SMOK Solus G Box Vape Kit Red

Overview

The SMOK Solus G Box Vape Kit Red by Smok in Red at 0mg. Free UK delivery over £20, same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 4pm.

SMOK Solus G Box Vape Kit overview

The SMOK Solus G Box Vape Kit is a compact, box-style refillable pod kit from SMOK, the Shenzhen manufacturer that has been making vaping hardware since 2010. It sits in the space between a basic draw-activated pen and a full adjustable mod. You get a built-in rechargeable battery, a refillable pod with a mesh-style coil, and a control scheme that most people can learn in a couple of minutes. This guide covers how a kit of this type behaves in daily use, what it costs to run, who should consider it, and where the alternatives are stronger.

A quick note on specifications. SMOK revises its Solus range between production batches and between regional versions, and devices sold in the UK are built to UK rules. Where we quote numbers below, treat them as typical for this size and class of device rather than a guarantee, and check the specification table on the product page and the figures printed on the box before relying on any single value. We would rather say that plainly than invent precision we cannot back up.

The main reasons people look at a kit like this are:

• A built-in battery with USB-C charging, so there are no loose cells to buy, match or carry
• A refillable pod with a mesh coil, which lets you choose your own e-liquid rather than being tied to one flavour
• A pocket-sized box shape that is easier to hold and less fiddly than a stick-style pod device
• A reusable design, which matters because single-use vapes have been banned from sale across the UK since 1 June 2025
• Familiar SMOK pod and coil hardware, a brand with a long record of replacement parts being easy to find

The product page lists five variants of this kit. Because this is hardware rather than e-liquid, those variants are finish and colour options rather than different flavours, so choose on looks and stock availability, and confirm the exact differences on the variant selector before you order.

As with every nicotine product, this kit is for adults who smoke or already vape. It is not for under-18s, and it is not for people who have never used nicotine. If you do not smoke, you do not need to start.

What is in the box and what you still need to buy

Kit contents vary a little between editions, so treat this as the typical package rather than a promise. In most boxes of this type you will find the following:

• The Solus G Box device with its internal battery
• A refillable SMOK pod, usually with a mesh coil already fitted
• A USB-C charging cable
• A user manual and a safety or warning card
• In some editions, a spare pod or coil

What the box does not usually contain matters just as much. Most vape kits are sold without e-liquid, so you will need to buy your own bottle. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is sold in bottles of no more than 10ml and at a maximum strength of 20mg/ml, so a 10ml bottle is the standard purchase. You will also want a plug-in USB charger if you do not already have one, and ideally one or two spare pods so you are never stuck when a coil gives up.

Compatibility is the one thing worth checking before you add accessories to your basket. SMOK uses several different pod formats across its range, including the pods used by the Nord, Novo and RPM families, and they are generally not interchangeable. Always buy replacement pods that are listed specifically for the Solus G Box rather than assuming that any SMOK pod will fit. If the listing for a pod does not name this device, ask before you buy.

A sensible first-order basket is the kit itself, one 10ml bottle of e-liquid in a flavour you already know you like, and one spare pack of pods. That covers you for the first couple of weeks without leaving you reliant on a single coil.

When the kit arrives, check the seal on the box, check that the pod seats firmly in the device, and keep the manual. The manual is the authority on button sequences and indicator light patterns for your particular edition, and later sections of this guide will refer back to it where behaviour can differ.

Performance and vapour delivery

Box-style pod kits in this class normally run in the low to mid power range, somewhere around 15 to 30 watts depending on the model and the coil fitted. That is deliberately modest. It is enough to heat a mesh coil quickly and give a satisfying amount of vapour without draining the battery in an afternoon, and it keeps the nicotine delivery at a level that suits people stepping across from cigarettes.

The way the kit delivers vapour depends on the coil resistance and the airflow. Lower resistance coils, for example around 0.6 ohm, draw more power and produce warmer, denser vapour with an airier draw. Higher resistance coils, around 0.8 to 1.0 ohm, run cooler and use less e-liquid, with a tighter draw that feels closer to a cigarette. Check the resistance printed on the pod you are using, because it tells you more about the experience than any headline wattage figure.

Here is what most users notice in practice:

• Ramp-up: mesh coils heat quickly, so there is very little delay between pressing the button or drawing and tasting the vapour
• Throat feel: at the nicotine strengths suited to pod kits, the hit is smooth rather than harsh
• Consistency: output stays steady through the pod, with a drop-off only when the coil is close to the end of its life or the pod is nearly empty
• Vapour volume: noticeably more than a basic pen, but well short of what a sub-ohm kit produces

A frequent question is how many puffs one pod gives. Brands print puff counts on disposables, but refillable pods are different because you control the fill and the draw style. As a rough guide, a 2ml pod used for mouth-to-lung vaping often delivers somewhere in the region of 400 to 700 puffs, and less if you draw long and hard or run a lower resistance coil. Treat that as a ballpark, not a rating. Your own puff length, the liquid you use and how often you pause will move the number up or down.

The kit is a mouth-to-lung style device first. You draw into your mouth, pause for a second, and then inhale. Some people use it with a looser, restricted direct-to-lung draw, and that works if the airflow allows it, but heavy lung inhaling will empty a small pod quickly and make the coil work harder than it is designed to.

Flavour profile and what to expect from the liquid

The device itself has no flavour. What you taste comes from the e-liquid you put in the pod, and the coil's job is to deliver it faithfully. This is where mesh coils earn their place: the large, flat heating surface warms the liquid evenly, which tends to give a cleaner, fuller flavour than the older round-wire coils and a more consistent taste from the first puff to the last.

That said, a few practical points will shape your experience more than the hardware does:

• Fruit and ice flavours are the easiest to enjoy in a small pod kit. They stay crisp and rarely overwhelm the coil
• Menthol and mint suit mesh coils well, and they are the usual choice for people leaving menthol cigarettes behind
• Tobacco flavours work best at a lower power and a slightly higher resistance coil, which keeps the taste dry and rounded
• Dessert and custard flavours are heavier on sweeteners, and they gunk coils faster, so expect a shorter coil life if you vape them all day

Choose a liquid with a suitable balance of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine. Most pod kits are designed for a 50/50 or 60/40 VG to PG ratio. Very thick, high-VG liquids, such as 70/30 or above, can wick slowly through a small coil and cause dry or burnt hits. If a bottle is labelled for sub-ohm tanks, it is probably too thick for this kind of pod.

When you first fill a new pod, give the coil a few minutes to soak before taking a puff. Fresh mesh coils taste muted or slightly papery for the first few draws while the cotton saturates fully. If the flavour stays flat after that, let the pod rest for ten minutes or so with the airflow facing down, and try again.

If you like to switch flavours, either buy a spare pod for each flavour family or accept that a coil will carry a trace of what came before. Swapping between very different flavours in a single pod, such as menthol and a creamy dessert, is the quickest way to end up tasting both at once. Many experienced vapers keep one pod for fruit and menthol and a second for everything else, and it is a cheap habit worth copying.

Design, ergonomics and build quality

The Solus G Box takes its name from its shape. Rather than the long, thin profile of a pod stick, it is a compact rectangular box that sits flat in the palm and fits easily into a jeans pocket or a small bag. The proportions make the buttons and the pod easy to reach, and the extra width gives the internal battery more room than a slimmer device could offer.

SMOK builds devices in this class with a lightweight metal alloy or a hard-wearing plastic shell, often with a coloured or textured finish. The five variants on this product page give you some choice of look, from understated darker shades to brighter finishes. Whichever you pick, the internals are meant to be the same, so you are choosing appearance rather than capability.

Points that matter day to day:

• Grip: a box shape is less likely to slip than a smooth cylinder, but a glossy finish will show fingerprints quickly
• Pod fit: the pod should click or seat firmly, with no wobble when you tilt the device. A loose pod is a leak waiting to happen
• Mouthpiece: a wide, flat drip-style tip is comfortable on the lips but can collect condensation, so wipe it down occasionally
• Buttons and indicators: check your edition's manual for how the fire button and indicator light behave, as these differ between versions
• Weight: light enough to forget in a pocket, but with a reassuring solidity that cheaper plastic pens lack

Build quality in SMOK's recent kits has been generally sound, with tidy seams and a firm USB-C port. As with any compact device, the most vulnerable part is the pod, which is plastic and has a silicone fill bung. Treat it with care when refilling. Do not force the bung open with a sharp object, and do not squeeze the pod when you remove it.

If you carry the device loose in a bag, consider a small case or a dedicated pocket. Keys and coins scratch finishes, and pressing the fire button accidentally inside a bag will warm the coil unnecessarily. Many SMOK devices have a lock or standby mode that you can activate by pressing the button several times quickly, and it is worth learning how to use it if you commute with the kit in a bag.

Battery life and charging

The Solus G Box uses an integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery rather than removable cells. For a box pod kit in this class, the capacity is typically in the region of 1,000mAh, give or take a few hundred, although you should confirm the exact figure on the product page, because it differs between editions. For many adult vapers this is enough for a full working day, and for light users it can stretch to a second day.

Real-world battery life depends on how you vape:

• Light use (a few dozen puffs a day): often two days between charges
• Moderate use (replacing roughly 10 cigarettes a day): usually a full day with some margin
• Heavy use (chain vaping or replacing a pack a day): expect to top up at lunch or in the evening

Charging is through a USB-C port. A full charge from empty typically takes somewhere between 45 minutes and 90 minutes on a standard 5V charger. You do not need a fast-charging brick, and you gain nothing from one. A normal phone charger or a laptop USB port will do the job. Many devices of this type allow pass-through vaping while charging, but we suggest you avoid using it, because it generates more heat in the battery than charging on its own.

Some basic habits will keep the battery healthy and safe:

• Use the cable supplied, or a good quality USB-C cable, and a reputable plug-in charger
• Do not charge the kit under a pillow, on a sofa cushion or anywhere that traps heat
• Avoid leaving it on charge overnight or while you are out of the house
• Do not leave the device in a hot car or in direct sun
• Stop using it if the casing swells, gets unusually hot, smells of burning or is visibly damaged

Because the battery is built in, it cannot be swapped out when it wears down. Lithium-ion cells slowly lose capacity over hundreds of charge cycles, and in a daily-use device you may notice shorter life after a year or so. When the kit reaches the end of its life, do not put it in the household bin or the recycling bin at the kerb. Vapes contain lithium batteries that can start fires in collection lorries and sorting plants. Take the whole device to a household waste recycling centre, or hand it in at a shop that sells vapes, since UK retailers of these products are required to offer take-back for waste electrical items. Look for the recycling point near you and drop it off with the pod removed and empty.

Pod, coil and mesh technology

The coil is the heart of any vape, and the Solus G Box relies on a mesh coil built into a refillable pod. Instead of a thin wire wrapped around a cotton wick, a mesh coil uses a thin stainless steel sheet with a pattern of tiny holes, pressed against the cotton. This does three useful things.

• Faster heat-up: a flat sheet reaches working temperature in a fraction of a second
• Even heating: the large surface area warms liquid across the whole wick, which reduces hot spots and dry hits
• Better flavour and vapour: more liquid is vaporised at a lower temperature, so the taste stays clean

The coils in pods like this one are sealed into the pod, so there is nothing to build or rewick. When the coil is finished, you replace the entire pod. That is slightly more wasteful than a rebuildable tank, but it removes all the guesswork, and it is the reason these kits suit beginners.

On capacity, UK rules limit refillable tanks and pods on nicotine vapes to 2ml, so the pod on a UK-market kit holds about two millilitres of e-liquid. Some imported or non-UK versions list larger capacities, up to 3ml or more, and you may see these on overseas sites. Stick to the UK version. It is the one built for UK law and the one this shop supplies.

Looking after the coil makes a measurable difference to how long it lasts. A few simple rules:

• Prime properly. Fill the pod, then wait at least five minutes before the first puff so the cotton is fully saturated
• Do not chain vape. Rest for 20 to 30 seconds between puffs so the cotton can re-wet
• Keep the pod topped up. Never vape the last few millimetres of liquid. An empty or near-empty pod burns the cotton
• Match liquid to coil. Avoid thick, heavily sweetened or very high VG liquids that clog the mesh
• Replace on time. If flavour turns dull, burnt or sooty, change the pod rather than pushing through

On average, a mesh pod coil lasts somewhere between one and three weeks of regular use. Sweet liquids shorten that, and menthol or tobacco flavours tend to extend it. Plan on replacing the pod every two weeks as a starting point and adjust once you see how your own habits affect it.

Choosing nicotine strength and e-liquid

Nicotine strength is the most personal choice you will make with this kit, and the right answer depends on how much you smoked or vaped previously. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20mg/ml, which is the same limit that applied to disposable vapes before they were banned. Nothing sold legally here is stronger than that, and for a small pod kit, 20mg/ml is the top of the range rather than a sensible default.

E-liquid comes in two nicotine forms, and the difference matters:

• Nicotine salts deliver nicotine quickly with a smooth throat feel, even at higher strengths. They are the usual choice for pod kits and for people stepping away from cigarettes
• Freebase nicotine is the traditional form. It feels sharper in the throat at higher strengths, so it is normally used at lower strengths such as 3mg/ml to 6mg/ml

As a rough starting point for nicotine salts in a mouth-to-lung kit like this one:

• Heavy smokers (20 or more cigarettes a day): 18mg/ml to 20mg/ml, or 12mg/ml if you find those too strong
• Moderate smokers (10 to 20 a day): 10mg/ml to 12mg/ml
• Light smokers (under 10 a day) or social smokers: 5mg/ml to 6mg/ml
• Ex-smokers and people cutting down: 3mg/ml or lower, and then 0mg/ml when you are ready

You will know the strength is too high if you feel dizzy, queasy, get a racing heart or a harsh throat hit that makes you cough. If that happens, put the kit down, drink some water, and move down a step next time. You will know it is too low if you find yourself vaping constantly without feeling satisfied, or going back to cigarettes between sessions. A strength that is a step too weak is a common reason people relapse, so do not be afraid to start a little higher and come down over time.

Remember that power and strength work together. A higher-wattage, lower-resistance coil delivers more vapour per puff and therefore more nicotine, so people who move to a more powerful device often drop a strength. The reverse is also true. A modest 20 watt kit with a tight draw may need a higher strength to feel satisfying.

Everything above is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are trying to quit smoking, local NHS stop smoking services can support you for free and are worth contacting alongside any vaping plan.

Who the Solus G Box is for, and who should skip it

Every vape kit involves trade-offs, and it helps to be clear about whether those trade-offs suit you. This kit is designed around simplicity, portability and a smooth, low-effort routine.

It is a good fit if you are:

• A smoker who wants a straightforward way to switch to vaping, without learning about coils, wattage or batteries
• A former disposable vape user looking for a reusable alternative now that single-use devices can no longer be sold in the UK
• Someone who prefers the feel of a box shape to a thin pod stick
• A vaper who wants a second device for travel, work or the car, separate from a main setup
• A cost-conscious user who would rather refill with a 10ml bottle than keep buying throwaway devices

You should look elsewhere if you:

• Want large clouds or a warm, dense direct-to-lung draw, in which case a sub-ohm kit such as the SMOK Nord 6 is a better fit
• Enjoy tinkering with wattage, coil builds and temperature control, since this kit is built to avoid exactly that
• Need a very large e-liquid capacity, because UK-market pods are capped at 2ml
• Rely on the widest possible choice of third-party pods, as SMOK's formats are narrower than some rivals' ecosystems
• Prefer a removable battery that you can swap when it wears out

There are also people who should not buy the kit at all. It is a nicotine product, intended only for adults aged 18 and over. If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or are taking medication that interacts with nicotine, speak to a doctor or pharmacist first. And if you have never smoked or vaped, we would encourage you to stay that way. Vaping is much less harmful than smoking, but it is not risk-free and nicotine is addictive.

A small point of honesty. A kit like this is a tool for replacing cigarettes, and it works best when you make a clean switch rather than mixing the two. Dual use keeps your exposure to tobacco smoke going and makes it harder to quit either habit. If your goal is to stop smoking entirely, plan for the switch, pick a nicotine strength that actually satisfies you, and keep a spare pod charged and ready.

How to set up and use the kit

Setting up the Solus G Box takes about ten minutes, most of which is waiting for the coil to soak. Follow these steps in order for the best first impression.

• Check the contents. Confirm the device, pod, cable and manual are all there, and read the safety card
• Charge it first. Plug in the USB-C cable and charge until the indicator shows full. It is a good habit to do this before the first use
• Prepare the pod. Remove any protective film or plugs from the pod, and locate the fill port. It is usually under a silicone bung on the side or the bottom
• Fill carefully. Hold the pod upright, tilt the bottle nozzle against the fill port, and fill slowly up to the maximum line. Do not cover the airflow or the central tube, and do not overfill
• Close the port. Press the bung firmly back into place so that it sits flush
• Wait five to ten minutes. This priming step lets the cotton soak and protects the new coil from a dry first hit
• Insert the pod. Push it into the device until it seats firmly
• Switch on. Many SMOK devices turn on with five quick presses of the fire button, but check your manual, because the sequence depends on the edition

For your first puffs, start gently. Take a slow draw of three to four seconds with the airflow open, hold the vapour in your mouth for a moment, and then inhale. Wait about 20 to 30 seconds between puffs. If the vapour tastes weak or dry, wait a little longer and try again. A new coil often needs a handful of puffs to reach its full flavour.

Day-to-day habits that keep the kit running well:

• Refill when the liquid level is a third of the way down, not when it is empty
• Store the device upright when you can, to reduce leaks around the coil
• Wipe the mouthpiece and the contacts with a dry tissue or cotton bud now and then
• Never mix e-liquid brands in a pod, since different formulations can react
• Lock the device if you carry it in a bag, so that it does not fire by accident

When the pod needs replacing, take it out, discard it with other small electrical waste if your local recycling centre accepts it, and fit the new one. Prime it as before. Do not reuse pods that have been left empty or dry, because the cotton will already be scorched.

Troubleshooting common problems

Most problems with a pod kit come down to a short list of causes. Work through the symptoms below before assuming something is faulty. If your manual gives a different instruction for your edition, follow the manual.

• The kit will not turn on or fire. Charge it for at least 20 minutes, since a fully drained battery can take a moment to wake up. Check that the pod is seated properly and clean the contacts with a dry cloth. If the indicator flashes, look up the pattern in the manual, because it usually means low battery, a short circuit or a missing pod
• Dry or burnt taste. This is nearly always caused by a coil that has not primed, a pod that is running low, or a liquid that is too thick. Top up the pod, wait ten minutes and try again with softer draws. If the burnt taste persists, the coil is finished and the pod should be replaced
• Gurgling or spitting. Too much liquid has pooled around the coil. Remove the pod, blow gently through the mouthpiece or dab the base with a tissue, and avoid overfilling next time
• Leaking. Check that the fill bung is pressed in fully, that the pod is seated firmly and that the liquid is not too thin. Pressure changes during flights and in hot weather can also push liquid out, so carry the kit upright and with a nearly empty pod when travelling
• Weak or flat flavour. Likely causes are a clogged coil, a heavily sweetened liquid or flavour fatigue. Change to a different flavour for a day, and replace the pod if the coil has been in use for more than two to three weeks
• Battery drains quickly. Make sure you are not chain vaping or leaving the kit unlocked in a bag, and remember that batteries lose capacity over time. A kit more than a year old may simply be wearing out
• Charging problems. Try another cable and another plug. Check the USB-C port for lint, which you can remove carefully with a wooden toothpick while the device is unplugged
• Hissing, crackling or sizzling. A small crackle is normal when the coil is wet, but constant sizzling suggests the pod is flooded or the liquid is too thin

Stop using the device immediately and contact the shop if you notice any of the following: the casing becomes hot while charging, the battery swells, you smell burning or chemicals, or liquid leaks into the device itself. Do not try to open the kit or repair it, and do not charge it again. Store it somewhere safe, away from anything flammable, until you have taken advice.

For faults that are not caused by misuse, the manufacturer's warranty and our returns policy are the routes to a replacement. Keep your order number and photographs of the fault, since they speed up any claim.

Value for money and honest comparisons

The sticker price of a kit tells only part of the story, so it helps to think about running costs. Beyond the device, you will spend money on three things: e-liquid, replacement pods and electricity, with the last of those being negligible. A 10ml bottle of UK e-liquid commonly costs somewhere between £2 and £5, and a pod costs a few pounds. At roughly two weeks per pod and perhaps one bottle a week for a moderate user, the monthly bill is a small fraction of what a cigarette habit costs. A pack of 20 cigarettes now costs well over £15 in the UK, so even a heavy vaper usually saves money within the first month.

Compared with disposables, which can no longer be sold in the UK, a refillable kit also removes the environmental cost of throwing a lithium battery away every few days. You still need to recycle the kit at the end of its life, but you do it once rather than dozens of times a year.

How does the Solus G Box compare with its competitors? Here is a fair assessment of the usual alternatives.

• Vaporesso XROS series. Probably the most popular pod kits in the UK. They typically have a battery of around 1,000mAh, a 2ml pod and a wide choice of coil resistances. Their pod ecosystem is larger than SMOK's, which makes spares easier to find. Where the Solus G Box competes is on shape, handling and price
• Uwell Caliburn G3. A well-regarded stick-style pod kit with a battery around 900mAh and a 2ml pod. It has a strong flavour reputation, but its slimmer shape holds a smaller battery than a box can
• OXVA Xlim. Offers a comparable battery, an adjustable power range and a loyal following. It may suit vapers who want more control, while the SMOK is aimed at those who prefer to keep things simple
• SMOK's own Novo and Nord kits. The Novo 2C is simpler and cheaper, while the Nord 6 delivers more power and vapour at the cost of bulk and a shorter battery life per puff. They are worth a look if the Solus G Box is either too basic or too powerful for you

In short, the Solus G Box is competitive on convenience and design, comparable on flavour, and slightly behind the biggest names on third-party pod availability. If you value a box shape and SMOK's hardware, it is a sound purchase. If your top priority is the widest range of spare pods in every corner shop, a Vaporesso kit may be a more practical choice.

Overall, the value case rests on three things: modest running costs, a battery that lasts a typical day, and a device you can use without learning any vaping jargon. For an adult smoker looking for a simple, reusable way to switch, that adds up to a reasonable proposition, provided you buy the correct pods and look after the coil.