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Updated October 23, 2026
Every bottle of e-liquid on our shelves is either salt nic (nicotine salt) or freebase. Both can carry the same flavours. What differs is the form of the nicotine, the strengths each comes in, and the kind of device each one is made for. Picking the wrong one for your device is the most common reason a new bottle feels too harsh or too weak.
Freebase is the original form of nicotine used in e-liquid. At higher strengths it gives a strong, sharp feeling in the throat, which is why freebase e-liquid is normally sold at lower strengths and used in devices that produce more vapour per puff.
Nicotine salts are nicotine combined with a mild acid. The result feels smoother at higher strengths, so salt nic can be used at 20 mg/mL in a small pod kit without the harshness freebase would have at that level. Salt nic is what's inside nearly every disposable and prefilled pod sold in Canada.
| Salt nic | Freebase | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical strengths | 10 to 20 mg/mL | 0 to 12 mg/mL |
| Typical bottle | 30 mL | 60 mL |
| Typical VG/PG | About 50/50, thinner | About 70/30, thicker |
| Made for | Pod kits, MTL devices, coils around 0.8 ohm and up | Sub-ohm tanks and pod mods, coils below 0.5 ohm |
| Vapour | Smaller, discreet | Larger, denser |
VG (vegetable glycerin) makes vapour thicker and smoother. PG (propylene glycol) carries flavour and gives more throat feel. Thin, PG-heavy liquids wick well in small pod coils. Thick, VG-heavy liquids suit the bigger coils in sub-ohm tanks. Our e-liquid guide goes deeper on VG and PG.
Kits like the Uwell Caliburn G4 and Caliburn G5 Lite run at low power, so salt nic is the usual choice. The coil in the pod matters too. With Caliburn GPP pods, the 0.9 and 1.2 ohm pods are made for salt nic and a tighter MTL draw. The 0.4 and 0.6 ohm pods run hotter and give a looser draw; if you use them, many people drop to a lower-strength salt or a freebase.
Devices that take coils well below 1 ohm, such as pod mods with 0.15 to 0.3 ohm coils, produce far more vapour per puff. Use freebase at 3 to 6 mg/mL in these. A 20 mg/mL salt nic in a sub-ohm device delivers much more nicotine per puff than most people expect and feels harsh.
Disposables, Level X G2 Ultra pods, Oxbar Maglink pods and STLTH Loop Max pods come filled, nearly always with 20 mg/mL salt nic. If you're moving from one of these to a refillable kit, a 20 mg/mL salt nic is the closest match.
Vaping products sold in Canada can't contain more than 20 mg/mL of nicotine. That limit applies to both salt nic and freebase. Bottles labelled "50 mg" or "5%" are sold in other countries but aren't legal here. Every e-liquid we sell is 20 mg/mL or lower and carries the Ontario excise stamp.
Shop salt nic e-liquid and freebase e-liquid, or pick up a refillable pod kit. You can also ask us in store at 5171 Yonge St, 2nd floor; bring your device and we'll match the bottle to it.
Can I use salt nic in a sub-ohm tank?
It isn't recommended. Sub-ohm devices make much more vapour, so a 20 mg/mL salt nic gives a very strong hit. Use a low-strength freebase instead.
Can I use freebase in a pod kit?
Yes, at low strengths, especially with lower-resistance pods like the 0.4 or 0.6 ohm GPP. A thick 70/30 freebase can wick slowly in small coils, so watch for dry or burnt hits.
Do disposables use salt nic?
Nearly all disposables sold in Canada use 20 mg/mL salt nic. The strength is printed on the box.
Is 0 mg salt nic a thing?
Zero-nicotine e-liquid is sold as freebase, because there's no nicotine to turn into a salt.
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