Gold Bar Vapes

Gold Bar Vapes: What the Range Looks Like Now

Before the ban, Gold Bar was shorthand for a slim gold-coloured 600-puff disposable with flavours that genuinely tasted of what it said on the side. When single-use disposables became illegal in the UK, Vape Gold did not disappear. They released a tiered range of prefilled pod kits that replicate the same recipes and the same simplicity, just in a rechargeable body.

The line-up breaks down by puff count and price. At the bottom is the Gold Bar Reload at £13.99, a compact option for lighter vapers or anyone who wants to test the brand before committing. In the middle sits the Gold Bar XL 10K at £18.99, the most popular choice and the one with the most technical detail worth knowing about. At the top is the Gold Bar Apollo 20K at £23.99, for heavy vapers who want the longest run between pod changes.

Run alongside all three kits are Gold Bar nic salt e-liquids, 10ml bottles in 10mg and 20mg strengths, using the same flavour recipes as the prefilled pods. If you already own a refillable pod kit and just want the Gold Bar flavours, the nic salts are your route in.

Gold Bar XL 10K: How the Auto-Refill System Works

Most prefilled pod kits give you a pod and that is it. The Gold Bar XL does something more interesting. Inside the pack you get a 2ml prefilled pod that clips onto a 10ml refill container. Both pieces slot together into the 1200mAh battery base as one sealed unit. As you vape, liquid migrates from the container up into the pod to keep the dual mesh coil wet. You never open a bottle, top anything up, or even think about it.

The result is 12ml of e-liquid total and approximately 10,000 puffs before both run dry together. Once they are empty, pull them out and click in a fresh set of Gold Bar XL refill pods. The device itself keeps going; you only replace the consumable pod-plus-container combination.

The dual mesh coil is the detail worth paying attention to. Most prefilled kits at this price point use a single coil element. Two mesh elements give more surface area heating the liquid, which means fuller flavour and a thicker draw from the first puff to the last. The coils are built into every replacement pod so there is no separate coil-swapping stage.

MTL airflow is fixed and tight, matching what the original Gold Bar disposable felt like. The 20mg nic salt and the tight draw combine to give a throat hit that is satisfying without being harsh. An LED indicator at the base of the device tells you how much charge remains. USB-C gets it back to full in roughly an hour; the cable is not included so use one you already own.

Gold Bar Vapes: Full Spec Comparison

Gold Bar Vape Flavours: What to Expect

Gold Bar flavours use the same recipes across the prefilled pod kits and the nic salt e-liquids. These are the standout options in the current range.

Gold Bar Apollo 20K: For Heavy Vapers

The Apollo 20K sits at the top of the Gold Bar line-up and is aimed squarely at heavy vapers who found themselves burning through pod sets too quickly on the XL. The kit runs approximately 20,000 puffs from a set of click-in sealed pods, which at typical usage rates stretches across two to three weeks between pod changes.

The Apollo uses the same draw-activated, USB-C rechargeable format as the rest of the range and the same 20mg nic salt across all 18 available flavours. Pods are specific to the Apollo and cannot be interchanged with the XL or Reload, so when it is time to restock, make sure you are ordering the correct refill pods. Gold Bar Apollo refills are available at £2.99 each at VapeCity, making the ongoing cost straightforward to plan for.

The AIO form factor on the Apollo is slightly different to the XL. Rather than the 2ml-pod-plus-10ml-container pairing, the Apollo uses larger capacity sealed pods that hold significantly more liquid. The device itself is built around a larger battery to support the extended puff count. It is a heavier kit physically than the Reload or even the XL, but that is the trade-off for fewer pod changes.

Gold Bar Nic Salts: Same Flavours, Any Pod Kit

If you already have a refillable MTL device and want the Gold Bar flavour lineup without buying a new kit, the Gold Bar nic salt e-liquids are the answer. Available in 10ml bottles at 10mg and 20mg, they use the same flavour recipes developed for the prefilled pods.

For most people switching from the original Gold Bar disposable, 20mg in a nic salt formula is the closest match to what the disposable felt like. The 10mg option suits people who prefer a lighter throat hit or who are gradually stepping down their nicotine intake.

Eighteen flavours are available in the nic salt format, slightly more than in the XL pod range. All the core options carry over: Blue Raspberry, Watermelon Ice, Lemon Ice, Summer Berries, Hawaiian Sunrise, Spearmint, Oasis, Cherry Fizz, Raspberry Watermelon, Strawberry Watermelon, Blueberry Sour Raspberry, Sour Apple, Lemon Lime, Pineapple Ice, Cool Mint, Cola Freeze, Apple Peach and Banana Ice.

Gold Bar nic salts use a 50/50 VG/PG ratio, which suits MTL airflow devices and delivers the liquid efficiently to a mesh coil. They are not designed for high-wattage sub-ohm kits, which work better with high-VG shortfills.

Gold Bar XL vs Gold Bar Apollo 20K: Which to Buy?

Both kits use the same Gold Bar flavours and the same draw-activated format. The main differences are puff count, physical size and upfront cost.

How Gold Bar Compares to IVG, SKE Crystal and Lost Mary

Gold Bar sits in a crowded part of the prefilled pod kit market. The honest version of how it fits against the other names you will see on the same shelf:

The Gold Bar XL dual mesh coil is a genuine differentiator at the sub-£20 price point. Most kits in this bracket use a single coil. The flavour output on the XL is noticeably richer than single-coil equivalents, which is why it has retained a following after the disposable ban forced the brand to pivot.

Compared to the IVG 2400, Gold Bar uses a simpler refill system: one pod-plus-container unit rather than a rotating carousel of four pods. The IVG 2400 gives you more flavour flexibility mid-session, while the Gold Bar XL gives you a single uninterrupted 10,000-puff run on one flavour before you swap. If variety mid-vape matters to you, IVG wins that comparison.

Compared to SKE Crystal, the Gold Bar XL is in the same price bracket as the SKE Crystal Bar 15K, though the SKE delivers more puffs. Gold Bar holds its own on flavour quality, particularly for anyone who was already using Gold Bar disposables and wants the same taste in a legal format.

Who should not buy Gold Bar: if you regularly switch between flavours mid-vape, the IVG 2400 carousel is better suited. If you want the absolute lowest cost per puff, something like the SKE Bar 15K edges it on raw volume. Gold Bar wins on flavour quality relative to price and the simplicity of the XL auto-refill system.

How to Use the Gold Bar XL: Step by Step

1. 1

   Unbox the kit

   Remove the Gold Bar XL battery base, the 2ml pod and the 10ml refill container from the packaging. You will also need a USB-C cable; one is not included.

2. 2

   Connect pod to container

   Click the 2ml pod onto the top of the 10ml refill container until it locks in place. You will feel a firm click.

3. 3

   Load into the device

   Slide the combined pod-and-container unit into the top of the battery base until it seats firmly. The LED at the base should illuminate briefly on insertion.

4. 4

   Prime before your first puff

   Wait two to three minutes for the liquid to saturate the dual mesh coil before you draw. This prevents a dry hit on the first inhale.

5. 5

   Vape

   Draw slowly and steadily on the mouthpiece. The device fires automatically when you inhale; there is no button to press. The LED lights as you vape to confirm the device is working.

6. 6

   Charge when needed

   Charge via USB-C when the LED flashes rapidly or the draw intensity drops. Full charge takes approximately one hour. The 1200mAh battery outlasts multiple pod changes.

7. 7

   Replace pods when empty

   When both the pod and container run dry at around 10,000 puffs, pull the unit out and click in fresh Gold Bar XL refill pods. The battery base continues to charge and reuse indefinitely.