Nic salts: 5mg, 10mg or 20mg — which one do I need?
Last updated 27 September 2026 · 6 min read
Nic salt e-liquids like the Elux Legend range are sold in three strengths, 5mg, 10mg and 20mg, and that number is a concentration: it's how many milligrams of nicotine sit in every millilitre of the 10ml bottle. A 20mg bottle carries four times as much nicotine per millilitre as a 5mg bottle from the same range. Which one fits you depends mostly on how much nicotine you're already used to, from cigarettes or from vaping, and nicotine needs genuinely vary from person to person, so there's no single strength that's correct for everyone. As a general starting point, many vapers who find a strength too weak simply move up a step next time, rather than guessing high from day one.
| Strength | What it means | Who tends to pick it |
|---|---|---|
| 5mg | 5mg of nicotine per ml | Vapers who smoked lightly, already vape at a low strength, or simply prefer a milder hit |
| 10mg | 10mg of nicotine per ml | Vapers coming from a moderate smoking habit, or already comfortable at a mid-range nic salt strength |
| 20mg | 20mg of nicotine per ml — the UK's regulatory cap | Vapers coming from a heavier smoking habit who want a strength closer to what they're used to |
What do the numbers actually mean?
Every Elux Legend nic salt bottle holds 10ml, and the mg figure on the label is a concentration rather than a total dose, milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of liquid. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped by regulation at 20mg/ml, which is why 20mg is the top of the range rather than the middle of it; there's no stronger option sold legally above that. The range uses a standard 50/50 PG/VG nic salt formulation, typically priced around £2.49 per 10ml bottle, with roughly 50 flavours available at 10mg and 20mg and a smaller selection of around 20 flavours specifically at 5mg.
How do you estimate which strength might suit you?
There's no exact formula, but your prior habits are the most useful guide. Many vapers who smoked close to a pack a day find a strength nearer the top of the range, 20mg, feels closer to what they're used to, at least to begin with. Vapers who smoked more lightly, or who already vape comfortably at a lower strength on another brand, often find 5mg or 10mg gives them enough without feeling too strong. If you're already vaping happily at a given strength and are only switching flavour or brand, sticking with a similar strength is usually the simplest move. None of this is a guarantee for any individual, since how much nicotine someone needs to feel satisfied varies a good deal from person to person.
Why do nic salts feel smoother than freebase at the same strength?
Nic salt formulations are generally described as giving a smoother throat hit than traditional freebase nicotine at an equivalent strength, which is a widely stated formulation characteristic rather than a claim about safety. That's part of why nic salt e-liquids are commonly sold at strengths up to the UK's 20mg/ml cap, while freebase nicotine is usually sold lower, since freebase tends to feel harsher when inhaled deeply at high strength. It's also why nic salts are the more common choice in the tighter-draw MTL pod kits many people switching from smoking start out on, rather than the looser, sub-ohm setups built for freebase e-liquid.
Worth knowing
Practical advice: start lower, step up only if you need to
If you're new to nic salts, or simply unsure which strength to pick, starting lower and moving up only if you need to is generally the more comfortable route than starting high and finding it too much. A 10ml bottle such as Elux vape liquid 5mg is a common lower-strength starting point, and because 5mg, 10mg and 20mg are sold in the same bottle size and formulation across the range, moving up a strength later doesn't mean changing flavour or brand, just picking up the next mg option in the same line. Give a strength a few days of normal use before deciding it's wrong; a single tank isn't always enough to judge.
This applies just as much to vapers switching between devices as to anyone quitting smoking. A pod kit such as the Al Fakher 50K also uses nic salts up to the UK's 20mg/ml cap, so the same start-low-and-adjust approach applies whichever pod kit or refillable device you're pairing the e-liquid with.
Bottle size, price and flavour range
Every strength in the range comes in a 10ml bottle, the UK's standard cap for nicotine-containing e-liquid, typically priced around £2.49, though exact pricing varies by retailer. Flavours span fruit (Apple Peach, Blueberry Raspberry, Blue Razz Cherry), ice and menthol (Banana Ice, Cherry Ice, Strawberry Ice, Blackcurrant Menthol), sour and sweet options, and lemonade (Berry Lemonade, Pink Lemonade). The fuller flavour list, close to 50 options, sits at 10mg and 20mg, with a smaller run of roughly 20 flavours made specifically at 5mg for anyone starting at the lower end of the range.
The short version
- 5mg, 10mg and 20mg are nicotine concentrations per ml, not total doses; 20mg is the UK's regulatory ceiling.
- Heavier smokers often start nearer 20mg; lighter smokers and existing vapers often find 5mg or 10mg enough.
- Nic salts are generally described as smoother than freebase at a given strength, which is why they're sold up to 20mg/ml.
- Starting lower and stepping up only if needed tends to be more comfortable than starting high.
- All three strengths come in the same 10ml bottle format, so switching strength within the range doesn't mean switching flavour.
- Nicotine needs vary from person to person, so treat any of this as general guidance, not a fixed rule for you specifically.