Many people who are trying to quit smoking often turn towards vaping as the preferable, reduced harm alternative that makes it easy to abandon cigarettes while still retaining the pleasurable ritual they associate smoking with.
While vaping is certainly an effective way to break your cigarette habit, it also comes with a number of complications that you might not be ready for. For starters, you need to choose the most suitable device for your needs, learn how to clean, refill, and replace its detachable parts, and that’s before you even get to the choice of e-liquids!
That last bit is what we’re going to focus on in this article. We’ll discuss the two main kinds of nicotine-containing e-liquids, how they differ from each other, and who they might be most suitable for.
The Two Types of E-Liquids – A Brief Introduction
When it comes to choosing an e-liquid for vaping, the options usually fall into one of two categories: freebase nicotine or nicotine salts. These are the two major types of e-liquids that have become popular among vapers around the world.
Freebase nicotine came into existence first and dominated the market for a long time. It is the purest form of nicotine and has been widely used in traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. However, in recent years, a new player entered the field—nicotine salts.
Ever since their introduction, nicotine salts have rapidly grown in popularity, gathering a global following of vapers who swear by its benefits over traditional freebase nicotine. Nicotine salts are known for their smoother hit and immediate satisfaction compared to freebase nicotine, which has primarily led to their rising fame.
What Are Nicotine Salts?
Nicotine salts are created by taking traditional freebase nicotine and adding certain types of acids. This process alters the pH level of the liquid, resulting in a smoother hit when vaping and faster absorption into the bloodstream. These unique qualities cater particularly well to heavy ex-smokers seeking an experience reminiscent of tobacco cigarettes.
Moreover, nicotine salts offer more nicotine content without an overpowering throat hit. They allow users with varying degrees of smoking habits to satisfy their cravings with fewer puffs, necessitating less juice consumption and potentially extending the life of their vaping device.
What Is Freebase Nicotine?
Freebase nicotine is a form of nicotine that has not been chemically altered. It is often considered more potent due to its raw form and has a higher pH level, which can result in a harsher throat hit when vaped. Despite this, freebase nicotine offers a slow and steady release of nicotine, unlike the spikes associated with nicotine salts.
In terms of device compatibility, freebase nicotine is mainly used in advanced vape devices due to its thicker consistency and requirement for high heat to vaporise properly.
Which Vaping Experience is Better?
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s get down to the actual vaping bit. Is it possible to say that one type of e-liquid is better than the other, or are they really just two different formats of a nearly identical experience?
Nicotine Salts
Nicotine salts offer an ideal experience for those looking for a closer replication of smoking tobacco. They enable vapers to get a stronger and faster nicotine hit with less e-liquid, making them efficient and cost-effective. Also, their smoother throat hit makes the vaping experience more pleasant for beginners and casual vapers.
However, they do require specific low-wattage devices and are not suitable for high-power mod setups due to the high nicotine content.
Freebase Nicotine
Vaping with freebase nicotine will typically result in a more pronounced throat hit, which some vapers enjoy. It provides a slow and steady nicotine intake, which gives users more control over their nicotine level.
With many high VG juices available, freebase nicotine often results in larger clouds, which might be preferred by cloud-chasers. Of course, if you’ve got a device that allows you to control the wattage setting, you can adjust it to get a less-pronounced throat hit at the cost of the nicotine content in your puff.
Freebase nicotine is also more compatible with various types of vaping devices due to its versatility and wide range of available strengths. With that in mind, be aware that higher-wattage devices might consume your e-liquid faster.
The Verdict
As you can see, it’s impossible to determine whether one type of e-liquid is better than the other. It all depends on your own unique preferences when it comes to vaping.
For example, if you are after an experience that’s closer to actual cigarette-smoking, you might want to try out nicotine salts, as they offer a smooth hit with faster nicotine delivery.
If, on the other hand, you like to blow huge clouds of vapour and prefer the intense throat-hitting feeling, freebase nicotine is the way to go in that scenario.
Are Some Devices Incompatible With Nicotine Salts?
Yes, nicotine salts are not compatible with all vaping devices. They are specifically designed for use with low-wattage, mouth-to-lung devices and pod systems due to their higher nicotine concentration. These devices often have a slower rate of vaporisation, which matches perfectly with the nature of nicotine salts.
High-power, sub-ohm devices are not recommended for nicotine salts, as they can cause an excessively strong throat hit or result in a high level of nicotine intake, which can be overwhelming for users. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that your vaping device is in tune with your choice of e-liquid to ensure an optimal vaping experience.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, our deep dive into nicotine salts vs. e-juice that uses freebase nicotine has proven useful to you. Keep in mind, however, that vaping isn’t the only way to keep your smoke break ritual while removing cigarettes from your life.
Our NEAFS cigarette sticks are also a viable alternative to smoking. We leverage the same technology as the numerous popular heating tobacco brands, with one key difference – our products are completely tobacco-free. Instead, we opt for premium plant extracts that are then infused with nicotine. That way, your experience will be as close to the “real thing” as possible, without all of the harm that cigarettes come with.
