JUUL Australia & Best Alternative Pod Vapes

Battery: 550mAh | Wattage: 11W | Capacity: 2mL

One of the more well known pod vapes on the market, the CALIBURN might seem a little small to be named after King Arthur’s legendary sword in the stone, but it’s one hell of a machine. It uses a proprietary flavor technology, called Pro-FOCS, to soothingly apply the full taste of your chosen e-juice on the tip of your tongue.

I found myself enjoying the dual fire option. Being able to pick between an automatic draw or button fired activation is quite nice. I had a great time carrying around this vape, it’s so unobtrusive that I’d completely forgotten it was in my pocket multiple times throughout the day.

I had to check several times to make sure it was still there, but whatever minute panic I felt was eased away by the calming and thick vapor produced by this small powerhouse. It’s not comparable to what you’d get out of a dripper, but the clouds you can make with the CALIBURN isn’t anything to sneeze at.

Another aspect of the design I find great is that the pod itself acts as the mouthpiece. Better yet, the pods are easily refillable. Enough so that I didn’t feel the need to carry around extra pods when a small e-juice bottle did the job well enough. The battery is also powerful enough that you can vape for a few hours without having to worry about charging it up.

I did have one issue with this device, however. It tends to hiss and spit with sweeter juices. You’d probably get the same problem with an e-liquid mixture that uses a higher PG concentration due to the thickness.

Battery: 1100mAh | Wattage: 10-15W | Capacity: 3mL

While on the fatter side compared to its competitors, the extra heft of the Nord comes with big pods and a bigger battery. This upgraded design of the Novo also uses pods with bigger windows, easily allowing you to gauge how much e-juice you have left.

I loved carrying this vape around. The batteries are powerful enough that I didn’t have to worry about charging it throughout the day, and the extra 1ml worth of juice it holds meant I didn’t actually need the second pod I brought with me.

Most of the time, anyway. As long as you’re aware of how much juice you got left, it’s easy to ‘ration’ out the number and length of your draws for a full day of vaping. It got to the point where I’d forget to refill a pod, but stopped worrying about it after realizing that 3ml lasts for most, if not all, of my usual work day.

And don’t even get me started on how this machine can use both standard and mesh coils. Being a huge fan of mesh, I had to give it a try. With the level of cloud production and taste mesh is known for, I found myself pleasantly unsurprised at the high quality of both categories.

What’s great about this device is how awesome it is for entry level vapers. Being able to use three different types of coils, the Nord starts is an excellent starting point to begin researching RBAs, or rebuildable atomizers.

Now the coils themselves are a proprietary design, so replacing them isn’t difficult. But it makes you wonder what else you can do with a bigger box mod.

Battery: 800mAh | Wattage: 15.5W | Capacity: 2.0ml

This adorable design from Innokin brings with it the one function the previous entrant of the list was lacking. The ability to manually adjust the wattage being fed into the coils.

This ‘boost’ mode allows for you to get masterfully close to a true MTL style of vaping. With the capability of swapping between 13.5 and 15.5, you’ll get to choose the type of draw you want to go for.

And it’s incredibly easy to do with only one button on the device. Just turn it off, hold down the firing button, and wait for it to change colors to the mode you want. Then turn it back on and get to vaping!

I’m incredibly impressed at this level of customization afforded by a pod vape of all things. Sure, two watts doesn’t sound like much, but you’ll notice the difference in flavour, vapour production, and the feeling you get when breathing in vapourized e-juice.

About the only issue I have with this device is that the coils are integrated into the pods. Some of you might also not appreciate the stronger nicotine hit in the boost mode, but that’s easily adjustable.

Battery: 950mAh | Wattage: 40W | Capacity: 3ml

If you are looking for a top of the line vape pod the Lost Vape Orion DNA GO is the perfect choice. Easy enough for beginners to use the Orion also sports a range of features that you can tinker with to find the perfect draw to suit your personal taste.

The device very solid, yet lightweight and looks very cool – think mini walky-talky. The premium alloy shell with carbon fiber panels on the Orion have excellent grip and the whole device feels quality. The combination a EVOLV DNA chip and the Escribe software (First for a pod device) is a first in a pod device.

The Suorin Drop is an interestingly designed pod vape. So interesting that SMOK decided to copy its quirky profile. The Suorin Drop has a battery capacity of 300mah, good for half a day of vaping. If you plan to use this as a main device, be sure to bring your charger, or you can get multiple Suorin Drops if you so wish.

The Suorin Drop comes in a variety of colors – black, tiffany blue, yellow, brushed gunmetal, and red. Perfect for those who want their devices to match their personalities. It is quite thin, measuring at just 12mm and stands at about 12mm, easily pocket-able. Good thing it doesn’t leak easily.

Performance-wise, the Drop vapes fantastic. It’s aimed at MTL users so don’t expect to chase clouds here. Flavor it top-notch as well, something many other pod vapes can’t manage. However, the Drop often misfires on me. Whether it’s a one-off with my unit, I’m not sure, but overall it’s a nice, interesting device that performs great when it works.

At first glance, you will notice how the BO One from BO Vaping looks a lot like a JUUL. But unlike the JUUL, the BO One offers more accessories and has a wider range of flavors available. Pods are not refillable though, which can be a deal breaker for some.

The BO One comes with a magnetic USB charger, though you can purchase a portable charging station with 1500mAh of power, good for about three to four recharges. It costs extra but the BO Power charging station is worth it especially if you plan on making the BO One as your all-day vape device.

Pods are equipped with Fiber Freaks wicks, ensuring you don’t get any wicking issues. Switching pods is very easy, literally plug-and-play. You don’t get leaks too, which is a huge plus.

The BO One has a loose MTL draw to it, though don’t expect to chuck clouds here. Overall, the BO One is an elegant solution to your search for a nice JUUL alternative.

Lung hits are still possible, though with a restricted airflow.

The new Aspire Breeze 2 addresses everything that limited the success of the original. It now has a much improved refillable pod system, and it looks better too.

The battery is now 1000mAh, which for a device this small, is more than enough to last a day of vaping.

Pods are easily detached with a new release function and can be filled with up to 3ml of eliquid. The Breeze 2 still uses the same U-tech coils as the original, though it can now offer a true MTL experience.

Lung hits are still possible, though with a restricted airflow.

At first glance, you might mistake the SMOK Rolo Badge with the Suorin Drop, another pod vape device with the same spade-like shape. However, where the Suorin Drop lets you vape on the pointed end, the Rolo Badge is inverted, the drip tip is on the wide end.

The Rolo Badge is a well-made piece of tech, made of zinc-alloy and weighs a fair bit (about 70 grams). Refilling is easy if you have a needle-tip bottle, and the pods are magnetic, so you won’t get any satisfying clicks here.

The device offers a true MTL draw, though it’s a bit looser than others. Still, it works great and should appease many MTL vapers.

The Gusto Mini from Aspire is another powerful contender out to dethrone the JUUL. Shaped like a small box mod rather than a pen-style device, the Gusto Mini will appeal more to those who come from using box mods.

Despite the shape, the Gusto Mini is ergonomic, portable, and most importantly, easy to use. It has a whopping 900mAh battery, compared to the 200mAh one on the JUUL, and is able to put out up to 17 watts of power.

The Gusto Mini uses pods with a 4.2ml capacity and comes pre-filled with Halo eliquid flavors. However, they don’t come in 0 mg nicotine, which can be a problem since this is definitely not a mouth to lung device. But if you are fine with lung vaping on low strength nicotine, the Gusto is one of the best JUUL alternatives out there.

A more traditional copy of the JUUL, the Kandypens RUBI manages to one-up the original by offering refillable pods.

Shaped like the JUUL but powered by a slightly larger battery, the RUBI is one of the best alternatives to the JUUL. Its vapor production is impressive for its size, flavor is nothing to sneeze at, and leaks and spitbacks are virtually non-existent.

However, the device is far from perfect. It doesn’t support pass-through charging, which can be a deal breaker for some, and with the way it’s designed, you have no way of knowing the eliquid level. You can top off often to ensure you don’t run out of ejuice in the middle of a drive or walk, but this oversight can be a hassle.

However, despite the drawbacks, the Kandypens RUBI remains as one of the best pod vapes in the market today. And about the battery? It comes with a lifetime warranty.

Another pod vape device that doesn’t follow the pen style mold is the Suorin Air Kit. Just about the size of a credit card, it still manages to be portable and works as a stealthy option for those used to big, bulky mods.

The design is similar to a smart phone, making it sleek and elegant. The color choices all look great as well, giving the device a classy look. Inside, a 400mAh battery powers the kit, double the capacity of the JUUL. It vapes at a constant 16 watts of power, which is another plus, and the throat hit is great.

The kit can hold up to 2ml of ejuice and has a 1.2ohm coil, perfect for a MTL vape. If you are looking for a direct lung hit, this might work only if you like a restricted hit. Cartridges are refillable as well, making the Air Kit a more consumer friendly device than the JUUL.

Though battery life may not last you the whole day, the Suorin Air Kit’s size and practicality more than makes up for it. Definitely worth a look if you are on the market for a pod vape.

We can’t have a list of JUUL alternatives without adding Wismec’s My Jet. It is perhaps the closest to a JUUL as you can find in the market today. Though it matches the JUUL in style and portability, the MyJet has certain advantages.

If you put the JUUL and MyJet together, you’ll find that the MyJet is a bit longer and a shade wider. To compensate for this added heft, the MyJet is round shaped, for a better tactile experience, than the squared off corners of the JUUL.

Where MyJet one-ups the JUUL is in the pods. Though you can get pre-filled pods for it, you can opt to purchase refillable ones as well. This lets you fill the pods with your favorite ejuice. Though Wismec doesn’t add rebuildable options, some enterprising vapers have found a way to rebuild the coils in it for added longevity.

The MyJet is a mouth to lung device, with the draw being pretty tight. Cloud chasers won’t be looking at pod devices in the first place, and the target market of these kinds of models are those who are looking for the analog experience. Firing the device is done via automatic switch, staying true to the analog simulation.

The battery is rated at 350mAh, about double than that of the JUUL and the ejuice capacity is at 1.2ml (the JUUL can hold up to 0.7ml only).

For a great alternative to the JUUL, the MyJet is near the top of the list. The option to choose between pre-filled or refillable pods can be the deal breaker when choosing between this or the JUUL.

My Favourite Pod Vape of the Bunch

I have to admit, this was a tough one. Each one of these vapes did me solid as a daytime carry option. And while each had their pros and cons, there is pod vape of the three that is a solid winner.

The SMOK Nord wins this one.

My most important criteria is that the device in question had to fulfill the requirements the JUUL was designed to fill. It needed to be easy to carry, simple to use, and most importantly, provide an entry level substitute to smoking without being a chore to learn.

The Nord beats out all the others due to its larger e-liquid capacity and battery life. While all the vapes on this list are super simple to use, the one thing former smokers worry most often about, is whether or not a vape is going to last through the day.

The device by SMOK has more than enough battery life to last for a full day of use, and the juice contained in a single pod is enough for most former smokers who are getting their feet wet. There’s even just enough e-liquid that while you’ll have enough to get through the day, it’s easy to cut down on your nicotine intake when you start factoring in the limited juice capacity.

What is a pod vape?

Now we know that we cannot yet buy the juul in Australia, but lets look first at what exactly the alternatives in size and design actually offer.

In essence, a pod vape is a step higher than a cig-a-like, and a step lower than your VW box mod. It’s usually shaped like a vape pen, though there some shaped like a small box mod, a badge, and even a credit card. It offers much more versatility and customization than a vape pen however.

What sets pod vapes apart from the usual starter mods is that instead of a drip atomizer or tank, pod vapes use e-juice pods (hence the name).

These are small tanks with a coil built-in, that can be replaced as easily as plugging in a USB drive. Some pods are pre-filled, though there are some that can be refilled with your e-juice flavour of choice.

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Refillable vs pre-filled pod systems

As mentioned, there are two types of pods available for use in pod vapes – refillable and pre-filled.

Refillable systems use pods that come empty and users can fill it with any e-juice they so desire. These can refilled as long as the coil holds up. The only time you’ll need to replace it is when the coil burns out or if it cracks.

While refillable pods are not marketed as rebuildable, there are some industrious vapers who find ways. It’s not easy, but if you don’t want to spend too much on refillable pods, you can always rebuild it.

As for pre-filled systems, these are pre-filled by the manufacturer. They come in various flavours, though these are usually limited.

Designed to be used once then thrown away, pre-filled pods are for those who don’t want to bother with refilling, and by extension the leaks and mess that come with it.

Pre-filled pods can be swapped out anytime, enabling you to change flavors on the fly. You can do this with refillable pods too of course, unlike tanks where one has to empty out the e-juice and fill it with a new one. Not to mention having to replace the wick to get rid of the old flavour.

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Who should use pod vapes?

Pod vapes are perfect for users who don’t want to fiddle around with coils and wicks, don’t want to bring around huge mods, and usually, those who prefer high nicotine e-liquid. A high nic content sacrifices clouds for a satisfying throat hit.

Vapers who only care about their nicotine fix and don’t care much for clouds or rebuilding should check out pod vapes. The only maintenance you need for these devices is to charge them regularly, clean them, and to refill (if using refillable pods).

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Benefits of pod vapes

• Stealthy
• Easily transportable
• Resistant to leaks
• Easy to use
• No rebuilding of coils
• No rewicking needed
• Can swap out flavours on the fly

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Downsides of pod vapes

• You can’t customize your vape
• Cloud chasing is impossible
• Heavy vapers need to recharge constantly

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Nicotine Salt E-Juices : Best for Juul Australia Alternative Vapes

All of the above are refillable so you can just fill it up with your e-liquid and you are good to go. However, pod devices tend to lessen the throat hit if compared with regular mods and atomizers. That said, to get the most out of your pod device, using nicotine salt e-liquid is the best.

Stronger throat hit when used with regular mods, but when coupled with pod devices, the throat hit is just perfect. JUUL uses a 5% concentration of nicotine salts and it is best to start there. If you find the hit to be too harsh, you can go for a lower percentage. I you find it too weak, gradually up the concentration of the nic salts til you find the best hit for you.

All the pod devices above are compatible with nicotine salts and in fact, work best with it. Whatever you choose, all it boils down is what feels right to you.