SMOK Rigel Kit 30W 2

Overview

The SMOK Rigel Kit 30W 2 by Smok in 2 at 0mg. Free UK delivery over £20, same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 4pm.

SMOK Rigel Kit 30W 2: overview

The SMOK Rigel Kit 30W 2 is a refillable starter kit from Smok, a hardware brand that has been making vaping devices for well over a decade. The 30W in the name is the top of the power range, and that tells you most of what you need to know about who it is built for. It suits someone who wants a reusable device with more control than a sealed bar, but who is not looking for a large sub-ohm box mod. Thirty watts is enough to drive a mesh coil properly and give a warm, full vape, yet it is low enough that the battery lasts through a normal day and the e-liquid bill stays sensible.

The trailing 2 is a variant label. In this product family it identifies a colourway or configuration choice, not a different power level and not a different flavour, because the kit does not contain any e-liquid. The listing shows a nicotine strength of 0mg for exactly that reason: whatever strength you vape is decided by the bottle you buy separately. Treat the kit as hardware only, in the same way you would treat a kettle that arrives without tea.

The timing matters too. The sale of disposable vapes has been banned in the UK since 1 June 2025, and a lot of people who used to rely on bars have been looking for a reusable device that behaves in a similar way. A refillable kit is the obvious replacement. You fill it from a bottle, charge it from a USB cable, and when a coil wears out you change the coil rather than throwing away the whole device. Over a few weeks a regular vaper usually spends noticeably less than on a stream of single-use bars, and far less ends up in the bin.

This guide goes through the kit in the order most buyers ask about it: the specification, how it performs, what flavour to expect, the build, the battery, the coil technology, how to pick a nicotine strength, who should and should not buy it, how to set it up, what to do when something goes wrong, and how the price compares with similar devices. Where a figure depends on the exact revision in the box, we say so rather than guess, and the product page is always the final word on contents.

Like every nicotine product we sell, this kit is for adults only. You must be 18 or over to buy it, and we may ask for age verification at checkout or on delivery.

Specifications at a glance

Here is the practical summary. Figures marked as typical are what devices in this class normally offer, and the product listing and manual confirm the exact numbers for the unit you receive.

• Brand: Smok.
• Product type: refillable starter kit, sold as hardware without e-liquid.
• Maximum output: 30W, as stated in the product name.
• Variant: 2, a colourway or configuration option within the Rigel family.
• Coil family: Smok mesh coils, with resistances typically in the 0.6 to 1.0 ohm range for a device in this power class.
• Tank or pod capacity: up to 2 ml, which is the legal ceiling in the UK for a refillable tank or pod used with nicotine e-liquid.
• Battery: in this power class, typically a built-in cell of roughly 900 mAh to 1,500 mAh, or a single removable cell on some designs. Check the listing for which applies.
• Charging: USB-C is standard on current Smok devices; a cable is usually included.
• Nicotine strength shown: 0mg, because no e-liquid is supplied with the kit.
• Filling method: refillable from a bottle; UK nicotine e-liquid bottles are limited to 10 ml.
• Age restriction: 18 and over.

Two points deserve emphasis. First, there is no puff count on this page, and that is deliberate. A puff count belongs to a sealed disposable, where the device is thrown away when the liquid runs out. A refillable kit has no fixed number of puffs, because the total depends on how often you refill, how long each draw is, and when you change the coil. What you can estimate is the battery life per charge and the liquid use per day, and both are covered below.

Second, the 2 ml cap is not a limitation of this particular device. It applies to every refillable tank and pod sold in the UK for nicotine liquid, so a 2 ml capacity is normal across the whole market. If you see a larger tank on a UK listing, it is either sold for zero-nicotine use or it is not a UK-market product.

Performance and vapour delivery

Performance on a refillable kit is defined by how you use the power range rather than by one headline number. Thirty watts gives you several distinct styles, and it helps to know which one you are aiming for before you pick a coil and a liquid.

• 10W to 15W: a restricted, cigarette-like draw. Vapour is cool to lukewarm, throat hit is firm with a nicotine salt, and battery and liquid use are both very low.
• 15W to 22W: the comfortable middle for most 0.8 ohm and 1.0 ohm mesh coils. Warm vapour, clear flavour, and noticeably more body than a disposable bar.
• 22W to 30W: a looser, warmer and denser vape from a 0.6 ohm mesh coil. Clouds are bigger and flavour is rounder and sweeter, but the battery drains faster and the liquid goes down quicker.

The firing response on a Smok chipset is quick, and mesh coils reach working temperature within a fraction of a second, so you do not notice a delay between pressing the button or drawing and the vapour arriving. That matters more than it sounds. Cheap devices often lag, which makes people take longer draws and burn through the battery.

Compared with a sealed bar, the biggest difference is consistency. A disposable tends to fade as the battery sags and the wick dries, so the last third of its life is noticeably weaker than the first. A refillable kit stays consistent from the first draw of a fresh coil until the coil wears out, because the battery is topped up daily and the liquid is refilled before the wick runs dry. The flip side is that you now have jobs to do: fill, charge, and change a coil every so often.

For realistic expectations, a 30W device will not produce the huge clouds associated with 100W-plus box mods, and it is not trying to. Think of it as a device that produces a full, flavoursome and comfortable vape in a small package. If your reference point is a 600-puff bar, you will find the draw fuller and the flavour clearer. If your reference point is a 200W mod, you will find it modest, and you should look at the larger kits in our Smok range instead.

Flavour and e-liquid pairing

The kit has no flavour of its own. The flavour comes from the e-liquid you choose and the coil that vaporises it. The variants in this product family are therefore colourway or configuration options, and choosing variant 2 does not change what your vape tastes like. That is a common point of confusion with disposables, where each variant is a different flavour, so it is worth stating plainly.

What the hardware does affect is how a flavour comes across. Mesh coils heat a broad area of wick evenly, which keeps delicate top notes intact. At lower wattage you get the cleanest, crispest flavour. As you move up towards 30W the vapour becomes warmer and the profile shifts towards sweeter, denser notes, with a little of the subtlety traded for richness. You can use that deliberately: set the wattage lower for menthol and fresh fruit, and a touch higher for desserts and custards.

These styles tend to work well in a 15W to 30W mesh setup:

• Fruit blends: strawberry, mixed berry, peach and tropical mixes carry well at most settings and stay sweet at the upper end of the range.
• Menthol and mint: spearmint, peppermint and iced fruit liquids feel crisp at lower wattage and stay cool even when the vapour is warm.
• Dessert and bakery: custard, vanilla and biscuit profiles work in mesh coils, but thicker liquids benefit from a slightly higher wattage so the wick keeps up.
• Tobacco: a sensible option for ex-smokers who want a familiar taste, though some tobacco liquids turn harsh if the wattage is set too high.
• Cola and soft drinks: usually bright and fizzy at low to mid power, and a good test of how clean a coil is.

Liquid thickness is the other variable. E-liquid is a blend of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, written as a ratio such as 50/50 or 70/30. A higher PG share is thinner and gives a stronger throat hit with better flavour transfer, so it suits restricted draws. A higher VG share is thicker and gives smoother, denser vapour, and it suits a looser draw. For a 30W mesh kit, 50/50 and 60/40 blends are the safest starting point. Very thick, high-VG liquids can wick too slowly in a small coil, which shows up as a dry or burnt taste.

One practical habit helps a lot: switch flavours by changing the coil or pod rather than just refilling, at least when you move between very different profiles. Sweet dessert liquids leave residue in the cotton, and a menthol poured into the same coil will taste slightly muddied until it clears.

Design and build quality

Smok builds most of its devices around a zinc alloy or similar metal frame with a coated finish, and the Rigel family follows that approach. Metal bodies feel more solid than plastic ones, they take knocks better, and they dissipate heat well. They are not unbreakable. A drop onto tile or concrete can dent a corner, scuff the coating or crack the tank window, so a silicone sleeve is worth a few pounds if the device lives in a bag or a work jacket.

A 30W-class kit is small enough to carry without thinking about it. Most devices in this category sit comfortably in a trouser pocket or a coat pocket, and they weigh little more than a large smartphone charger. That is one of the genuine advantages over a dual-battery mod, which is closer to the size of a deck of cards and needs a bag.

Things to check as soon as the kit arrives:

• Fit and finish: the tank or pod should seat firmly on the body with no wobble and no visible gap. A loose fit can cause intermittent firing.
• Contacts: the connection points should be clean and spring back when pressed. If you can see residue or corrosion, contact us before using it.
• Fire button or draw sensor: the button should click cleanly and not stick. If the device is draw-activated, it should fire when you inhale gently and stay silent when you do not.
• Charging port: the USB-C socket should be straight and free of debris. A bent port is a reason to return the kit, not to force a cable in.
• Tank window and seals: look for cracks in the glass or plastic and check that the rubber seals are seated flat.
• Drip tip: it should be smooth with no sharp edges, and it should stay put when you pull it gently.

Leaks are the usual build-related complaint on small refillable devices. A tank leaks when its seals are not seated, when it is overfilled, or when the device is left on its side in a warm place. Seat the seals properly, fill to just below the maximum line, and store the device upright. Do those three things and leaks are rare.

The colourway you receive corresponds to the variant listed. Coating colours can vary a little between production batches, so a small difference in shade from the product photo is normal and not a fault.

Battery life and charging

Kits in the 30W class generally use one of two battery arrangements. Most use a built-in rechargeable cell, which keeps the device compact and removes any need to buy or handle loose batteries. A smaller number take a single removable cell. The product listing and the manual tell you which one applies, and the advice below covers both.

For a built-in battery, a capacity somewhere between about 900 mAh and 1,500 mAh is typical for this power class. Capacity alone does not tell you how many puffs you will get, but you can estimate it. A 1,000 mAh lithium cell stores roughly 3.7 watt-hours. At 20W, a three-second draw uses about 0.017 watt-hours, which works out to a theoretical 220 draws. Allowing for conversion losses, a realistic figure is around 150 to 200 draws per charge at 20W, rising to 250 or more at 12W to 15W, and dropping to around 100 to 130 at 30W. A 1,500 mAh cell scales those numbers up by about half. These are estimates drawn from the arithmetic, not laboratory measurements, and your own results will vary with temperature, cell age and coil resistance.

In everyday terms, a moderate vaper who uses the kit at around 20W will usually get through a day on one charge, and a heavier user will want to top it up in the evening. Lowering the wattage by a few watts is the single most effective way to stretch a charge.

Charging advice that applies to every lithium device:

• Use a decent charger. A standard 5V phone charger or a USB port on a computer is fine. Avoid unbranded fast chargers of unknown origin.
• Use the cable supplied, or a good-quality USB-C cable. Worn or very thin cables can overheat.
• Do not charge unattended or overnight. Lithium cells are safe when treated properly, but a fault is far easier to deal with if you are in the room.
• Charge on a hard, non-flammable surface, not on a bed, a sofa or a pile of papers.
• Stop using the device if it gets hot, swells, smells, or shows damage. Do not try to repair a damaged cell.
• Do not leave it in a hot car or in direct sunlight.

A full charge from empty usually takes somewhere between one and two hours on a built-in cell of this size. Many Smok devices let you vape while charging, which is called pass-through. It works, but it is better to avoid it as a habit, because heat and charging stress shorten the life of the cell.

If your unit uses a removable cell, buy a genuine cell from a reputable brand, keep it in a case when it is not in the device, and never carry loose cells in a pocket with keys or coins. At the end of its life, a battery should go to a recycling point, not into household waste. We cover disposal in the FAQs.

Coil and mesh technology

The coil is where the vape is decided. Smok uses two broad coil families across its range: mesh coils, which wrap a flat perforated sheet of metal around the wick, and traditional wire coils, which use a wound wire. Devices in the Rigel and Novo style class mostly use mesh coils, and Smok sells a wide catalogue of replacements, so you will not struggle to find a spare. Check the product listing for the exact coil supplied in the box, because it can change between revisions.

The reason mesh has become the standard is simple. A mesh surface touches far more wick than a single wire does, which has three practical effects:

• Faster ramp-up: the coil reaches working temperature almost instantly, so vapour arrives with minimal delay.
• Even heating: the broad surface avoids the hot spots that cause burnt flavour, so each draw tastes consistent.
• Longer flavour life: because the load is spread over a larger area, a mesh coil tends to hold its flavour for longer than a single wire at the same power.

There are trade-offs. Mesh coils draw more power than a restricted wire coil at a given resistance, so battery life per charge drops. They also produce more vapour and use more liquid. And they do not appreciate being run outside their rated wattage range: too low and they underheat and gurgle, too high and the wick scorches.

Resistance is the number to pay attention to. It is measured in ohms, and for a device in this class the common values are these:

• 0.6 ohm mesh: the high-output choice, typically rated around 18W to 30W. Warm, dense vapour and bright flavour. Best with freebase nicotine at modest strengths or with a lower-strength nicotine salt.
• 0.8 ohm mesh: a balanced option for roughly 15W to 25W. Good flavour with moderate battery use.
• 1.0 ohm mesh: an easier, tighter draw at roughly 12W to 20W, closer to a disposable bar, and gentler on the battery.
• 1.2 ohm and above: a firm, cigarette-style restricted draw at low power. These suit stronger nicotine salts.

Every coil has a wattage range printed on its side. Start in the lower third of that range, take a few draws, and move up only if you want more warmth. Coils last roughly one to three weeks depending on how much you vape and what you put in them. Sweet, sugary liquids shorten coil life because sugar caramelises on the cotton, and the first sign is a flat, slightly burnt taste.

Always prime a new coil by dripping a few drops of liquid onto the cotton, then letting the filled tank sit for five to ten minutes before you fire it. A dry coil burns in seconds and cannot be recovered.

Choosing a nicotine strength

Because the kit is sold without e-liquid, picking the strength is your job. It is worth getting right, because too low leaves you unsatisfied and reaching for the device constantly, while too high causes dizziness, nausea and a racing heart.

The UK rules set the frame. Nicotine e-liquid is limited to 20 mg/ml, which is 2 per cent. Refill bottles are limited to 10 ml, and refillable tanks and pods to 2 ml. These limits are the same for every vaper in the country, and they sit alongside the ban on disposable vapes in force since 1 June 2025. Within that frame, the right strength for you depends on how you smoked or vaped before and what wattage you run.

• 0 mg: for people who vape purely for habit or flavour and no longer want nicotine. Also used to dilute a stronger liquid.
• 3 mg to 6 mg (freebase): suits a looser draw at 20W to 30W with a 0.6 ohm or 0.8 ohm coil. Soft throat hit, fuller vapour. Light smokers and long-term vapers who are tapering often land here.
• 10 mg (nicotine salt): a popular middle ground for a 15W to 22W setup with a 0.8 ohm or 1.0 ohm coil. Smooth enough for all-day use, with a clear throat hit.
• 18 mg to 20 mg (nicotine salt): for people who smoked heavily, usually at lower wattage with a restricted 1.0 ohm or 1.2 ohm coil. At 25W or more on a 0.6 ohm coil, a 20 mg salt is intense and can be uncomfortable.

Two simple rules cover most situations. First, as your wattage and airflow go up, your nicotine strength should come down, because you inhale more vapour per draw. Second, if you feel lightheaded, sweaty, or slightly sick after a few draws, you have taken too much. Stop, drink some water, and go lower next time.

For someone moving from a 20 mg disposable bar, a 20 mg nicotine salt at low wattage feels the most familiar, and many people drop to 10 mg after a few weeks because a refillable device delivers a fuller draw than they expect. Do not treat that as a failure. Stepping the strength down gradually is a normal route towards using less nicotine overall.

Nicotine is addictive, and vaping is intended for adults who currently smoke or vape. It is not recommended for anyone under 18 or for non-smokers. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone with a heart condition, should speak to a doctor or pharmacist before using nicotine products.

Who the Rigel Kit 30W 2 suits, and who should skip it

No device fits everybody. A 30W refillable kit is a strong match for some people and a poor one for others, so here is an honest breakdown.

It is a good fit if you:

• have been using disposable bars and want a reusable replacement that costs less over time.
• already use a small pod kit and want a bit more power, flavour and control over the coil.
• want something small enough to carry in a pocket all day.
• are happy to refill a tank and charge a device, and do not mind changing a coil every week or two.
• enjoy trying different liquids and want to choose your own flavours and strengths.

You should probably skip it if you:

• want a device you never have to think about. A refillable kit needs filling, charging and occasional maintenance. If you want to take it out of a box, use it and bin it, you are asking for a disposable, and those are no longer legal to buy.
• want huge clouds. At a 30W ceiling, this is a flavour-and-convenience device. People who want big, warm sub-ohm clouds should look at a higher-powered kit.
• have never smoked or vaped. There is no reason to start. These products exist to help adult smokers move away from tobacco.
• do not want any liquid handling. If you dislike filling a tank, a prefilled pod system with sealed cartridges is tidier, although the pods cost more per millilitre.
• need a rugged, waterproof device for outdoor work. A zinc alloy body copes with everyday knocks, not with being dropped off scaffolding or soaked.

If you are not sure, think about what you want from the first minute of use. A beginner moving off cigarettes usually does best with a nicotine salt, a 0.8 ohm to 1.0 ohm coil and a wattage around 15W to 20W, because that combination feels closest to smoking. An existing vaper with a taste for flavour will probably prefer a 0.6 ohm coil with a freebase liquid and a few more watts. Both setups are possible with this kit, and you can move between them just by changing the coil and the bottle.

How to set up and use the kit

Setting up a refillable kit takes about ten minutes the first time. Follow these steps in order and keep the manual nearby for any model-specific button combinations.

• Check the contents. Look for the device, the tank or pod, at least one coil, the USB cable and the manual. Inspect the seals and contacts for damage.
• Charge the device first. A short charge before first use makes sure the battery is awake and gives you a baseline. Do not skip this even if the indicator light shows power.
• Install the coil. Push or screw the coil into the base of the tank or pod until it sits firmly. Make sure the O-rings are in place.
• Prime the coil. Drip three or four drops of e-liquid directly onto the exposed cotton through the coil's side holes, taking care not to flood the centre.
• Fill the tank. Open the fill port, angle the bottle against the side wall, and fill to just below the maximum line. Avoid covering the central airflow tube. Never overfill, and remember the 2 ml limit.
• Wait. Leave the filled tank for five to ten minutes so the cotton fully soaks. This is the step beginners skip, and it is the main cause of burnt first draws.
• Fit it together. Seat the tank or pod on the device and make sure it clicks or screws in cleanly.
• Switch on. Many Smok devices turn on and off with five rapid presses of the fire button. If your unit is draw-activated, there may be no switch at all.
• Set the wattage. Start in the lower third of the range printed on the coil, around 15W to 18W for most 0.8 ohm coils.
• Take a few gentle primer draws. Take two or three short draws without inhaling, to pull liquid into the wick, then try a proper one.

For day-to-day use, take slow, steady draws of two to four seconds rather than short stabs. Long, hard draws pull liquid faster than the wick can replace it and cause a dry taste. Refill when the tank drops to about a third, not when it is empty. Wipe the contacts and the base of the tank now and then with a dry cotton bud, because condensation and liquid residue build up there.

Store the device upright and away from heat, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and keep nicotine liquids in their original child-resistant bottles. Never vape while driving, and check the rules of any venue, train operator or airline before you use a device there.

Troubleshooting common problems

Most problems with small refillable kits come down to a short list of causes. Work through these before assuming the device is faulty.

• Nothing happens when you press the button or draw. Check that the battery is charged and that the tank or pod is seated properly. Try the five-click on/off sequence. If it is a draw-activated unit, make sure the airflow ports are not blocked.
• Burnt or acrid taste. This usually means the coil was not primed, the tank is nearly empty, the wattage is too high, or the coil is worn out. Refill, lower the wattage a few watts, wait a few minutes, and if it still tastes burnt, change the coil.
• Weak or flat flavour. A tired coil, a very sweet liquid that has gummed the cotton, or a wattage set too low. Try a fresh coil and move up a couple of watts.
• Gurgling or spitting. Condensation has gathered in the airflow channel. Tilt the tank, blow gently through the drip tip to clear it, and wipe any excess. A very thick liquid at low wattage often causes this, so try a thinner blend.
• Leaking. Check that the coil and the seals are seated flat, do not overfill, and store the device upright. Leaks that appear suddenly after weeks of normal use usually mean a seal needs replacing.
• Dry hit. A harsh, hot draw with little vapour. Stop at once. The wick has run dry or the coil is spent. Refill, wait, and replace the coil if the taste has not cleared.
• Short circuit or atomizer error message. The device is not detecting a coil. Remove the tank, wipe the contacts dry, and reseat it. If the message continues with a different coil, stop using the kit and contact us.
• Battery drains too quickly. Lower the wattage, check for pass-through habits, and allow for the age of the cell. Cells lose capacity gradually over hundreds of charges.
• Device gets warm. A little warmth during use or charging is normal. If it becomes too hot to hold, stop using it and let it cool away from flammable material. Do not charge it again if it keeps happening.

Keep a spare coil on hand at all times. Many cases of apparent device failure are just a coil that has reached the end of its life, and replacing it for a few pounds fixes the problem straight away. If you have worked through the list and the device still will not behave, it may be faulty. Contact us with your order number and a short description or photo, and we will help you sort it out under the returns policy.

Value for money and how it compares

Judging value on a refillable kit means looking at the full cost of ownership, not only the price on the page. There are three running costs on top of the kit: coils, e-liquid, and a small amount of electricity. Electricity is negligible. Coils typically come in packs of three to five and last one to three weeks each, and a 10 ml bottle of e-liquid lasts a moderate vaper something like four to seven days at this power level.

As a rough guide, a regular vaper spending a few pounds a week on liquid and a pound or two on coils will usually end up well below what they would have spent on a daily disposable bar. The up-front cost is recovered in a few weeks. Add in the environmental angle: the throwaway devices that used to fill UK bins contained lithium cells, plastic and metal in a package nobody could repair. A refillable kit keeps the battery and body in use for a year or more, and the only regular waste is a small coil.

It helps to be fair about where this kit sits against other options.

• Versus the Smok Novo 5 and similar Smok pod kits. The Novo family is a close relative in power and size, and uses its own pods and coils. If you already own Novo pods, staying in that family saves money. If you are starting from scratch, compare the coil and pod prices before you decide, because that is the cost you pay every week.
• Versus the Vaporesso XROS series. The XROS kits are popular, compact and easy to use, with a tidy pod system and a good reputation for flavour. Output is typically lower than 30W, so they suit a restricted, gentle draw more than a warm, fuller one.
• Versus the Uwell Caliburn series. Caliburn devices are well known for simple, reliable pods and a friendly price. They are aimed at mouth-to-lung users who want a tight draw, so they overlap with the lower end of what this kit does.
• Versus the Voopoo Vinci series. Vinci kits offer more headroom in wattage and airflow, which suits people who want a looser draw, but they are larger and cost more to run.
• Versus a full-size box mod. A mod with two removable cells gives you far more power, larger clouds and more tuning, but it is bigger, heavier, and needs batteries to be bought and managed. It is a different type of device for a different type of vaper.

Specifications and prices change between revisions, so check the current listing for each device before comparing. Our honest summary is that the Rigel Kit 30W 2 sits in the sensible middle: more control and power than the simplest pod kits, far less hassle than a mod, and a running cost that comfortably beats single-use devices. If a compact, reusable kit with room to grow is what you are after, it is a reasonable place to start. If you want the lowest possible effort or the biggest possible clouds, a different category will suit you better.

When the device or its cells eventually reach the end of their life, recycle them. Under UK waste electrical rules, shops that sell electrical products are expected to offer take-back, and household recycling centres and many supermarkets have drop-off points for small electricals and batteries. Never put a vape, cell or charging cable in the household bin or the standard recycling collection, because crushed lithium cells can start fires in refuse lorries and sorting plants.