Bar Salts are a new kind of nic salt in the vaping world that brings the smooth throat hit and popular disposable vape flavours to your refillable pod kits and MTL devices. But what are bar salts? and how different it is from your typical freebase e-liquids and nicotine salts? And most importantly, should you use one?
In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about these exciting new vape juices that bring popular disposable vape flavours to your refillable kit.
What Is a Bar Salt?
A bar salt is a nicotine salt e-liquid produced to replicate the same high plateaus of flavour that you experience when using disposable vapes. Bar salts aren’t wildly different from other kinds of e-liquid; they use PG, VG, nic, and flavourings. But it does stand out in terms of taste and smooth inhalation.
Like everything else in the world of vaping, bar salts don’t represent the final perfection of vape juice manufacturing, and many vapers will prefer to stick with freebase nicotine e-liquids and nic salt e-liquids.
menthol ice
sorbet lime lemon
blue raspberry
But with the rise of disposable vapes – and the high likelihood of upcoming legislation that targets disposable vape sales – they offer Elf Bar and Lost Mary fans a way to switch to a more affordable and less wasteful means of enjoying the same flavour and satisfaction.
Are Bar Salts and Nic Salts the Same?
Technically, bar salts and nic salts are the same. The best way to think of bar salts is as an evolution of your favorite 10ml nic salt e-liquid.
Bar salts are made in the same way as nicotine salts, with benzoic acid used to neutralise the alkalinity of the vape juice. This results in a smoother inhale and more pronounced flavour profiles. It also introduces nicotine to the bloodstream faster.
What differentiates bar salts from nic salts is the flavourings used. There was a time when freebase nicotine e-liquids, which contained increased levels of sweeteners and taste concentrates to tease your taste buds, were referred to as ‘Malaysian style’, however, this now appears to be the default method of bar salts production.
Another notable difference is that bar salts generally offer more nicotine strengths to choose from than either disposable vapes or nicotine salts, making it much easier for vapers to reduce their nicotine cravings over time with their favorite e-liquid flavours.
| E-liquid Type | Flavour | Strengths | Throat Hit | Vaping Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freebase e-liquid | Muted | Wide range (3mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg) | Strong | MTL, DTL |
| Nicotine Salts | Pronounced | Low range (typically 10mg, 20mg) | Low | MTL |
| Bar Salts | Intense | Wide range | Low | MTL |
What Are the Advantages of Bar Salts?
The most obvious advantage of bar salts is their more pronounced vape flavour, which, again, is due to the flavourings used. Other benefits of switching to bar salts are wider nicotine strength options and much better value than disposable vapes. Here is a closer look at each advantage of bar salts:
1. More Flavourful
Bar salts use higher concentrations of sweeteners and taste concentrates to deliver intense taste profiles, similar to those used in disposable vape kits like the Elf Bar and Lost Mary ranges. This makes vaping more pleasant than ever before and offers a degree of satisfaction that smoking cigarettes can’t match.
2. More Nicotine Strength Options
The majority of nic salt e-liquids are available in only 20mg, compliant with TPD restrictions regarding nicotine levels. Some ranges also offer 10mg. However, this pales in comparison with the lower strengths regularly available in traditional freebase vape juices. Bar salts combine the best of both worlds, with the flavours of nic salts meeting the nic strength variety of freebase e-liquid.
3. Better Value Than Disposables
While disposable vapes are delicious and can help you to quit smoking, purchasing them regularly can run up a cost similar to cigarette smoking. Bar salts increase cost savings, as once the initial purchase of a refillable vape kit is out of the way you can keep filling it up with low-cost bar salts at a fraction of the price of regular disposable vape purchases.
What Device Do I Need for Bar Salts?
When looking into vape kits that you intend to use for bar salts, ensure that you look into MTL vapes. Bar salts are uniformly made with 50 VG / 50 PG mix ratios, which results in a very thin and runny composition.
Sub-ohm or DTL vape kits will have trouble absorbing these thin liquids and will produce an uncomfortable level of vapour that won’t deliver a smoother throat hit.
MTL kits and pod systems only use small amounts of power to produce moderate levels of vapour and are fitted with coils specifically designed to catch and absorb thin bar juice e-liquids for ex-smokers. If you need our recommendations, check our review of the best MTL vape ktis.
What Bar Salt Should I Get?
Bar salts have seen a meteoric rise in both popularity and production to meet the new demand, resulting in a confusing sea of bar salt options. So, be sure to look for both disposable vape manufacturers like Elf Bar and Eluxtech producing their flavours for refillable vapes, as well as established e-liquid manufacturers like MIST, who recently launched their Bar Salts range.
If you want to be directed in the right direction, you can read our best bar salts review or check our top three choices below:
Our Top Three Bar Salt Recommendations Are:
- MIST Bar Salt Fresh Banana Ice
- Nasty Liq Mineral Water
- Cuttwood Bar Salts Tobacco Train
MIST Bar Salt Fresh Banana Ice
Best Bar Salt
9.6/10
Total
Features We Love
Banananana
Balance between natural and candy banana tastes
Pick Nic
Four nicotine strengths to choose from
Glacial Balance
Restrained ice doesn’t impact the flavour profile
Fresh Banana Ice, part of the new MIST Bar Salts range of nicotine salt e-liquids, delivers an unforgettable and unique taste profile that most MTL vapers will adore.
Mellow, creamy slices of freshly peeled banana are layered over a cooling bath of ice. The cold tones elevate the fruity flavour while also providing a welcome palate cleanse, making each inhale as refreshing as it is fruity.
Even better, Fresh Banana Ice offers a wide range of nicotine strength options, far more so than other bar salts e-liquids. 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, and 18mg options are available to suit any nicotine relief requirement.
Pros
- Tasty mellow banana flavour
- Well-balanced ice addition
- Numerous nicotine strengths
Cons
- No 0% version yet
- The banana taste could be a bit punchier
Price
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£1.99
Nasty Liq Mineral Water
Best for: Beverage
9.4/10
Total
Features We Love
Mountain Mew: Very familiar American soda flavour bar salts
Citrus Bliss: Zesty blend of orange, lemon and lime juices
Frosty Can: Ice gives it that ‘chilled beverage’ sensation
Now, this is something rather special. Nasty Juice is known for its super-sweet bar salts brewed in the Malaysian style, which encourages extra sweetness. So why would a company so familiar with tangy, zesty, strong flavours release a ‘mineral water’ flavour?
Well, here’s a hint: it’s not mineral water flavour. It tastes strikingly similar to a specific mixed-citrus American soda with a profile I won’t name here. But you can taste the lemons, limes, and oranges with a tasty beverage note enhanced by the well-balanced ice note.
Nastyliq Mineral Water is a memorable bar salts e-liquid that puts a flavour in your pod that you’d drink off a mountainside if you could dew.
Pros
- Deliciously sweet citrus vape
- Cool and frosty ‘from the fridge’ throat hit
- Suspiciously similar to a trendy US soft drink
Cons
- Fruit flavours are a bit less distinct than usual for Nasty Juice
- The intense frost might put some fruity vape fans off
Price
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£3.99
Cuttwood Bar Salts Tobacco Train
Best for: Tobacco
9.4/10
Total
Features We Love
Tobacco Reborn: Unique blend of tobacco and creamy banana
Gently Cool: The faintest hint of ice to elevate the flavours
It’s Toasted: Fragrant and aromatic US tobacco aroma
Tobacco e-liquid is blended with many other flavours, such as creams for a Cuban cigarillo note or menthol for that Newport refreshment. But leave it to the Americans to be so bold as to mix tobacco with banana notes for their bar salts.
Wait, don’t go! I was suspicious at first, but one good puff and I was a banana believer. The toasted and earthy tobacco note pairs perfectly with the sumptuous and creamy edge of banana pulp, with perhaps just a touch of coolness elevating the e-liquid flavours.
Tobacco Train by Cuttwood Bar Salts might seem like a weird combo, but trust me; one inhale on these bar salts and your taste-buds will realise that cigarettes can never replicate this kind of moreish tobacco taste.
Pros
- The earthy and warming tobacco taste
- Sumptuously creamy banana flavour
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Some will be too cowardly to try such a unique bar juice
- The faint ice is a little unusual with a creamy tobacco flavour
Price
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£3.49
Need More Help?
We hope this has helped you to understand the differences between bar salts and other varieties of e-liquids. If you feel that bar salts are what you need to help quit cigarettes or to move on from disposables, then visit the MIST online store and explore our diverse range of popular brands that are bound to satisfy your individual preferences.
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