Some consumers persistently choose disposable e-cigarettes over reusable models. Here’s why.
For a vaper who owns a device they like, perfectly tuned and well-maintained, the urge some people have to buy a disposable device might seem puzzling.
When someone claims not to vape but still buys an electronic device, they face an internal contradiction. This tension—what psychologist Leon Festinger called cognitive dissonance—creates discomfort that needs to be resolved. Festinger showed that humans struggle with the gap between their beliefs and their actions, and they develop ways to restore consistency.
The user of a disposable e-cigarette may frame their choice as a temporary exception. They might tell themselves that a disposable “isn’t really vaping,” that it’s just a test, or that they simply needed it at that moment. This helps reduce the sense of adopting behavior that goes against their principles.
This attitude is similar to that of someone who claims to care about the environment but occasionally buys a plastic bottle, reassuring themselves that it’s only a one-off that doesn’t undermine their overall commitment.
I’m Not a Vaper
This choice also reflects a process known as identity distancing. Preferring a product perceived as temporary becomes a way to draw a symbolic line between oneself and regular e-cigarette users. From this perspective, the object becomes a status marker: the person uses it to signal they are not permanently part of this practice.
This distancing is comparable to someone who goes to a sports club but only pays for one-off sessions, precisely to avoid seeing themselves as a committed member. The difference in the type of device (disposable versus rechargeable vape) serves to affirm belonging to another group: that of occasional consumers.
This behavior also fits within what social psychology describes as social identity management. Henri Tajfel and John Turner showed that we all try to preserve a positive self-image, aligning with groups we want to belong to while keeping our distance from those we see as less flattering. In vaping, the disposable cigarette is a way to avoid the label of a “real vaper,” which may feel stigmatizing or too binding. In this way, the individual remains psychologically closer to non-smokers while still allowing themselves occasional use.
The phenomenon is comparable to some video game enthusiasts who attend specialized events but insist they are “not gamers,” only curious visitors.
The Psychology of Nicotine
Buying a disposable e-cigarette is not just a practical act. It reflects an attempt to ease the tension caused by the mismatch between one’s values and one’s actions, and to maintain an identity that feels acceptable both personally and socially. By choosing something temporary, the individual affirms that they haven’t integrated this habit as a stable part of their personality. This allows them to preserve the image of a controlled behavior, free of lasting commitment, and to contain the discomfort of the contradiction between who they believe they are and what they do.
As abstract—or even fanciful—as this may seem, such behaviors are the subject of serious research, such as Festinger’s work on cognitive dissonance (A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, 1957), Tajfel and Turner’s theory of social identity (1979), or Blake Ashforth and Fred Mael’s studies on how people construct identity in relation to groups (Social Identity Theory and the Organization, 1989).
All these factors helped make puffs popular among an audience that already had access to vaping, and they now drive the success of JNR-like products. Beyond clever marketing and distribution, traditional vaping will have to respond to an unspoken—even unconscious—need if it wants to reclaim its ground.