Shortfill E-Liquids Explained
Shortfills continue to define the vaping industry. Even though they offer control, cost-effectiveness and convenience; not many vapers understand how they add value to your vaping experience and in some cases what they’re in the first place.
What is a Shortfill E-Liquid?
Shortfills are large pre-filled e-liquid bottles that reach roughly 70-80% of the bottle capacity. This is to allow users to add their nicotine if they wish through ‘nicotine shots’. These let you control your vape juice to the desired strength whatever part of the journey you’re on as a vaper.
You can find plenty of advantages with shortfills that you would not get with standard e-liquids. This includes:
1. Cost-Effectiveness
Not only do you not need to carry around multiple bottles anymore but you can top up what you need at a reduced price. It helps to avoid wasting excess e-liquid and helps you economise your vaping experience. Everything is simplified and cost-effective with a larger shortfill bottle.
2. Increased Chance of Bigger Clouds
Because of the higher VG content and more accessible e-liquid, you can expect bigger clouds of vapour which lasts much longer with shortfills. The ideal situation when you’re out and about showing off the latest cloud tricks you have discovered online.
3. Greater Control
You can not only enhance the experience but manipulate the shortfill with ease, topping up with the right amount of nicotine for a tailored experience.
With that in mind, we give you the full rundown of everything shortfills so you can decide whether picking shortfills is the right option for you
Why the Sudden Demand?
Shortfill bottles came about because of the enforced Tobacco Products Directive regulations in 2016. All vaping businesses selling products need to comply with a long list of rules before selling to customers in the EU. For instance, one of the rules includes no vape tanks over 2ml in capacity.
Other instances include:
- Nicotine strength limit of 2-mg/l
- The design and wording on the e-liquid bottles capacity meeting industry compliance
- Information to the MHRA for approval before launch
- Labelling clear for the user
- Ensuring the shortfill e-liquid provider is fully registered with relevant authorities before selling
How to Mix the Shortfill E-Liquid
Follow these simple steps and you will be on to a winning formula, ensuring you get the most from your vaping experience.
Simply take your shot and carefully add it to your short fill bottle, unscrewing the cap on your shortfill bottle and the nic shot. Your nicotine shot will be in a 10ml shortfill bottle and typically total between 15-20mg of nicotine. An online shot calculator can help you measure out exactly what’s needed to select the suitable nicotine strength in milligrams.
Once you have measured the desired amount of nicotine, add it to your shortfill with care to not spill. Finally, throw away the nicotine shot bottle if finished and carefully reattach the shortfill lid, giving it a good shake. A top tip after completing the process – store it in a cool and dark place to steep the shortfill for maximum taste and satisfaction. As a side note, keep out of the reach of children or animals.
Allowing the bottle to ‘breathe’ is another important step. Each day, you should carefully open the cap on the shortfill bottle, giving it a tiny squeeze to ensure the air cycles properly and fresh air is added to the mix. Afterwards, reseal the container and shake it up again for a delightful shortfill.
Who Benefits the Most From Shortfills?
Even though anybody can use shortfills, it tends to be used more by experienced vapers than beginners because of the VG-heavy concentration in each bottle. Those who’re just making the switch from smoking to vaping don’t want to get involved with mixing their own e-liquids and tend to prefer 10ml bottles of pre-mixed e-liquid. Because of industry regulations via TPD, that’s the maximum size available with nicotine included. However, we have found the groups below often prefer shortfills:
1. Vape Mod Users
With advanced devices like vape mods, you have greater control over what your device can do so naturally you want the same flexibility with your e-liquid. Shortfills provide that in abundance, topping up the amount of nicotine you prefer, adjusting the settings on your mod and using that increased wattage power or temperature control to good effect.
2. ‘Cloud Chasers’
It’s much easier to top up on the go with shortfills when you’re trying to form the best shapes with ‘cloud chasing’. Fewer bottles equal more time to do the thing you love and greater versatility too should you like Sub-Ohm vaping at a lower resistance. Expect a greater taste too with hitting just the right sweet spot after picking how much nicotine you want.
3. Advanced Vapers
Once you get your head around the different vaping terms and find a device and e-liquid that suits your needs, vaping is a breeze. With shortfills, seasoned vapers love to have multiple options at their disposal. With so many different shortfill flavours, you can top up when needed with minimal fuss.
Next Steps
At Quality E-Cigs, we have also reviewed several suitable vape mod options to pair with your shortfills. It’s all about finding the right balance to achieve your goals.
