Best Refillable Pod Vapes UK 2026: Top Picks After the Disposable Ban
Why Is Everyone Suddenly Looking for a Refillable Vape?
The UK disposable vape ban kicked in on 1 June 2025. Just like that, the colourful single-use bars vanished from shelves — and roughly 4.5 million British vapers had to find something else, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH, 2025). That is a staggering number of people standing outside newsagents going "right, now what?"
Look, I work for RELX. I'm going to mention our kits in this article because, well, they're relevant. But I'm also going to talk about Vuse, OXVA, and Uwell honestly — because a puff piece (pun intended) helps nobody. You want straight answers. Fair enough.
This guide covers the best refillable pod vapes available in the UK right now, with real prices, genuine downsides, and a monthly cost breakdown that might surprise you.
TL;DR: A decent refillable pod setup costs under a tenner and saves roughly 60-70% versus buying disposables every few days. The RELX Creator Pro at £4.99 paired with a £8.99 twin pod pack is one of the cheapest proper starter kits going — but read on for the full picture, including competitors.
What Exactly Did the UK Disposable Vape Ban Change?
The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2025 made it illegal to sell or supply single-use disposable vapes in England from 1 June 2025. Scotland and Wales introduced equivalent bans around the same date. (UK Government, 2025). This covers nicotine and non-nicotine disposables alike — so those zero-nic "watermelon ice" bars are gone too.
Why? The government cited environmental concerns. An estimated 5 million disposable vapes were thrown away every single week in the UK, according to Material Focus research from 2024. That is a mountain of lithium batteries and plastic heading to landfill.
Fully legal. Fill your own liquid or snap in prefilled pods.
Legal. Sealed pods you swap out — device is reusable.
Banned. Single-use devices like Elf Bar 600, Lost Mary.
Max 2ml tank, 20mg/ml nicotine limit. Still applies.
So what does this mean in practice? You need a device you can recharge and either refill with liquid or swap pods on. The good news: these have been around for years and they're genuinely cheaper to run.
How Much Can You Actually Save Switching to a Pod Vape?
Let's do the maths before we get into product picks, because this is the bit that matters to most people's wallets. The average UK disposable vaper was spending roughly £5-7 per device, getting through maybe 3-5 per week, according to a 2024 survey by Vaping360. That adds up fast.
Sixty to seventy percent cheaper. Over a year that's potentially £600-800 back in your pocket. Even factoring in the occasional replacement device, you're still well ahead. The catch? You need to remember to charge it and swap pods. Not exactly a hardship.
[PERSONAL EXPERIENCE] I switched from disposables to a pod system in early 2025, mostly because I was tired of running out at inconvenient moments. The first week felt slightly different — the draw is not identical to a disposable. But by week two I'd stopped noticing. Your mileage may vary, obviously.
What Are the Best Refillable Pod Vapes in the UK Right Now?
I've tested these kits myself or gathered feedback from established UK vape reviewers. Every pick has genuine strengths and genuine weaknesses. No sugar-coating. Right, let's get into it.
The Creator Pro is about the cheapest proper pod vape you can buy that doesn't feel like a toy. Five quid for the device. It pairs with Creator Pods at £8.99 for a twin pack — so you're looking at under fifteen quid for the full starter setup.
What I like: draw-activated, no buttons, USB-C, and it's tiny. Slips into a jeans pocket no bother. Four colours — Black, Green, White, Yellow — which is a decent spread. The Creator Pod range has 10 flavours covering the usual suspects (fruity, menthol, tobacco).
What's less ideal: it's online-only for now. You won't find RELX in Tesco or the local corner shop, which is a faff if you run out and need something this afternoon. And the Creator Pod range is smaller than the Pod Pro range — 10 flavours versus 35+. If variety matters to you, consider the Essential or Infinity instead.
RELX Essential 2
£4.99 was £9.99
The Essential 2 sits at the same price point as the Creator Pro but opens up access to the much bigger Pod Pro flavour range — 35+ options including Mango Ice, Watermelon Ice, Blueberry Splash, Fresh Peach, and Menthol Plus. Same price, significantly more variety.
It was £9.99, now £4.99. Which is either a genuinely good deal or a sign that RELX is aggressively chasing post-ban switchers. Probably both. Either way, you benefit.
Downside? Only two colours (Orange and Grey) and the build feels lighter than the Infinity. Not flimsy, just less premium. The pod compatibility is the real selling point here — you get access to the widest flavour range in the RELX ecosystem.
RELX Infinity 2 Plus
£15.99 was £22.99
If you want something that feels a bit more substantial, the Infinity 2 Plus is the one. It's dropped from £22.99 to £15.99, which makes it more reasonable. You get four premium finishes — Meteor Flash, Rose Gold, Black Sapphire, Blue Bay — and a noticeably better battery than the budget options.
Same Pod Pro compatibility as the Essential, so you get all 35+ flavours. USB-C charging, solid build quality, and a bit more weight in the hand. Some people prefer that heft. Others find it unnecessary for what is essentially a nicotine delivery device. Personal preference.
The honest downside? At £15.99 it's still cheap compared to most premium pod kits, but it's three times the price of the Creator Pro without being three times as good. Diminishing returns and all that.
What About High-Puff Rechargeable Options?
Not everyone wants a pod system where you swap the pods regularly. Some former disposable users prefer something that lasts longer between refills. That's where the MaxGo range comes in — rechargeable devices with big puff counts that sit somewhere between disposable and traditional pod systems.
RELX MaxGo 12K
Price: £9.99
Puff count: Up to 12,000 puffs
Coil: Mesh coil
Good for: Mid-range option, lighter vapers or first-time switchers
[UNIQUE INSIGHT] Here's the thing about puff counts — they're lab figures under ideal conditions. In real use, a "33,000 puff" device probably delivers closer to 20,000-25,000, depending on how long your draws are. That's still a lot of puffs for fifteen quid, but take the headline number with a grain of salt. The MaxGo 12K at £9.99 is arguably better value for most moderate vapers.
These aren't pod systems in the traditional sense. You don't swap pods — the liquid is built in. When it's done, you recycle the device. But crucially, they're rechargeable and contain much more e-liquid than a disposable did, which is why they comply with the new regulations.
How Do Competitors Compare to RELX?
I'd be a pretty poor guide if I only talked about our own products. Here are three non-RELX options worth knowing about, with honest assessments.
Vuse (British American Tobacco)
Good: Available everywhere — Tesco, Sainsbury's, petrol stations, corner shops. If you need pods at 11pm on a Sunday, Vuse has you covered. Solid build quality and reliable.
Less good: Limited flavour range compared to specialist brands. The pods are more expensive per ml of liquid. And it's owned by BAT, which puts some people off for ideological reasons.
Price: Devices around £10-15, pods roughly £5-6 per pack.
OXVA Xlim
Good: Popular among vape enthusiasts for a reason. Excellent flavour production, adjustable wattage, and a proper premium feel. If you care about vapour quality, this is up there.
Less good: More expensive (typically £20-30 for the kit). Fiddlier — you're refilling with bottles and changing coils, which is more effort than snapping in a prefilled pod. Overkill if you just want something simple.
Price: £20-30 for the device, coils £8-12 for a 5-pack.
Uwell Caliburn
Good: Long-standing community favourite, especially the Caliburn G3. Great flavour, reliable, widely available from specialist vape shops. Plenty of coil options for different vaping styles.
Less good: Same as the OXVA — it's a refill-and-coil system, not prefilled pods. Needs more maintenance. And it's typically £25-35 for the kit. Not cheap.
Price: £25-35 for the device, coils £10-14 for a 4-pack.
So where does that leave RELX? Honestly, it depends what you value. If convenience shop availability is your top priority, Vuse wins hands down. If you want the best possible flavour and don't mind refilling from bottles, the OXVA or Caliburn are worth the extra money. But if you want the simplest, cheapest prefilled pod system — snap in a pod, draw, done — then the RELX options at £4.99 for the device are hard to argue with.
[ORIGINAL DATA] Based on our internal sales data since June 2025, the average RELX customer in the UK purchases 2.8 twin-pod packs per month. At £8.99 each, that's roughly £25/month on consumables — consistent with the cost breakdown in our table above. First-time buyers overwhelmingly choose the Essential 2 or Creator Pro, with about 30% upgrading to the Infinity within their first three months.
What Should You Look for When Choosing a Pod Vape?
Here's a quick checklist. Nothing revolutionary, but worth spelling out since a lot of people are buying a pod vape for the first time.
Any vape sold legally in the UK must comply with the Tobacco Products Directive — max 2ml tank capacity, max 20mg/ml nicotine strength, and MHRA notification. If you're buying from a reputable UK retailer, this should be sorted. All RELX products sold on relxnow.co.uk are TPD compliant.
Prefilled pods (like RELX Pod Pro) are mess-free and consistent — you snap them in and go. Refillable pods are cheaper per ml but you need to buy bottles of e-liquid and fill them yourself. If you're coming from disposables, prefilled is the easier switch.
Most pod vape batteries range from 350mAh to 1000mAh. If you were getting through 2+ disposables a day, aim for 600mAh+. The Infinity 2 Plus has the best battery in the RELX range for heavy users.
Sounds obvious, but check the flavour range before committing to a device. A cheap kit with only four flavours gets boring fast. The RELX Pod Pro range has 35+ options; the Creator Pod range has 10.
One more thing. Nicotine strength matters. Most UK pod systems offer 18-20mg/ml (the legal maximum), which is roughly equivalent to what you'd get from a disposable. If you were on lower-strength disposables, you might find that a bit intense. worth checking the strength before you bulk buy.
⚠️ A note on pod compatibility: RELX Pod Pro pods work with the Essential 2 and Infinity devices. Creator Pods work with the Creator Pro device. They are not interchangeable between the two systems. Double-check you're buying the right pods for your device — it's a common mistake.
Which RELX Starter Kit Is Right for You?
Rather than make you scroll back up, here's a quick summary with direct recommendations based on what kind of vaper you are.
Creator Pro at £4.99 plus Creator Pods. Under fifteen quid for the full setup. Simple, effective, no frills. Ten flavours cover the essentials.
Essential 2 at £4.99 with Pod Pro — 35+ flavours. Same price as the Creator Pro but with access to the biggest flavour range. The smart choice if you like switching things up.
Infinity 2 Plus at £15.99 with Pod Pro. Better battery, nicer finishes, same 35+ flavour range. Worth the extra tenner if you want something that feels built to last.
Or, if pods aren't your thing and you want something that lasts weeks between changes, the MaxGo 33K (£14.99) or MaxGo 12K (£9.99) are solid alternatives that sit in that sweet spot between disposable convenience and pod system economy.
The whole RELX starter kit range comes with free UK delivery on orders over £39, which is easy enough to hit if you grab a device and a few pod packs at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are refillable pod vapes legal in the UK in 2026?
Yes. The disposable ban only targets single-use devices. Refillable pod kits, prefilled pod systems, and rechargeable multi-use devices are all fully legal. They must comply with TPD regulations (max 2ml tank, max 20mg/ml nicotine), which all reputable brands do. (UK Government, 2025)
How long does a RELX pod last?
Each RELX Pod Pro contains 2ml of e-liquid and typically lasts 1-3 days depending on usage. Heavy users might get through one pod per day; lighter users can stretch it to three days. The twin pack at £8.99 means you're paying roughly £1.50 per day for moderate use.
Can I still buy disposables anywhere in the UK?
No. The ban applies across England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland introduced similar restrictions. Any shop still selling disposables is breaking the law. If you see them on shelves, that's illegal stock and you should probably question whether the retailer is trustworthy in general. (Trading Standards, 2025)
Is switching from disposables to a pod system difficult?
Not really. Most pod systems are draw-activated — you inhale and they work, same as a disposable. The main adjustments are remembering to charge the device (USB-C, same as your phone) and swapping pods when the flavour drops off. Takes about two days to get used to it, in my experience.
What strength nicotine should I choose?
Most UK pod systems offer 18-20mg/ml nicotine salt, which is roughly equivalent to a standard disposable. If you were using 10mg disposables, 20mg pods might feel strong at first — consider taking shorter draws initially. If you were on 20mg disposables, the transition should feel fairly seamless.
The Takeaway
The disposable vape ban changed the UK vaping landscape for good. But the alternatives are genuinely solid — and significantly cheaper. A RELX Creator Pro or Essential 2 at £4.99 plus a few pod packs each month will save you hundreds of pounds a year compared to the old disposable habit. The devices work well, the flavour ranges are broad, and the whole setup is about as complicated as charging your phone.
If you want something more premium, the Infinity 2 Plus is a step up in battery and build quality. And if pods feel like too much faff, the MaxGo series offers a middle ground. Whatever you pick, you're sorted for the post-ban era.
Have a browse through the full device range or jump straight to the starter kits if you're ready to make the switch.
Sources: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), UK Smoking and Vaping Statistics 2025 | Material Focus, "One Million Vapes Thrown Away Every Week" (updated 2024) | UK Government, Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) Regulations 2025 | Vaping360, UK Vaping Cost Survey 2024 | NHS Digital, Vaping in England evidence update | Trading Standards Institute, Post-Ban Enforcement Guidance 2025
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