RELX vs Vaporesso UK 2026: Pod System Showdown
Vaporesso's XROS series is probably the most recommended refillable pod system in the UK right now. Walk into any vape shop, ask what to buy, and someone will point you at an XROS. It's the "gold standard" according to pretty much everyone on Reddit.
So why would you even consider RELX instead? Fair question. I'll try to answer it honestly, knowing full well I work with RELX and this comparison is going to look a bit self-serving. But the differences are real and worth understanding.
Two Very Different Approaches
Closed pod vs open pod — it's not just branding
RELX makes closed pod systems. You buy a device, you buy prefilled pods, you click them together and vape. The pods are sealed — you can't open them, can't refill them, can't change the coil. When it's done, you swap it.
Vaporesso makes open pod systems. The XROS devices come with empty pods. You buy e-liquid separately (10ml nic salt bottles), fill the pod yourself, and replace the pod every 1-4 weeks when the coil burns out. More flexibility, more faffing about.
They're solving the same problem — getting nicotine into your body without tobacco smoke — but with opposite philosophies. One optimises for simplicity. The other optimises for control.
Prefilled pods. Zero setup. Factory-optimised coil-to-liquid pairing. FEELM ceramic coil. 28+ flavours. £15.99 for Infinity 2 Plus device, £8.99 per Pod Pro pack.
Refillable pods. Choose your own e-liquid. COREX mesh coil tech. Adjustable airflow. 10+ colour options. £11-35 depending on model, plus e-liquid costs.
The Devices Head to Head
RELX Infinity 2 Plus
£15.99
The Infinity 2 Plus is RELX's premium device. Slim, premium feel, magnetic pod connection. It takes the full Pod Pro range — 28+ flavours at 18mg/ml nic salt, £8.99 for a 2-pod pack. The FEELM ceramic coil inside each pod delivers a consistent, smooth MTL draw. No buttons, no settings. Just inhale.
Downsides are real though. The battery is relatively small compared to Vaporesso devices. Heavy users might need a top-up charge by mid-afternoon. No adjustable airflow. No screen. And you're locked into RELX pods — no mixing and matching with other brands' e-liquids.
Vaporesso XROS 4 — The People's Champion
I'm not going to pretend the XROS isn't good. It genuinely is. Ecigclick called its flavour "absolutely superb... one of the best on the pod market right now." The XROS 4 won their award for best starter kit runner-up in 2024. The entire XROS series was inducted into the Vapouround Hall of Fame.
"Build quality is rock solid — they really do feel superbly well made. The flavour is absolutely superb."
— Ecigclick, XROS 4 review
Look at those numbers. Vaporesso wins on battery (1000mAh vs 440mAh — more than double), airflow adjustability, colour options, and flavour freedom. RELX wins on warranty (12 months vs 90 days — that's a big gap), and zero daily maintenance. The battery difference is probably the most significant spec gap.
The Coil Technology: COREX vs FEELM
This is more interesting than it sounds
Here's a fun fact that most people don't know: both RELX and Vaporesso ultimately rely on technology from the same parent company. SMOORE is the world's largest vape manufacturer. They make the FEELM ceramic coils used in RELX pods. And Vaporesso is actually a SMOORE subsidiary. So you've got two brands sharing a common technology ancestor but taking it in different directions.
FEELM (RELX): a thin medical-grade stainless steel film printed in an S-pattern on top of a porous ceramic substrate. The film heats up, the ceramic wicks e-liquid through microscopic pores, and you get very even, consistent vapour. The key benefit is temperature control — because the ceramic distributes heat so evenly, you don't get hot spots that burn the liquid. That's why RELX pods maintain flavour consistency right through to the last puff. VapeBeat noted that RELX pods retain 85% of their flavour intensity after 500 puffs, versus 65-70% for competitors.
COREX (Vaporesso): micro-porous ceramic compound combined with a mesh heating structure and "cumulus cotton" wicking. The mesh provides fast, even heating, and the ceramic element improves flavour accuracy. COREX 3.0 (in the XROS 5) is the latest version. It produces more vapour and a punchier flavour hit than FEELM, but the consistency over the life of the pod isn't quite as uniform.
Metal film on ceramic. Extremely consistent. Smoother, cooler vapour. 85% flavour retention after 500 puffs. Better for people who want the same experience every draw.
Mesh on ceramic + cotton. Punchier initial flavour. More vapour. Adjustable airflow lets you tune the draw. But flavour can fade more noticeably towards end of pod life.
Neither is objectively "better." They're different. If you prioritise consistency and smoothness, FEELM has the edge. If you want maximum flavour impact and customisable draw, COREX wins.
Running Costs: The Honest Math
Let's do actual numbers for a moderate vaper in the UK.
Yeah. Vaporesso is significantly cheaper to run. About half the cost. That's the reality of closed pod systems — you pay a convenience premium. The pods are where the margin is, same as printer ink. VapeBeat put it bluntly: "The hardware is often sold at little or no profit because they know they'll make recurring revenue on the pods."
But. And it's a significant but. The October 2026 vape tax changes the equation. The Vaping Products Duty adds £2.20 + VAT per 10ml of e-liquid. That's a 50-80% price increase on the 10ml bottles Vaporesso users buy. RELX's 1.9ml prefilled pods only see about a £0.53 increase — much smaller in both absolute and percentage terms. After October, the cost gap narrows noticeably.
Not enough to make them equal. But enough that the "prefilled costs double" argument gets a bit more nuanced.
What Reddit Actually Says
The Reddit community loves the XROS. Like, really loves it.
"The best and most reliable device I've owned. No leaks, very long battery life, great taste, and durable like a brick."
— Reddit user, r/electronic_cigarette
"Everyone said the Vaporesso is the gold standard of pod devices."
— Reddit user, r/Vaping
RELX doesn't come up much in Western Reddit communities. It's huge in Asia — China, Southeast Asia, the Philippines — but UK and US Redditors rarely discuss it. One user who had used both wrote about switching from RELX to XROS 2 and preferred the XROS build quality.
But Reddit's demographic skews towards enthusiasts. People who post on vaping subreddits tend to be the type who enjoy tinkering, comparing specs, and optimising their setup. Of course they prefer refillable systems with adjustable airflow and coil options. That doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone.
The issues people mention with XROS are worth knowing about too:
⚠️ Common XROS complaints: Pod life varies wildly (3 days to 3 weeks depending on e-liquid sweetness). Sweet/dark e-liquids kill pods fast. Auto-draw misfires on some units. Only 90-day warranty. Condensation buildup needs regular cleaning.
Where RELX Actually Wins
Because I should probably mention the upsides
Right, so I've spent most of this article talking about Vaporesso's advantages. Bigger battery, cheaper running costs, more flexibility, Reddit's undying love. Here's where RELX genuinely does better.
12 months on device, 18 months on pods. Vaporesso gives you 90 days. That's not a small difference — if your XROS dies after 4 months, you're buying a new one.
No refilling. No cleaning. No worrying about which e-liquid will burn through your pods. Click in pod, vape, swap when done. That's the entire user journey.
85% flavour retention after 500 puffs. The ceramic coil maintains consistent taste from first puff to last. Mesh coils fade more noticeably.
28+ RELX flavours, all optimised for the device. No spending hours on forums debating which nic salt brand pairs best with which resistance coil.
The Pod Pro range also includes some genuinely unique flavours that you won't find in e-liquid bottles — Oolong Ice Tea, Ludou Ice, Dark Sparkle. These aren't generic fruit flavours; they're developed specifically for the ceramic coil. And our customers rate them 4.86 out of 5 across 829 reviews.
Oolong Ice Tea
Proper tea flavour with ice. The ceramic coil handles this beautifully — smooth and authentic.
Dark Sparkle
Energy drink vibes with ice. Bold and fizzy — works surprisingly well as a pod flavour.
Watermelon Ice
The crowd favourite. Cold, sweet, refreshing. Our most popular flavour for good reason.
Shop Infinity 2 Plus — £15.99 Browse All Pod Pro Flavours
So Which One?
I'm going to be honest — if you're reading Reddit and comparing specs and doing cost calculations, you're probably the type who'd prefer the Vaporesso. And that's fine. The XROS 4 is an excellent device. Great build quality, strong battery, good flavour, cheap to run. It deserves the praise it gets.
But if you're someone who just wants to pick up a device and have it work, every single time, without thinking about e-liquid levels or coil resistance or pod priming — that's where RELX earns its premium. The convenience is real. The warranty difference matters. And the ceramic coil genuinely delivers more consistent flavour over the life of each pod.
You want zero hassle. You're switching from disposables and don't want to learn about e-liquid. You value warranty coverage. You travel and don't want to carry bottles. You want consistent flavour every puff.
You're budget-conscious. You want the biggest battery. You like choosing your own e-liquid. You want adjustable airflow. You don't mind refilling every day or two. You're comfortable with a 90-day warranty.
At £4.99, same price as some replacement XROS pods. Adjustable airflow, dual wattage mode, and 10 Creator Pod flavours. Lowest entry point to the RELX ecosystem.
Both are good choices. Both beat smoking by a mile. Pick the one that fits how you actually live, not what the internet tells you to buy.
Sources: Ecigclick XROS 4 review (2024), Ecigclick Vape Awards 2024, Vapouround Hall of Fame induction, VapeBeat RELX review, Vaping360 XROS 5 review, Reddit r/VapingUK and r/electronic_cigarette user discussions, GOV.UK Vaping Products Duty guidance, Vaporesso COREX technology page. All prices correct as of April 2026. The author is affiliated with RELX — read accordingly.
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