If simpler, calmer looking devices become the norm, a refillable kit in a plain colourway is a sensible place to start. Here is one of our most versatile pod kits.

Refillable Pod Kit

OXVA Vprime 2 Vape Kit

A long lasting, adjustable airflow pod kit with a Type C rechargeable battery, available in understated shades including Shard Black and Black Carbon alongside brighter options.

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The headline proposal is a move to plain packaging for vaping and nicotine products, similar in spirit to the rules already applied to cigarettes.

Under the proposals, packaging would be white, with no logos, brand imagery or promotional graphics. Text would follow a standardised colour, font and layout set by the government rather than by the brand. There would be no space for social media links, discount codes or other promotional messaging on the pack itself.

Flavour naming gets its own set of restrictions, separate from the packaging design itself.

The consultation proposes limiting every flavour to a single, simple, recognisable descriptor, such as apple or strawberry, rather than the more elaborate names common across today's e-liquid and nic salt ranges. Concept names such as Unicorn Dream, sensory descriptions such as Mint Blast, and any reference to confectionery, sweets, desserts or alcoholic drinks would all be prohibited under the proposals as they currently stand.

The government cites public backing for this kind of change, noting that 78% of adults surveyed supported banning sweet, cartoon and bright colour branding on vape packaging, and 77% supported tighter restrictions on advertising and promotion at the point of sale.

It is not only the box that would change. The devices themselves and how shops present them are both part of the proposals.

Vape devices would be restricted to white, black or grey, in a matte finish with no variation in shade or gloss. Cosmetic lighting would be banned, though functional lights that simply show charge status would still be allowed. Only one brand name could appear on the device, in a standardised font and colour, and any screen would be limited to safety and status information such as battery level, rather than games, animations or decorative displays. The consultation also proposes stopping devices from being designed to resemble other everyday objects, such as highlighter pens, water bottles or games consoles.

On display, the proposal brings vaping products in line with existing tobacco rules. Products would be kept out of sight in store and shown only on request to a customer who meets the age of sale requirement, with no exemption proposed for specialist vape shops or larger retailers.

This sits within a much wider run of UK vaping rule changes through 2025, 2026 and beyond. Here is where the packaging and display consultation fits.

If the packaging and display proposals are adopted, the government has suggested a minimum notice period of around 12 months before manufacturers and retailers would need to comply, so there is no fixed date yet for any of the changes described above actually taking effect.

A quick side by side of how things currently stand against what the consultation is proposing, if adopted in full.

For the moment, this is a proposal under review, not a change you need to act on.

Nothing about the packaging, flavour names or displays of the products in our range changes today, and it will not change before the consultation closes on 2 October 2026, let alone before any final decision is published. Even if the proposals go ahead broadly as written, the suggested minimum notice period of around 12 months means adult customers would have plenty of warning before their usual products started to look different on the outside.

We support the underlying aim of reducing how appealing vaping products look to under 18s, and our own age verification checks are already built around keeping every order restricted to adult customers. As the consultation response and any resulting rules are published, we will update our product range and packaging in line with whatever is finally confirmed, while continuing to offer the same choice of flavours and devices to our adult customers in the meantime. If you have a question about how this might affect a specific product, our customer support team is happy to help.

Have a different question? Browse our full Vaping FAQs or explore our Vaping Knowledge hub.