Skip to content

Vape Thrill: Vape Reviews, News & Blogs

Nic Salts vs Free Base: Vaping E-Liquid Guide

01 Oct 2025

What Are The Key Differences Between Nic Salts and Free Base E-liquids?

Vaping has become a popular alternative to traditional smoking, leading many users to explore various e-liquid options. Understanding the differences between nic salts and free base e-liquids is crucial in selecting the right product for your vaping preferences. This article delves into their composition, nicotine strength, absorption rate, throat hit, and device compatibility to help you make an informed choice.

What Are Nicotine Salts?

Nicotine salts, commonly referred to as "nic salts," are a naturally occurring form of nicotine found in tobacco leaves. Unlike traditional free base nicotine, nic salts undergo a process where they are combined with an acid, often benzoic acid. This modification lowers the pH level, resulting in a smoother throat hit and faster nicotine absorption. Nicotine salts are commonly available in higher concentrations, typically ranging from 20mg to 50mg per millilitre, making them particularly appealing to those transitioning from smoking. For a wide selection of nic salts e-liquids, you can explore Vape Thrill's Nic Salts Collection, featuring a variety of flavours and strengths.

Understanding Free Base E-liquids

Free base e-liquids represent the traditional form of nicotine used in vaping. Freebase nicotine is in its purest state, leading to a more intense and reactive experience. Initially developed for use in cigarettes, freebase nicotine is prevalent among vapers who prefer a stronger throat hit. Users often favour this type for its capacity to provide a direct and robust sensation, especially at lower nicotine concentrations, typically ranging from 3mg to 18mg per millilitre.

Key Differences Between Nic Salts and Free Base E-liquids

Absorption Rate and Nicotine Delivery

  • Nic salts: Known for their rapid absorption into the bloodstream, mimicking the quick nicotine delivery of traditional cigarettes. This immediate satisfaction can be ideal for smokers transitioning to vaping.

  • Free Base E-liquids: May not enter the bloodstream as quickly, resulting in a more gradual onset of effects. This slower absorption rate might appeal to vapers who prefer extended sessions and a prolonged experience.

Throat Hit: A Critical Factor

  • Nic salts: Provide a smoother hit, even at higher nicotine concentrations, making them suitable for newer vapers or those sensitive to throat irritation. This quality allows users to enjoy a high level of nicotine without the harshness typically associated with stronger hits.

  • Free Base E-liquids: Deliver a more robust throat hit. This intensity can be particularly satisfying for those who appreciate a powerful sensation, often sought after by seasoned vapers.

Nicotine Strength: Tailoring Your Experience

  • Nic salts: Generally feature higher concentrations, making them attractive for those requiring a potent hit. The convenience of nic salts often leads to satisfying cravings more effectively, particularly for those new to vaping.

  • Free Base E-liquids: With their typically lower nicotine strengths, cater to users desiring a milder experience. This flexibility allows vapers to gradually reduce their nicotine intake or select a strength that best aligns with their personal preferences.

Device Compatibility and Vaping Styles

  • Nic salts: Function best with low-wattage devices, such as pod systems. These compact, user-friendly devices are ideal for beginners and those prioritising discretion in their vaping habits. The design of pod systems allows high nicotine levels without necessitating high power, ensuring a smooth experience.

  • Free Base E-liquids: Ideally suited for sub-ohm devices or more advanced vape kits that operate at higher wattages. These devices enhance both flavour and vapour production, offering a robust experience for those who enjoy customising their vaping sessions.

Personal Preferences and Vaping Goals

Deciding between nic salts and free base e-liquids ultimately hinges on personal preference and vaping style:

  • For those transitioning from smoking: Nic salts offer a smoother delivery with higher nicotine concentrations, making it easier to curb cravings and adapt to vaping.

  • For users gradually reducing nicotine intake: Freebase e-liquids provide a variety of lower strengths, enabling a tailored approach to nicotine consumption.

  • For beginners: Nic salts paired with low-wattage devices offer an accessible introduction to vaping.

  • For experienced vapers: Freebase e-liquids and sub-ohm devices offer opportunities for flavour exploration and customisation.

Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for You

Understanding the key differences between nic salts and freebase e-liquids can significantly enhance your vaping experience. Nic salts deliver smoother, higher nicotine hits, ideal for new vapers or those transitioning from smoking. In contrast, freebase e-liquids offer a stronger throat hit and a more customisable experience for seasoned users. Ultimately, the choice between these two types of e-liquids should align with your lifestyle, preferences, and vaping goals. By carefully considering factors such as nicotine strength, throat hit, and device compatibility, you can select the e-liquid that best enhances your overall vaping journey.

Prev Post
Next Post
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions of Sale: By purchasing or ordering the Goods and/or Services, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set out below. Before placing your order, if you have any questions relating to these Conditions please contact us via our website at www.vapethrill.co.uk or by emailing us at info@vapethrill.com. "Conditions" means these terms and conditions; ''Goods'' means any goods you purchase under these Conditions; ''Non-subscription Services'' mean any Services other than Subscription Services; ''Personal Information'' means the details provided by you to us; "Services" means any services you order or otherwise purchase under these Conditions; ''Subscription Services'' means Services to which you subscribe on an ongoing basis, for example technical support Services; "Us/our/we" means Vape Thrill, a company registered in England and Wales. "Website" means either one of the websites located at www.vapethrill.co.uk or any other URL which may replace it; and "You/Your" means the person ordering or otherwise purchasing the Goods or Services. 1. Rights and Obligations 1.1. You undertake: 1.1.1. to pay any amounts due to us in a timely manner; 1.1.2. that the Personal Information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete in all respects; 1.1.3. to notify us immediately of any changes to the Personal Information using the contact details in Clause 5.4; and 1.1.4. not to impersonate any other person or entity or to use a false name. 1.2. We reserve the right to modify the price or the content or withdraw, temporarily or permanently, some or all of the Goods or Services available. We also reserve the right to change or add to these Conditions from time to time. 1.3. Unless you have placed an order for any Goods or Services, or you subscribe to any Subscription Services, by the time such a change takes effect, we shall not be obliged to give you notice of any such modification or withdrawal. 1.4. From time to time we may also have to make changes in the specification of any Good or Service: 1.4.1. to make it conform with any applicable safety or other statutory requirements; or 1.4.2. to make it reflect changes in the manufacturer's specification, but we will endeavour to ensure that such changes do not reduce the quality or performance of such a Good and/or Service. Where you have placed an order for the affected Good and/or Service and such changes are substantial, we will notify you in advance to ensure that you still wish to proceed with any order that you have placed. 1.5. Goods and Non-subscription Services: 1.5.1. You will be subject to the policies and Conditions in force at the time you order or otherwise purchase the Goods or Non-subscription Services, unless we are legally obliged to make changes to these Conditions that apply retrospectively. If this happens, these changes will apply to any orders we have not yet fulfilled when the changes took effect, even if your order was placed previously. 1.5.2. We shall not withdraw or modify to your substantial detriment any of the Goods or Non-subscription. Services for which we have accepted an order from you, other than where such modification or withdrawal is required as a result of events outside of our reasonable control. 1.5.3. The purchase of software products is subject to your acceptance of the terms of any end user and/or licensing agreement(s) relating to such software. 1.6 Estimated time frames for delivery of Goods or completion of Services are estimates only and delays may arise due to matters outside of our reasonable control. 1.7. Goods may be subject to EU and US export control laws and laws of the country where they are delivered or used. Under these laws, such Goods may not be sold, leased or transferred to restricted end-users (including to nationals of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and/or Syria) or countries or for restricted end-uses (including uses related to the development, production, use, or maintenance of ''Weapons of Mass Destruction'', including without limitation, uses related to nuclear, missile, and/or chemical/biological development). If Goods are supplied to you subject to any such Export Laws, such supply is subject to you not falling into any such restricted categories. 2. Orders 2.1. Goods and Services are available only to individuals who we, in our absolute discretion, consider eligible. The eligibility criteria include, without limitation, those whose applications are acceptable to us and those who are residents in the UK. Services that come with minimum term contracts are only available to individuals who are 18 years old or over and by ordering or otherwise purchasing such Services, you confirm that you are 18 years old or over. 2.2. When requested by us, you must provide your name, phone number, address, payment details and other requested information. 2.3. Each order placed by you will be treated as an offer to purchase the Goods and/or Services to which your order relates. The contract will only be completed when we dispatch the Goods/commence the provision of the Services (as applicable) or when we take any due payment from you (which includes debiting your payment method), whichever is the earlier. 2.4. You acknowledge that any automated acknowledgement given when you place an online order shall not amount to our acceptance of your offer to purchase. 2.5. We may, at our own discretion, limit, restrict or reject any order you place at any time prior to the contract having been completed. You also acknowledge that we have the right to cancel any order before it has been dispatched when we have reason to believe that an error has occurred. Where this happens, we will attempt to contact you. We also reserve the right to limit or prohibit sales to dealers or to entities that we believe, in our sole discretion, are making use of the Goods or Services for profit. 3. Price and Payment 3.1. The price of the Goods or Services (if any) shall be the price of which we inform you prior to accepting your order. Prices include VAT at current rates unless stated otherwise. 3.2. If you fail to make any payment when due then, without prejudice to any other right or remedy we may have, we may: 3.2.1. where you have ordered Goods or Non-subscription Services, cancel this agreement. 3.3. You confirm that any payment method you use is yours. 3.4. Payment methods are subject to validation checks and authorisation and we will not be liable for any delay or non-delivery caused by failure of such checks or authorisation. 3.5. Once your Goods have been collected and/or otherwise received by you, all risk of damage to, or loss of, the Goods shall pass to you. 3.6. Irrespective of your receipt of the Goods, the passing of risk or any other provision of these conditions, ownership shall not pass to you until we have payment in full for the Goods. 3.7. Until such time as the ownership passes to you, you shall hold the Goods on our behalf and keep them safe and identified as our property, and we shall be entitled to ask you to return the Goods to us 4. Cancellation, Returns and Exchanges 4.1. Without prejudice to our rights under Clause 1 above, if either party breaks the terms of these Conditions in any material way, the other party can terminate these Conditions by giving the other party 14 days' written notice. 4.2. In certain situations, we may be prepared to give you a refund or exchange for Goods if you change your mind. For details on our Returns and Exchange Policy please visit our returns policy Consumers should be aware that if they wish to exercise their right to cancel an order that has already been dispatched, within 7 working days, that they will not receive a refund on the postage following any return of items. 4.3. Goods and/or Services ordered online only 4.3.1. Consumers ordering Goods or Services at a distance (such as online) have certain cancellation rights under the The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Consumers should be aware that certain products that are deemed as perishable items are not covered. 4.3.2. You may cancel any order for Services any time within 7 working days from the day after placing your order, however, you may not cancel once we have started providing any part of such Services to you with your agreement. 4.3.3. You may cancel any order for Goods other than audio or video recordings or software at any time within 7 working days from the day after receiving your Goods without liability to us. 4.3.4. A working day is any day except Saturday, Sunday and UK public holidays. 4.3.5. You may cancel your order by emailing us at info@vapethrill.com. 4.3.6. If you cancel an order for Goods, they must be returned to us within a reasonable period, complete (with any accessories, leads or other items provided with the Goods) and undamaged, with proof of purchase. If you fail to return the Goods in this manner, we may charge you the costs we incur in recovering the Goods from you (which may be substantial) or the stand alone retail value of any missing or damaged items. 4.3.7. You must return the Good as outlined in our returns policy. 4.3.8. Where we have agreed to collect the Goods from you, you must ensure that they are available for collection at the time arranged. 4.3.9. You shall be under a duty to take reasonable care of the Goods until received or collected by us and it is your responsibility to ensure that the Goods are not damaged whilst in transit using transport arranged by you. 4.3.10. You are entitled to examine any Goods ordered as you would in a shop. However, if you use the Goods, you may lose your right to cancel your purchase. 4.3.11. If you cancel your order in accordance with the provisions of this Clause 4.4, and 4.4.10 we will refund any sums paid by you in relation to your order (less our costs if we have to recover any Goods from you under Clause 4.4.7) within 30 days. 5. Your Personal Information 5.1. We need to collect certain Personal Information to provide you with the Goods and/or Services. 5.2. You agree that we may use, update, share and process your Personal Information in accordance with our privacy policy. Our privacy policy is available on our website 5.3. If you would like us to tell you what information we hold about you please email info@vapethrill.com. Please include your full name, address and a copy ID with each request. 5.4. You will have the opportunity to consent to us contacting you by post, email, phone, SMS or MMS about products and services which Vape Thrill Ltd believe may be of interest to you. You can make changes to your marketing preferences at any time by emailing us at info@vapethrill.com. 6. Limitation of Liability 6.1. We will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by us in circumstances where: 6.1.1. there is no breach of a legal duty of care owed to you by us; and/or 6.1.2. such loss or damage is not reasonably foreseeable. 6.2. We will not be liable any loss or damage caused wholly or mainly by your breach of these Conditions. 6.3. Our liability shall not in any event include losses related to any business of a customer including but not limited to lost data, lost profits or business interruption. 6.4. Nothing in these Conditions shall: 6.4.1. exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury resulting from our acts or omissions or those of our servants, agents or employees; or 6.4.2. limit your rights as a consumer under applicable UK law. 6.5. All Services are provided on a commercially reasonable basis. Although we will provide the Services with reasonable skill and care, we make no warranty that the Services will meet your exact requirements or that they will always be available. 6.6. The Goods, where new, are sold with the benefit of and subject to the terms set out in any warranty or guarantee given by the manufacturer of the Goods. This is in addition to your legal rights in relation to Goods which are faulty or which otherwise do not conform to the legally required standard. 6.7. Each provision of this Clause 7 operates separately. If any part is disallowed, or is not effective, the other parts will continue to apply even after our agreement has been terminated or cancelled. 7. General 7.1. Events Beyond the Parties Reasonable Control: If either of us cannot do what we have promised because of something beyond our reasonable control such as lightning, flood, exceptionally severe weather, fire, explosion, war, civil disorder, industrial disputes, acts or omissions of persons for whom we are not responsible, or acts of local or central government or other competent authorities, such party will not be liable for this. 7.2. Third Parties: Nobody but you and us can benefit from these Conditions under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. 7.3. Assignment: You may not but we may, assign, charge or otherwise dispose of our rights under these Conditions. Any attempt by you to do so shall be void. 7.4. Governing Law: These Conditions will be governed by English Law and if you are not happy with how we deal with any disagreement and want to take bring court proceedings, you must do so within the UK. 7.5. Each Clause of these Conditions operates separately. If any part is disallowed, or is not effective, the other parts will continue to apply even after our agreement has been terminated or cancelled. 7.6. Call Monitoring: Monitoring or recording of your calls may take place for our business purposes. Calls to our customer service numbers should incur local call costs from a standard BT line, calls from other providers may vary and calls from mobiles may cost significantly more. 8. Handling Complaints and Sending Notices 8.1. If you wish to make a complaint you may do so in the following way: 8.1.1. by emailing info@vapethrill.com. 8.2. If you need to send us a notice in relation to these Conditions you can do so in the following way: 8.2.1. by emailing info@vapethrill.com 8.3. Proof of sending does not guarantee our receipt of your notice. You must ensure that you have received an acknowledgement from us which should be retained by you.
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping