The most significant structural shift in the US vape market is the dominance of disposable devices. As of early 2026, approximately 60% of all vape sales revenue comes from disposables — up from roughly 35% in 2022. This happened despite — or partly because of — FDA enforcement targeting unauthorized disposables.

North America absorbs half of all global disposable vape revenue. The category's growth has been driven by three factors: (1) device innovation pushing puff counts from 5,000 to 50,000+, (2) flavor variety that refillable systems can't match at retail, and (3) price points under $20 that remove purchase friction. Our complete disposable vape buying guide covers the top devices in this segment.

However, the disposable boom faces a regulatory reckoning. In June 2026, the FDA issued a split PMTA decision: it rejected 5 disposable product applications while approving 2 refillable pod systems. The rejected disposables are expected to be removed from shelves by October 2026, freeing an estimated $85 million in retail shelf space. This creates a direct transfer of market share from disposables to refillables.

The cost economics also favor a shift. We compared both form factors over 6 months and found that refillable systems cost 60-70% less per month for daily users, a gap that state flavor bans will widen as they eliminate cheap disposable options.