What is the number 1 vape?

The world of vape kits just gets larger and larger as the years go by. Maybe ten years ago your options were a little narrower, but we’re living in the second decade of the 21st century and vaping is now so widespread and popular that you’re spoiled for choice when trying to determine whose hardware you should be puffing vape juice from.

Vaping, as with any industry intended to provide a much-needed service for improved quality of life, does attract some casual chancers, companies without the expertise or know-how to produce great vaping kits, mods, tanks and coils.

Today we’d like to enshrine a selection of top vape brands, the best vape manufacturers currently providing vapers worldwide with the best vape kits that you can invest in to make the necessary move away from smoke, comfortable in the knowledge that your vape kit was manufactured by professional, reliable vape brands who know what they’re doing and have received a general nod of legitimacy from the broader vaping landscape.

This list has been compiled through a mixture of our collective professional experience, customer testimony and sales figures. By analysing all these elements we feel we can provide a neutral aggregate to highlight which are the best vape manufacturers in the world today.

Without wishing to waste any more time, let’s take a look at some of the best vape companies around!

The 10 Best Vape Brands & Manufacturers are:

1. Innokin
2. SMOK
3. Aspire
4. Voopoo
5. Uwell
6. Geekvape
7. Elf Bar
8. Vaporesso
9. Freemax
10. Wotofo

Innokin

Score: 10/10

Innokin are considered one of the best vape manufacturers in the world, due in no small part to their focus on producing reliable and simple-to-use vape starter kits.

Pros

• Simple to use
• Widely available coils
• Excellent starter kits

Cons

• Designs a little simplistic for some enthusiasts
• Not much in the way of sub-ohm

Features We Love

• Starter Masters: Producers of the very best starter kits in the world 
• User Friendly: Simple interfaces and a focus on ease-of-use 
• MTL FTW: While sub-ohm is available, Innokin know their strengths well 

Originally founded at the very start of the vape age in 2011, Innokin are a Chinese vape manufacturer who initially got their start with the production of simple sub-ohm vape tanks like the iSub VE, intended for use with high VG (vegetable glycerin) e-liquid that produce more vapour.

Since then, Innokin have carved out an enviable position as manufacturers of the most popular vape starter kits in the world. Since the release of the original Endura T18E Kit it’s been hit after starter kit hit, with their latest traditional starter kit – The Endura T22 Pro – being the most popular starter kit we sell at the time of writing.

Recently Innokin have cleaned up with awards for their new Innokin Klypse Pod Kit, having taken the Best Pod Kit crown in the VapingPost and VapExpo 2022 awards among others. If you or someone you know are looking to make that first step away from cigarette smoking with a refillable kit, you can’t make a better choice than Innokin, makers of the best vapes for beginners.

Most Popular: Endura T22 Pro Kit
Price Range: £2.99 – £43.99

SMOK

Score: 9/10

SMOK are one of the best vape brands for both traditional sub-ohm vape kits and versatile pod kits, something they were centrally involved in promoting as an equally effective form of vape kit.

Pros

• Power yet portable sub-ohm pod kits
• Classic dual-battery box vape mod designs
• Creators of the popular Nord vape series

Cons

• Not many selections for beginner kits
• Coils can be confusing at times

Features We Love

• Sub-Ohm Supremes: Manufacturers of world-class sub-ohm kits 
• Pod Revolution: Changed the way we look at pod kits 
• Cloudy Coils: Coils designed explicitly for increased vapour production 

Founded in Shenzhen, China way back in 2010, SMOK have been present for all iterations and evolutions of vape design, and have been a foundational influence on the entire history of vape production. Initially finding their footing with big and bulky sub-ohm mod kits such as the classic Alien 220 and AL85 kits, SMOK eventually surprised everyone by moving into pod vape production.

At a time when pod vapes were considered a somewhat secondary affair to traditional vape mods, SMOK’s tenacity and design brilliance resulting in top-rated pod vape ranges such as the SMOK Nord and RPM devices, which changed the way we all look at pod vapes and brought complete legitimacy to that vaping style.

SMOK have rightfully earned many industry accolades over the years as one of the top vape brands, having taken Best Pod at the 2021 Vapouround Awards and Best Pod Mod in the 2020 Egypt Electric Cigarette Show.

Most Popular: SMOK RPM 5 Kit
Price Range: £2.99 – £63.99

Aspire

Score: 9/10

Aspire’s journey began back in 2013 and has seen them take on many guises, each of which carries an element of the unmistakable Aspire design that favours sleek builds.

Pros

• Cigarette style vaping
• Great battery capacities
• Phenomenal Nautilus coil series

Cons

• Sub-ohm offers a secondary concern
• Glass designs are notably breakable

Features We Love

• Sleek Designs: Gorgeous classic steel/glass designs 
• Flavour Fans: New Aspire AF Coils series prioritises flavour 
• Cig Style: Devices like Vilter series excellent for a cigarette replacement 

Aspire have proven themselves to be one of the top vape brands; their MTL pod kits like the Aspire Flexus Q have been as popular and well-received as their sub-ohm tank offerings such as the Cleitio Pro. But it’s in the realm of coils that Aspire’s fame truly shines; since the release of the original Nautilus tank, the Nautilus coil series has provided hundreds of thousands of vapers with satisfying hits and great flavour. Many Aspire tanks are compatible with the Nautilus coil range, and as it spans the range from 0.4ohms to 1.8ohms it’s a ludicrously versatile range for all styles of vaping.

Aspire are proof that sometimes you can’t beat the classics, with their now fairly seasoned Aspire PockeX vape pen having won 2nd place in the 2021 Ecigclick Awards for Best Vape Pen, and in the very same awards show they took 2nd place for Best Tank: MTL with the Aspire Nautilus GT Tank, the latest iteration of their classic vape tank range.

Most Popular: Aspire PockeX Kit
Price Range: £1.99 – £48.99

Voopoo

Score: 9/10

Voopoo are a relative newcomer to the world of vape brands, having been founded in 2016. The brains behind Voopoo have however been involved in the medical and industrial automation fields since way back in 2010, and that engineering foundation shines through with all their work in the vaping industry.

Pros

• Sleek and ergonomic builds
• Pod/tank hybrid designs
• Several very small and discreet pod kits

Cons

• Tendency to give their kits wide mouthpieces
• MTL kits good but a bit of a second thought

Features We Love

• Up And Coming: Relatively new company with incredible early offerings 
• Pod Plumes: Pod kits that serve as excellent primary sub-ohm kits 
• Chip Chaps: GENE chipset series provides excellent protection and ignition times 

Blessed by an unmatched proficiency for eye-catching, streamlined designs, Voopoo initially made waves with the release of the original DRAG box mod vape products, dual-battery setups designed for the largest possible cloud outputs and fast ignition speeds which are in part thanks to their partnership with the electrical engineering GENE Corporation, manufacturers of sophisticated electronic chipsets.

It was following the release of the DRAG S Pod Kit that Voopoo became a household name in vaping, with sub-ohm pod kits that could challenge even vape industry titans like SMOK.

In 2022 Voopoo cleaned up at the Vapouround Awards, taking home the Best Pod, Best Mod and highly coveted Best Manufacturer awards and firmly solidifying their status as one of the premier vape manufacturers in the world.

Most Popular: Voopoo Seal Pod Kit
Price Range: £4.99 – £69.99

Uwell

Score: 8/10

Founded back in 2015, Uwell made their first forays into vape products with the release of the very popular Crown tank, which would go on to be the first of five incredibly popular sub-ohm tanks designed to produce a vast amount of clouds loaded with clear flavours. The release of the Nunchaku tank further impressed sub-ohm vapers and made Uwell a company to watch closely.

Pros

• Good selection of both MTL pods and sub-ohm tanks
• Stylish designs
• Disposable pods and changeable coils

Cons

• Pod kits can be awkward to refill
• Lack of design cohesion across pod kits and sub-ohm vapes

Features We Love

• CBD FTW: Pod kits like Caliburn series work excellently as CBD vapes 
• Cloud Tanks: Incredible cloud tanks like Crown series and Nunchaku 
• Innovators: Novel designs like vibration alerts 

It was in 2019 that Uwell released the first Caliburn pod vape kit, an extremely slimline and lightweight pod vape kit that, while adopting the size dimensions of certain pre-filled vaping devices, granted vapers the chance to select their own e-liquids and made it clear that pod e-cigarettes were absolutely not to be looked at as a fad or gimmick.

Uwell’s pod vape pens have proven very popular with CBD vapers due to their discreet designs and easy transportation. In 2022 Uwell brought home the runner-up prize for Best Tank in the Vapouround Awards for the Valyrian III Tank, proving that despite their new affinity for pod vape kits they haven’t lost any of the old sub-ohm magic.

Most Popular:Caliburn G
Price Range: £3.99 – £79.99

Geekvape

Score: 8/10

Geekvape are defined by a single word in vape design: durability. Vapes are generally quite fragile; it’s a steel & glass device which is often prone to breaking when dropped. But when it’s a Geekvape device that takes an unfortunate trip to the floor at terminal velocity, you can usually be assured it’ll survive reentry.

Pros

• Able to withstand some knocks and scrapes
• Stylish semi-military design elements
• Fast ignition speeds

Cons

• Pod kits not as sturdily built
• Occasional spitback issues

Features We Love

• Sturdy Builds: Heavy ingress protections as standard 
• Tanks For The Memories: Tanks covering MTL, DTL and RTA designs 
• Aqua Vapes: Remarkably water-proof builds 

Geekvape – founded back in 2015 – first came to our attention with the release of the Aegis Mini Kit, which quickly became something of a tradesman’s favourite. We couldn’t guarantee it’d survive a drop from atop a scaffold, yet time and time again we witness Geekvape’s peerless ingress protection technology result in electronic cigarettes that function perfectly after drops or weather conditions that would have broken more fragile vape devices.

Geekvape are on a meteoric rise right now, having swept several awards this year such as Best MTL Tank in the Vapouround Awards, and Best Vape Mod awards at the VapingPost 2022 Awards.

Most Popular:Geekvape Wenax K1 Kit
Price Range: £4.95 – £54.99

Elf Bar

Score: 7/10

Elf Bar are unlike any of the other vape manufacturers on this list, however we would be remiss not to mention possibly the most recognised brand in vaping at the time of writing.

Pros

• Great for beginners trying to quit smoking cigarettes
• Perfect way to try vaping
• Convenient and simple to use devices

Cons

• Refillable kits not quite good enough yet
• Can be frustrating to find reliable battery recycling services

Features We Love

• Disposable Kings: Manufacturers of the most popular disposable vapes 
• Unmatched Flavour: No disposables taste quite like Elf Bar devices 
• First Steps: Encouraging move toward refillable tank setups 

Elf Bar are undisputed kings of the disposable vape pens market, with simple to use and long-lasting disposable vape pens that do not require charging, refilling or even button-pressing. You simply remove the packaging and start to inhale to begin receiving Elf Bar’s notoriously flavoursome vape clouds.

A very young company, Elf Bar entered the vape pens industry with extreme confidence in 2018 and immediately gained the attention of a whole new audience of smokers who up until then had been put off by the more hands-on approach vaping ordinarily requires.

In 2022 Elf Bar vape pens took home four awards from the Malaysian MIVAS Awards, including Best Creamy Disposable, Best Fruity Disposable, Best Vape Company and Best Vape Brand, showing that this scrappy up-and-comer are already punching far above their weight.

Most Popular: Elf Bar Lost Mary BM600 Disposable Vape
Price Range: £2.99 – £18.99

Vaporesso

Score: 8/10

Vaporesso were founded in 2015 with the admirable goal of “establishing a smoke-free world” improving the day-to-day experiences of vapers by way of accessible vape devices.

Pros

• Genius minimal materials coil designs
• Excellent mix of pod kits and sub-ohm devices
• Brilliant alternative airflow designs

Cons

• No good starter kits
• Lack of tapered mouthpieces for MTL vaping

Features We Love

• EUC, You See: Genius minimal-materials coil range
• Portable Pros: Growing range of excellent pod vape kits 
• Affordable: Competitively priced vaping gear 

Initially taking everyone by surprise with the release of the compact yet powerful TAROT Nano electronic cigarette, it was the Vaporesso VECO Tank that truly stole the show with it’s novel top-based adjustable airflow system and genius EUC coil system, which used minimal materials to retain a low retail price while still being as effective and long-lasting as traditional atomisers.

In 2022 Vaporesso faired very well at the Vapouround Awards, winning the coveted Best DTL Tank award for their new iTank sub-ohm tank as well as runner-up positions in the Best Pod System and Best Mod categories, proving that Vaporesso still have plenty of innovative design concepts to impress us with, and the success of their recently released Vaporesso XROS e-cigarette stands as a testament to their contemporary designs.

Most Popular: Vaporesso XROS Mini Kit
Price Range: £1.99 – £49.99

Freemax

Score: 7/10

Freemax are a unique manufacturer within the world of vaping, as it wasn’t by way of kits, mods or tanks that they first rose to prominence but due to the incredible quality of their coils.

Pros

• Groundbreaking coil designs
• Fantastically cloudy sub-ohm tanks
• Excellent balance of flavour and cloud production

Cons

• By no means for recent smokers
• Lack of any MTL vape kits and tanks

Features We Love

• Quad Cores: Made a name for themselves with their peerless coil designs 
• Clouds Aplenty: Solely focussed on big cloud production 
• Wicked Wicks: Novel use of unorthodox wicking materials for improved flavour 

Founded in 2013, Freemax’s intricate mesh coil design drew a lot of attention due to its ability to seamlessly integrate flavour, cloud production and longevity, aspects that ordinarily you would have to choose between. The Freemax Mesh Pro sub-ohm tank boasted coil alignments that other brands and vape manufacturers couldn’t compete with, featuring not only meshed interiors but dual and quad-core designs that resulted in cloud production previously only seen in RDA setups.

This focus on coil design paid off, with Freemax taking home the 2nd place prize for Best Tank in the 2019 Vapouround Awards. And Freemax haven’t rested on their laurels, with the new Fireluke 3 tank continuing the Mesh Pro legacy while the Marvos X Kit proves they absolutely have the skills and know-how to produce a fantastic, pocket-sized sub-ohm vape pen.

Most Popular: Freemax MaXus Kit
Price Range: £8.99 – £54.99

Wotofo

Score: 8/10

Wotofo are as old-school as it gets when it comes to vaping history, having been established way back in 2012 by Mr Sky Zhang as one of the first Chinese vaping brands.

Pros

• Focus on rebuildable decks
• Classic designs
• Fantastically powerful vape mods

Cons

• Somewhat inaccessible for recent smokers
• Disdain for streamlined/convenient designs

Features We Love

• RDA Radicals: Old-school focus on rebuildable deck designs 
• DIY For All: RDA tanks for both DTL and MTL vapers 
• Classic Kits: Traditional big and bulky mod designs 

Wotofo are as old-school as it gets when it comes to vaping history, having been established way back in 2012 by Mr Sky Zhang as one of the first Chinese vaping brands.

However whereas most vape brands began working towards streamlined designs and heightened efficiency, Wotofo instead stuck to fundamental aspects of vape design and became one of the premier manufacturers of rebuilding coil decks – known as RDAs and RTAs – with which vapers are able to build their own coils for the greatest possible depths of flavour.

Wotofo have very much kept the faith over the years, with their recent Profile Unity RTA and STNG RDA providing vapers with the perfect platform on which to craft their own vaping experience, in both DTL and MTL formats.

The recent release of the dual-battery 230W Wotofo MDura Pro vape kit stands as a testament to their design ethos and shows that while vaping is driven primarily by innovation there will always be vape brands striving to produce the very best units for vaping styles more fickle companies see as outdated.

Most Popular: Wotofo Profile Unity RTA
Price Range: £9.99 – 59.99

Need more advice?

We hope that this quick overview of some of the best vape manufacturers has been enlightening. A lot of work goes into becoming one of the best vape companies, including determination, innovation and an eagerness to provide satisfaction to as many customers as possible. We like to acknowledge this kind of commitment to quality when we see it, which is why we took particular time to compile a list of the best SMOK vape kits.

But of course, vaping is far more than hardware, and if you’re already satisfied with your vape setup or are looking to assemble a truly killer vaping loadout then take a moment to check out our similar blog on the best vape juice brands.

You can get your hands on the top vape devices from these vape brands and manufacturers in our online vape shop. And be sure to subscribe to the MIST Youtube channel for fun and informative videos on vaping gear, juice and culture.