Shortfill E-Liquids UK

What is shortfill e-liquid?

A shortfill is a larger bottle of 0mg e-liquid that isn't filled right to the top. The most common sizes are 50ml of liquid in a 60ml bottle, or 100ml in a 120ml bottle. That extra space is left deliberately so you can add a nic shot and reach the nicotine strength you want.

Because the liquid itself is sold without nicotine, shortfills fit comfortably within UK TPD rules while still giving vapers a bigger bottle size than the standard 10ml limit on nicotine e-liquid.

Why choose shortfill vape juice?

Shortfills are popular for a few simple reasons:

• Better value per ml compared to buying lots of 10ml bottles
• Bigger flavour ranges from juice brands that focus on shortfill releases
• High VG blends built for cloud production and smooth throat hit
• Fewer bottle changes if you get through plenty of e-liquid each week

If you're a regular vaper using a sub-ohm kit, shortfills almost always make more sense than stocking up on 10ml bottles.

50ml vs 100ml shortfill e-liquid

The two main sizes suit slightly different vapers. A 50ml shortfill is great if you like trying new flavours without committing to a huge bottle. A 100ml shortfill offers better value per ml and is ideal once you've found a flavour you go back to time and again.

Both sizes use the same idea, just scaled up: one nic shot for a 50ml, two for a 100ml.

How to add nic shots to shortfills

Mixing is straightforward:

1. Remove the cap and any childproof seal from the shortfill bottle
2. Add the right number of 10ml 18mg nic shots
3. Replace the cap and shake well for a minute or two
4. Leave to settle if you prefer a fully blended flavour

As a rough UK guide: one 18mg 10ml nic shot in a 50ml shortfill gives you around 3mg in 60ml of finished liquid. Two 18mg 10ml nic shots in a 100ml shortfill give you around 3mg in 120ml. If you want a higher strength, you'd need to use stronger nicotine bases, but 3mg is by far the most common target for sub-ohm vaping.

Best devices for shortfill e-liquid

Most shortfills are high VG (often 70/30 or 80/20 VG/PG), which makes them best suited to sub-ohm vape kits and refillable devices running low resistance coils. These setups handle thicker juice well and produce the bigger clouds high VG liquids are designed for.

One thing worth noting: very high VG shortfills may not perform well in small mouth-to-lung pods or starter pens. If you're using a compact pod kit, nic salts or thinner 50/50 e-liquids are usually a better match. Some spare coils and basics can be found in our vape accessories range.

Shortfill e-liquid vs nic salts

Shortfills and nic salts solve different problems. Shortfills are built around bigger clouds, lower nicotine strengths (typically 3mg once mixed) and better value for higher daily use. Nic salts come in smaller 10ml bottles at higher strengths like 10mg or 20mg, designed for pod kits and a quicker nicotine hit, particularly useful for ex-smokers.

Shortfill vs nic salts vs 10ml e-liquid comparison