Top 8 Best Vape Brands of 2024
Curious about the best vape brands the UK market has to offer? Let’s dive into the manufacturers dominating the market in 2024.
As the years go by, vape kits are getting more compact, efficient, and user-friendly—just as tech is wont to do.
A number of incredible vape hardware brands have taken over the UK market in recent years offering low-cost pod systems and starter kits, while long-standing brands have perfected their box mods and sub-ohm vape kits.
A number of popular vape kit brands have emerged in the last few years, while other vaping brands from vaping’s past have stayed true to their mission.
Let’s take a look at the best vape brands the UK has to offer this year.
Best Vaping Brands in 2024
We’ll be including a few important metrics here, including build quality, price, brand reputation, and innovation.
A few of these factors may seem a bit subjective, but these aren’t just our opinions—we’ve scoured the internet for reviews and have taken feedback from our customers to create this list so you can find your next (or first) favourite hardware brand.
Once you’ve got your next kit, your next task is to find an E-Liquid to use—but don’t worry, we can help. Check out our E-Liquid guide for more information.
1. OXVA
OXVA is relatively new to the UK sphere, but their meteoric rise proves their status as one of the UK's top vaping brands. Their high-quality, user-friendly hardware is available at an incredibly reasonable price with rave reviews from across the globe.
They're best known for their range of pod kits—the OXVA Xlim series. Several of the vape kits in this series have ranked #1 among the best pod vapes in the UK in the last two years.
The Xlim series in particular offers an array of features in different models to satisfy everyone from beginner vapers to more advanced users, with everything from buttonless inhale-activated vape kits to vapes with adjustable wattage.
On top of their incredible build quality, OXVA kits are among the world's best vapes for E-Liquid flavour production. OXVA produces deliciously flavourful and long-lasting vape coils and pods to ensure you're always getting great flavour out of your E-Liquids.
OXVA is dedicated to helping smokers quit cigarettes with their innovative and beginner-friendly pod vapes, which offer a sturdy and reliable build quality for a range of experience levels. OXVA ensures the best possible vaping experience with their seamless, leak-proof, deliciously flavourful pod kits, which is why they're consistently ranked among the best vape brands in the world today.
If you're looking for a new vaping brand to fall in love with, OXVA is the one to beat.
Best OXVA Kits
OXVA Xlim Pro Pod Kit
£23.99
OXVA Xlim SE Bonus Edition Pod Kit
£18.99
2. Vaporesso
It's almost cruel to rank Vaporesso as #2 given their status as a world leader in the vaping industry—but if we could give two vape brands the #1 spot, we would.
Founded in 2015, Vaporesso is one of the leading brands in the UK market (and the world) and holds a distinct spot above other brands for their dedication to innovation and new technologies. With over 50 million units sold, Vaporesso is certainly one of the best brands around.
Vaporesso kits are among the world's most refined, innovative, and reliable vape kits. With five world-leading laboratories, the world's first medical-grade vape factory, and some of the largest investments in research and development in the whole industry, Vaporesso is truly on the forefront of vape technology.
Their parent company, SMOORE, is the largest global vaping device manufacturer and was the first to be publicly listed in the industry in 2009.
Vaporesso manufactures everything from beginner-friendly starter kits and pod mods to vape mod kits and sub-ohm tanks. They cater to everyone from beginners to experienced vapers, with an array of vaping devices offering just about every feature you can imagine.
Their device performance is second to none, and they keep the build quality of their vape products high while keeping their prices low and accessible.
You really can't ask for more from a vape brand. Vaporesso is an absolute beast.
Best Vaporesso Kits
Vaporesso XROS 3 Pod Kit
£24.99
Vaporesso Luxe XR Max Pod Kit
£39.99
3. Elf Bar
You've probably heard of Elf Bar disposable vapes—or you may have seen them in your travels. Elf Bar is a manufacturer of disposable vapes and closed pod kits, and their popularity is hard to ignore. In the few years since they hit the market, they've become a household name.
Elf Bar entered the UK scene with the Elf Bar 600 disposable vape pen, offering the ultimate nicotine satisfaction in a single-use e-cigarette device.
Their disposable vapes are designed to be vaped until they're empty and discarded, with no charging or E-Liquid filling required—and with absolutely zero learning curve. This was a turning point in vaping history for those looking to make the switch from cigarette smoking.
Since their popularity exploded, they've released a few Elf Bar kits designed to mimic the ease-of-use and flavour in their disposable vapes at a lower cost (both to the planet and your wallet). These pod vapes utilise prefilled vape pods which come prefilled with E-Liquid and cannot be refilled—instead, you simply vape them until they're empty, then replace the pod with a new one. All the vape kit requires is the occasional recharge.
While Elf Bar's vape pens and prefilled pod kits may not have the greatest build quality around, they offer some of the cheapest electronic cigarettes in the whole UK, making them particularly accessible for the average smoker looking to try vaping.
The full range of Elf Bar disposable vape kits has over 65 options to choose from in varying E-Liquid flavours and nicotine strengths, offering a great variety for new vapers at a low price. And their prefilled pod kits are compatible with an array of pods in various flavours, ensuring everyone can find something to their liking.
Best Elf Bar Kits
Elf Bar Elfa Pro Pod Kit
£7.99
Elf Bar Mate 500 Pod Kit
£7.99
4. Uwell
Uwell is one of the world's most popular vaping companies, best known for their flagship pod vape series: the Uwell Caliburn. They created the world's most popular pod system which changed the face of the industry as we know it today. You can thank Uwell for the popularisation of the modern pod kit model.
Vape tanks were leaky, breakable, and had a lot of small parts, which made maintenance and upkeep a daunting task for new vapers.
When Uwell debuted the original Caliburn model, made with a plastic vape pod instead of a glass tank and only a single button for operation, it made it easier than ever to make the switch to vaping. Plus, the flavour you could get from your E-Liquid was nothing to scoff at.
The Caliburn pod was constructed with a single piece of plastic with the coil built in—meaning you never had to change a coil, just replace the entire pod when the coil needed changing. This came at a time when most vapes had replaceable coils. The simplicity of the Caliburn opened up a whole new world of innovation, and other brands shortly followed suit.
To this day, the Caliburn is still widely regarded as the best pod vape on the market, and Uwell has premiered a number of new and innovative vape kits in the Caliburn series—each one improving on the last.
Some vapers take issue with the size of the battery in Uwell kits (the largest battery they offer in a pod kit is only 900mAh, which is less than that of several cheap vape kits), and they had some auto-firing issues with a few of their earlier models. However, Uwell has improved on these issues (it was once the case that every Caliburn model had a measly 520mAh battery) and listens to their customers.
They're definitely among the best vaping brands available on the UK vape market today.
Best Uwell Kits
Uwell Caliburn A3 Pod Kit
£19.99
Uwell Caliburn X Pod Kit
£34.99
5. Aspire
Aspire has been at the forefront of e-cigarette technology since they were founded in 2013. They're well-known known for creating high-quality products like coils, vape tanks, vape pens, and pod systems, then sticking with their production for many years (unlike some other leading brands).
Their Aspire PockeX vape kit, for example, premiered in 2017—and despite being unchanged since its release, it's still considered the best vape pen on the market to this day.
Many of today's current vapers have the PockeX to thank for helping them quit smoking cigarettes.
Aspire's brand playbook is to create something timeless, like a versatile MTL tank or an exceptional coil design, then build around it.
One of their latest products, the AF coil, is a mesh coil designed for MTL vaping that's used in a number of their most recent pod vapes and starter kits. When the innovators at Aspire know they've struck gold, they stick with it—like the AF coil, which is long-lasting and delivers incredible flavour from every E-Liquid.
Where other vape brands pump out model after vape kit model and discontinue old ones like they're going out of style (and they often are), Aspire kits stand the test of time. They have an exceptional build quality with great versatility and flavour, and best of all, they offer a variety of starter vape kits and vape pens catering to beginners.
Aspire is truly one of the best vape brands, with awards ranging from best MTL tank to best pod vape, and they've been around since vaping first became popularised. When you buy an Aspire vape, you can trust that you're getting something sturdy and reliable.
Best Aspire Kits
Aspire PockeX Vape Kit
£19.99
Aspire Flexus Q Pod Kit
£24.99
6. Innokin
Innokin is one of the UK's top vape brands for a number of reasons: their dedication to helping smokers quit, their commitment to sustainability, and their long-standing reputation as a premium hardware brand.
Innokin is one of few vaping brands with a staunch commitment to environmental sustainability practices, encompassing everything from their manufacturing processes to the way their packages are delivered.
They even created the Aquios disposable vape, which is the UK's first water-based disposable vape which is 95% recyclable. It uses water-based E-Liquid and can be disassembled after use, so each of its parts can be recycled separately.
Innokin is a brand dedicated to a smoke-free world. You can see this reflected in their variety of beginner-friendly starter vapes, designed to be paired with high-nicotine E-Liquids to help smokers make the switch. One of their most popular devices is the Innokin Endura T18-X, which is one of the most popular vape pens available today for beginners.
When you buy Innokin kits, you can rest easy knowing that the company you're buying from is committed to the planet and to helping promote a smoke-free future worldwide.
Best Innokin Kits
Innokin Endura T18-X Vape Kit
£19.99
Innokin GOZEE Vape Kit
£34.99
7. SMOK
SMOK has held a top spot among the best vape brands for quite a long time. They were established in 2010—right at the start of vaping's rise—and have been popular among sub-ohm vapers for over a decade now for their diverse range of vape mod and tank models.
Today, SMOK offers an array of vape devices from pod mods to sub-ohm kits for every experience level, plus a range of vape tanks and coils to boot.
From cheap pod vape models to sub-ohm pod mods like the SMOK RPM 5, plus tanks for both MTL and DTL vaping, SMOK is one of those vape brands with a finger in all of the pies. They even have a variety of disposable vape devices that come prefilled with E-Liquid for beginners who need a gentler transition into vaping.
Their popularity skyrocketed with the release of the Nord series—a range of versatile, customisable pod vapes offering both MTL and DTL functionality with a sleek and seamless design. These vapes had large batteries, sturdy pods, and delicious coils, and SMOK continues to add to the series as time goes on.
SMOK kits were once plagued with quality control issues—particularly with the SMOK Alien. Over the years, they had a few models which had faults, and some customers complained about the quality of their coils. However, in recent years, the brand seems to have sorted out these issues to ensure they're delivering the consistent quality they were known for from the start.
It's evident that SMOK is a brand committed to ensuring everyone has a seamless vaping experience.
Best SMOK Kits
Smok RPM 5 Pod Kit
£39.99
Smok Novo 2C Pod Kit
£14.99
8. GeekVape
GeekVape has been around since 2015 and is well-known for their diverse range of vape devices. From the most complex mod kits and sub-ohm tanks to the simplest pod vapes, GeekVape really does it all.
Back when vaping was all about mods and tanks, GeekVape kits were all the rage. They had some of the most popular, well-built mods around, with their classic Aegis series boasting tri-proof protection: shockproof, waterproof, and dustproof, all wrapped up in one seemingly indestructible package. They had a recognisable design and were made like they were built for the military.
When the vaping world shifted to pod vapes and devices started getting smaller, cheaper, and less complicated to make them more accessible to beginners, GeekVape followed suit. They shifted their focus away from those pricey, bulky box mods and redirected a lot of their efforts into cheaper devices.
As a result, GeekVape's products have had a bit of a fall from grace recently, as diehard vapers have found that the brand is using cheaper materials to keep their prices low.
But to be honest, we're quite happy that they've moved on to more beginner-friendly products. Their latest ranges—the Q and U series—are absolutely great for those trying to quit smoking, and they offer kits for as little as £9.99. Plus, they're still making tri-proof kits in the Aegis range, like the recent GeekVape Aegis Eteno kit.
Despite their change in direction, GeekVape remains one of the best vape brands in the UK thanks to their diverse range of devices. Whether you're new to vaping or you've been around as long as GeekVape has, you can find something in the brand's line-up to suit your preferences.
Best GeekVape Kits
GeekVape Sonder Q Pod Kit
£11.99
GeekVape Sonder U Pod Kit
£9.99
Why are so many e-cigarette brands from Shenzhen, China?
It's no coincidence that every single brand on this list is based in Shenzhen, China. As the "world capital of vaping," Shenzhen is home to a large number of vape factories and produces around 90% of the world's vaping hardware. It's also home to the world's largest disposable vape brands, like Elf Bar, Lost Mary, and SKE Crystal Bar.
Interestingly, a majority of the Shenzhen vape factories are located in industrial parks within a 5 square-mile radius of each other. It seems you can't throw a stone in the Shenzhen vape district without hitting a vape hardware or disposable vape factory.
Vaping was actually born in China. A Chinese pharmacist by the name of Hon Lik invented the modern vape as we know it today to combat his own issues with cigarette addiction.
He patented the invention in 2003 and the first e-cigarette was produced in 2004, the "Ruyan," designed with the very same system we use today: a device with a battery and a coil which could aerosolise E-Liquid.
Lik's original goal was to create a device to help himself quit smoking—and he was evidently unsuccessful. Today, Hon Lik is a dual user of both vapes and cigarettes.
Summary
You should now be more familiar with the best vape brands available in the UK in 2024. To sum it all up, our top picks are:
- OXVA
- Vaporesso
- Elf Bar
When choosing which vape brand to go with, you'll need to consider what you value most: do you want something cheap and easy like the Elf Bar, something designed with sustainability in mind like Innokin, or perhaps something timeless like one of Aspire's kits? This is the key to finding your next favourite vaping brand.
And once you've got your kit lined up, you'll need to consider which E-Liquid to use. Fear not: we have a wide array of E-Liquid reviews on our blog to help you find your next favourite flavour.
And if you're unsure which E-Liquid to buy for your specific kit, check the product description or the user manual to ensure your new liquids are compatible.
As always, we're here to help. Our team of expert support staff is on standby to answer any questions you may have when searching for your next favourite kit. Reach out to use via phone, email, or live chat and we'll be happy to help.