The PG/VG ratio decides how an e-liquid behaves in your device. A 50/50 blend is thin enough for pod systems and MTL tanks and gives a firmer throat hit. A 70/30 or higher VG blend is thicker, produces far more vapour, and needs a sub-ohm coil to wick it properly. Matching ratio to hardware matters more than flavour.
What Are PG and VG?
Every e-liquid is made from a combination of two base liquids: Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG). These are food-grade substances that have been used in consumer products for decades. Together with flavouring and optionally nicotine, they make up the e-liquid you vape.
Propylene Glycol (PG)
PG is a thin, odourless liquid that carries flavour extremely well. It produces a noticeable "throat hit" — that slight kick at the back of your throat that many former smokers find satisfying. Because it's thinner, PG is easily absorbed by the coil's wicking material, making it well suited for smaller, lower-powered devices like pod systems.
Vegetable Glycerine (VG)
VG is a thicker, slightly sweet liquid that produces significantly more vapour than PG. It delivers a smoother, less noticeable throat hit. Because of its viscosity, VG works best in more powerful devices with larger wicking ports, such as sub-ohm tanks and box mods.
Common PG/VG Ratios and When to Use Them
50/50 (50PG/50VG)
The most versatile ratio. It offers a balanced mix of throat hit, flavour and vapour production. This is the go-to for most pod systems and mouth-to-lung (MTL) vape pens. If you're not sure what ratio to start with, 50/50 is a safe bet.
70VG/30PG
A popular choice for sub-ohm vapers. The higher VG content produces thicker clouds and a smoother draw, while the 30% PG still ensures decent flavour. This ratio is commonly used in direct-to-lung (DTL) setups.
80VG/20PG or Max VG
Designed for cloud chasers and high-powered devices. Maximum vapour production with a very smooth inhale. Flavour can be slightly muted compared to higher-PG blends, but the cloud output is impressive.
70PG/30VG or Higher PG
Less common but preferred by some MTL vapers who want a stronger throat hit and maximum flavour intensity. Can be too harsh for some users, especially at higher nicotine strengths.
Matching Your Ratio to Your Device
Using the wrong PG/VG ratio in your device can cause problems:
- High VG in a pod system — The thick liquid may not wick properly, leading to dry hits and burnt coils.
- High PG in a sub-ohm tank — Can cause leaking, because PG is thinner and flows more freely through the larger coil ports.
As a general rule: use 50/50 or higher-PG liquids in pod systems and MTL devices, and use 70VG/30PG or higher-VG liquids in sub-ohm and DTL devices.
What About Nicotine Salts?
Nicotine salt e-liquids are almost always 50/50 PG/VG and are formulated for low-powered pod systems. They deliver nicotine more efficiently and with less throat harshness than traditional freebase nicotine, even at higher strengths. If you're using a pod system, nic salts are often the best choice.
Ready to find the right e-liquid? Explore our e-liquids collection for a wide range of flavours and ratios.
What are PG and VG in e-liquid?
Every bottle of e-liquid is mostly two ingredients. Propylene glycol (PG) is thin, almost tasteless, and carries flavour compounds efficiently. Vegetable glycerine (VG) is thick, faintly sweet, and produces the visible vapour. Nicotine and flavour concentrates make up a small percentage on top. The ratio between PG and VG is the single specification that most affects how a liquid behaves in your device.
| Property | Propylene glycol | Vegetable glycerine |
|---|---|---|
| Viscosity | Thin, water-like | Thick, syrupy |
| Flavour carrying | Excellent — sharp, defined | Muted, slightly sweetened |
| Vapour volume | Low | High |
| Throat hit | Pronounced | Soft |
| Wicking speed | Fast | Slow |
| Residue on coils | Minimal | Builds faster |
Which PG/VG ratio should you use?
This is where most new vapers go wrong, and the failure mode is unpleasant enough to put people off entirely. A thick high-VG liquid in a tight, high-resistance pod cannot wick fast enough to keep up, so the cotton runs dry and you get a burnt hit within a few puffs. A thin high-PG liquid in a wide-open sub-ohm mesh coil floods the wick and leaks out of the airflow into your hand.
| Device | Coil resistance | Recommended ratio | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed pod / cigalike | 1.0 Ω+ | 50/50 | Thin enough for narrow wicking channels; firmer throat hit at low power |
| Refillable pod kit | 0.6 – 1.2 Ω | 50/50 to 60/40 | Balances wicking speed against vapour volume |
| MTL tank | 0.8 – 1.5 Ω | 50/50 | Tight airflow suits a defined, PG-forward flavour |
| Sub-ohm tank | 0.15 – 0.6 Ω | 70/30 VG | Thick liquid resists flooding at high power; large mesh wicks it fine |
| RDA / RTA | 0.1 – 0.4 Ω | 70/30 to 80/20 VG | Hand-packed cotton handles viscosity; maximum vapour |
Nicotine strength interacts with the ratio
Throat hit comes from two places: the PG content and the nicotine. Because a high-PG liquid already hits harder, the same nicotine strength feels considerably stronger in a 50/50 pod than in a 70/30 sub-ohm tank — and the sub-ohm tank is also delivering far more vapour per puff. This is why strengths are not transferable between setups. Three milligrams in a powerful tank and twelve milligrams in a tight pod can deliver a broadly similar amount of nicotine per session.
Nicotine salts change the calculation again. Salt nicotine is smoother at high strengths, which is why it appears almost exclusively in 50/50 liquids intended for low-power pods. Putting a high-strength salt liquid in a sub-ohm tank delivers far more nicotine than intended and is genuinely unpleasant.
PG sensitivity: what it is and what to do
A minority of people react to propylene glycol with a dry throat, mild irritation or, less commonly, a rash. It is worth distinguishing this from ordinary dehydration, which is extremely common when people start vaping and resolves with water rather than a change of liquid.
If symptoms persist after a week of drinking more water, try a high-VG liquid — 70/30 or above — in appropriate hardware and see whether they clear. Max-VG liquids exist for exactly this reason. Note that switching ratio means switching hardware too: there is no point buying an 80/20 liquid for a tight MTL pod that cannot wick it.
Practical rules of thumb
- Buy for the device you own, not the device you would like to own. Ratio mismatches are the most common cause of a bad experience.
- High-VG liquid needs a period to settle after shaking. Bubbles trapped in a thick liquid slow wicking and can cause a dry hit on the first draw.
- Thicker liquid drinks more. A 70/30 in a sub-ohm tank at 60 W can go through a 60 ml bottle in under a week; a 50/50 in a pod might last a fortnight.
- In cold weather, thick liquid thickens further. If a high-VG liquid is struggling to wick on a cold morning, warming the tank in your hand for a minute usually resolves it.
Browse the range by format in our e-liquid collection, and check your coil resistance before choosing a ratio.
