If you were to return to 2010 in a time machine, you’d be stunned by how little there was on offer compared to today. Today, there are now vape kits to suit every kind of lifestyle. And, these 10 best vape brands are behind some of the best vape kits, mods, and tanks, setting new standards in the vaping world.
If you’re interested to know the leading brands that offer e-liquids, check out our roundup of the best vape juice brands.
The 10 Best Vape Brands & Manufacturers are:
- Innokin
- OXVA
- Aspire
- Voopoo
- Uwell
- Geekvape
- Elf Bar
- Vaporesso
- Freemax
- Eleaf
Innokin
Score: 10/10
Innokin are known widely as the premier manufacturer of starter vape kits, though they also have a great deal of experience in producing sub-ohm kits, mods and tanks.
Pros
- Perfect for brand-new vapers
- Also great for long-time vapers
- Huge coil ranges
Cons
- Lack of high-tech features
- A lack of pod vape design expertise
Features We Love
- Starter Master: Easy-to-use devices
- Coil Clicker: Wide coil ranges for many Innokin tanks
- Keep It Simple: No confusing menus or modes
There will be many of you reading this whose first vape kit was made by Innokin, one of the top vape brands, and there’s an excellent reason for that. Since its founding in 2011, Innokin’s primary focus has been producing simple vape kits that even an absolute beginner can master immediately.
While they started with more sub-ohm kits and tanks such as the iSub VE, it was low-powered MTL vape devices that began to draw vapers in due to their reliability and simple use functions.
Innokin kits deliver consistent flavour and vapour production and feature simple interfaces, aspects that make a beginner vaper settle comfortably into a new means of nicotine intake.
Most Popular: Endura T22 Pro Kit
Price Range: £2.99 – £43.99
OXVA
Score: 9/10
Despite their recent start, OXVA have experienced a meteoric rise in popularity for their high quality devices like the XLIM MTL pod vape kits.
Pros
- Great vape kit battery life rates
- Highly leak-resistant XLIM Pods
- Rapid auto-draw firing speeds
Cons
- Lack of sub-ohm design focus
- No traditional tank & battery kits
Features We Love
- Hidden Power: Surprisingly large batteries in compact builds
- Refill Thrill: XLIM V3 pods can be refilled while in the device
- On The Move: Lanyards included for instant accessibility
OXVA are a relative newcomer, founded in 2019 by Justin Lai, but in only five years, their devices have become some of the most sought-after MTL kits around.
OXVA deal almost exclusively in MTL devices, with their XLIM SQ Pro Pod Kit winning both our MTL Kit and Refillable Pod Kit Of The Year awards in 2023. Their devices contain remarkably long-lasting batteries while retaining light carry weight. Their pod designs are also exceptional, with the XLIM V3 Pod capable of being refilled without removal from the battery unit.
And while MTL is their speciality, kits like the Origin 2 note an understanding of great sub-ohm functions as well, with 80W outputs and external battery power proving they have plenty of tricks up their sleeves.
Most Popular: OXVA Xlim SQ Pro Pod Kit
Price Range: £3.99 – £36.99
Aspire
Score: 9/10
Aspire are an established and well-respected vape brand known for pairing sleek builds with widely-compatible coils for all ohmage preferences.
Pros
- Reliable and widely-available coils
- Sleek and stylish designs
- Affordable pod kits
Cons
- Fragile tanks
- No focus on extra user-modes
Features We Love
- Sleek and Chic: Gorgeous and classic steel and glass kit designs
- Naughty Nautilus: Nautilus coils still have broad compatibility
- Slinky Cylinder: Many travel-friendly cylinder vape designs
Aspire vape kits have a certain steel & glass sophistication to their designs, with high-performance functionality hidden beneath the glossy exteriors.
The Aspire Zelos 3 Kit is several years old yet still wins awards for its stunning 3200mAh power supply and innovative coil protection system, a design that other manufacturers still need to compete with.
Aspire’s pod vapes have also been very inventive, with the original Vilter providing degradable organic mouthpieces that perfectly replicated the mouthfeel of a cigarette filter. They have a rare degree of insight into what vapers find satisfying, which is evident when using their devices.
They also have a good practice of retaining older designs that vapers wish to continue using, such as their popular Nautilus Coil range, which boasts an impressive number of resistance options for different vaping styles.
Most Popular: Aspire Zelos 3
Price Range: £1.99 – £48.99
Voopoo
Score: 8/10
Voopoo’s stylish and high-tech devices are responsible for popularising sub-ohm pod vaping.
Pros
- High-tech designs
- Advanced features
- Kits built for total hand comfort
Cons
- Over-reliance on disposable MTL pods
- Early DRAG units had weak auto-draw detection
Features We Love
- Pod & Go: Portable sub-ohm pod vapes
- Pretty nice Pod Coils: Wide pod compatibility with PnP Coil range
- Comfy Grip: Leatherette grip panels as standard
Voopoo vape kits have an almost space-age feel due to the technological advancements their devices often herald for the entire vape industry. Their initial DRAG kits popularised the idea of pocket-friendly devices for sub-ohm pod vaping, making them one of the best vaping brands for innovation.
Voopoo balances style with comfort and function, with many of their kits featuring a leatherette grip panel that is very ergonomic. You can take your mind off the technical aspects of your Voopoo kit, with most of them using advanced technology like Smart functionality to set appropriate power settings for you.
There’s also excellent coil compatibility, with many of their kits and tanks utilising the perfect PnP Coil system, which has both DTL and MTL ohmages available. This makes Voopoo one of the best vape brands for those of you seeking fashionable designs with user-friendly convenience.
Most Popular: Voopoo Argus GT 2
Price Range: £4.99 – £69.99
Uwell
Score: 8/10
Uwell helped popularise pod vape kits with their Caliburn units and still manufactures some of the best sub-ohm tanks on the market.
Pros
- Potent sub-ohm kits
- Trend-setting pod vapes
- Innovative indication technology
Cons
- Lack of traditional MTL tank & battery kits
- There is some confusion when picking Caliburn pods and coils
Features We Love
- Pod Premiers: Caliburn pop vapes popularised the design format
- Old Tricks: Produce some of the best sub-ohm mods despite pod focus
- Haptic Tactic: New rumble feature in their Caliburn Tenet range
Since Uwell was founded in 2015, their Caliburn vape range has become one of the most popular pod kit lines for new vapers. With a blend of disposable pods with pre-installed coils and reusable pods with coils you can change, they’ve ensured that both convenience and value-driven vapers are catered to.
While new pod kits like the Caliburn Tenet Koko showcase innovative haptic feedback technology and playful style choices, their traditional tank & mod kits are still some of the best available.
The Valyrian III Kit and tank are phenomenally cloudy and robustly built, with button-release flip-top refill mechanisms and breakneck firing speeds powered by the internal chipset of the mod.
Most Popular: Uwell Caliburn X Pod Kit
Price Range: £3.99 – £79.99
Geekvape
Score: 10/10
Beginning in 2015, Geekvape popularised ingress protection in vape builds and offer sub-ohm, MTL, and disposable vape devices.
Pros
- The toughest vapes out there
- Excellent new focus on MTL pod kits
- Fantastic flavours from Geek Bar disposable vapes
Cons
- Sub-ohm vapes are quite chunky
- Lack of wattage control on Wenax pod vapes
Features We Love
- Sturdy: Most sub-ohm kits are built with IP68 protections
- Quite Tasty: New Q Cartridges provide rich flavour
- Geek Sneak: Geek Bar Meloso Mini vapes are incredibly compact
Geekvape is why today’s vape kits are as well-built as they are. The Aegis Solo Kit featured IP67 ingress protection, allowing it to withstand drops, particles and water damage. This degree of durability made Geekvape extremely popular with vapers, and other manufacturers quickly followed suit.
Today, Geekvape have all three vaping domains locked down; the Wenax and Sonder lines provide affordable and flavour-rich starter pod kits, while the T200 stands as one of the most advanced dual-battery sub-ohm mods ever released, with 200W outputs, touch functionality and temperature control modes for all DIY coil materials.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Geek Bar Meloso range continues to compete with Elf Bar devices for disposable vape renown with excellent flavours and nicotine salt contents. Geekvape truly has vape devices for experienced vapers and beginner vapers alike.
Most Popular: Geekvape Z200 Mod
Price Range: £4.95 – £54.99
Elf Bar
Score: 7/10
Elf Bar began production in 2018 and quickly became the No. 1 manufacturer of disposable vapes in the world.
Pros
- Dozens of flavour options
- Excellent prefilled vape juice pods
- ELFLIQ range brings authentic taste to refillable kits
Cons
- Excessively sweet vape juice
- Lack of simple tobacco options
Features We Love
- Disposable Daimyo: The world’s best disposable vape brand
- Make The Switch: Pod versions of their flavours are available
- Smooth Operator: Nic salts used as standard for gentle inhales
Elf Bar are undisputed kings of the disposable vape pens market, with simple to use and long-lasting disposable vape pens that do not require charging, refilling or even button-pressing. You simply remove the packaging and start to inhale to begin receiving Elf Bar’s notoriously flavoursome vape clouds.
A very young company, Elf Bar entered the vape pens industry with extreme confidence in 2018 and immediately gained the attention of a whole new audience of smokers who up until then had been put off by the more hands-on approach vaping ordinarily requires.
In 2022 Elf Bar vape pens took home four awards from the Malaysian MIVAS Awards, including Best Creamy Disposable, Best Fruity Disposable, Best Vape Company and Best Vape Brand, showing that this scrappy up-and-comer are already punching far above their weight.
Most Popular: Elf Bar Lost Mary BM600S Nic Salt Disposable Vape
Price Range: £2.99 – £18.99
Vaporesso
Score: 8/10
Since their 2015 founding, Vaporesso has mastered sub-ohm pod vape designs.
Pros
- Advanced sub-ohm vape tanks
- Some of the best sub-ohm pod vape kits
- Good selection of simple dual-battery mods
Cons
- Slightly creaky designs on some mods
- Only one basic MTL vape tank
Features We Love
- Cloud Traveller: Great range of portable DTL cloud kits
- Pod Picker: Both disposable and reusable sub-ohm pod options
- Ohm Options: LUXE pod kits for both MTL and DTL vapers
Vaporesso puts just as much effort into traditional tank & battery kits as they do with pod vape devices, with both design varieties showcasing a focus on high-tech simplicity.
Established in 2015, Vaporesso first gained attention with their superb Tarot Nano sub-ohm kits and have since been challenging Voopoo for sub-ohm pod vape dominance. The LUXE XR Max Pod Kit, in particular, stands out for its portability, ease, long-lasting battery life, and comprehensive pod/coil compatibility options.
Vaporesso kits tend to downplay excessive features to provide straightforward function instead, with their LUXE Q range of MTL pod vapes being popular as starter kits. Their iTank range of MTL and DTL tanks also indicates a desire to keep more traditional forms of vape design alive.
Most Popular: Vaporesso LUXE XR Max Pod Kit
Price Range: £1.99 – £49.99
Freemax
Score: 7/10
Freemax made their name by making the best sub-ohm coils and have since segued into innovative MTL pod vape kits.
Pros
- The best coils in the world
- Military-grade construction materials used
- Total clarity of taste
Cons
- Need to step up pod vape production
- Friobar disposable vape is somewhat underwhelming
Features We Love
- Coil Kings: Vast clouds from their quad-core coils
- Spill The Tea: Tea-tree fibres used for purity of flavour
- RBG FTW: Eye-catching LEDs in the Galex pod kits
Freemax, who began operating in 2013, were initially praised as a manufacturer of high-grade sub-ohm coils.
Ten years on, they retain this reputation for coil excellence, with the Fireluke 3 Tank featuring coils with dual and quad cores that deliver the purest flavours possible with tea-tree fibre wick materials.
Freemax have recently unveiled an unexpected capability for MTL pod kit designs, with the Maxpod 3 featuring flavoursome coils built with military-grade SS904L steel meshes and the tea-tree fibres found in their sub-ohm coils. Reading this, you’d be surprised to learn that the Maxpod 3 is a budget-conscious vape, making pure vape flavour available to anyone.
With the Marvos and Galex kits showcasing even more portability, we’re very excited for the next Freemax design chapter.
Most Popular: Freemax Marvos X Kit
Price Range: £8.99 – £54.99
Eleaf
Score: 8/10
Eleaf balance two contrasting design expertises; affordable and fuss-free MTL tanks and mods with the largest internal batteries available.
Pros
- Gigantic battery life in Eleaf mods
- Comfortable designs
- Simple use-functions
Cons
- Doesn’t take advantage of battery for DTL vaping
- Mods are pretty bulky and hard to travel with
Features We Love
- Massive mAhs: The largest internal vape batteries available
- Simple Suite: No excessive features and functions to confuse you
- Mighty MTL: A focus on MTL kits despite huge power capacities
Eleaf aren’t as flashy as some brands featured in this list, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone better regarding long-lasting batteries.
If you’re looking for no-fuss, affordably MTL gear, there are simple tanks and mods to enjoy, such as the GS Air 2 Tank and Istick I40 Mod, which provide ease of use for those seeking cigarette-style moderate vapour production.
But those needing ample power supplies need look no further than their sub-ohm mods and kits, such as the 3500mAh Istick Mono Power Kit and the awe-inspiring 5000mAh Istick Power 2 Mod. Both of these examples can deliver several days of heavy use without recharging.
Eleaf devices don’t bog you down with extra features; they deliver simple functionality with unmatched longevity.
Most Popular: Eleaf iStick Power 2
Price Range: £5.99 – £49.99
Need more advice?
We hope that you’ve found this roundup of the best vape brands informative and that it has given you a better understanding of which manufacturers are considered the best in the vape landscape.
If you like the sound of any brands listed above and want to try their products, visit the MIST online store today.
And be sure to check out and subscribe to the MIST Youtube channel for frequent video uploads covering vaping, vape gear and vape juice.
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