With the vaping industry now 15 years old, its stratospheric growth since its far simpler early days has seen an ever increasing reliance on R&D-driven evolution – not least in terms of vape juice; the very essence of vaping. Yes, the humble e-liquid you buy from the likes of an e cigarette shop London is a far cry from what it was way back when.
Today, the vast array of choice when it comes to e-juice can be staggering. And one way in which it’s developed is in the variation possible in its ingredients – most pointedly in terms of vegetable glycerine (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). Indeed, when the quantities of these key e-liquid ingredients are altered, in ratio to each other, it produces striking results. And one of the ramifications of this has been the recent rise and rise of VG-high/ PG-low e-juices. But why? Why are they proving so popular? Why might you want to make the switch to high-VG vaping…?
How new to vaping are you?
Now, chances are that if you’re a rookie vaper you’re used to smoking tobacco (not necessarily, of course; but it’s still more than likely). If so, you’re likely to favour a vaping experience, at least to start with, that can go some way to mimicking the experience of smoking a cigarette. For that reason, it may be best for you to opt for a vape juice that’s high in PG rather than VG because this kind of vape will better replicate a tobacco-like throat hit. Moreover, these sorts of e-liquids tend to be thinner in consistency than high-VG alternatives, which means they’re easier on simple, beginner-friendly atomisers.
More on throat hits
That said, owing to the ever-evolving nature of the vaping industry, more and more layered and increasingly subtler e-liquids are being created. What does this mean? Well, there are different kinds of throat hits you can get from different VG/ PG ratio combinations. For instance, yes, if you want a properly punchy throat hit, plump for a high-PG e-juice; yet, if you still fancy a throat hit but one that’s a little smoother (perhaps as you move on from newbie vaper status), opt instead for an e-juice in which the VG/ PG ratio is more in VG’s favour.
When it comes to throat hits, it’s important to consider nicotine strength too, though, as the more nicotine the e-juice comprises the bigger the throat hit. And increasing the power (voltage) on your e-cig device can also result in a fuller hit in your throat. In which case, should you choose exactly the right e-liquid and have your device set as you want, you can still achieve a throat hit with a high(-ish) VG vape.
Do you want to ‘chase clouds’?
The big up-tick for VG-heavy e-juice among seasoned vapers is its capacity to produce plumes and plumes of vapour. In contrast to a high concentration of PG, lots of VG results in thick, full vapour in e liquids; a boon then for those eager on the ever-growing global vaping trend that’s ‘cloud chasing’ (the art of trying to create the biggest vapour clouds possible; sometimes in pro-am competitions).
And what about flavour?
Alternatively, if you’re primarily a flavour fanatic – or, as a vaper, develop into one – high VG e-liquids aren’t the best; you’ll do better plumping for e-juices higher in PG instead. The reason for this is because often in creating effective flavours, food flavourings tend to be dissolved in PG. Moreover, VG’s natural taste is rather sweet, so it has a habit of impacting on the overall flavour of an e-juice – not great for an e-liquid that’s developed and sold fundamentally on the strength of the high quality of its flavour.
And yet, if you’re an enthusiast of predominantly sweet flavours, then a high-VG e-liquid’s taste won’t be impacted by the level of VG as much as one whose flavour isn’t primarily so sweet (e.g. tobacco flavours), so, yes; it’s swings and roundabouts to an extent here.
