Sour Apple RELX Ultra Refill Pods

Overview

The Sour Apple RELX Ultra Refill Pods by RELX in Sour Apple at 10mg and 20mg. Free UK delivery over £20, same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 4pm.

RELX Ultra Refill Pods Sour Apple: what you are buying

RELX Ultra Refill Pods in Sour Apple are prefilled, sealed pods made to slot into a matching RELX Ultra-series device. There is nothing to pour, no coil to prime and no settings to learn. You unwrap the pod, press it into the device until it seats, and draw. When the liquid runs out you remove the empty pod and fit a fresh one. That one-step routine is the whole appeal of the closed-pod format, and it is why it has become the usual route for adult smokers who want a predictable alternative to cigarettes without learning how to build or maintain a vape.

Sour Apple is a fruit flavour with a tart edge. It leans on a crisp green apple note, finished with a sharp, slightly sherbet-style sourness on the exhale. It is not a menthol blend and it is not a dessert profile, so it suits people who want something bright and clean rather than creamy or cooling. If you have ever bought a bag of apple sweets with a sour coating, you already have a decent mental picture of where this pod is aiming.

Here is what you can reasonably expect from a pod in this category:

• Format: prefilled closed pod, sold in a small multipack. Check the listing for the exact pod count in the pack you are viewing.
• E-liquid capacity: up to 2ml, which is the maximum allowed for a refillable or prefilled pod sold in the UK.
• Nicotine type: nicotine salt, which delivers a smoother throat hit at the higher strengths than traditional freebase nicotine.
• Maximum strength: 20mg/ml, the UK legal ceiling for nicotine e-liquid.
• Device: designed for the matching RELX Ultra device, so check compatibility before you order.

These are pods, not disposables. The pod holds the liquid and the coil, but the battery lives in the device. That has two practical effects. First, you only throw away the pod rather than a whole battery every time you finish a flavour. Second, the pod will not work on its own: if you do not already own the matching device, you will need to buy that too.

This page is written for adults who already smoke or vape and want accurate information before buying. If you do not currently use nicotine, a pod like this is not a sensible thing to start on. Nicotine is addictive, and the only people who should be buying nicotine products are adults looking to move away from tobacco.

Sour Apple flavour profile: what to expect from first puff to last

Flavour is a personal thing, and descriptions only go so far, but it helps to know the shape of a flavour before you commit to a multipack. Here is how Sour Apple tends to behave across a typical session.

The inhale. The first thing most people notice is the green apple note. It reads closer to a Granny Smith than to a red eating apple, with a clean, slightly acidic bite rather than a soft, baked or syrupy sweetness. The sourness is present from the start but it is not overwhelming on the draw itself. It sits at the front of the tongue and gives the vapour a bright, mouth-watering quality.

The exhale. The sour element builds a little as you breathe out. This is where the sherbet-style tang shows up, and where you will feel the most contrast with sweeter fruit pods. There is a light sweetness underneath to stop it becoming harsh, but the overall impression is tart rather than sugary.

The aftertaste. The finish is short and fairly clean. You are unlikely to be left with a heavy, cloying coating on your tongue, which is one of the reasons sour fruit flavours work well for people who vape through the day. Some users do find that very frequent puffing leaves the tip of the tongue feeling slightly tingly from the acidity, which is normal for sour flavours and usually settles if you take a drink of water.

A few notes on how flavour behaves in practice:

• Fresh pods taste strongest. The first few puffs on a new pod are often the most vivid. The flavour then settles into a steady level and stays there until the pod is nearly empty.
• Slow draws reveal more. A long, gentle inhale lets the coil heat evenly and brings out the apple note. Short, sharp pulls tend to flatten it.
• Nicotine strength changes perception. Higher strengths add throat hit that can mask some sweetness, while lower strengths let the fruit and sour notes come forward.
• Taste fatigue is real. If you vape one flavour all day, you may find it seems to fade after a week or two. Switching to a different pod for a day usually resets this.

If you are choosing between several fruit pods in the RELX Ultra range, Sour Apple is the one to pick when you want contrast and a bit of bite. If you find tart flavours uncomfortable, a rounder fruit blend or a lightly cooling option will probably suit you better. The honest advice is to buy a single pack first rather than stocking up, particularly if you have never tried a sour profile before.

Puff delivery and how long one pod lasts

The honest answer to how long a pod lasts is that it depends on you. Manufacturers and retailers sometimes quote a puff count, and for a pod holding up to 2ml of liquid in this style of device, a rough working figure is somewhere around 500 to 700 puffs per pod. Treat that as an estimate, not a guarantee. It is based on typical draw length and typical liquid consumption, and individual results vary quite a bit.

Several things move that number up or down:

• Draw length. A three-second draw uses roughly twice as much liquid as a one-and-a-half-second draw. If you tend to take long pulls, expect to be nearer the bottom of the range.
• Frequency. Chain-vaping heats the coil without giving it time to recover, which can use liquid faster and affect flavour. Spaced-out puffs usually stretch a pod further.
• Nicotine strength. At higher strengths, many people find they take fewer puffs to feel satisfied, so a 20mg/ml pod may last longer in real terms than a 10mg/ml pod used by the same person.
• Temperature. Very cold conditions thicken the liquid slightly and can reduce wicking, while a pod left in a hot car can leak. Keep it at normal room temperature where you can.
• Device battery level. A device on a low charge may deliver weaker heating, which can make vapour feel thinner even when the pod is still full.

For a smoker coming from cigarettes, a more useful way to think about it is in terms of days. Someone smoking ten to fifteen cigarettes a day and switching fully to a 20mg/ml pod might use a pod every two to three days. Lighter users might make a single pod last the best part of a week. If you find yourself getting through a pod in under a day, it is worth checking whether you are drawing very long, whether the strength is too low for your needs, or whether a leak is quietly wasting liquid.

Vapour production on these pods is moderate. They are designed for a mouth-to-lung draw, which is the tighter, cigarette-like style of inhale, rather than the big, cloudy exhale associated with sub-ohm devices. You will see a visible vapour cloud, but it is not designed for cloud-chasing, and it dissipates quickly, which is useful in places where you need to be considerate of other people.

Consistency is where closed pods tend to do well. Because the coil, wick and liquid are matched at the factory, you should get a similar experience from every pod in the pack. If one pod in a pack performs noticeably worse than the others, that is worth raising with the retailer rather than accepting as normal.

Pod design, fit and build quality

A pod is a small piece of engineering, and the details matter more than they look. The RELX Ultra pod is a compact plastic cartridge with a transparent or semi-transparent body so you can see the liquid level, a mouthpiece at the top, and a contact and airflow interface at the base that connects to the device.

Fit. The pod should push into the device with a firm, positive click, and sit flush with no wobble. If you feel resistance and the pod does not seat fully, do not force it. Remove it, check that the base is clean and free of debris, and try again. A poorly seated pod is the most common cause of a device that appears dead when the battery is fine.

Seals and leak resistance. The pod is sealed at the factory, and the design uses a silicone gasket system to hold liquid in the tank around the airflow channel. Modern closed pods leak less than older generations, but no pod is leak-proof in every situation. Pressure changes on flights, heat, and carrying a device in a pocket with the mouthpiece pointing down can all cause a little seepage. Store the device upright where you can.

Mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is shaped for comfortable lip contact rather than for appearance. It is narrow enough to feel controlled and wide enough that the vapour is not forced through a pinhole. After a few days it is worth wiping it down with a dry tissue, since condensation and residue build up there faster than anywhere else.

Liquid window. Being able to see the level lets you plan ahead. When the liquid drops to a thin line over the wick area, you are close to the end. Continuing to draw on a nearly empty pod risks a burnt taste, because the wick can dry out. Replace it before it reaches that point.

Materials and disposal. The pod is a mix of plastic, silicone and a small metal and ceramic heating assembly. That combination cannot go in your normal household recycling. In the UK, retailers that sell vaping products are required to take back used vapes and pods, so look for a drop-off point at the shop or use a local household waste recycling centre that accepts small electricals. Do not bin pods in general waste, and do not try to pull them apart. Residual liquid contains nicotine and should be kept away from children and pets.

Overall, the build is what you would expect from an established closed-pod range: tidy, functional and consistent. It is not a premium object, and it is not meant to be, but it is made to a standard that makes day-to-day use straightforward.

Coil and heating technology inside the pod

The coil is the part that turns liquid into vapour, and it largely decides how a pod tastes and feels. RELX closed pods use a ceramic-style heating element rather than a basic cotton and wire coil. Ceramic wicks are porous, stable at heat and generally good at drawing liquid evenly across the heating surface, which helps with flavour consistency and reduces the chance of dry hits when the pod is used normally.

It is worth being straightforward about what is and is not published. Retailers rarely list a precise coil resistance or wattage for each individual pod, and RELX does not always publish every internal figure. What you can say with reasonable confidence is that this is a low-power, mouth-to-lung style of coil, matched to a compact device battery, and designed to run at a fixed output that the device manages for you. You cannot change the wattage and you do not need to.

What a ceramic-style coil tends to give you:

• Even heating. The porous structure spreads heat across the wick surface, so vapour tends to be smoother and flavour more stable than on cheap cotton-wick pods.
• Good flavour definition. Because the material is inert at normal operating temperature, there is less of a baked or cooked note added to the liquid. For a flavour like Sour Apple, where freshness is the point, that matters.
• Longer coil life. Ceramic holds up well over the life of one pod. You are not going to burn out the coil unless the pod runs dry or the device is misused.
• Low maintenance. There is nothing for you to clean or replace. The coil is part of the pod and leaves with it.

The limitations are the usual ones for this format. Ceramic coils respond a little more slowly than mesh coils, so there can be a fraction of a second between the draw and the first vapour. They also operate at modest power, so the vapour density will not match a high-wattage device. For a smoker moving to vaping, that gentler delivery is often exactly what is wanted, but if you are used to a large cloud you will find it restrained.

Dry hits, where the coil heats without enough liquid and produces a harsh, burnt taste, happen when a pod is nearly empty, when you chain-vape very aggressively, or when the pod has just been fitted and has not saturated yet. Giving a new pod a minute or two before the first puff is a simple way to avoid that.

Battery, charging and pairing the pod with your device

The pod has no battery. All of the power comes from the RELX device it plugs into, so everything to do with charging and run time is about that device, not about the refill pod itself. This matters because people sometimes assume a new pod brings new power with it. It does not.

Closed-pod devices in this class typically carry a battery somewhere in the region of 350 to 450mAh. That sounds small next to a phone, but the heating element draws very little power per puff, so it lasts a surprisingly long time. For most people, one full charge covers a day of normal use, and some get closer to two days. The exact capacity for your device will be printed on its packaging or in the manual, and that figure is the one to trust over any general estimate.

Practical charging guidance:

• Use the supplied cable. If you need a replacement, use a good-quality USB cable from a reputable source. Cheap unbranded cables are a common source of slow charging and, occasionally, safety problems.
• Use a standard plug or a computer port. A basic 5V adapter is what the device expects. A fast charger designed for a laptop or tablet is not necessary and does not make the device charge faster.
• Charge on a hard, flat surface. Not on a bed, a sofa or anywhere soft that can trap heat.
• Do not leave it charging overnight on a regular basis. Modern devices cut off when full, but good habits protect the battery over the long term.
• Watch the indicator. Most devices use a light that changes colour or turns off to show charge state. Check your manual for the specific pattern.

Pairing the pod to the device. Compatibility is the one thing you must check. RELX has sold several generations of devices with different pod shapes, and pods from one generation do not necessarily fit another. The product name says Ultra, and these pods are meant for the matching Ultra-series device. If you are not sure which device you have, look at the base or the packaging, or ask the retailer before ordering. A pod that does not fit your device is not something you can make work, and returning opened pods is usually not possible.

If the device will not power on with a fresh pod, charge it for at least thirty minutes first, then check that the pod is fully seated. Most apparent battery faults turn out to be one of those two things.

Nicotine strength guidance for UK vapers

Choosing the right strength is the single most important decision when you buy a refill pod. Pick too low and you will find yourself puffing constantly without feeling satisfied, which uses pods quickly and can leave you more tempted to go back to cigarettes. Pick too high and you may get a harsh throat hit, light-headedness or nausea.

In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20mg/ml, and refillable and prefilled tanks and pods are capped at 2ml. You will see two main strengths in the nicotine-salt pod market, usually a lower option around 10 to 12mg/ml and the maximum at 20mg/ml. Check the options shown on the product page, because not every flavour is stocked in every strength.

As a general starting point:

• Heavy smokers (around 15 or more cigarettes a day, or smoking within thirty minutes of waking): start at 20mg/ml. Nicotine salt at this strength is designed to give a cigarette-like satisfaction at a comfortable throat hit.
• Moderate smokers (roughly 5 to 15 cigarettes a day): try 20mg/ml first, and drop to the lower strength if it feels too intense.
• Light or social smokers: the lower strength is usually enough, and 20mg/ml may feel unpleasantly strong.
• People reducing their nicotine over time: start at the strength that stops you smoking, then step down only when you feel ready, not before.

Signs that your strength is too high include dizziness, a racing heart, a sweaty or queasy feeling, and a very sharp feeling at the back of the throat. Signs it is too low include taking very frequent puffs, never feeling satisfied, and cravings that keep returning. Adjust one step at a time and give each change a few days before judging it.

Sour flavours deserve a particular note. The acidity in a sour apple profile can make the throat feel slightly sharper, and that can stack with a higher nicotine strength. If you are sensitive, you might find 20mg/ml in Sour Apple feels more intense than the same strength in a smooth dessert flavour. That does not mean something is wrong with the pod. It means you may be happier one step lower.

This is general information and not medical advice. If you are pregnant, have a heart condition, take regular medication or are under 18, nicotine products are not suitable, and you should speak to a GP or pharmacist about stopping smoking support. The sale of nicotine products to anyone under 18 is illegal in the UK.

Who Sour Apple pods suit, and who should look elsewhere

No flavour or format suits everyone, and a straight answer helps more than a sales pitch. Here is a realistic view of who tends to be happy with these pods and who does not.

These pods are a good fit if you:

• Are an adult smoker who wants a simple, low-effort switch from cigarettes.
• Already own, or are happy to buy, the matching RELX Ultra device.
• Like bright, tart fruit flavours and find tobacco or menthol profiles dull.
• Prefer a tight, cigarette-style draw rather than a large, airy cloud.
• Want predictable performance and do not want to refill, prime or tinker.
• Value a device that is small enough to carry in a pocket or bag without fuss.

You may want to look elsewhere if you:

• Have never smoked or vaped. Nicotine is addictive and there is no health reason to start.
• Prefer sweet, creamy or dessert flavours. A sour profile will probably feel too sharp.
• Want to chase clouds or customise power. A closed pod gives you no control over wattage or airflow.
• Want the lowest possible running cost. Refillable systems with bottled e-liquid usually cost less per millilitre, though they ask more of you in terms of upkeep.
• Own a different generation of RELX device. If your device does not take Ultra pods, this is not the right product.
• Dislike the idea of throwing away pods. Pods are recyclable through the right channels, but they still generate waste.

One group worth mentioning separately is people who have tried and struggled with other vaping devices. Some find that older, lower-powered devices do not deliver enough nicotine to make switching worthwhile, and so keep smoking alongside vaping. If that has been your experience, a nicotine-salt pod at 20mg/ml may be a more satisfying step, though it is still worth being honest with yourself about whether you are cutting down cigarettes or simply adding vaping on top.

For anyone who is not sure, the practical route is to buy one pack, use it for a week, and see how it compares with what you were doing before. If it works, stock up. If it does not, you have lost little and learned something about what you actually want.

How to fit, use and look after a pod

Using a closed pod is straightforward, but a few habits make the difference between a pod that performs well for its full life and one that leaks, tastes burnt or dies early. Here is a simple routine.

Fitting a new pod

• Check the device is charged. A low battery can make a new pod seem faulty.
• Take the pod out of its packaging and remove any protective film or seal from the base and mouthpiece, if present.
• Press it into the device until you feel it seat firmly. It should sit level and not rock.
• Wait one to two minutes so the wick can saturate before your first puff.
• Take a few gentle, short puffs first, rather than a long, hard draw.

Everyday use

• Draw slowly and steadily for one to three seconds. There is no need to force it.
• Pause between puffs rather than chain-vaping, especially on a new pod.
• Keep the device upright when you are not using it, with the mouthpiece pointing up.
• Do not use the device while it is charging, and do not charge it while the pod is leaking.

Looking after the pod

• Wipe the mouthpiece and the base contacts with a dry tissue every few days.
• Keep the device out of heat, direct sunlight and damp. A car dashboard in summer is a bad place to leave it.
• Do not top up or refill a closed pod. They are not designed for it, and doing so can damage the seals and is a safety risk.
• If a pod has been in a cold environment, let it come up to room temperature before using it.

Changing flavours

You can swap between pods of different flavours with the same device. Take the old pod out, wipe the contacts, and fit the new one. There may be a faint trace of the previous flavour for the first few puffs. If you want a clean transition, take two or three light puffs and let them go before settling in.

Storage and safety

Keep unused pods in their packaging, somewhere cool and dry, and well away from children and pets. Nicotine liquid is harmful if swallowed or if it gets on skin or in eyes in any quantity. If liquid does contact your skin, wash it off with water. If it is swallowed or you feel unwell, seek medical help straight away. Used pods should be taken to a recycling or take-back point, not placed in household waste.

Troubleshooting common problems with refill pods

Most faults with closed pods have simple causes. Work through these before deciding that a pod or a device is broken.

The device does not respond when I draw.

• Check the charge. Connect the cable and leave it for at least thirty minutes.
• Remove the pod and refit it, making sure it clicks in fully.
• Wipe the contacts at the base of the pod and inside the device with a dry cloth.
• Try a different pod. If a second pod works, the first one may be defective.

The vapour tastes burnt or harsh.

• The pod may be nearly empty. Check the liquid level.
• It may be a new pod that has not saturated. Wait a minute or two and try shorter puffs.
• You may be chain-vaping too hard. Space your puffs out.
• Once a pod has burnt, the taste rarely recovers, so replace it and avoid repeating the cause.

The flavour seems weak or has faded.

• Taste fatigue is common after a week or two on one flavour. Try a different one for a day.
• A low device battery can reduce flavour intensity. Charge up.
• A blocked airflow channel can mute taste. Check there is no lint in the base.

The pod is leaking.

• Wipe the device and pod clean, then check the pod is seated correctly.
• Do not squeeze or shake the pod.
• Store the device upright and away from heat.
• If leaking persists on a fresh pod, stop using it and contact the retailer. Do not keep using a pod that is visibly weeping liquid into the device, since it can damage the electronics.

I get gurgling or spitting.

• This usually means there is condensation in the airflow channel. Remove the pod, tap it gently on a tissue, and wipe the mouthpiece.
• Take a slow, gentle puff to clear it.

My throat feels sore or dry.

• Drink plenty of water. Vaping can dry the mouth and throat.
• Consider dropping a nicotine strength if the throat hit is too sharp.
• Sour flavours can irritate more than sweeter ones. If it persists, try a milder flavour.

If a problem continues after these checks, keep your order number and a photo of the issue, and get in touch with the retailer. A pod that fails within its normal life is a legitimate return or replacement case, as long as you report it promptly. Do not attempt to take a pod or device apart, as the battery and liquid make that unsafe.

Value for money and running costs

Value is not just the sticker price. It is the cost per day of keeping yourself off cigarettes, compared with what you would otherwise spend. Pods sit in the middle of the vaping cost spectrum: cheaper than a pack-a-day smoking habit, dearer than refilling a tank from a bottle.

Here is a simple way to think about it. Suppose a two-pod pack costs around the mid-single-digit pounds, and suppose each pod lasts roughly three days of moderate use. That means you spend a small amount per day, and a modest amount per month. Compare that with a packet of twenty cigarettes at well over fifteen pounds in the UK, and the saving for a heavy smoker is substantial. Check the current price on the listing, since prices change.

Where pods offer good value:

• Simplicity. There is no separate coil replacement, no bottle, no tools and no wasted liquid from spills.
• Consistency. Every pod is factory-matched, so you are not paying for trial and error.
• Reusable device. The device lasts for months or longer, so the upfront cost is spread across many pods.
• Multipacks. Buying a multipack typically brings the per-pod price down, so if you know you like the flavour it can pay to buy several together.

Where they cost more:

• Per millilitre of liquid, a prefilled pod is more expensive than a bottle of e-liquid used in a refillable device.
• A pod only holds up to 2ml, so heavy users get through them quickly.
• If a pod leaks or is damaged, you lose the liquid with it.

It is also worth being honest about the comparison with disposable vapes. Single-use disposables are capped in the UK at 2ml of e-liquid and 20mg/ml, and the government has moved to restrict the sale of single-use vapes. A pod system keeps the battery and body in use, so you throw away less per week. For many people that makes pods better value over a few months than a rotating supply of disposables, as well as being kinder to the environment.

Finally, count what you do not spend. If switching from cigarettes means you stop buying tobacco entirely, the saving in a month can be several times the cost of the device and pods combined. That is the real value calculation. If instead you vape and smoke at the same time, you are paying for both, and the benefit is much smaller.

How Sour Apple compares with other pods and vape options

It helps to see where this pod sits against the alternatives, including a few where it does not come out ahead. Here are fair comparisons.

Against other RELX Ultra flavours. Within the same range, Sour Apple is the tart, bright option. Menthol and ice blends are cooler and more refreshing, dessert and cola flavours are rounder and sweeter, and tobacco-style options are better for people who want a familiar taste. If you are unsure, a fruit with some coolness is often easier to get along with than a pure sour one. Sour Apple suits people who actively like acidity.

Against other closed-pod brands. Several competitors sell similar prefilled pods in the UK, and the differences are modest. Some use cotton-wick coils that heat quickly but can taste slightly less clean. Some have larger device batteries, which means longer between charges. Some offer a wider choice of flavours or lower prices per pod. RELX tends to stand out for coil consistency and device refinement, but it is not necessarily the cheapest option, and if budget is the main concern a rival pod system may cost less per month.

Against disposable vapes. Disposables need no charging and no device purchase, and many people value that convenience. The trade-offs are that they run out and go in the bin together with the battery, and the cost over time is often higher. They are also under increasing legal pressure in the UK. A pod system asks for a small upfront investment in a device, and then gives a lower running cost and less waste.

Against refillable pod and tank systems. With a refillable system you buy bottled e-liquid and top it up. The per-millilitre cost is lower and the flavour choice is huge, including nicotine strengths in between the two usual options. The downsides are mess, learning curve and coil changes. If you are happy to handle those, refillables can save money. If not, a closed pod is the easier route.

Against nicotine replacement therapy. Patches, gum and lozenges do not involve inhaling anything, and they are available through the NHS. They are a sensible choice for some people, and a GP or local stop-smoking service can advise. Vaping is an alternative for those who want to keep the hand-to-mouth habit, but it is not risk-free, and it is only intended for adults who already use nicotine.

The short summary is that RELX Ultra Sour Apple pods are a dependable, low-fuss option for adults who like tart fruit flavours and want a simple switch. They are not the cheapest and not the most customisable, and it is better to know that before buying than after.