RELX vs VUSE UK 2026: The Honest Comparison

VUSE is everywhere in the UK. Tesco, Sainsbury's, the corner shop down the road — you can grab one with your milk and bread. RELX you've probably only seen online. So which one is actually better if you're looking for a pod system in 2026?

I'm going to be honest about both. Full disclosure: I work for RELX. But I'm not going to pretend VUSE doesn't exist or that they don't do some things well. They do. The question is what matters most to you — convenience, price, flavour variety, or build quality.

The short version

If you can't be bothered reading the whole thing:

Right. For everyone who wants the details, here we go.

The devices — side by side

RELX undercuts VUSE on device prices at every tier. The Creator Pro at £4.99 is the cheapest entry into a pod system in the UK right now — and it's got dual mesh coils with adjustable power (15W/25W), which is unusual at that price point. VUSE's cheapest option, the Go Reload at £5.99, uses standard ceramic coils with no power adjustment.

At the premium end, RELX Infinity 2 Plus is £15.99 versus VUSE Ultra at £20.00. The Ultra does have an app-connected feature (MyVuse app) that RELX doesn't offer. Whether that's worth £4 extra depends on how much you care about tracking your vaping stats on your phone.

Pod prices — where VUSE has an edge

This is where it gets interesting. VUSE pods are cheaper per pod, but the pricing structure is different:

VUSE wins on per-pod cost. No argument there. But here's the thing — VUSE makes you buy two pods of the same flavour at once. If you try a flavour and hate it (and from Reddit, that happens a lot with VUSE), you've wasted £6.99 on two duds. With RELX, you buy one pod at a time. Hate it? You're out £8.99 but at least you didn't get stuck with a second one you'll never use.

Reddit user on r/VapingUK about VUSE: "Bought a pack of Berry Medley. First pod leaked straight out of the packet. Second one tasted burnt after about 200 puffs. £7 wasted."

Flavour variety — not even close

This is RELX's biggest advantage. 41 flavours versus VUSE's ~28. And it's not just about quantity — it's about what's actually different.

RELX EXCLUSIVE

Dark Sparkle (Cola)

Cola with an icy fizz sensation. Reddit's #1 pick across all RELX flavours. VUSE has nothing like this.

RELX EXCLUSIVE

Oolong Iced Tea

Part of a 5-flavour tea range. No other UK vape brand does tea flavours. VUSE offers standard fruit and menthol.

VUSE's flavour range is safe and predictable. Mint, tobacco, fruit, berry. Nothing wrong with that — lots of people want exactly that. But if you've been vaping for a while and you're bored of the same options in every brand, RELX has things VUSE simply doesn't offer.

The tea category is the most obvious example. RELX has five tea flavours (Jasmine Longjing, Oolong, Hibiscus, Lemon, Jasmine Green) that are genuinely different from anything else in the UK market. VUSE's closest thing to "unusual" is Dragon Fruit Pomegranate, which is only available in the Ultra Smart pod range.

On the Creator Pod side, RELX also offers flavours like Guava Ice, Passion Fruit Ice, and Iced Lemon Cola with dual mesh coils for punchier flavour delivery. VUSE doesn't have an equivalent to the dual mesh coil system at all.

Build quality and reliability

This is where the Reddit threads get spicy. VUSE pod leaking is a recurring complaint.

Now, Reddit is full of complaints about every vape brand. You can find RELX complaints too. But the consistency of VUSE leaking reports stands out. Multiple threads, multiple users, same issue — pods leaking straight from the packaging or spitting liquid into the mouth.

RELX isn't perfect either. Some users report that certain Pod Pro flavours can lose intensity towards the end of the pod's life. And the online-only availability means you can't just pop to a shop when you run out. But the build quality of the devices themselves is solid — the Infinity 2 Plus in particular feels premium, with a metal body and satisfying magnetic pod attachment. VUSE's devices at the same price point feel more plasticky.

Where to buy — VUSE's real advantage

Let's give VUSE their due here. This is genuinely their biggest strength.

If you're the type of person who runs out of pods and needs more immediately, VUSE wins hands down. There's no arguing with supermarket availability. But if you plan ahead even slightly — ordering when you've still got a day or two left on your current pod — RELX's online model works fine. And you get access to 41 flavours instead of 28, which makes the planning feel more worthwhile.

VUSE also offers a subscription model on their website. RELX doesn't. If you know exactly what you want and want it delivered automatically, that's a point for VUSE.

The background detail that matters

VUSE is owned by British American Tobacco. RELX is an independent vape company. Some people care about this, some don't. But it's worth knowing — especially if you switched from smoking to vaping specifically to move away from the tobacco industry.

VUSE's UK sales have been declining. NielsenIQ data (reported by Nicotine Insider) shows VUSE UK revenue at £107.5 million, down 16.6% year over year. That doesn't mean they're going anywhere — BAT has deep pockets — but it does suggest the market is shifting. Consumers are increasingly looking beyond big tobacco brands for their vaping products.

So which one?

Three scenarios, three recommendations:

The honest take: if supermarket availability is your top priority, VUSE is the practical choice and there's nothing wrong with that. For everything else — device price, flavour variety, build quality, coil technology — RELX offers more for less money.

And if you want the full comparison with numbers, here it is in one table:

Updated April 2026. VUSE product data from vuse.com/en-gb (official UK store). RELX product data from relxnow.co.uk. Market data from NielsenIQ via Nicotine Insider. UK vaping statistics from ASH (Action on Smoking and Health). User opinions sourced from Reddit (r/VapingUK). All prices checked April 2026 and may change.