-liquid bottles and a couple of replacement coils — compared to roughly 10-15 prefilled pods for an average big puff user. That's a meaningful difference in plastic waste, even with the rechargeable battery and reusable device on the big puff side.
Both formats require proper recycling at end of life. UK retailers are legally required to accept used devices for recycling under WEEE regulations, so when your kit eventually reaches end-of-life, drop it back at any vape retailer rather than putting it in the bin.
Which Should You Choose?
There's no universally correct answer - it depends on what you value.
Choose a refillable pod kit if: you want the lowest long-term running cost, you like trying different flavours, you don't mind a small amount of weekly maintenance, or you want more control over nicotine strength. This is the format most experienced vapers settle on eventually.
Choose a big puff vape if: you valued the simplicity of disposables, you don't want to handle e-liquid, you prefer the lowest possible upfront cost, or you only vape occasionally and the higher per-pod cost doesn't add up significantly.
A reasonable middle path: many vapers end up owning both. A refillable kit for everyday use at home, and a big puff vape as a smaller, lower-maintenance backup for travel or busy days. The two formats complement each other, and neither is wrong.
Whichever format you go for, buy from a UK-based retailer that follows TPD regulations and stocks products notified to the MHRA. From October 2026 onwards, all legitimate e-liquid products must also carry a duty stamp on the retail packaging - which gives you a simple visual check that what you're buying is compliant.
If you're still weighing up your options, browse the full Vsavi range of refillable pod kits and big puff vapes to find the setup that fits how you vape — or take a look at our complete beginner's guide to vaping if you'd like a broader overview before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are big puff vapes legal in the UK?
Yes, provided they have a rechargeable battery and replaceable or refillable pods. The June 2025 ban applied only to single-use disposable vapes - devices that can be recharged and have replaceable pods are legal under the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) Regulations 2024.
Is a refillable pod kit harder to use than a big puff vape?
Slightly, but only at first. Filling a pod takes about a minute and replacing a coil takes another minute or two every week or so. Most people find the routine straightforward after a couple of days of use.
Which is cheaper, refillable or big puff?
Refillable pod kits are cheaper to run long-term. A refillable setup typically costs £20-£40 per month in e-liquid and coils, compared to £60-£90 per month for prefilled pods at average usage levels. Over a year, that gap adds up to several hundred pounds. The October 2026 vape tax affects both, but refillables remain the cheaper-per-ml option.
Can you reuse big puff vape pods?
Most prefilled pods are not designed to be refilled or reused. They're sealed units intended for single use and replacement. Some newer models offer refillable variants, but standard prefilled pods should be replaced when empty and recycled through your retailer's take-back scheme.
Do I need to worry about coils with a big puff vape?
No. The coil is built into the prefilled pod and gets replaced automatically when you swap pods. With a refillable kit, the coil is a separate component you'll need to replace every one to three weeks depending on use.