RELX vs Elf Bar UK 2026: The Honest Comparison
If you've walked past any vape shop in the UK over the last couple of years, you've seen Elf Bar everywhere. Colourful little devices, fruit flavours, £5 a pop. They basically owned the market. But here's the thing: disposable vapes got banned in the UK in June 2025. So now both Elf Bar and RELX are competing in the pod system space — and the landscape looks very different than it did a year ago.
I'm going to break down how RELX and Elf Bar actually compare in 2026. Not the marketing version — the real one, based on specs, independent reviews, and what actual users are saying on Reddit and forums. Full disclosure: I work for RELX. But I'm going to include the complaints about our products too, because that's the only way this is useful.
The short version
Pod-First DNA
Always been a pod system brand. Creator Pro from £4.99. 35+ flavours. Unaffected by the disposable ban.
Post-Dis Pivot
Core business was disposables. Now pushing ELFA Pro (prefilled) and ELFX (refillable). Had to reinvent.
The disposable ban changed everything
Quick context if you've been under a rock: the UK banned single-use disposable vapes in June 2025. Environmental reasons, youth vaping concerns — the usual political story. What matters for you is that the £5 Elf Bar 600 you could buy at any corner shop? Gone. Illegal to sell.
This hit Elf Bar hard. Their entire UK identity was built on disposables. RELX, on the other hand, was already selling pod systems in the UK — so the ban didn't really change their product strategy at all. Structurally, RELX was in a better position going into 2026.
Oh, and there's a vape tax coming in October 2026 (Vaping Products Duty). That'll affect both brands equally, so not much to compare there yet.
The actual products head-to-head
RELX Creator Pro
£4.99 device + £8.99 pods
Elf Bar ELFA Pro
£4.75-6.99 device + £4-5 pods (2-pack)
No product image available — Elf Bar is a competing brand.
Source: elfbar.co.uk, vapeclub.co.uk
The spec differences that actually matter
The standout difference is battery size — 800mAh vs 500mAh — and that RELX gives you two power modes and adjustable airflow while the ELFA Pro is a simpler "pop in and draw" device. Elf Bar wins on pod price (about half the cost per pod) and retail availability. More on both points later.
Flavour — the elephant in the room
I'm not going to sugarcoat this, because everyone on Reddit already knows: RELX flavours tend to be milder than Elf Bar's.
"I bought a RELX Essential and it tastes so mild compared to Elf Bars... the watermelon flavour."
— Reddit r/VapingUK
"First thing I noticed is it has no flavor on it even though it's brand new."
— Reddit r/electronic_cigarette
Yeah. That's real feedback from real users. Vapourcore, an independent UK review site, put it diplomatically in their Infinity 2 review: "The pods don't quite match them for flavour intensity, you're still getting a great taste that's actually cleaner and more refined."
The reason is coil technology. RELX uses ceramic coils in their Infinity range (and dual mesh in the Creator range). Ceramic gives a smoother, more consistent flavour over the life of the pod — less degradation over time. But the trade-off is that it's not as punchy or intense as Elf Bar's QUAQ mesh coils, especially right out of the box.
The Creator Pro's dual mesh coils close this gap somewhat compared to the older ceramic Infinity pods. Side by side, the Creator Pro at 25W is noticeably more flavourful than at 15W. But if you're coming from Elf Bar disposables and expecting that same sweet-fruity hit? It's different. Not worse necessarily — just different.
Ecigclick rated the RELX pod system 8.1/10 and specifically noted: "Very good flavours (on the whole)" but the flavour profile is more "refined" than "intense." Depends what you want.
Elf Bar's side of the story
Credit where it's due — Elf Bar has moved fast since the ban. Their ELFA Pro (the prefilled pod system) is genuinely good for people who want the closest thing to the old disposable experience. Golden Vape's review noted that "ELFA Pro pods are powered by QUAQ Mesh Coil technology... more consistent vapour production, better heat distribution, cleaner crisper flavour from start to finish."
They've also launched the ELFX — a refillable pod kit with a 1000mAh battery and adjustable wattage. Ecigclick gave it 8.1/10 and said: "You'll get a more flavoursome vape from the Elf Bar ELFX than you would from a disposable." So if you're willing to fill your own pods with e-liquid, the ELFX is actually more powerful than either the Creator Pro or ELFA Pro.
And then there's the obvious advantage: availability. You can buy Elf Bar pods at Tesco, Sainsbury's, petrol stations, corner shops, everywhere. RELX is online-only in the UK. If you run out of pods on a Sunday evening, that difference matters.
What users complain about
Neither brand is perfect. Here's what actual users say is wrong with each.
Elf Bar issues
Auto-firing: Multiple Reddit users report devices firing on their own — "keeps randomly starting on its own and burns." That's a safety concern, not just annoying.
Quality decline: "Elf bars have definitely gotten worse" — long-term users on r/VapingUK noticing inconsistency.
Small battery (ELFA): One user rated it 7/10 specifically because "it died on them a few times."
RELX issues
Mild flavour: The most common complaint. "Tastes so mild compared to Elf Bars." Particularly the older ceramic coil pods.
Customer service: Trustpilot tells a rough story — "No response to 4 emails in 6 weeks." And: "Every time there is one or two pods that do not work."
Shipping delays: "Orders are never sent on the same day. They create a label and leave it 1-2 days."
Being honest: RELX's biggest weakness isn't the product — it's the operations. Judge.me reviews on the site itself average 4.8/5 (product quality is good). But Trustpilot sits at 3.7/5 because of shipping and support issues. That gap tells you everything.
Running costs compared
Ouch. Yeah, Elf Bar wins on running costs quite significantly — roughly half the monthly cost. The ELFA Pro pods are about £2.25 each vs £8.99 for a Creator Pod. Even accounting for the Creator Pod lasting longer (2+8ML capacity), the per-puff cost is still lower with Elf Bar.
Though both are dramatically cheaper than smoking. Context matters.
So which one should you actually get?
You want the cheapest option, you want to buy pods at the supermarket, and you prefer strong punchy flavours. The ELFA Pro is basically a reusable disposable — same taste, legal format.
You want adjustable power and airflow, a bigger battery, and don't mind ordering pods online. The 25W mode genuinely delivers more vapour and flavour than the ELFA can manage.
You want a refillable device (fill with your own e-liquid). 1000mAh battery, adjustable wattage, dual mesh coils — it's more flexible than either closed system.
The honest truth? Neither is objectively "better." They serve different needs. If cost and convenience top your list, Elf Bar wins. If you want more control over your vaping experience and a bigger battery, RELX has the edge. If you want the strongest possible flavour... honestly, the refillable ELFX with Elf Bar's own nic salts might beat both of them.
One last thing: if you're buying either brand, use legitimate UK retailers. The disposable ban pushed a lot of counterfeit product into the market. If the price seems too good, it probably is.
Updated April 2026. Prices and availability may change. User quotes sourced from Reddit (r/VapingUK, r/electronic_cigarette, r/Vaping), Ecigclick.co.uk (RELX 8.1/10, ELFX 8.1/10), Vapourcore.com, VapeBeat.com, GoldenVape.co.uk, and Trustpilot (relxnow.co.uk, 3.7/5 from 283 reviews). Product specs from official brand websites and UK retailers.
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