How to Pick a Nicotine Strength for a Pod System
Salt or freebase, 3mg or 50mg: how to read the label and match it to your draw
5 min read
Key Takeaways
- The 7Daze Reds Salts we list come in 30mg and 50mg, and the 50mg bottle is the same strength as a 5% disposable.
- The 7Daze Reds freebase line runs 0mg, 3mg, 6mg and 12mg in the 60mL bottle, and 0mg, 3mg and 6mg in the 100mL.
- Salt nicotine suits a tight, short draw at low power; freebase suits a looser, longer draw at higher power.
- Start one step below where you think you belong, because a strength that is too high is harsh on the first draw and a strength that is too low is easy to raise.
The number on an e-liquid bottle is milligrams of nicotine per millilitre, and the label tells you whether it is salt nicotine or freebase. Those two facts decide more than the flavor does. A pod system will run either kind, but it will feel very different depending on which one you fill it with and at what strength.
This guide uses the bottles we stock on the salt nicotine and freebase shelves as its examples, and every strength named is one we list. The one rule to carry away: match the strength to how you draw, and change one thing at a time.
What You Need
- Your pod system and a sense of how you draw: short pulls held in the mouth first, or long pulls straight to the lungs.
- Two bottles to compare, one salt and one freebase, so you can feel the difference instead of reading about it.
- A note of the strength of whatever you used last, including a disposable, since that is your starting point.
Salt Versus Freebase
Freebase nicotine is the form in the bigger bottles. It reads sharper in the throat at a given strength, which is why the freebase 7Daze Reds tops out at 12mg in the 60mL bottle and 6mg in the 100mL. It is meant for a looser draw with more vapor, where the strength is spread across a lot of air.
Salt nicotine is the form in the small bottles and in the 5% disposables. It is smoother in the throat at the same number, which is how a bottle can carry 50mg and still draw comfortably on a tight pull. The 7Daze Reds Salts 30mL comes in 30mg and 50mg. The Juice Head Salts 30mL is the other salt line we carry in that size, and its strengths are printed on the bottle.
How to Pick a Strength, Step by Step
- Start from what you know. If your last device was a 5% disposable, you were drawing 50mg salt nicotine, and the 50mg salt bottle is the same strength.
- Decide the draw. A short pull held in the mouth before inhaling is a mouth-to-lung draw, and it pairs with salt. A long pull straight in is a direct-lung draw, and it pairs with freebase.
- If you chose salt, pick between the two 7Daze Reds Salts strengths. 50mg matches the disposable you came from; 30mg is the step down for a draw that is longer or more frequent.
- If you chose freebase, start at 6mg in the 7Daze Reds 60mL. Move to 12mg if 6mg leaves you drawing constantly, and to 3mg if the throat hit is more than you want.
- Fill one pod and use it for a full day before you judge. A new strength reads harsher in the first hour than it will by the evening.
- Change one thing at a time. If the draw is harsh, drop one strength and keep the formula. If the draw is weak, raise one strength before you switch formulas.
- Keep the pod matched to the formula. A pod made for salt on a low-power device will scorch freebase at the wrong setting, and a high-power pod turns a 50mg salt into a wall. Our pod systems page lists which style each device is built for.
What the Numbers Mean Side by Side
| Bottle | Formula | Size | Strengths we list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7Daze Reds Salts | Salt nicotine | 30mL | 30mg, 50mg |
| 7Daze Reds | Freebase | 60mL | 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg |
| 7Daze Reds | Freebase | 100mL | 0mg, 3mg, 6mg |
| A 5% disposable | Salt nicotine | varies | 5%, which a bottle writes as 50mg |
Read the table top to bottom and the pattern is plain. Salt strengths are high numbers in small bottles for small, frequent draws. Freebase strengths are low numbers in big bottles for long, airy draws. A 0mg freebase is ZERO Nicotine, for someone who wants the flavor and the habit of the draw with none of the strength.
Symptom, Cause and Fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Harsh, coughing on the first draw | Strength too high for the draw, or freebase on a tight pull | Drop one strength; on a tight draw, move to salt. |
| Drawing constantly, never satisfied | Strength too low for the formula | Raise one strength before changing anything else. |
| Throat hit fine, flavor flat | Right strength, wrong pod or power for the formula | Match the pod to the formula; keep the strength. |
| Fine at home, harsh on the go | Short, fast draws on a freebase set up for long ones | Carry a salt pod for the day and keep freebase for the evening. |
| Coil darkens fast at a high strength | Sweet salt liquids coat the coil | Normal; change the pod on schedule. |
Which Strength for You
Pick 50mg salt if you are coming from a 5% disposable and want the same thing in a refillable pod. Pick 30mg salt if the 50mg reads harsh or you draw often through the day. Pick 6mg freebase if you prefer a long, airy draw and more vapor, and move one step either way after a full day. Pick 0mg freebase if you want ZERO Nicotine and the flavor alone.
FAQ
What Strength Is a 5% Disposable in Bottle Terms?
A 5% disposable is 50mg salt nicotine, the same as the 50mg 7Daze Reds Salts bottle.
What Strengths Does 7Daze Reds Salts Come In?
The 30mL bottle we list comes in 30mg and 50mg.
What Strengths Does the 7Daze Reds Freebase Line Come In?
0mg, 3mg, 6mg and 12mg in the 60mL bottle, and 0mg, 3mg and 6mg in the 100mL.
Can I Put Freebase in a Pod Made for Salt?
You can, but at a low-power pod's setting the throat hit will read sharp, so start at 3mg if you try it.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
