September 3, 2026

Nicotine Strength NZ: How to Choose the Right Level

Abstract New Zealand map outline with three graduated vapour-droplet motifs representing increasing nicotine strength, on a cool teal background

There is no single “right” nicotine strength for every adult vaper in New Zealand. The level that works for you depends on three things: how much you smoked or vape now, whether the liquid is freebase or nicotine salt, and the type of device you use. New Zealand law also sets hard ceilings — 28.5 mg/mL for salt-only products and 20 mg/mL for everything else — and those ceilings are limits, not recommendations. This guide works through the decision in that order so you can pick a starting level and adjust it without guessing.

How nicotine strength is measured (mg/mL and %)

Nicotine strength is written as milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of liquid, shortened to mg/mL. Some labels show a percentage instead. The two convert roughly as 1% = 10 mg/mL, so:

  • 3 mg/mL = 0.3%
  • 6 mg/mL = 0.6%
  • 12 mg/mL = 1.2%
  • 18 mg/mL = 1.8%
  • 20 mg/mL = 2%
  • 28.5 mg/mL = about 2.85%

Freebase liquids are most often sold in the lower steps of that ladder — 3, 6, 12 or 18 mg/mL — while nicotine-salt liquids sit at the top, commonly 20 mg/mL and up to the 28.5 mg/mL ceiling. A higher number simply means more nicotine in every millilitre; it does not mean a better product.

New Zealand’s legal limits, and what they mean for your choice

Under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Regulations 2021, the nicotine concentration in a reusable vaping product must not exceed:

  • 28.5 mg/mL for a vaping substance that contains nicotine only in salt form, and
  • 20 mg/mL for all other vaping products (freebase).

The Ministry of Health restates the same two ceilings in its retailer guidelines. Note three things that matter when you shop:

  • A ceiling is not a target. The 28.5 mg/mL maximum is the most nicotine a salt liquid may contain, not the amount most people should start with.
  • Disposable vapes are banned. Since 17 June 2025, disposable vaping devices cannot be manufactured, sold, supplied or distributed in New Zealand, so any strength choice you make today applies to reusable pod or refillable devices.
  • Age and notification apply. You must be 18 or older, and the product must be notified to the Ministry of Health with its nicotine concentration shown in mg/mL on the label.

Start with how much you smoked

The most useful starting point is official. Health NZ publishes guidance for adults who smoke that ties the starting strength to how much they smoked:

Smoking historyHealth NZ suggested starting strength
More than 20 cigarettes a dayHigh — 18 to 20 mg/mL
10 to 20 cigarettes a dayMedium — 12 to 18 mg/mL
Less than 10 cigarettes a dayLow — 6 to 12 mg/mL

This table is public-health guidance to help adults avoid unmanaged nicotine withdrawal, not a product claim and not medical advice. If you already vape rather than smoke, start from the strength you use now and adjust from there.

Freebase vs nicotine salts: how the format changes the number

The same mg/mL number can feel quite different in the two formats.

  • Freebase nicotine has a stronger throat hit, which becomes uncomfortable as the strength rises. That is why it is usually sold at 3–18 mg/mL and suits people who want a noticeable throat hit or are on a lower strength.
  • Nicotine salts are generally smoother at higher strength, which is the reason the salt ceiling (28.5 mg/mL) is higher than the freebase ceiling (20 mg/mL). Salts are the common choice in low-wattage pod systems.

“Smoother” is a sensory description, not a safety ranking — neither format is “better”. The practical rule is that if you need a higher strength, a salt liquid will usually feel less harsh than the same freebase number.

Match the strength to your device

Devices heat liquid differently, so the same strength can feel mild in one and strong in another:

  • Low-wattage pod systems (mouth-to-lung) produce less vapour per puff, so many users choose a higher mg/mL — typically 20 mg/mL or higher in salt form.
  • Sub-ohm or higher-wattage devices produce much more vapour per puff, so a lower strength — often 3 or 6 mg/mL freebase — delivers enough nicotine without becoming harsh.

If you switch device types, expect to revisit your strength. Moving from a pod to a sub-ohm tank usually means stepping down; moving the other way can mean stepping up.

The NZ strength decision table

Bring the three inputs together. Start from your smoking history, then adjust for format and device:

Smoking historyHealth NZ starting tierIf freebase (sub-ohm / higher wattage)If nicotine salt (low-wattage pod)
More than 20/day18–20 mg/mL18–20 mg/mL (drop if harsh)20–28.5 mg/mL
10–20/day12–18 mg/mL12–18 mg/mL20 mg/mL
Less than 10/day6–12 mg/mL6–12 mg/mL10–20 mg/mL
Occasional / no nicotine0 mg/mL0–3 mg/mL0 mg/mL

The first column is Health NZ’s published guidance. The freebase and salt columns translate that guidance onto the two formats using the ceilings above and the fact that salts are smoother at higher strength — this translation is editorial guidance, not a separate sourced claim. If two boxes could fit, start lower and step up only if cravings are not managed.

Signs you chose too high or too low

You can usually tell within a day or two whether the strength is right.

  • Possibly too high: a harsh or scratchy throat hit, a feeling of lightheadedness, or a strength that simply feels like more than you need.
  • Possibly too low: you keep reaching for the device more often than usual and still feel the urge you are trying to manage.

Adjust one step at a time and give the change a few days before judging it. These are practical comfort signals, not a way to diagnose anything medical.

Stepping down over time

Health NZ’s guidance is also clear about the direction of travel: adults who vape should try to slowly lower the nicotine strength and vape less often over time, and only do so when they are confident they will not return to smoking. The aim it describes is to end up both smokefree and vapefree.

In practice that means moving down one tier — for example 18 mg/mL to 12 mg/mL — when you are confident, rather than dropping several steps at once.

Choosing a strength you can actually buy in NZ

Not every number on the ladder is available in every shop. The e-liquid range and pod vape range on this site currently list strengths labelled 20 mg/mL, 26 mg/mL and 28.5 mg/mL. When you browse, check three things before ordering:

  • The label states the nicotine concentration in mg/mL.
  • The product is notified to the Ministry of Health and sold by a New Zealand-based retailer.
  • The strength fits your starting tier, not just the legal maximum.

Two labelling details catch people out. Some products write mg but mean mg/mL (milligrams per millilitre), so a “20mg” pod is 20 mg/mL. And between the common 20 mg/mL and the 28.5 mg/mL ceiling sits an intermediate 26 mg/mL used by some salt products — if your tier suggests around the low 20s, 20 or 26 mg/mL are both sensible places to look rather than jumping straight to the maximum.

For the full legal picture beyond strength, see our NZ vaping laws guide; for the label and salt details behind those checks, see our nicotine e-liquid guide.

Summary: a three-step way to choose

  1. Find your tier. Use the Health NZ table for how much you smoked (or your current strength if you already vape).
  2. Apply format and device. Choose freebase at the lower end for sub-ohm, or salt at the higher end for a low-wattage pod.
  3. Start and adjust. Begin at that level, then step down one tier at a time over time — or step up once if cravings are unmanaged.

If you want to dig into the product side before deciding, start with our nicotine vape guide for how strength relates to devices, or our vape liquid guide for PG/VG ratios and flavour choice.

References