The Most Popular Tastes of Electronic Cigarettes

According to surveys, youth and young adult e-cigarette users frequently use fruit, candy/sweet, and menthol flavors. These flavors include both blended products with names describing these characteristics and concept flavors that do not.

Food-flavored e-liquids replicate the experience of eating a meal, such as french toast, cereal, garlic, or bacon.

Fruity Flavors

The most popular tastes of electronic cigarettes for new users tend to be fruity. These flavors are most likely to entice former smokers to try the device, and they are also easier to stop using once you’ve switched over to vaping. Fruit flavors include everything from apples and oranges to pineapple and strawberry.

While combustible tobacco cigarettes and pod-based e-cigarettes are heavily regulated in the United States to avoid tobacco flavoring, disposable e-cigarettes are not. This means that they are able to sell thousands of different flavored products. The most popular flavor of a single-flavored e-cigarette sold in the US was mint in 2019.

A survey conducted by Truth Initiative found that a combination of fruits, dessert, or candy, and cooling flavors were the most popular for youth and young adult e-cigarette users. These findings indicate that a variety of flavors can appeal to young people who use e-cigarettes, and suggest the need for greater regulation to limit how many different marketed e-liquids are available.

Tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes are not as popular among young people, but they are still the most popular of all single-flavored e-cigarettes. The flavor chemicals most used by JUUL’s 'Classic' and 'Virginia' are menthol, acetominophen, ethyl maltol, vanillin, and corylone. These ingredients are not harmful in small amounts, and many former smokers have switched to these devices as a way to quit traditional smoking.

Dessert Flavors

The sweet flavors of dessert e-liquids are an important part of the vaping experience, providing a satisfying alternative to tobacco cigarettes. They can be found in almost limitless combinations, making them a great option for those with a love of vaping experimentation. If you’re a former smoker, trying out a variety of dessert flavors will give your taste buds a break from the smoky flavor of traditional cigarettes and may make the transition much easier.

Custard lovers are in luck because the market is filled with luscious vanilla custards that will send your palate over the moon. One of the most opulent offerings comes from Custard Monster, an offshoot of jam maker Jam Monster that has absolutely nailed this creamy confection. Their Velvet Vanilla custard is a buttery-rich blend of farm-fresh dairy, egg yolks and sweet vanilla to create a luxurious vaping sensation that will leave your senses in heaven.

Another decadent treat is the delightful Blueberry Cotton Candy by Vape Wild. This cotton candy-inspired blend opens with the distinct sweetness of a classic blueberry cotton candy, delivering a rush of nostalgia on each inhale. A dollop of fresh cream enters on the exhale, smoothing out the strong flavors and creating a refined balance that is sure to please any vaper with a taste for innovative flavours.

If you’re more in the mood for a traditional dessert, try Strawberry Cheesecake by Keep it 100. This rich and fluffy ice cream-based flavor brings together bits of fluffy birthday cake and swirls of velvety ice cream with a hint of frosting and sugary sprinkles. The fruity zing of fresh strawberries adds to the indulgent experience, bringing a touch of natural sweetness that pairs well with the rich creaminess of the ice cream base.

Candy Flavors

In addition to fruit, dessert and cocktail flavors, e-cigarettes also come in candy and candy-like flavors like gummy bear or cookies ‘n cream. These flavors may appeal to youth more than fruity or tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, and may contribute to the soaring popularity of e-cigarettes among teens.

E-cigarette flavor preferences vary by age and smoking status, but research suggests that candy flavors may encourage e-cigarette use among teens who have not smoked traditional cigarettes before. For example, a 2019 study found that mint-flavored e-cigarettes were the most popular flavor for young people who had not previously smoked. This finding is contradictory to previous studies that suggested teens prefer fruity flavored e-cigarettes.

While it is not as common, e-cigarettes are also available in menthol-flavored varieties. Menthol-flavored e-cigarettes provide a cooling sensation similar to a breath of fresh air. They are a popular choice for smokers who have recently switched to electronic cigarettes or those that smoke analog cigarettes, as they can help alleviate the cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal.

In a recent survey of current e-cigarette users published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, three-quarters of respondents reported using blended flavors and more than half used concept flavors (flavor descriptions such as Iced Mango or Lush Ice) in the past month. Some of the most commonly used concept flavors were coffee and strawberry milk (also known as unicorn milk). These flavor combinations can help satiate cravings for caffeine, dairy and sugar while providing the satisfying nicotine boost that e-cigarette users desire.

Menthol Flavors

Menthol is a plant substance that provides a cooling sensation. It is used in a variety of products, including gum, candies and cough drops. E-cigarette companies add menthol to their products in order to make them more appealing and seem less harmful than tobacco cigarettes.

Researchers have found that when adolescents use a menthol-flavored pod, they report increased satisfaction, pleasure/interest to use the product again, enjoyment, urge to vape, and other positive experiences. This is most likely due to the fact that menthol flavoring reduces nicotine sensations and may distract adolescents from thinking about their smoking behavior.

Despite federal restrictions on flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes, menthol flavored devices and refillable e-liquids remain popular among young people who vape. In a national sample, about one in five teens who vape reported using fruit, candy, or menthol-flavored e-cigarettes. Adolescents who used menthol- or candy-flavored e-cigarettes were also more interested in trying new menthol, sweet, or fruit flavors than those who had not. This suggests that a broader, more comprehensive menthol policy is needed to reduce the use of these e-cigarettes among adolescents.