Voopoo occupies an unusual position in the UK vape market: a brand that built its name on hardware you keep rather than hardware you throw away. While much of the industry chased the disposable boom, Voopoo invested in refillable pod kits, box mods and a coil system designed to outlive any single device. For an adult who already vapes and wants kit that lasts, that focus matters. This guide explains who Voopoo are, why their refillable approach is both cheaper to run and firmly within UK law, how the Argus and Drag families fit together, and how to choose the right coil, airflow and e-liquid.
The Voopoo story
Voopoo is one of the more engineering-led names in vaping. Rather than a scattered catalogue of unrelated gadgets, it has spent years refining a small number of well-defined product lines and tying them together with shared technology. The clearest example is the GENE chipset, the in-house electronics at the heart of most Voopoo devices, which manage power delivery and firing response and are a large part of why Voopoo kits feel quick and consistent rather than sluggish.
The brand is best known for two families. The first is the Argus range of refillable pod kits, a fixture in British vape shops thanks to its price, simplicity and everyday usability. The second is the Drag line of box mods, more powerful and configurable devices favoured by people who like to control wattage and airflow precisely. Around both sits the PnP coil ecosystem, a single family of replaceable coils engineered to drop into a wide spread of Voopoo pods and tanks. That cross-compatibility is central to why people stay with the brand.
It is worth being clear about what Voopoo is not: it is not a disposable company chasing the impulse purchase. Its devices are made to be owned, maintained and refilled over months and years, which means a modest amount to learn at the outset compared with a sealed product. That learning curve is gentle, and the reward is lower running costs and far more choice over flavour, strength and the feel of the draw. For a first kit, our guide to the best refillable vape kits for beginners pairs well with this page.
Why refillable means cheaper and always legal
Two questions come up most often when adult vapers move on from disposables: will the kit still be legal, and will it save money. With Voopoo the answer to both is yes.
Take the legal side first. The single-use disposable vape was removed from the legal UK market, reshaping much of the category, but it did not touch refillable and rechargeable hardware. A device you charge over USB-C, fill from a bottle, and keep going by replacing only the coil sits squarely within the rules, and that fits every Voopoo product. The Argus pod kits, the Drag mods and the PnP-compatible tanks are all rechargeable and refillable by design, so none were affected by the ban.
Now the cost. With a disposable or a prefilled pod you pay for the liquid, the coil and a slice of single-use hardware every time. With a refillable Voopoo kit you buy the device once, then top up with bottled e-liquid and the occasional replacement coil, which costs far less per millilitre. Voopoo kits typically start at around £12 to £20, and PnP coils generally land at around £2 to £3 each, lasting from a few days to a couple of weeks. Put those figures together and the running cost of a refillable setup is typically a fraction of feeding a disposable habit.
There is one future cost worth flagging plainly. From 1 October 2026, a Vaping Products Duty is due to apply to vaping liquid at a rate of around £2.20 per 10ml. That is a tax on the liquid itself, so it will nudge up the price of bottled e-liquid and prefilled pods alike. It does not change which products are legal, nor does it undo the advantage of refilling: because refillable kits let you buy liquid in larger bottles, they typically remain the cheaper way to vape even once the duty arrives.
What we stock: Argus, Drag and the PnP coil system
Voopoo's catalogue can look broad at a glance, but it resolves into a few clear families, and once you see how Argus, Drag and the PnP coil system relate, choosing becomes far simpler.
The Argus pod kits
The Argus family is the centre of gravity for most UK vapers and where Voopoo's everyday reputation comes from. These are refillable pod kits: a compact device with a built-in rechargeable battery and a refillable pod that takes a PnP coil. The range spans several models: some are slim, light and tuned for a tight mouth-to-lung draw that suits former smokers and nic salt users, while others are larger, with bigger batteries, screens and adjustable wattage for a more open draw. What they share is approachability, which is why an Argus is so often suggested as a first proper kit. Our dedicated Voopoo Argus page breaks the family down model by model.
The Drag mods and tanks
The Drag line is the more powerful, enthusiast-leaning side of the range. These are box mods, larger devices that usually take a tank rather than a small pod and offer a generous spread of adjustable wattage. A Drag with a PnP tank gives real control, from a restricted mouth-to-lung draw through to a warm, airy direct-to-lung cloud, simply by changing the coil and the airflow. It is not the obvious starting point for a brand-new vaper, but it is a natural step up from an Argus, and because it accepts PnP coils it slots into the same ecosystem as the pod kits. If adjustable power is what you are after, read our guide to the best wattage adjustable vape kits alongside this section.
The PnP coil system that ties it together
The shrewdest decision Voopoo made was to build the PnP coil system to span the whole range. PnP coils fit a wide spread of Argus pods, PnP tanks and other compatible devices, so instead of hunting for a coil unique to one obscure kit you reach for the same PnP family you already know. That cross-compatibility lowers the cost and hassle of ownership and makes moving between devices painless. Browse our full vape kits selection to see the range in context.
PnP coils and airflow
If there is one thing worth understanding properly about Voopoo, it is how the PnP coil system and airflow work together; get this right and you can dial in almost any style of vape from a single kit. A coil is the small replaceable part that heats your e-liquid and turns it into vapour, and PnP coils come in a range of resistances, measured in ohms. Higher-resistance coils, those of 1.0ohm and above, are made for a tight, restricted, mouth-to-lung draw, the cigarette-style inhale most former smokers and nic salt users want. Lower-resistance, sub-ohm coils below 1.0ohm are built for a warmer, airier direct-to-lung draw with larger clouds, and they pair best with lower-strength freebase liquids.
Because PnP coils are cross-compatible, you can change the character of a single device simply by changing the coil: a higher-ohm coil makes an Argus pod a discreet, tight MTL device, while a lower-ohm coil opens the same pod into something punchier. Airflow is the other half of the equation. Close it down and the draw tightens, the vapour warms and the flavour concentrates, which suits MTL vaping; open it up and the draw loosens, the vapour cools and the clouds grow. On many devices you adjust this with a simple ring or slider.
One final word on coil care: always prime a new coil before first use by adding a few drops of e-liquid onto the exposed cotton and letting a freshly filled pod stand for a few minutes. This soaks the wicking so the coil is never fired dry, and skipping it is the most common cause of a burnt taste.
Choosing e-liquid and strength
A Voopoo kit is only as good as the liquid you put in it, and matching liquid to device is where a lot of new refillers go slightly astray. The two decisions are the type of liquid and the nicotine strength, and our full nicotine strength guide goes deeper than there is room for here.
Start with the liquid type. There are two broad families: nicotine salts, usually called nic salts, and freebase e-liquid. Nic salts deliver nicotine smoothly even at higher strengths, which suits the tight, low-power, mouth-to-lung style that most Argus pod kits do best. Freebase liquid suits lower strengths and the higher-power, direct-to-lung vaping you would do on a Drag with a sub-ohm coil. As a rule of thumb, a higher-ohm coil and a tight draw call for nic salts, while a sub-ohm coil and an open draw call for freebase.
Then strength. In the UK, e-liquid is capped at 20mg of nicotine per millilitre, and the strengths most often seen for MTL vaping are 10mg and 20mg nic salts. A heavier former smoker often finds 20mg gives a satisfying hit, while a lighter smoker may find 10mg more comfortable, and if a 20mg salt feels harsh, dropping to 10mg usually smooths it out. For sub-ohm vaping on a Drag the picture flips, because you inhale a much larger volume of vapour; direct-to-lung vapers typically use low-strength freebase liquid, often in the 3mg to 6mg range.
For the most common setup, an Argus pod kit, the simplest advice is this: use a higher-ohm PnP coil, close the airflow down for a tight draw, and fill with a 10mg or 20mg nic salt in a flavour you enjoy. That combination recreates the cigarette-like experience most former smokers are after.
How Voopoo compares
The refillable pod and mod space is competitive, and two names come up most often in comparison: Vaporesso and Uwell. All three are reputable, but they have slightly different characters.
Vaporesso is probably Voopoo's closest direct rival, with a strong line of refillable pod kits and mods, adjustable airflow, solid build quality and its own well-regarded coil families. Where Voopoo leans on the breadth of PnP cross-compatibility, Vaporesso often emphasises refined coil technology and polished, beginner-friendly pod kits. For many people the choice comes down to which kit feels right in the hand.
Uwell is the other heavyweight here, best known for the Caliburn pod range. Its reputation rests on simplicity and flavour: the Caliburn line is renowned for being close to foolproof and for delivering clean, accurate taste. If your priority is the simplest possible refillable pod, and adjustable wattage holds little interest, Uwell makes a strong case. Where Voopoo pulls ahead is flexibility and the reach of the PnP system. Choose Voopoo if you think you might grow into adjustable airflow, swap coils for different draw styles, or move up to a mod later while keeping the same coil family; few brands let you start simple and grow without abandoning your coils.
Questions, answered
Are Voopoo vapes legal in the UK?
Yes. Voopoo makes refillable and rechargeable kits, which remain fully legal in the UK. The ban on single-use disposables applied only to throwaway devices and did not affect refillable pod kits, mods or tanks, so Voopoo was never caught by it.
Is Voopoo a good choice for someone new to refillable kits?
Voopoo is among the more approachable refillable brands, especially the Argus pod kits. They are simple to fill, easy to recharge over USB-C and use the straightforward PnP coil system. There is a small adjustment compared with a sealed device, chiefly filling a pod and priming a coil, but most people are comfortable within a day.
How much do Voopoo kits and coils cost?
Voopoo kits typically start at around £12 to £20, roughly the price of a few disposables. PnP coils usually cost around £2 to £3 each and last from several days to a couple of weeks depending on usage, liquid and wattage. Add inexpensive bottled e-liquid and the ongoing cost is typically a small fraction of a disposable habit.
What are PnP coils, and will they fit my kit?
PnP, short for Plug and Play, is Voopoo's cross-compatible coil family. The coils fit a wide range of Argus pods, PnP tanks and other compatible Voopoo devices, so the same coils often work across multiple kits. Always check that a specific coil is listed as compatible with your device, but compatibility is generally broad.
What nicotine strength should I use in a Voopoo Argus?
For the tight, mouth-to-lung vaping that Argus pod kits do best, most people use 10mg or 20mg nicotine salts. Heavier former smokers often prefer 20mg for a stronger hit, while lighter smokers or those stepping down may find 10mg more comfortable. If 20mg feels harsh, drop to 10mg. The UK legal maximum is 20mg per ml.
Can one Voopoo do both big clouds and a tight draw?
Yes, and that flexibility is a large part of the appeal. By changing the PnP coil and adjusting the airflow, a single device can switch between a tight, cigarette-like mouth-to-lung draw and a warmer, airier direct-to-lung cloud: a higher-ohm coil with closed airflow and nic salts for MTL, or a lower-ohm coil with open airflow and low-strength freebase for larger clouds.
Why does my Voopoo taste burnt?
A burnt taste almost always means a dry or worn coil. On a new coil it usually means priming was skipped, so add a few drops of liquid to the coil and let a filled pod stand for a few minutes first. On an older coil it simply means the coil is spent and needs replacing. Coils are consumable parts, typically swapped every week or two.
How long do Voopoo coils and batteries last?
A PnP coil typically lasts from several days to a couple of weeks, depending on how much you vape, your e-liquid and your wattage; sweeter, darker liquids tend to wear coils faster. Battery life varies by device, but most Argus kits comfortably carry a regular user through a day. Browse the full store to see the current line-up.
Vape EU sells to over-18s only. Nicotine is an addictive substance. This article is general information, not health or medical advice. Prices are approximate and vary by retailer.