What’s In Fake Juul Pods & Why Are They So Popular?

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Plus, find out where real Juul pods are made

Co-authored by Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: December 12, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is in fake Juul pods?

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Signs of a Fake

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Why are fake Juuls so popular?

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Avoiding Fakes

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Where are Juul pods made?

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Once upon a time, Juul was at the top of the vape food chain, but after dealing with legal trouble in 2018 and 2019, this all changed. They pulled many of their popular flavors off of shelves, opening the door for counterfeiters to recreate them. If you’ve landed on this article, you’re probably wondering what is in these counterfeit Juuls. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about what’s in fake Juul pods, signs your Juul pod is fake, and why fake Juuls are so popular in the first place.

What ingredients are in fake Juul pods?

The full contents of fake Juul pods are unknown, but the liquid is unregulated and often contaminated. Like real Juuls, they contain irritants like formaldehyde, propylene oxide, crotonaldehyde, acrylamide, heavy metals, and nicotine, but at much higher levels, increasing the risk of illness, addiction, and dependency.

Section 1 of 5:

What is in fake Juul pods?

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Fake Juul pods’ contents are unknown, but they have higher levels of nicotine and toxins. Since counterfeiters have different methods, there isn’t a definitive answer on what’s in fake Juul pods. But, since they aren’t regulated, fake Juul pods tend to have much higher levels of toxins like formaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, propylene oxide, acrylamide, and heavy metals. They also have higher levels of nicotine, increasing the risk of addiction and dependency.^{[1]
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- Depending on the conditions of the factory they’re created in, fake Juul pods may also have contaminated liquids and ingredients, dirt, grime, and bacteria from the factory floors or the employees’ ungloved hands.
- Both real and fake vapes contain heavy metals, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (chemicals that quickly turn into vapor), flavor-creating chemicals, and ultrafine particles that harm your health.^{[2]
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- Ingredients like formaldehyde can cause coughing, wheezing, burning in the eyes, nose, and throat. Exposure to high amounts has been linked to different types of cancers.^{[3]
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  American Cancer Society
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  - Fake vapes contain these ingredients at higher levels, as well as untested flavorings, which can be harmful to your health.
- The high levels of nicotine in fake vapes can cause dizziness, nausea, and intense withdrawal symptoms whenever you’re not using them.^{[4]
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Section 2 of 5:

Signs a Juul Pod is Fake

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The serial number doesn’t pass the Track + Trace test. Track + Trace refers to Juul’s system that tracks who sells vapes to minors. While the system is designed to prevent minors from getting their hands on Juuls, it’s also a way to tell if a pod is fake, as it uses the serial number on the package to facilitate the tracking process. So, if you put the serial number into Juul’s Track + Trace system and it comes back as invalid, you’ve likely got a fake pod on your hands.
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It comes in a discontinued flavor. Counterfeiters tend to make pods in discontinued flavors to appeal to those who want them back. Since Juul pulled their mango, mint, cucumber, and fruity flavors in 2019, these are the most commonly faked flavors you’ll see. So, if you’re at the smoke shop and notice pods in any of those flavors, steer clear, as they’re definitely fake.^{[5]
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The juice in the pod is cloudy. When comparing real Juul pods to fake ones, the cloudy juice is the first thing that sticks out, as real pods always have clear juice. Cloudy juice can be an indicator of many things, like a lack of proper mixing or the presence of contaminants, so if you crack open your vape and notice the juice doesn’t look right, proceed with caution.^{[6]
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- If the vape juice is brown or discolored, don’t hit it, as it’s most likely bad or contaminated.
- If you hit the vape and it has a harsh chemical taste, stop hitting it, as you’ve got a fake on your hands.
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The Juul hits hard, but the smoke is light. When you take a hit of your Juul, it’ll have a bit of a kick, but if you’re used to hitting them, it isn’t too hard. When you hit fake Juuls, though, the hit is much harsher and hits you right in the throat. While the hit is harsh, the smoke is light. The smoke from a real Juuls tend to be heavier when you hit it and creates thick clouds when you exhale, so if you get a heavy hit but the smoke comes out light, be careful, as you’ve likely got a fake pod.^{[7]
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The packaging has visual inconsistencies. On fakes, the text often isn’t capitalized correctly, with the flavor and nicotine strength written in all caps. The “Designed for adult smokers” text at the bottom of the package is also different on fakes. Sometimes, the first letter in each word will be capitalized. Other times, the wording will be completely different. Keep your eye out and really study the package to determine if it’s fake before buying.^{[8]
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- Fake Juuls also have four dots on top of the package, while real Juuls have the JUUL logo.
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Fake Juul pods are poorly made compared to real ones. When you open a real Juul package, the inside should be clean and crisp. When you’re met with spilled vape juice, bright, red-orange caps, and fluffy, unorganized cotton, you’ve got a fake on your hands. Unlike real Juul pods, fakes are poorly put together, with an emphasis on speed and production over quality and safety.

Section 3 of 5:

Why are fake Juuls so popular?

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Fake Juuls are popular because they offer flavors that have been discontinued. After Juul pulled their popular flavors due to youth vaping lawsuits in 2018 and 2019, counterfeiters took their place and sold local shops the same flavors, with the caveat being that they weren’t regulated. So, while counterfeit products introduced buyers to potentially harmful ingredients, they’ve retained their popularity since the flavor options are slim.^{[9]
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- The popular flavors included mango, cucumber, mint, and fruity flavors.
- Although Juul offered many of these pulled flavors on their website in late 2018, they got rid of them in 2019.
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Fake Juuls are also popular because they don’t have age verification. While Juul makes users verify their age before they’re even able to access the full website, counterfeiters often sell them freely. This means that minors can get their hands on fake Juuls, undermining Juul’s efforts to keep them safe. Although Juul has gone after many counterfeiters, it’s harder to keep them in check, since they can operate under different names.^{[10]
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Avoid Fake Juul Pods

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Buy from Juul and other reputable, verified sellers. When you’re buying Juul pods, purchase them directly from the Juul website or another trusted, verified vape seller. If you’re shopping local, make sure you go to a licensed shop you trust that has a history of selling real products. It’s ideal to buy from the Juul website, but if you’re unable to get the pods shipped, it’s important that you buy from a licensed seller, like a convenience store, smoke shop, or gas station, to avoid fakes.^{[11]
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- If you’re not sure if the seller is legit, do some homework. Ask friends if you can trust them and check their reviews online to make sure they can be trusted.
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Avoid third-party websites and shop in person. Unless you’re buying directly from the Juul website, avoid shopping from vendors online, as it’s much easier for them to skirt around regulations and sell you a Juul pod made in a random factory or basement. Instead, shop in person at a trusted vape seller, like your local smoke shop or convenience store.^{[12]
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Section 5 of 5:

Where are Juul pods made?

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The Juul devices are made in China, but they are filled in the United States. Since the products are regulated in the United States, they’re filled and chemically tested there, as well, to ensure that they don’t introduce as many harmful and potentially harmful constituents (aka HPHCs, basically harmful tobacco chemicals) into your body as other nicotine products.^{[13]
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U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has been seizing counterfeit Juul pod shipments from China since at least 2019. Some of these shipments contain more than 11,000 counterfeit Juul pods, which are created and manufactured at Chinese factories and sent to the United States to be distributed and sold.^{[14]
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