A good mod and a fresh coil won’t make up for an e-liquid you don’t enjoy, and once you find a flavor you like, the bottle eventually runs dry. This guide looks at where vape juice is sold, how buying in a store compares with ordering online, what to avoid, and how to think about price.
Local shops: what a search turns up
Vape juice is sold in walk-in vape shops around the world and by online retailers. Searching Google will list the stores closest to you, but read the names carefully. A listing that calls itself a “smoke shop”, a “hookah and vape shop” or a “cigar, cigarette, and vape shop” is usually a convenience-type store that sells tobacco and keeps a small range of e-liquid, hardware and accessories on the side. Those places are useful when you are stuck, though I would not rely on them week after week.
A dedicated vape shop carries a far larger range of juices, and it is a good place to look over new flavors, devices and accessories before paying for them. Some let you try a flavor first. Sampling has its own history: shops in New York City once offered unlimited free samples and were then accused of using them to draw underage kids and non-vapers toward nicotine products. In response, shops began charging a small fee for samples so the juice was no longer free.
Ordering online
Maybe there is no decent shop nearby, or you would rather not go into one. Almost anything sold in a store can be ordered on the web, and vape gear is no exception. Online retailers often list a wider selection than a physical store and often charge less. When one site is out of stock, you can move on to another without leaving your home or office.
In person or online: the practical differences
Neither route is the right one. Provided you meet the age requirement of the state you are in, you can buy either way. The differences are practical:
- Proving your age: at a counter you hand over your ID. Many websites instead ask for an uploaded photo of it to confirm you are the person you claim to be. The sites do not keep the image on file, but some buyers are uneasy about putting an ID card online at all.
- Paying: online orders need a digital payment method such as a credit card, PayPal or a bank account. In a store you can also pay cash, or sign if you use a card.
- Waiting: a store purchase leaves with you and can be used straight away. An online order has to be packed and shipped, which can add up to several days. If waiting is fine, online will probably cost you less; if you want that flavor in your tank today, a physical shop will suit you better.
It comes down to preference.
Never buy opened or secondhand juice
Do not buy e-juice secondhand or from a bottle that has been opened. The security seal is there for a reason, and you cannot know what a previous owner did to the liquid. A fraction of the normal cost can be tempting, online or in a store, but the risk outweighs the saving. News reports at the time described teens becoming sick after buying underground THC and mixing it into their vape juice. The black-market product turned out to contain extremely dangerous chemical additives, and the cases led to hospitalizations and, in some instances, deaths. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Buy from a shop you trust, where you can verify what you are getting before you pay.
Judging the price
Price is harder to pin down, because it shifts with bottle size and brand. Larger bottles such as 120mL cost more than a 60mL. Nicotine salts usually come in 30mL bottles, yet because they last longer than free-base nicotine they tend to cost about what a 60mL bottle does. Keep the going rate for each size in mind when you walk into a shop for the first time or order from a site other than your usual one.
How our reviews fit in
At ejuice.deals we stock many popular flavors and regularly publish reviews of hardware and e-liquid to help you work out which flavor or mod suits you. Customers also leave short reviews of what they bought, but a line saying a juice is great does not tell you much. Our own reviews go further and describe the flavor, the color of the liquid, the packaging and more. Taste is subjective, and a flavor you love may be one another vaper can’t stand, so each review explains why we liked it and what to expect when you fill up.
If you have questions about a product we sell, ask us. Comments from customers about something they bought here are welcome too.