Vype ePen 3 Discontinued — What to Buy Instead

If you're still using a Vype ePen 3, you've probably noticed the problem: pods are increasingly hard to get hold of, and the device itself is no longer being made.

This is the guide to moving on without losing what you liked about it.

The short answer

• The ePen 3 was a prefilled pod device — you bought sealed pods and clicked them in.

• Its natural replacement is a refillable MTL pod kit, which does the same job for considerably less money.

• The draw you're used to comes from a 1.2Ω pod and a 20mg nic salt. Match those and the switch is barely noticeable.

Why you can't just buy more pods

The ePen 3 used a closed system: sealed 2ml cartridges, one supplier, no alternatives. That's fine while the manufacturer keeps making them and a genuine problem when they stop.

Refillable kits avoid the trap entirely. You buy a pod that lasts one to two weeks and fill it from any 10ml bottle you like — from any brand, in any flavour.

What to replace it with

You want a refillable MTL pod kit: tight draw, cigarette-like, no clouds. That's the same category the ePen 3 sat in.

The things that actually matter when choosing:

• Pod availability. Buy into a pod family your local shop stocks. Learn from the ePen 3.

• A 1.2Ω pod option, which is what gives the tight, cigarette-like draw.

• Simplicity, if you never wanted settings in the first place.

Our current picks are in best pod kits 2026, and best vape kits under £20 covers the cheapest sensible route. If you want the reasoning behind the shape of device, pod kits vs vape pens vs box mods explains it.

Matching the ePen 3 draw

Three things to get right:

1. Resistance — 1.2Ω. This is the big one. It gives the tight, restricted draw the ePen 3 had. An 0.8Ω is slightly warmer and looser; 0.6Ω is a different experience entirely.

2. Strength — 20mg nic salt if you were on the higher-strength ePen pods, 10mg if you were on the lower. Nicotine strength for beginners maps it out.

3. Nic salt, not freebase. Salts are smoother and are what closed-pod devices used. Nic salt vs freebase.

Get those three right and the transition is genuinely easy.

Flavour: where to start

The ePen 3 range ran heavily to tobacco, mint and simple fruit. All of it has a bottled equivalent:

• Tobacco — see best tobacco e-liquids 2026.

• Mint and menthol — best menthol e-liquids 2026.

• Fruit — the bar-brand ranges are the obvious jump: SKE Crystal and Lost Mary MaryLiq.

What it costs

This is the part most people are pleasantly surprised by.

Prefilled pods worked out expensive per millilitre, because you were paying for the packaging and the coil every single time. A 10ml bottle fills a 2ml pod five times, and the pod lasts one to two weeks.

Even after the Vaping Products Duty, refilling remains substantially cheaper than any closed system. Is vaping cheaper than smoking has the arithmetic.

Making the new pods last

1. Prime it. Fill, then wait five minutes before the first draw. How to prime a vape coil.

2. Refill at a quarter, not empty — running dry is what burns coils.

3. Sweet flavours gunk faster than tobacco or menthol.

How to refill your vape pod or tank covers the mechanics if you've never done it.

Frequently asked questions

How long did an ePen 3 cartridge last? Most people got a day or two from a 2ml pod, depending on how heavily they vaped. A refillable 2ml pod holds the same liquid — you just top it up yourself.

Can I refill an ePen 3 pod? They weren't designed for it, and results are poor. Move to a device built to be refilled.

ePen 3 or ePod — is one still supported? Both are legacy closed systems now. Neither is a good long-term buy.

Will a refillable feel harsher? Not if you match 1.2Ω with a 20mg nic salt. Harshness usually comes from too low a resistance for the strength.

Do I have to keep buying the same brand? No — that's the entire advantage. Any 10ml bottle fits any refillable pod.