Five Vape Kits Under £25 That Genuinely Earn Their Keep

There's a persistent myth that you need to spend £60-plus on a shiny mod to quit smoking properly. Rubbish. Some of the best kits we've handled this year cost less than a round of drinks, and a few of them outperform gear three times the price.

We spent a month with five budget kits from UK retailers, vaping each daily and scoring them on four things: battery life, flavour, ease of use and running costs. Here's what survived.

1. The Ex-Smoker's Dream: Uwell Caliburn A3S (~£17)

Score: 9/10

The Caliburn line is the default recommendation for a reason. It's a slim refillable pod that mimics a cigarette draw almost exactly — tight, smooth, no buttons. Fill it, puff, done.

• Battery: 520mAh, roughly a day for a moderate vaper
• Flavour: Genuinely excellent for the money; coils last a week or two
• Running costs: Pods around £5 for a pack of four; expect £15–£20/month on e-liquid at 10ml a week

Suits: Anyone coming straight from cigarettes who wants zero learning curve.

2. The Pocket Vaper: Vaporesso XROS Mini (~£20)

Score: 8.5/10

Tiny, aluminium-bodied and nigh-on indestructible in a coat pocket. The 1000mAh battery is the standout — two days of light vaping without a charge.

• Battery: 1000mAh, the best in this lineup
• Flavour: Very good, slightly airier draw than the Caliburn
• Running costs: Similar to above; adjustable airflow means you can fine-tune without buying extra kit

Suits: Commuters and anyone who keeps a vape in a jeans pocket alongside keys.

3. The Flavour Chaser on a Shoestring: Geekvape Wenax K1 (~£22)

Score: 8/10

You don't need a £70 rebuildable to taste your custard. The Wenax K1's mesh coils punch well above its price, especially with dessert and fruit liquids.

• Battery: 600mAh — the weak point, so keep a cable at your desk
• Flavour: Best in test. Rich, warm, no dry hits
• Running costs: Coils are cheap and long-lasting

Suits: Vapers who've got the nicotine part sorted and now care about taste.

4. The Simpleton's Choice: Aspire PockeX (~£19)

Score: 7.5/10

An all-in-one pen style that's been around for years for one reason: it just works. Screw off the top, fill, vape. No pods to fiddle with, no settings at all.

• Battery: 1500mAh — huge for this category
• Flavour: Solid rather than spectacular; slightly warm vapour
• Running costs: Replacement coils about £3 each, lasting 1–2 weeks

Suits: People who lose things, break things, or can't be bothered with anything technical. Also great for the glovebox.

5. The Big-Puff Bargain: OXVA Xlim SQ Pro (~£24)

Score: 8.5/10

The priciest here, and the most feature-packed — adjustable wattage, a screen, airflow control. If you want a taste of advanced vaping without the advanced price, this is it.

• Battery: 900mAh with USB-C fast charging
• Flavour: Superb; arguably the best all-rounder in the test
• Running costs: Slightly higher due to more powerful coils, but still comfortably under £25/month

Suits: Vapers ready to tinker a little and get rewarded for it.

What Switching Actually Costs

Let's do the sums properly, because this is where budget kits shine. Say you vape 10ml of e-liquid a week:

• E-liquid: Two 10ml bottles weekly at £3–£4 each = roughly £28–£35/month
• Coils/pods: Around £5–£10/month depending on the kit
• Total: About £35–£45/month all-in

Compare that to 20 cigarettes a day at £13 a pack — over £390 a month. Even the priciest kit here pays for itself in your first two days off the fags.

The Verdict

If you're buying one kit and one kit only under £25, grab the Caliburn A3S if you're new, or the OXVA Xlim SQ Pro if you've got a bit of vaping behind you. Both prove you don't need deep pockets to pack up smoking — just a sensible bit of kit and a decent bottle of juice.