What does High PG Liquid Mean?

By James Powley

What Is High PG E-Liquid?

E-cigarettes work by electrically heating an e-liquid; a substance made of a blend of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), nicotine and flavourings.

Different PG/VG ratios alter the vaping experience by changing the intensity of the flavour, the density of the vapour, the strength of the throat hit and more. The ratio of PG to VG is usually expressed as percentages, such as 30PG/70VG or 60/40 PG/VG. High PG e-liquid is e-liquid that has a higher concentration of propylene glycol than vegetable glycerine (typically 60% or more). You can also find e-liquids that have a greater ratio of vegetable glycerine, known as high VG e-liquids, as well as e-liquids that use a one-to-one ratio of PG to VG - these are known as 50/50 e-liquids.

Why Would You Use High PG E-Liquid?

While PG and VG are both nearly colourless and odourless, PG is less viscous than VG, meaning it is thinner and has a lower resistance to flow.

Propylene glycol is known to carry the flavour of e-liquid, so a higher ratio of PG means a more potent flavour in the vapour. If strong flavour delivery is an important part of the vaping experience for you, then high PG e-liquids could be more suitable than VG.

Because PG is much thinner in consistency compared to VG, high PG e-liquid will produce less vapour when exhaled. Generally, the higher the PG level, the less dense the cloud will be.

High PG e-liquids also offer a much stronger throat hit than high VG e-liquids. The throat hit is the sensation felt at the back of the throat during inhalation. Because of this strong throat hit, high PG e-liquids rarely exceed 70% PG. High PG e-liquid is also absorbed by the wick more quickly than high VG liquid due to its low viscosity – making dry hits less likely.

What Nicotine Strengths Are Available For High PG E-Liquid?

High PG e-liquids are available with a wide range of nicotine strengths between 0mg and 20mg. Higher levels of nicotine also lead to stronger throat hits. You may find that there is a wider range of nicotine strengths available for high PG e-liquids than for high VG e-liquids; high VG e-liquids tend to require lower nicotine strengths as they’re typically used with Direct to Lung (DTL) vapes.

What Devices Can I Use With High PG E-Liquid?

You can use high PG e-liquids in a variety of devices, but they work best with Mouth to Lung (MTL) devices that have low wattage and high resistance coils such as pod mods and vape pens. Because of the stronger throat hit of a high PG e-liquid, it’s best to avoid devices that deliver high wattages.

DTL vapes, on the other hand, are best suited for high-VG e-liquids. Using high-PG e-liquid on a DTL device can cause the e-liquid to flood or leak because the inlet holes between the tank and atomiser on these devices are large and better suited to high-VG juices which have higher viscosity.