# Nicotine free vape, the rules, the bottles and the right kit > A nicotine free vape guide for the UK, which rules still apply, why 0 mg comes in 50 ml shortfills and how to match your kit to the liquid. On a label, 0 mg takes up three characters. On the shelf, it changes the bottle size, the throat sensation and sometimes the hardware you should pick. A **nicotine free vape** is still a regulated product in the UK, and the rules are about to tighten. This guide sorts out which rules apply whatever the strength, which ones only cover nicotine, and what to look for on a pod or kit before you fill it with a 0 mg/ml liquid. ## Nicotine free vape, what the term really covers There is no such thing as a device that is nicotine-free by design. A **nicotine free vape** is an ordinary pod or kit filled with an e-liquid at 0 mg/ml. The battery, the coil and the tank work exactly as they would with a nicotine liquid. What sets it apart is the bottle. A 0 mg liquid holds the usual base of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, plus flavourings, with no nicotine added. Switching strength does not call for a new device or a new pod. The real differences sit in three places, and this guide takes them in turn. The legal framework first, which does not vanish with the nicotine. The bottle formats next, which look very different on the shelf. The hardware last, because the throat sensation changes noticeably. ## The rules that still cover a nicotine free vape in the UK UK law splits vaping rules into two groups. Some cover vaping products whatever they contain, others only cover products with nicotine in them. Knowing which group a rule belongs to clears up most of the confusion. ### Age of sale, a change dated 29 October 2026 Today, nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, widens that ban to vaping products whatever their nicotine content. The Act's commencement notes on legislation.gov.uk date the new under-18 offence for England and Wales (section 10) and the matching change for Scotland (section 61) to 29 October 2026. The commencement guide published by Northern Ireland's Department of Health gives the same date there, for nicotine and non-nicotine vapes, along with a ban on buying them on behalf of someone under 18. The Northern Ireland guide also dates the end of free distribution and discounting of vapes to that day. In other words, the idea that a 0 mg product sits outside age rules has an expiry date, and it is very close. ### The limits that only apply to nicotine The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 set three technical ceilings, which the MHRA describes under its notification scheme for nicotine-containing vaping products. Tanks hold no more than 2 ml, refill containers hold up to 10 ml of nicotine-containing e-liquid, and nicotine strength stays at or below 20 mg/ml. That second group explains the look of the 0 mg shelf. Freed from the 10 ml cap, nicotine-free liquid is sold in large bottles. ## Shortfills, why 0 mg comes in 50 ml bottles The dominant format for a nicotine free vape liquid is the shortfill, a 50 ml or 100 ml bottle. UK retailers list both sizes side by side, often from the same brand. The name says it all, since the bottle is not full. It is designed to leave room for a 10 ml nicotine shot, which the buyer adds at home if they choose to. The maths is easy to check. Even with a shot at the 20 mg/ml legal ceiling, 50 ml at 0 mg plus 10 ml of shot spreads 200 mg of nicotine across 60 ml, which comes to about 3.3 mg/ml. If you want to stay at zero, the consequence is simple. The liquid is vaped as it comes, nothing is added, and the 0 mg on the label stays accurate. The empty space at the top of the bottle is not an underfill. One detail deserves attention when you choose. Shortfills come in a range of ratios, from 50/50 to glycerine-heavy blends aimed at more powerful kits. The ratio printed on the bottle matters as much as the flavour, as the hardware section shows. ## Which kit suits a 0 mg liquid Without nicotine, the throat sensation drops noticeably. Propylene glycol is often described as the part of the base that carries the flavour and some of that sensation. Setting up a nicotine free vape therefore comes down to deciding whether, and how, to make up for it. ### The tight-draw pod A pod set for a tight draw, with a coil around 1 ohm, works well with a liquid rich in propylene glycol. It gives a concentrated, clearly defined puff, close to what mouth-to-lung users look for. Our look at the [Geekvape Wenax M2, the tight-draw pod](/uk/geekvape-wenax-m2/) shows what this type of device looks like. This format copes poorly with very thick, glycerine-heavy liquids. They feed small coils more slowly, which raises the risk of dry puffs. ### The open-draw kit At the other end, an open-draw kit with a low-resistance coil happily takes glycerine-heavy shortfills. The result shifts towards vapour volume and a rounder flavour, at the expense of throat sensation. ### The versatile pod, for those still deciding A device supplied with two pods and an airflow slider lets you try both approaches. That is the case made for the [Vaporesso Luxe Q2 against two entry-level pods](/uk/vaporesso-luxe-q2-first-pod/), useful if you do not yet know which draw suits you at 0 mg. ## Myths worth clearing up before you buy Nicotine-free vaping attracts shortcuts that do not survive a reading of the rules. Two come up again and again, in shops and online. The first is that a 0 mg product is fine for under-18s. From 29 October 2026 that is wrong in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland alike, as the Act brings non-nicotine vapes inside the age-of-sale ban. The second is that a bigger tank becomes acceptable with a nicotine-free liquid. The liquid you pour in does not change the device, and kits sold in the UK come in their 2 ml version, so check for the 2 ml marking on the box. Where you can vape is a separate question. Our guide to [where you can vape UK-wide](/uk/where-can-you-vape-uk/) covers venues and the railway. ## FAQ These answers cover practical questions that product pages rarely address. ### How do I read the VG/PG ratio on a 0 mg bottle? The two figures are percentages of the base, and brands do not all write them in the same order, so read the letters next to them. A 50/50 suits most pods, a 70/30 VG/PG is aimed at open-draw kits. ### Do I have to add a nicotine shot to a 50 ml shortfill? No. The space at the top of the bottle is there for those who want to add nicotine. Without a shot, the liquid stays at 0 mg/ml and is vaped as it comes. ### Can I mix two 0 mg flavours together? Nothing prevents it technically, provided both liquids have a similar VG/PG ratio. A big gap changes the thickness of the mix and so the way it feeds the coil. ### Does a nicotine-free liquid need a special coil? No, you pick the coil for the draw and the ratio of the liquid, not for its strength. Around 1 ohm for a tight draw, lower for an open draw. ### Does 0 mg change battery life? No, the battery does not react to nicotine strength. Its drain depends on the power setting and how long each puff lasts, and an open-draw kit on a low-resistance coil generally needs more power than a tight-draw pod. ## Choosing a nicotine free vape with the rules in mind Zero milligrams changes the bottle and the sensation, not the regulated status. A **nicotine free vape** will sit inside the under-18 sales ban from 29 October 2026, and the hardware stays in its 2 ml version. What really varies is the bottle format and the ratio of its base. The sensible approach to a nicotine free vape is to start from the liquid and pick the hardware to match, a tight-draw pod for a PG-rich mix, an open-draw kit for a glycerine-heavy shortfill. To weigh those criteria against your own use, our [method for choosing the best vape](/uk/best-vape-how-to-choose/) sets out a calculation anyone can redo. ## In this issue - [Where can you vape UK-wide, law, venues and the railway](/uk/where-can-you-vape-uk/) - [Geekvape Wenax M2, the tight-draw pod up close](/uk/geekvape-wenax-m2/) - [Vaporesso Luxe Q2 against two entry-level pods, which to pick first?](/uk/vaporesso-luxe-q2-first-pod/) Written for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is addictive, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nébuleuse Mag sells nothing and this piece is not a buying recommendation.