Refillable Vape Pods Are the Best Value

The savings enjoyed by vapers who switch from prefilled vape pods and disposable vapes to refillable devices is enormous. It can amount to hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars a year. The case for choosing an open/refillable vape over a closed system like a Juul or disposable vape is an open and shut case.

The math is straight forward, and shocking. If you currently use a disposable vape or prefilled pod, you probably realize it would be cheaper to use a refillable vape pod kit. But you may be shocked to see how much cheaper it is.

Making the Switch at Kure Vapes 

We realize a major reason that adult vapers stick with disposable vapes and prefilled vape pods is they do not know which juices and devices will provide the satisfaction and flavor they are looking for. The expert staff at Kure will be delighted to curate the devices, and flavors that are available. We are confident that we can find a perfect fit for you. Find a store near you with our convenient store locator. If there is not a store with you, do not fret, our website also has a selection of vape juices, hardware and accessories that we consider the best in the industry. 

Refillable Pod vs. Prefilled Pod

A Juul pod holds 0.7ml of nic salt e-juice. They are only available in tobacco flavor due to the federal ban on prefilled pod flavors. Juul pods are sold in packs of four that cost $20.99. This is 2.8ml of e-liquid, or over ten times less e-liquid than is found in a salt nic bottle.

Let us put a precise number on this. It takes 10.71 four packs of Juul Pods to equal one 30ml salt nic bottle. This will run you $224.89. For sake of comparison, a bottle of I Love Salts costs $14.99. A more expensive bottle of salt nicotine juice might cost $20.00. A Vaporesso XROS Mini will set you back $24.99. The Vaporesso XROS Mini is an autodraw device and about the same size as a Juul. To put it another way, you could literally throw your entire refillable vape pod kit in the trash every time you finished a bottle of salt nic juice and still end up saving to $200 dollars versus vaping the same amount on a Juul.

How does this translate to everyday use? A single Juul pod costs about $5.50 before tax. Not a bad deal compared to a pack of combustible cigarettes. And as most vapers are former smokers, the ritual of heading to the gas station is firmly engrained.   

If you limit yourself to a single Juul pod a day, your habit is costing you $165 a month and you are going through 21ml every 30 days. Starting from scratch at Kure, a 30ml bottle of salt nic juice and a new vape pod kit will set you back $40. And the savings will continue to compound over time.

Then there is the fact modern refillable vape pod kits are super easy to use, also draw activated, reliable, and have batteries with at a minimum close to 3 times the capacity of a Juul. You may have to fill the device rather than just snap on a pod, but your odds of running out of battery power are far less.

The table below compares a Vaporesso Xros Mini, the price may vary but it will generally be $25 or less, and three popular prefilled vape pod kits. The price per 30ml of e-liquid includes going through a full set of replacement pods while consuming a 30ml bottle for the refillable device. The cost of the device is does NOT include the device price. This is just how much it costs to vape a kit you already own the hardware for. It should be noted again you could toss your XROS Mini in the trash after each bottle and still end up ahead. 

Refillable Vape vs Disposable Vape

Juul’s major selling point is that it is super easy to use. Everything discussed here today is a salt nicotine vape. It is interesting that disposable vape pens are actually a much better price performer than a Juul pod system. They are also easier to use than a Juul. Disposable vapes come precharged, loaded with nic salts and ready to vape out of the box. There is no pod to swap. Most importantly, disposable vapes are still available in the sweet fruit and beverage flavors that most adult vapers prefer. 

Kure carries an excellent selection of disposable vapes because they are practical for many situations. They deliver plenty of satisfaction and great flavor. But in terms of economics, it makes sense to use a refillable device for your daily vaping. A refillable device is also better for the environment, as you are not tossing a sturdy vape device complete with a lithium-ion battery into the trash every time you burn off the salt nic juice contained within.

The classic stick style disposable vape, popularized by Puff Bar and Beco, holds 1.3ml of e-liquid. This is almost twice the capacity of a Juul pod. Usually costing about $7, the cost per 30ml of e-liquid is $61 dollars less for a disposable user versus a Juul user, although at over $161.00 hardly a bargain.

But there is a big difference when you shop around a bit. Disposable vapes scale up in size and there are a longer lasting disposable vapes with considerably greater e-liquid capacities. A Hyde Edge, one of the highest rated disposables on the market, holds 6ml of salt nic juice. It only takes five of these to equal a salt nic bottle, slashing the price down to $100 per 30ml. The even bigger Hyde Duo Recharge holds 10ml. Three of these longer-lasting disposable vapes is the equivalent of salt nic juice bottle, and the price per 30ml drops further to a hair under $75.

Keep in mind, even with the Hyde Duo Recharge you are talking about saving $60 per every 30ml of e-liquid by switching to a refillable device. But the truly obscene price difference, such as exists between bottled salt nic and a Juul Pod, has been slashed by almost two-thirds.

Which Vape is Right for You?

Adult vapers are looking for a reliable device that is easy to use, satisfying and has great flavor. How do disposable vapes, prefilled vape pods and refillable vape pods compare in these three crucial categories?

Convenience 

If measured by ease of use, the disposable vape is by far the easiest to operate. Once you crack open the packaging, all that is left is inhaling. They are draw-activated. A Juul requires charging, frequent charging at that with 200mAh battery, pod swapping. This may also be frequent depending on your usage patterns since it only holds 0.7ml.

The charger for the Juul battery is proprietary. It is a crude dock rather than a cord. Unless you buy something aftermarket, it is charged standing up. This does not compare favorably with a refillable vape pod kit, which will use one of the common USB designs and a cord of at least a couple inches. If you vape, you probably have a half dozen compatible cords floating around your house. The newest refillable vape pod kits use USB-C docks.

It has been established that nothing is easier than using a disposable vape, but it is worth noting that refillable vape pod kits do not require much more user input than a Juul. It is unavoidable that at some point you will need to squeeze a bottle. This is “harder” than swapping a pod. And at some point, your refillable vape pod will also need its pod or coil replaced. So technically it is a two-part process, although the pods and coils last for quite a while. But the batteries of a refillable vape pod kit last far longer. Running out of battery life or e-juice is a bigger inconvenience than squeezing a bottle in the opinion of the author. Even the smallest capacity refillable vape pods hold 2ml. This is close to three times the capacity of a Juul pod.

Slim and compact devices like the Vaporesso XROS and XROS Mini have a form factor very similar to a Juul and disposable stick bar vape. Vast improvements have been made in terms of the refillable vape pod technology. The coils contained within are more sophisticated and higher performing than anything found in a disposable or prefilled vape pod kit. They will generally last through at least half of a salt nic bottle without a significant decline in performance.

The newest generation of refillable vape pods also fulfill their core duty better. They are super easy to fill, with large fill ports and improved stoppers. Considerable time and energy has been dedicated to reduction and prevention of leaking. Perhaps you are a Juul user who ran into issues with the very first generation of Smok Novo. Suffice it to say, things have improved greatly in terms of leaking and convenient filling.

Satisfaction

All three of the devices described use nicotine salt e-liquids and are draw-activated mouth-to-lung vapes. This means that their draw roughly resembles a combustible cigarette. Disposable vapes are available in a wide selection of flavors. You have even more flavor options with a refillable device. Juul, Vuse, MyBlu, they only come in tobacco flavor. Most adult vapers prefer delicious and sweet flavors. This was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by study conducted by Dr. Farsalino. The lack of compelling flavors is a major check against the prefilled vape pod system in the eyes of most adult vapers.

When dealing with refillable vaping devices, there are countless models. The staff at Kure is happy to explain them all. We have focused on the Vaporesso XROS since it most closely resembles the popular Juul and Beco/Puff Bar style disposable.,

The biggest feature of the refillable vape pod is that it can vape both salt nic juices and max-VG juices. This is no small deal. Most bottled nic salts come in two strengths, a 25mg and a 45-50mg strength. Juul and the rival Vuse Alto come in 25 and 50mg nic strengths as well. Most disposables only come in 50mg nicotine strength.

The ability to refill your vape pod with the e-juice of your choosing opens a world of options. Specifically, with lower resistance coils a refillable vape pod can easily vape max-VG juices. These come in a nicotine strength ranging from 0 to 12mg. A refillable device is the only game in town if you want more and lower nicotine strength options.

Flavor

Refillable vape pod kits have more coil resistance options and generally have slightly higher wattage than a disposable or prefilled pod kit. The mesh coils designs are more advanced and generate better flavor and vapor, while still providing a discrete and nearly odorless vaping experience.

All this coil and resistance talk may be exactly why you prefer disposables and prefilled pods. No worries, all you really need to do with a vape pod is snap the pod in place, fill it, wait 5 minutes, and vape. When the flavor begins to fade, snap on a new coil. That is the whole process.

This does not mean there are not vape pods with all sorts of features and capabilities. But devices like the Vaporesso XROS Mini, Smok Novo 3 and Suorin Air don’t have a single button on them. Of course, with the money you save switching to a refillable vape pod, you can always try a simple vape pod and something more elaborate like a Voopoo Drag S.

With a refillable device, there are more and better flavors to choose from. If you were once a fan of Juul Mint, by far their most popular flavor, you will never get a whiff flavor of that again if you stick with Juul. But refillable vape pod users can enjoy numerous delicious mint or mango nic salts. Disposables hold this same advantage.

Final Thoughts

In terms of economics, filling your own device saves a ton of money. Period. In terms of ease of use, nothing will ever compete with a disposable. But you pay a price for this convenience. Flavor is a bit subjective, but Kure will help you find exactly the flavor you are looking for. If it isn’t tobacco, you won’t find it in a prefilled vape pod.