PG or VG – Which is Better?
You ask, we answer. And this week, you’re asking that of PG or VG, which is better?
The short answer is of course, neither.
But you’re not here for a short answer. Especially one that tells you nothing. So instead of pretending we’re someone’s mum and that they love all of their kids equally, we’re going to look at our PG liquids and our VG liquids and explain why asking which is better just raises one more question.
Why do you ask?
The Difference Between PG and VG
We’ll try to keep this simple.
PG, or Propylene Glycol, is the substance your eliquid’s flavourings dissolve into. Think of it as the flour in the cake. Sure, it’s not exciting – it’s just flour – but without it, nothing would mix together.
VG, or Vegetable Glycerin provides the mouthfeel. It’s the eggs and the butter. Without it, you’d just have sugary bread. It wouldn’t be rich, or moist. It’d be a perfectly fine thing to eat, but it wouldn’t be as luxurious as you’d perhaps hoped.
Cake metaphors aside, PG also provides a throat hit and helps your vape’s wick absorb the eliquid, and VG makes things a little sweeter.
So let’s look at which is best in various circumstances.
Best for Flavour? PG.
If you want sharp flavour, you want a PG e liquid. The PG is totally tasteless, so it doesn’t affect flavour. It keeps tobacco flavours toasty, mint flavours clean, and fruity flavours sharp. VG is slightly sweet in flavour, so it can tone down or mute some flavours.
Best for Clouds? VG.
VG vape juice is designed to be used with box mods for one purpose and one purpose alone.
Cloud chasing.
An 80% VG liquid will produce quite staggering quantities of cloud, because it’s the VG in the juice which turns into visible, thick vapour. It doesn’t matter about your vape or your technique, without a high VG juice, you’ll be left with thin, wispy clouds that are barely worth the name!
Best for the Experience? It Depends.
OK, this one is down to personal preference. If you like a strong throat hit, you’ll want PG. It’s a more cigarette-like experience, and you’ll vape the same way that you smoke. This is what the vaping industry refers to as Mouth-to-Lung (MTL).
But if you want a thick, luxurious and almost chewy mouthfeel, it’s all about that sweet, sticky VG. You’ll inhale this directly, totally unlike a cigarette, and the experience is nothing like smoking.
So really, it depends on what you’re looking for.
So Which Should You Choose?
It’s going to come down to personal preference.
Choose PG and a non-sub-ohm vape if you like:
- Sharper flavours
- Thinner clouds
- A harsher throat hit
Choose VG and a box mod if you like:
- Sweet, creamy flavour
- Huge clouds
- A sticky, chewy mouthfeel