Vaping hasn't ever been considered the healthiest activity around. But more and more, people who came to vaping as an alternative to cigarette smoking are looking for advice on the healthiest vape pen or juice, as they seek to quit smoking or give up nicotine entirely.
One thing is for sure — when the demand presents itself, the supply will follow. Recent years have seen an explosion in not only nicotine-free vape options, but in vapes that take the concept one step further by substituting healthy (or at least healthier) ingredients.
In this article, we'll go over a number of your options when it comes to no-nicotine vapes — everything from the best vape to help you quit smoking, to vaping products that are essentially nothing more than flavored air, to "functional" vape alternatives that attempt to replace the nicotine "high" with other ingredients that offer some health benefits.
Let's dive in.
At a glance:
Vapes for Energy
Part of the reason people get addicted to nicotine is that it's a potent stimulant. Scientifically, it releases a hormone called epinephrine (you may know it by its more common name, adrenaline) that stimulates your nervous system. This is the same hormone that triggers your "fight or flight" response. In a nutshell, it primes your mind and body for action.
If you quit smoking cigarettes, or you're giving up nicotine, you might want to find a way to replace that "high" your body gets from the nicotine jolt. And one way to do that is with the world's most popular stimulant, caffeine.
You could, of course, down a few espressos. But that lacks the hand-to-mouth repetitive action that's also a hallmark of smoking cigarettes and vaping.
And this is where energy vapes come in. Energy vapes deliver a stimulant in the form of caffeine, and mimic the physical action of smoking or vaping. So win-win! Here’s what we recommend in this category.
HELO Air and HELO Plus
In the category of caffeinated energy vapes, HELO Air and HELO Plus have gone to great lengths to eliminate every potential harmful chemical often found in other vapes. HELO vapes have zero nicotine, of course, but also are free of vitamin E acetate and diacetyl, two nasty compounds that you definitely don't want to be inhaling.
What they do contain is caffeine and lots of flavor combinations (all of their fruit flavors are made from organic fruit extracts). Flavors include Caramel Coffee, Banana Ice, Strawberry Ice, Cherry Cola, Mango, Pink Lemonade and Arctic Mint, among others.
Each HELO Air should be good for around 400 inhales, while HELO Plus doubles that to 800 inhales.
Shop HELO Air and HELO Plus here.
Vapes for Relaxation/Sleep
The flip side to replacing nicotine's stimulating effects is that it often makes people irritable, jittery, and anxious. Which means you may need something to help you calm down rather than pump you up. Not surprisingly, there are healthy vape alternatives in this category too, like MELO Air (below) and other vapes that help you sleep.
Melatonin, which is produced naturally by your body, is one of the most popular supplements used to help induce a state of calm. And putting melatonin in a vape like MELO Air can induce that sense of calm and relaxation, while simultaneously satisfying the oral fixation component of the smoking habit. So it truly is the flip side of the caffeinated vapes mentioned above.
MELO Air and MELO Plus
The makers of HELO Air are also responsible for MELO Air and MELO Plus. Like their HELO counterparts, MELO vapes are nicotine free and contain no vitamin E acetate or diacetyl. The melatonin in HELO Air can help you sleep, and may also help with the anxiety that may be brought on by nicotine withdrawal as well (see our article on how to use melatonin for anxiety).
They, too, are available in a wide variety of flavors like Midnight Mint, Lavender Dream, Bubble Gum, Banana, Gummy Bear and Cotton Candy. Like HELO Air and HELO Plus, MELO Air and MELO Plus should last for 400 inhales and 800 inhales respectively.
Shop MELO Air and MELO Plus here.
Other Vitamin, Herb & Supplement Infused Vapes
In addition to MELO Air and HELO Air, when it comes to "functional" vapes, you can probably find a company that makes a formula for just about any physiological effect you desire. Here are a couple other brands you may want to check out.
HealthVape
We covered HealthVape in our article on the Best Nicotine Free Vapes for 2024, but here's a recap.
HealthVape comes as either a disposable vape pen or as pods. Everything they offer is, of course, nicotine-free, because the reason HealthVape exists (according to them) is "to help people kick harmful nicotine habits with a healthier alternative."
HealthVape has come up with a number of different supplement/flavor combinations, each of which is supposed to produce a different effect.
The BOOST formulation contains vitamin B12 as its "active ingredient," ENERGY contains caffeine, VITAL is vitamin C, CHILL is chamomile, SOOTHE is melatonin, and RESTORE is collagen. Each of these then come in different flavors like peppermint, mango, lime and strawberry. You can view each flavor/supplement combo at the HealthVape website.
Each HealthVape disposable, regardless of formulation, should deliver around 500 inhales, with each pod delivering around 200.
Ripple+
Ripple+ is another vendor we've covered before, but it continues to be extremely popular among those looking for healthy vape alternatives.
Like HealthVape, Ripple+ combines various supplements, vitamins and "superfood" extracts into unique formulations designed to deliver a physiological effect.
We won't go through all of the different varieties here, but to give you an idea of what Ripple+ offers, their Detox blend comes in a cucumber aroma and contains kale and ginger, Focus is a mango aroma with bacopa and guarana, Zest is lemon with ashwagandha and rhodiola, Power is peppermint with ginseng and ginkgo biloba, Relax is jasmine with chamomile and lemon balm, and Boost is lychee with green tea and maca.
"Nothing but Flavor" Vapes
If you'd rather your vapes contain no added ingredients whatsoever, you can choose to go with vapes that deliver nothing but what is essentially flavored air.
"Nothing but flavor" vapes are truly designed as a vaping or smoking cessation device. They can help satisfy the oral fixation component of either habit, without delivering their addictive chemicals or leaving a lingering smell like you find with many e-cigarettes.
ZERO Air
The aptly named ZERO Air is made by the same company that makes HELO Air and MELO Air. ZERO delivers nothing but flavored "plant-powered puffs," with no tobacco, no nicotine, and no diacetyl, formaldehyde or vitamin E acetate.
ZERO is available in six flavors — Arctic Peach, Green Punch, Heaven, Jolly Berries, Magic Mint and White Gummy — and each disposable device should last for around 2,000 inhales.
Capnos Zero
"It looks and feels like a vape, but it's not," proclaims the headline on Capnos's website. And they're right. Capnos is a "flavored, pressurized air inhaler designed to be a behavioral aid." And by behavioral aid, they mean a smoking or vaping cessation device.
Capnos strives to duplicate the "throat hit sensation" that nicotine vapes deliver by using nothing but the surrounding air. By pressurizing the air, the theory goes, it feels very similar, if not identical, to a normal vape, and should make it easier to help you quit.
The idea behind Capnos is simple, and so is its execution. It comes in three straightforward flavors — orange citrus, lavender and mint.
CBD Vapes
We've shared an article here on CBD gummies to help you quit smoking, but we haven't yet talked about CBD vapes. As we discussed in our article on gummies, CBD may help calm nicotine cravings and mute withdrawal symptoms, making it easier to quit.
With CBD vapes, you have the added benefit of replicating the hand to mouth, oral fixation action of smoking or vaping. Something you of course don't get with their gummies counterpart. Also, because the CBD in vapes is inhaled as opposed to digested, you should generally expect to feel the results more quickly.
We discuss some overall factors you should keep in mind when thinking about using CBD in the article mentioned above, so check that out before shopping our recommendations. In particular, pay attention to the distinction between full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate.
Avida CBD Vape Pens & Juice
Avida is an extremely popular brand in the world of CBD vapes, getting high marks for both their effectiveness and their taste. They offer vape pens containing all three of the CBD variations — full spectrum, broad spectrum and CBD isolate — across 15 different flavors, like Pineapple Fusion, Watermelon, Cinnamon Custard and Banana Cream Pie.
Avida also sells CBD vape juice, if you prefer to use a reusable device as opposed to a disposable, as well as a full line of oil, gummies and topicals, too.
CBDfx Vape Pens & Juice
CBDfx is also one of our top picks when it comes to the best gummies to quit smoking cigarettes, so it should come as no surprise that they're also on our list of best CBD vapes. Of note, they've been around for a long time — since 2014. Which makes them somewhat of a pioneer in the CBD industry.
All of their products, including their vape pens and vape juice, come from organic hemp grown in the U.S. You'll find CBD pens and vape juice in two formulations — full spectrum and broad spectrum. (As a reminder, full spectrum does contain some THC, while broad spectrum generally does not, or contains only trace amounts.)
Their 12 flavors include Purple Punch, Pineapple Express, Wedding Cake, Strawberry Lemonade and Fresh Mint, among others.
CBD Luxe
CBD Luxe is really a hybrid pick, because it's an option that combines Pharma-grade CBD with herbs and other ingredients to deliver additional potential benefits beyond just the CBD. Their CBD vape pens come in three formulations — Be Alert, Be Calm and Be Clear, all of which are THC-free.
Be Alert combines CBD with the essential oils of lemon, lime and ginger. Be Calm includes lavender, chamomile and valerian in addition to CBD. And Be Clear includes CBD and peppermint oil. Each of CBD Luxe's disposable vape pens should last around 300 puffs.
What Makes a Vape Safe in the First Place? Some Helpful Tips for Exploring Options on Your Own
We believe we provided a decent round up of healthier vaping options here, but of course we can't cover every option out there. So, if you feel like going out and exploring on your own, here are a few pointers for distinguishing what's healthier.
First, ensure that it's Diacetyl-free. Diacetyl is a fairly common flavoring ingredient in food. But when it's inhaled, it's nasty stuff that can have a number of adverse health effects. It's the chemical responsible for what's known as "popcorn lung." Other substances to avoid are vitamin E acetate, acetoin and acetyl propionyl.
Next, it should go without saying, but to be considered a truly "healthy" vape, it shouldn't contain any nicotine or (many would argue) THC. Many of the CBD vapes we've recommended here have THC versions as well. Whether or not you feel the presence of THC disqualifies it as a healthy vape is up to you.
Finally, pay attention to the vaping device's heating chamber and temperature control features. In general, what you're looking for is a chamber that heats up quickly, which impacts vapor quality, and whether or not it allows for precise temperature control, which allows you to control the intensity of the vapor.
Yes, it's Possible for a Healthier Vape to Still be Enjoyable!
We've given you lots of options here for healthier vape alternatives, so you should be able to find something that strikes your fancy. It's difficult to name an overall "best vape," but we don't think you can go wrong trying anything on this list. Of course, we don't know your personal taste, or what's driving you to seek out an alternative to whatever you're using now.
Whatever that reason is, you've made a good choice by seeking out healthier options. After all, we created MELO Air, HELO Air and ZERO Air because we knew it was possible to create a healthier vape with great flavor that you'd actually enjoy using!
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