Does a Hookah Vape Have Nicotine?

Are you looking for a smoke-free alternative that allows you to enjoy a hookah-style experience without the coughing? Top shisha brands like Al Fakher have released a wide range of hookah vapes aimed at capturing that experience – and the best part is that many of the devices are available in the exact same shisha flavors you know and love.

If you want to switch from a hookah to a hookah vape, though, it’s important to know that your experience won’t be less satisfying. That means you’re looking for a vape with nicotine.

So, does a hookah vape have nicotine? The answer to that question is generally “yes.” It’s important to check a device carefully before buying it, though, because nicotine strengths aren’t standardized in hookah vapes and can vary from one device to the next.

This guide explains what you need to know.

How Much Nicotine Is in a Hookah Vape?

To understand how much nicotine is in a hookah vape, you need to know its nicotine strength. That’s not always printed on the retail box, so we recommend checking the product description closely when buying online. A hookah vape often has a nicotine strength of 5-6 mg/ml (0.5-0.6%), but you should never assume a device has a particular strength until you know for sure. Regular disposable vapes have become standardized and typically have a strength of 50 mg/ml (5%), but hookah vapes can often differ between brands.

Later in the article, we’ll explain why hookah vapes usually have lower strengths than other disposable vapes.

How to Know a Hookah Vape’s Total Nicotine Content

A hookah vape may have its nicotine strength on the box, but it usually won’t have the total nicotine content. That’s partly because manufacturers have never used total nicotine as a marketing point, but it’s mostly because brands are usually mum about exactly how much vape juice is in their devices. They prefer to advertise their vapes by their puff counts because that’s easier to understand. Puff counts also sometimes leave a little room for manufacturers to exaggerate their devices’ capabilities a bit.

Finding a hookah vape’s e-liquid capacity might require a bit of searching, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. Once you have it, the nicotine content is easy to calculate – just multiply the e-liquid capacity by the nicotine strength. If a hookah vape has 20 ml of vape juice with a nicotine strength of 6 mg/ml, the total nicotine content is 120 mg.

Why Do Hookah Vapes Have Lower Nicotine Strengths?

We’ll explain the differences between hookah vapes and regular disposable vapes in a moment, but the most prominent difference deserves a section of its own: Hookah vapes almost always have significantly lower nicotine strengths than regular disposable vapes. A standard disposable vape could contain up to 10 times as much nicotine per ml as a hookah vape.

So, what’s the reason for the difference in nicotine strengths? Hookah vapes usually have less nicotine because many people prefer to inhale directly into their lungs when they smoke hookahs, and a hookah vape is designed to mimic that experience. Most people wouldn’t want to inhale directly into their lungs with a nicotine strength of 50 mg/ml, so the nicotine strength of a hookah vape is lower to account for that.

The fact that hookah vapes usually have lower nicotine strengths doesn’t mean that you’ll find the experience less satisfying than smoking a real hookah. Direct-to-lung inhaling means that you’re inhaling significantly more vapor with each puff, and inhaling more vapor means you’re still getting a comparable amount of nicotine.

What Are the Other Differences Between Hookah Vapes and Disposable Vapes?

Designed for Direct-to-Lung Inhaling

The biggest difference between hookah vapes and regular disposable vapes, as we explained above, is the fact that they’re usually designed for direct-to-lung inhaling because most people smoke hookahs that way. That’s not just a matter of having a lower nicotine strength. A hookah vape usually has a large airflow vent to facilitate easy inhaling, and it might also have a long mouthpiece that looks and feels like a real hookah mouthpiece. It’s all about creating an experience that feels as authentic as possible.

More E-Liquid and Higher Puff Counts

Have you noticed the extremely large puff counts on some hookah vapes? You can find hookah vapes that advertise up to 200,000 puffs, and we’re sure that the numbers will get even bigger in the future. The reason why hookah vapes have such enormous puff counts is because they have very large e-liquid supplies compared to traditional disposable vapes – up to 80 ml in some cases.

As you might imagine, there is a trade-off here. A device with 80 ml of vape juice definitely won’t be as small as a tiny Elf Bar, so carrying it in your pocket may not be easy. Some hookah vapes are definitely quite portable, but the ones with the highest puff counts are really meant to be on your tabletop rather than in your pocket.

Luxurious Designs

The other big contrast between hookah vapes and traditional disposable vapes is that they look very different. A hookah vape is usually cylindrical instead of boxy. Between the shape and the long mouthpiece, the overall appearance is intended to mimic that of a real hookah.

The design differences don’t end there. A hookah vape may have several other luxurious design elements like a clear glass bulb, metallic accents, colorful artwork and a soft outer wrap. All of these elements make a hookah vape as much of a pleasure to look at and hold as it is to use.

Final Thoughts

Hookah vapes almost always have nicotine, but they typically have less nicotine than standard disposable vapes because they’re designed for direct-to-lung inhaling. It’s a different type of vaping experience, but it’s one you’ll appreciate if you’re a hookah lover looking for a smoke-free alternative. A hookah vape is absolutely perfect for a long, leisurely session with friends, and we encourage you to try one.