SMOK is one of the oldest names in vaping and still one of the most widely owned in the UK. The Novo pod series and the tanks are what we stock at Vape Superstore UK, and this page covers which pods and coils fit which device, because that is where most SMOK owners get stuck.

Contents

• Why SMOK hardware is still everywhere
• The Novo pod family
• Which Novo pod fits your device
• SMOK T-Air Subtank
• RPM2 replacement coils
• Understanding coil resistance
• Matching nicotine to your setup
• How long pods and coils last
• Priming, the step people skip
• Troubleshooting
• UK rules
• SMOK FAQs

Why SMOK hardware is still everywhere

SMOK has been making vape hardware since the beginning of the modern market, and the Novo series in particular sold in enormous numbers across several generations.

That matters practically rather than sentimentally. There are a great many Novo devices still in daily use, and the main reason people abandon a perfectly good device is that they cannot find pods for it. Keeping the full pod range in stock is why this page exists.

The other thing SMOK does well is breadth. The same brand covers a tiny pocket pod kit and a full sub ohm tank, so you can move up without relearning everything.

The Novo pod family

Novo is SMOK’s refillable pod line and it has run through several generations. We stock replacement pods for the Novo, Novo 2, Novo 2X, Novo 5 and Novo X.

All of them are refillable rather than prefilled, which is the important distinction. You buy the pod once and fill it from a bottle repeatedly until the built in coil tires, then replace the pod. That is what keeps running costs low.

Which Novo pod fits your device

This is the single most common ordering error, so check before you buy. The generations are not cross compatible despite looking similar.

Novo pods fit the original Novo only. Novo 2 pods fit the Novo 2. Novo 2X pods fit the 2X, which despite the name is a different fitment from the Novo 2. Novo 5 pods fit the Novo 5. Novo X pods fit the Novo X.

If you are unsure which device you own, the model name is printed on the body, usually near the base or under the airflow. Read the device rather than guessing from the shape, because several generations look almost identical.

SMOK T-Air Subtank

The T-Air Subtank is the sub ohm option, designed for direct to lung vaping with a 510 mod. It produces considerably more vapour than any Novo pod and is a different kind of vaping entirely.

Sub ohm tanks want low nicotine. Running 20mg salt through a T-Air would be genuinely unpleasant and wasteful. Pair it with 3mg or 6mg freebase instead.

RPM2 replacement coils

We stock RPM2 replacement coils for the RPM2 platform. Coils are consumables and it is worth keeping a spare pack in, because running a tired coil is the most common reason people conclude vaping has stopped working for them.

Understanding coil resistance

Resistance is measured in ohms and printed on every pod and coil. It determines almost everything about how a device feels.

A higher resistance, roughly 1.0 to 1.8 ohms, produces less vapour, a cooler draw and a tighter mouth to lung experience. It pairs with high nicotine salt and suits ex smokers.

A lower resistance, roughly 0.4 to 0.8 ohms, produces more vapour, a warmer draw and a looser direct to lung experience. It pairs with low nicotine freebase.

Getting this wrong is behind most complaints about a device. A low resistance pod filled with 20mg salt will be harsh and wasteful. A high resistance pod filled with 3mg will leave you unsatisfied and vaping constantly.

Matching nicotine to your setup

UK law caps e liquid at 20mg per ml, so every choice sits under that ceiling.

For a Novo pod, take 10mg or 20mg nicotine salt depending on how much you smoked. Our nic salt range covers both. For the T-Air Subtank or any low resistance setup, take 3mg or 6mg freebase.

Two signals tell you the strength is wrong. Headaches or a scratchy throat mean it is too high. Vaping constantly while still wanting a cigarette means it is too low, which is the more dangerous error because it is what sends people back to smoking.

How long pods and coils last

Between one and three weeks, and your e liquid decides where in that range you land far more than the hardware does.

Clear fruit and menthol blends are gentle on a coil. Sweet dessert, custard and bakery flavours carry heavy sweetener that caramelises onto the wire and can finish a coil in three or four days. That is chemistry, not a defect, and it applies to every brand.

Replace as soon as flavour dulls or you catch the first hint of burning. A burnt coil never recovers.

Priming, the step people skip

Every new pod or coil needs priming, and skipping it ruins the coil immediately rather than gradually.

Drip a few drops of e liquid directly onto the exposed cotton wicking ports before fitting. Fit it, fill the pod or tank, then let the whole thing stand upright for five minutes. The cotton must be fully saturated before any current goes through it.

A dry first pull scorches the wick permanently. There is no recovery, so those five minutes save you the price of a coil every single time.

Troubleshooting

Burnt taste on a new pod. It was not primed, or it was vaped immediately after filling. Fit a fresh one and prime it properly.

Leaking. Usually overfilling, or a pod not seated squarely. Fill to just below the line and reseat the pod firmly.

Gurgling or spitback. Liquid in the airway, common after being carried warm in a pocket. Remove the pod and tap it gently mouthpiece down onto kitchen roll.

Device not firing. Charge it, then wipe the contacts on both pod and device with dry kitchen roll. Creeping e liquid on the contacts looks exactly like a dead battery.

Weak flavour after a fortnight. Often vapers tongue rather than hardware. Switch flavour family for a day and it resets.

If you are choosing between brands

SMOK covers the widest span, from pocket pod to sub ohm tank, and the pod availability here is the main reason to stay with it if you already own one.

If you are buying fresh rather than replacing, compare against our Vaporesso XROS range, which has better cross generation pod compatibility, or the OXVA Xlim range for wider airflow adjustment. For a proper mouth to lung tank, our Aspire Nautilus is the reference.

Looking after your hardware

Wipe the pod contacts and device connector weekly with dry kitchen roll. Rinse tank glass when changing flavour family and let it dry fully, because residue is why a new flavour tastes muddy.

Do not overtighten tanks. They seal on rubber O rings and cranking them down flattens the seal, which causes the leaks people then blame on the tank. Finger tight is correct.

Charge with a decent cable and a reputable plug. Cheap unbranded chargers are behind most lithium battery faults, and the saving is not worth it.

UK rules

All e liquid sold legally in the UK is capped at 20mg per ml nicotine, bottled liquid at 10ml and tanks and pods at 2ml. Products must be notified to the MHRA before sale and carry child resistant, tamper evident packaging. The MHRA guidance sets out the requirements in full.

If you are switching from cigarettes rather than already vaping, the NHS guidance on e cigarettes is the best independent starting point, and NHS Better Health runs free local stop smoking services.

SMOK FAQs

Are SMOK Novo pods interchangeable between generations?

No. Novo, Novo 2, Novo 2X, Novo 5 and Novo X all take different pods despite looking similar. Check the model name printed on your device.

Are Novo pods refillable?

Yes. You fill them from a bottle and replace the pod only when the built in coil tires, which is what keeps running costs down.

How often should I replace a pod?

Every one to three weeks. Sweet dessert liquids shorten that considerably, clear fruit extends it.

What nicotine strength should I use in a Novo?

10mg or 20mg nicotine salt. Drop to 3mg or 6mg freebase for the T-Air Subtank or any low resistance setup.

Why does my new pod taste burnt straight away?

It was not primed. Drip liquid onto the wicking ports before fitting and let the filled pod stand five minutes.

Do you deliver across the UK?

Yes, tracked UK delivery on all orders. You must be 18 or over and we verify age at checkout. See our returns and refunds policy.

Mouth to lung or direct to lung?

Mouth to lung means drawing vapour into the mouth first, then inhaling, exactly as you would smoke a cigarette. It suits tight airflow, higher resistance and higher nicotine, and it is what almost every ex smoker actually wants. Every Novo pod is built around it.

Direct to lung means drawing straight into the lungs in one motion, like taking a deep breath. It needs open airflow, low resistance and low nicotine, which is the T-Air Subtank territory.

Start mouth to lung if you are coming off cigarettes. It matches the habit you already have, and trying to learn a new inhale technique at the same time as quitting smoking is a good way to fail at both.

Your first week

Order the device, spare pods or coils, and two e liquid flavours at the same time. Running out of any of the three mid week is the most common practical reason a switch collapses.

Prime everything, fill it, and wait five minutes before the first draw. Start on a tobacco or menthol flavour if you have just stopped smoking, then move to fruit once the habit has settled.

Expect two or three days of adjustment. The hand to mouth routine transfers instantly, the throat sensation takes longer. Keep the device on you at all times, because the most common relapse pattern is leaving it at home and buying cigarettes out of convenience.

Battery safety

Pod kits use built in lithium cells and they are safe when treated sensibly, but a few habits matter.

Do not charge unattended overnight. Do not leave a device in a hot car or in direct sunlight. Do not carry loose external batteries in a pocket with keys or coins, because shorting the terminals is what causes the incidents people read about.

If a device becomes hot to the touch while charging, or the casing swells at all, stop using it and dispose of it at a recycling point rather than in household waste. Lithium cells in bin lorries are a genuine fire risk and most councils and supermarkets now run take back schemes.

Storage and travel

Store e liquid upright, sealed and out of sunlight. Nicotine oxidises with light and heat, darkening the liquid and flattening the flavour well before the best before date.

Devices travel in hand luggage only, never the hold, in line with the rules for all lithium battery items. Liquids follow the standard cabin restriction. Check the destination country before flying, because several restrict or ban nicotine vaping products outright.