Premium E-Liquid vs. 'Budget' Blends – Not All Juice is Created Equal

Okay, you're a savvy shopper – you've seen the brands we stock here at Breazy in your local vape shops, and you know we've got the best prices and selection on the web when it comes to premium juice lines. But you've also seen the 'bargain' juice lines offering what seem like insanely-low prices for massive quantities of e-liquid. What gives?

First off, we're going to have to preface this with a few precautionary statements: we don't know what goes on in every mixing laboratory – we place faith in our suppliers mixing in a clean room environment with first-run, USP food-grade ingredients. We'd like to believe everyone in the industry does the same, but if you've spent any time on vape forums you've probably seen at least a thread or two involving a cut-rate vendor or a local shop's 'house' juice being mixed in less-than-ideal conditions. This is one of the reasons we stick with known and trusted brands.

We've also got to add that, like most everything else in vaping, the 'your mileage may vary' caveat applies – we all have individual tastes, and some vapers place a higher value on a top-quality product than others – how much taste matters and how much you're actually vaping will go a long way toward determining what's right for you.

There are two main components in your e-liquid: bases and flavors. In each of these categories, there are higher-and-lower quality options. Let's explore…

First, the bulk of the juice you're vaping is made up of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) – we delve into what these compounds are in more detail on other posts, but both come in a high-grade, fit-for-human-consumption version – ANY liquid you're going to consider vaping should use USP-grade bases, there are no ifs, ands, or buts to be had about this.

The other component in your base is the nicotine – higher-grade manufacturers will use a purer, fresher nicotine base – if your nic is exposed to light or oxygen it begins to degrade and oxidize, giving off a harsh or peppery flavor – this is easily masked by tobacco vapes, where oxidization may actually contribute to the flavor, but it's entirely out of place in fruity or bakery flavors.

Moving on to flavors, there are really only a small handful of flavor extract companies supplying not only the e-liquid industry but the whole 'give me an X that tastes like Y' industry as a whole. An even smaller group of these flavor suppliers is attentive to the e-liquid industry, monitoring for chemical compounds that may be safe to eat but not so savory to inhale and reformulating their recipes to create a safer product for vapers. It's worth a quick internet search for terms like 'diketone' and 'diacetyl' to learn a bit more about compounds some vapers find objectionable.

Assuming (and we can do no better than assume) that a particular discount vendor is using quality ingredients and mixing them in a suitably clean facility, the next question to come up relates to how much time and effort goes into crafting a recipe.

Basic brands are good for basic flavors – if you want a single-note strawberry or vanilla, you may be best served going with a cut-rate brand. After all, anyone can take 10% strawberry extract, add 1% nicotine, 9% PG, and 80% VG and call it a cloud-chasing e-liquid. Where premium liquids shine is in the creativity the lab staff of their respective brands exhibit.

This is also where we shine at Breazy – pop on over to our other blog and check out some of the flavor profiles we've been adding lately. You won't find many single notes, instead we're focusing on full-bodied, rich flavor experiences you'll savor to the last drop.

For those of you who prefer a richer, bolder experience from your vape – you're in luck! We've been watching more and more new players enter the vape juice market over the last year; many have honed their craft to an art form before bringing a single product to market. This competition has only one beneficiary – you. As selection grows, prices begin to work their way down – and we don't see this trend stalling any time soon. If you're looking to get a bigger bang for your buck, check out some of our supplier like One Hit Wonder (a misnomer in a name if we've ever seen one – they've got a handful of flavors we absolutely love!). There are now a handful of ultra-premium mixers offering their nectar in bulk – all the better for you to take advantage and buy into a top-notch brand for a fraction of the price. How do you say no to that?