Shortfill E-Liquid: Why It Doesn't Come With Nicotine

What Is Shortfill E-Liquid, The Short Answer

Open a shortfill bottle and you'll notice two things straight away. It isn't full, and there's no nicotine in it. Both are on purpose. The gap is left so you can drop in a nic shot if you want nicotine. If you don't, you just vape it at 0mg, exactly as it came.

If you searched for what is shortfill e-liquid, that's the answer in short. A few quick facts, so you've got them in one spot:

• It's sold at 0mg nicotine.
• The empty space in the bottle is deliberate.
• A 10ml nic shot fits in that space, or you can skip it.
• Sizes you'll see most are 50ml, 100ml and 200ml.

The rest of this guide fills in the detail. Why the nicotine is left out, what the sizes mean, which kits go well with it, and how to work out what to buy if you're getting plenty of bottles at once.

Shortfill in One Line

Think of a 50ml shortfill as a 60ml bottle holding 50ml of liquid. The spare 10ml is the room for one shot.

Shortfill vs a 10ml Bottle

A regular 10ml bottle comes full, and it may well have nicotine mixed in already. A shortfill is larger, has none, and lets you pick your own strength afterwards.

Why Shortfill E-Liquid Has No Nicotine in the Bottle

It comes down to a size limit. GOV.UK says a refill container with nicotine in it can't hold more than 10ml. The same page caps nicotine strength at 20mg/ml. Both rules sit on the UK e-cigarette rules page, dated 16 August 2024.

Now picture a 100ml bottle. It's ten times that limit. So it can't be sold with nicotine in it. What you get instead is a nicotine-free bottle, plus a separate 10ml shot that stays inside the rule.

You'll hear people call shortfill a loophole. It's simpler than that. The liquid is one product, the nicotine is another, and you put them together yourself. That's our own reading of the rule and not legal advice, so if the exact wording matters to you, have a look at the GOV.UK page.

It's also worth saying that shortfill isn't a special type of vape juice. It's ordinary e-liquid with the nicotine left out and a bit of room left in the bottle.

You'll also see "short fill" or "shortfill vape juice" in shops. All three mean the same thing. The bottle is short of full, and the gap is for the shot.

Bottle Sizes You Will See: 50ml, 100ml, 200ml and 500ml

The big number on the front is the liquid. The bottle is a bit bigger than that, and the difference is your shot room.

Spot the pattern: every extra 50ml of liquid buys you room for one more shot. We've put "check the label" against 500ml e-liquids because very large bottles can be laid out differently, and we'd rather say so than guess.

A small thing catches people out. A "50ml shortfill" doesn't hold 50ml in total. It holds 50ml of liquid inside a bigger bottle. Look at both numbers when you shop, so you know how many shots will fit.

Never done this before? Start with 50ml. One bottle, one shot, and that's it. The whole 50ml e-liquid range is on one page.

The Empty Space in the Bottle Is There on Purpose

It does look like somebody forgot to finish filling it. Nobody did. That gap is the most useful part of the bottle.

Please don't top it up with extra liquid. If you do, the shot won't fit, and you'll be pouring some away to make room.

To give you a feel for it, take a 100ml bottle. Two 18mg shots land you at about 3mg, and one shot gets you to roughly 1.6mg. The full sums and a chart are in our mixing maths guide, so there's no point repeating them here.

Bigger bottles work the same way. With a 100ml bottle, you add two shots, shake, and you're done.

Using Shortfill As It Comes, With No Shot Added

You really don't have to add anything. Shortfill is made to work at 0mg. Plenty of people buy it for that reason alone, and it's ready the second you open it.

Want nicotine? It takes about a minute:

1. Take the nozzle off the shortfill bottle.
2. Pour in the whole shot.
3. Press the nozzle and cap back on firmly.
4. Give it a good shake and let it rest a little while.

On a 100ml bottle you do the same pour twice, once for each shot. The 100ml bottles all leave room for two.

One thing to know: most shots have no flavour of their own, so they can make a liquid taste slightly lighter. A few shots, such as an ice shot, add a cooling taste instead. That's general vaping advice rather than something measured, so try it on one bottle first and see what you think.

Nicotine is for adults only, so anyone buying should be 18 or over.

Which Kits Suit Shortfill? VG and PG in Plain Words

All vape liquid is a blend of two bases. VG is the thick one and PG is the thin one. The label tells you the split, usually something like 70VG/30PG or 50VG/50PG.

That table is general vaping advice, not a maker's rule, so check what your own kit says before you buy.

Here's how it looks on our shelves. Nasty Juice 50ml is 70VG/30PG, a thick mix meant for sub-ohm kits. V Blood 50ml is 50VG/50PG, and the sources we checked say that suits mouth-to-lung and pod devices as well. So the word "shortfill" on its own tells you nothing about your kit. The VG and PG split does.

More VG doesn't mean better, only thicker. Some people love the soft feel of a thick liquid. Others find a thinner one tastes cleaner. Neither is wrong.

If a liquid is too thick for a small pod, it can struggle to soak into the coil, and you may get a weak or burnt taste. When you're not sure, 50VG/50PG is the safer pick.

Shortfill or Nic Salt: Picking the Right Liquid

These are two separate ways of buying the same sort of thing. Shortfill is a big bottle with no nicotine, and you add a shot. Nic salt liquid normally comes in a small 10ml bottle with nicotine already inside.

Curious what nic salts are, and why people call them smooth? Our page on nic salts explained starts from scratch.

Shortfill gives you a bit more say in things. You can go for a lighter mix one week and a stronger one the next, all from the same size of bottle. A nic salt bottle is fixed the moment you buy it.

So which one? If you like a big bottle and want to set your own strength, go shortfill. If you'd rather not mix anything, a nic salt bottle is less fuss.

Shortfill E-Liquid Bulk: Counting Bottles and a Box of 25 Nic Shots

For a shortfill e-liquid bulk order, work out the shots at the same time as the bottles. Bottles first, then shots:

• 50ml takes 1 shot.
• 100ml takes 2.
• 200ml takes 4.

If each shot is 10ml, a Box of 25 nic shots covers 25 bottles of 50ml, or 12 bottles of 100ml with a shot to spare. Check the shot size on the label, then swap in your own numbers. The full lineup of 15mg, 18mg and 20mg shots, in different thicknesses, sits in our nic shot collection. A shortfill e-liquid bulk order is only a longer list of the same small sums.

Try to keep each batch at one strength. A shelf with 3mg and 6mg bottles side by side gets confusing quickly, so jot the strength on each bottle once it's mixed.

Store spares upright somewhere cool and out of direct sun, with the caps on tight. The best before date on the label shows how long a bottle keeps. Check it on delivery and use the oldest ones first.

We don't put prices in our guides, so ask us about stock and pack sizes for any bigger order.

Shortfill E-Liquid Wholesale: Choosing Flavours and Sizes

Buying shortfill e-liquid wholesale mostly comes down to two decisions, size and flavour. The rest, like the shots and the VG split, follows from those.

On size, ask yourself how quickly you get through a bottle. If you only vape a little, 50ml will last without going stale on the shelf. If you get through plenty, a bigger bottle saves you refilling so often. The Five Pawns 100ml is a good example of the middle size.

If you go through a lot, or you share with others, the very large bottles may be worth a look. Have a browse of the 500ml bottles, and check each label for how much shot room it has.

On flavour, try a bottle or two of anything new before you stock up. Taste is personal, and something that sounds lovely on the label might not suit you. Keep to the same VG and PG split across a batch so every bottle behaves the same in your kit.

Keep notes as you go. A short list of what you bought, what size it was and how many shots you used makes the next order quicker. After two or three orders you'll know your numbers without thinking.

And match your shots to your liquid. With a 70VG shortfill, a 70VG shot keeps the mix close to what the maker intended.

Reading the Label Before You Open the Bottle

A shortfill label is short, but it holds nearly everything you need. Before you open the bottle, look for:

1. The liquid size, such as 50ml or 100ml.
2. The VG and PG split.
3. The nicotine amount, which should read 0mg.
4. The flavour name and the batch code.
5. The best before date.
6. A child-resistant cap and a tamper seal, where the bottle has them.

Keep bottles away from children and pets. When you add a shot, do it over a tray or a cloth in case of spills, and wash your hands afterwards. Once nicotine is in, treat the bottle as a nicotine product: label it and store it with care.

Missing or unclear label details are worth a question to the seller before you use the bottle. We're happy to answer questions about anything we sell.

Questions Buyers Ask

What is shortfill e-liquid?

Put simply, what is shortfill e-liquid? It's vape liquid sold at 0mg nicotine in a bottle with spare room. The room lets you add nic shots to reach a strength you choose.

Why does shortfill have no nicotine?

UK rules limit a nicotine refill container to 10ml. Shortfill bottles are bigger than that, so they're sold with no nicotine and the shot is bought apart.

Can I vape shortfill without adding a nic shot?

Yes. It's made to work at 0mg, as it comes in the bottle.

How many nic shots fit in a shortfill bottle?

One shot fits in a 60ml bottle with 50ml of liquid. Two fit in a 120ml bottle with 100ml. Four fit in a 240ml bottle with 200ml.

Does a nic shot change the flavour?

It can make the liquid taste a little lighter, because most shots are plain. Many vapers don't notice it.

Is a shortfill e-liquid bulk order mixed in the same way?

Yes. The shots per bottle stay the same. A Box of 25 nic shots covers 12 bottles of 100ml shortfill.

Can I buy shortfill e-liquid wholesale with different flavours?

For a shortfill e-liquid wholesale order, you can choose different flavours. Try to keep the same VG and PG split so they all suit your kit. Ask us about stock.

Can I use a nic salt shot in a shortfill?

Some people do. Our range includes 20mg nic salt shots as well as 15mg and 18mg shots. A stronger shot gives a higher final strength, so check the number on the shot label and do the sum before you mix.

How long does a shortfill last once I add a shot?

We can't give one number, because it depends on the liquid and how you store it. Check the best before date on the bottle. Keep it cool, dark and shut tight.

What is the strongest I can make from a shortfill?

With 18mg shots, a 60ml bottle with 50ml of liquid gives about 3mg with one shot. A 120ml bottle with 100ml gives about 3mg with two. To go higher, you'd have to pour some liquid out first, as our mixing guide shows.

Do all shortfills suit all vape kits?

No. A 70VG/30PG liquid suits sub-ohm tanks, while a 50VG/50PG liquid such as V Blood 50ml also fits many pod kits. Check what your kit says.