The IVG Smart 5500 was the first UK auto-refill prefilled pod system, and it remains popular because of how cleanly the system works. The device uses a 2ml main tank with a fixed mesh coil and an external 10ml refill container that clicks into the side of the device. As you vape, the 10ml container automatically tops up the 2ml tank, giving a total 12ml of e-liquid life and up to 5500 puffs from a single full system.

You do not manually refill the IVG Smart 5500 with bottled e-liquid. The auto-refill mechanism does all the topping up internally. When the 10ml refill container is empty, you simply remove it and click in a fresh one from a new refill pack. The 2ml internal tank stays in the device and continues to function until the coil reaches the end of its life, at which point the device itself is typically replaced.

IVG launched the Smart Max as the upgraded version of the Smart 5500, expanding the capacity to 12ml in a single replaceable pod system and pushing the puff count to up to 10000 per pod kit. The Smart Max uses the same auto-refill principle but adds a USB-C rechargeable 1000mAh battery, Eco and Boost performance modes, and a digital display showing battery level. The Smart 5500 itself is no longer in current production following the June 2025 UK disposable ban.

How to set up an IVG Smart 5500 (or Smart Max) for the first time

Step 1: Unbox the device and the refill container. Step 2: Remove any red silicone protective caps and stickers from the device and the refill pod. Step 3: Align the grooves on the side of the device with the matching grooves on the 10ml refill container. Step 4: Press the container firmly into the device until you hear a clear click. The magnetic connection seats the auto-refill mechanism. Step 5: Wait 60 seconds for the coil to saturate with e-liquid. Step 6: Take a couple of gentle puffs to prime. Then vape normally. The device is draw-activated, no buttons.

Why manual refilling fails on the IVG Smart 5500

Three reasons. First, the device is a closed system with no user-accessible fill port. Second, the coil is fixed inside the 2ml internal tank and is not designed to be reused after the original e-liquid is depleted. Even if you manage to inject new liquid via the mouthpiece, the wick will already be partially worn and will likely produce a burnt taste within a few puffs. Third, opening the casing risks damaging the auto-refill mechanism and the battery. The official method (swap the 10ml refill container) is faster, cleaner and the only manufacturer-supported path.

The IVG Smart Max upgrade and why it replaced the 5500

The IVG Smart Max was launched in 2025 specifically to comply with the post-June UK regulatory landscape. It delivers up to 10000 puffs from a single 12ml pod system, almost double the Smart 5500. It adds USB-C charging on a 1000mAh battery, Eco and Boost performance modes (Boost mode triggered by three quick puffs for stronger flavour), and a digital display showing battery and pod status. The original Smart 5500 is no longer in current production. The Smart Max uses the same auto-refill design but in a more capable, fully UK-compliant form.

In our Omagh and Strabane stores, four questions come up repeatedly about the IVG Smart range. Here are the practical answers we walk customers through, based on hundreds of conversations since the Smart 5500 first launched in 2024.

For the full IVG Smart Max range and other prefilled pod kits with similar auto-refill designs, the compliant prefilled pod vape kits at Just Vape stocks everything from the Smart Max through to the IVG XL 35K and pod kits from Lost Mary, Elf Bar and Hayati.