A refillable vape pen is a slim, pen-shaped vape with a tank you fill yourself from a bottle of e-liquid and a coil you replace when it wears out. You charge the battery, fill the tank, let a new coil soak for a few minutes, and vape. Most are built for a tight mouth-to-lung draw and work well with nic salts. Day to day, all you need to know is how to fill, prime and change coils, which is what this guide covers.
If you're still deciding what kind of vape to get, start with our vape kits hub or the general vape pen guide.
What you get in the box
A typical refillable pen kit includes:
- the battery tube, usually charged by USB-C
- a tank, holding no more than 2ml in the UK
- one or two coils, often with one already fitted
- a charging cable and a manual
Read the manual once. Pens differ in where the fill port is, whether the coil pushes in or screws in, and how the fire button works.
How to fill a refillable vape pen
- Check the battery is off or locked. On button-fire pens, five quick clicks usually locks and unlocks it, but check your manual.
- Open the fill port. On most modern pens it's at the top: slide the cap or unscrew the top section. Older designs fill from the bottom, which means taking the tank off the battery first.
- Tilt the tank. Hold it at an angle and aim the nozzle at the glass wall.
- Fill slowly. Stop below the top of the central tube (the chimney). Liquid down the chimney ends up in your mouth or leaking out the airflow.
- Close it up and wipe off any drips.
Our how to refill a pod vape guide covers the same principles for pods.
Priming a new coil
Don't skip this. A new coil's cotton is dry. Fire it before the liquid has soaked in and you'll scorch it on the first puff, and that burnt taste never really goes away.
- Drip three or four drops of liquid straight onto the cotton you can see through the coil's holes, and one into the top opening.
- Fit the coil, fill the tank and leave it for five to ten minutes.
- Take a few gentle draws without firing (or with the button not pressed) to pull liquid through.
- Start vaping with slow, steady puffs.
If you do get that harsh, burnt taste, the vape burnt taste guide explains the causes and fixes.
Changing the coil
You'll know it's time when:
- the flavour turns muted, then burnt
- the vapour is thinner than it was
- the coil gurgles or spits even after a clean
To change it, empty or nearly empty the tank, take the tank off the battery, pull or unscrew the old coil, fit the new one and prime it as above. How long a coil lasts depends a lot on your liquid. Sweet, dark-coloured flavours gunk up coils faster than clear mints or ice flavours. The pods and coils hub has more on coil types and lifespan.
Which e-liquid works best
Most refillable pens use higher-resistance MTL coils at fairly low power. That suits:
| Liquid type | Works in most pens? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nic salt, 10mg or 20mg | Yes | Smooth at higher strengths, the usual choice |
| 50/50 freebase | Yes | The traditional MTL liquid |
| High-VG freebase (70VG and up) | Sometimes | Can be too thick for small coils |
| Shortfills | Rarely | Usually high VG and meant for bigger, DTL kits |
UK nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20mg/ml and sold in bottles of 10ml or less. If you want to understand the two main types properly, read nic salt vs freebase. For flavours, our best vape flavours guide sorts them by family.
Refillable pen or refillable pod kit?
They do the same job. The differences are practical.
A pen has a separate coil that's usually cheap and widely sold, a round shape that some ex-smokers find more natural, and a visible tank so you can see the level. It's usually longer and can roll off a table.
A pod kit is flatter, often slightly smaller, and the pod clicks on magnetically. Some pod kits put the coil inside the pod, so you replace the whole pod instead of just the coil.
If you're torn, the refillable pod vape guide sets out the pod side, and our vape tank vs pod comparison weighs the two systems directly.
Keeping the pen in good shape
- Wipe the connection between tank and battery every few days. Condensation and drips build up there.
- Don't overtighten the tank on the threads.
- Keep it upright in a bag when you can. Pens lying flat are more likely to seep.
- Charge it sensibly, with a decent cable, and not left unattended overnight.
When a pen finally dies, don't bin it. Vapes count as electrical waste and shops that sell vapes have to take old ones back. The recycling guide explains where to take it.
The three habits that matter
A refillable vape pen is one of the simplest reusable vapes around. Learn to fill below the chimney, prime every new coil, and swap coils when the flavour goes. Do those three things and it'll give you very little trouble.
Questions people ask
How do you fill a refillable vape pen?
Unscrew the top cap or slide it open, tilt the tank and fill down the side of the glass, staying below the central chimney. Put the cap back on and wait a few minutes before vaping if the coil is new.
How often should I change the coil in a vape pen?
When the flavour goes dull or burnt, or the vapour drops off. For many people that's every one to two weeks, but it depends on how much you vape and how sweet your liquid is.
Can I put any e-liquid in a refillable vape pen?
Most pens are made for mouth-to-lung vaping, so nic salts and 50/50 freebase liquids work best. Very thick, high-VG liquids can struggle to soak into small coils.
Is a refillable vape pen better than a disposable?
Disposables can't be sold in the UK any more, so a refillable pen is one of the legal options. It costs less to run over time and you can choose any compatible flavour.
