GoMax vs BC5000: Disposable Tank vs Disposable Vape

Key Takeaways

• These are two different kinds of product. The Innokin GoMax is a disposable sub-ohm tank: it screws onto a 510-thread mod and you fill it yourself. The Elf Bar BC5000 is an all-in-one disposable vape: battery, coil, and e-liquid are sealed inside.
• The GoMax holds 5.5ml, runs a 0.19Ω Plex3D mesh coil at 60-80W, and is built for direct-to-lung vaping on low-strength freebase e-liquid. You replace the whole tank when the coil wears out.
• The BC5000 comes pre-filled with about 13ml of 5% (50mg) nicotine salt e-liquid, has a 650mAh rechargeable battery, and is rated for around 5,000 puffs. You throw the whole device away when the juice runs out.
• Pick the BC5000 for zero setup and a strong, cigarette-like nicotine hit. Pick the GoMax if you already own a mod (or want one) and want big flavor, big vapor, and the freedom to vape any e-liquid you like.
• Never put 50mg nicotine salt e-liquid in the GoMax. At 60-80W that’s far more nicotine per puff than anyone needs.

If you only remember one thing: the GoMax is a tank that needs a mod, and the BC5000 is a complete device. The right one depends on how you vape, not which one is “better”.

Search for “Go Max vs BC5000” and you’d expect two disposables going head to head. They aren’t. Innokin’s GoMax is a disposable sub-ohm tank, a tank with a built-in mesh coil that you fill, vape, and swap out when the coil is spent. Elf Bar’s BC5000 is the pocket-sized, pre-filled disposable that was everywhere in 2022 and 2023.

Both share the word “disposable”, and both are aimed at people who don’t want to deal with coil changes. Past that, they work very differently, suit different vapers, and cost money in very different ways. This guide walks through what each one is, how it vapes, what you can put in it, and which one fits your habits.

GoMax vs BC5000 at a Glance

The quickest way to see the difference is side by side. Every GoMax figure below comes from Innokin’s own product page 1, and the BC5000 figures come from its published spec sheet 23.

What Each One Actually Is

“Disposable” means something different for each of these products.

The Innokin GoMax: a Disposable Sub-Ohm Tank

The GoMax is a tank, not a vape. On its own it does nothing: it screws onto a 510-thread box or tube mod, which supplies the power. Innokin calls it a multi-use disposable tank 1. The Plex3D mesh coil is built into the tank, so there is no coil head to unscrew and replace. You fill it, vape it, refill it, and keep going until the flavor starts to fade or taste burnt. Then the whole tank goes in the bin and you screw on a fresh one.

The idea is to take the one fiddly job out of tank vaping. You get no coil changes and no priming new heads, and you never find out mid-afternoon that your spare coils are the wrong resistance. Innokin also makes the PCTG plastic body recyclable 1. For our full take on the tank itself, read the Innokin GoMax Tank review.

The Elf Bar BC5000: an All-in-One Disposable

The BC5000 is a complete vape in one sealed shell: battery, coil, and about 13ml of e-liquid 2. There are no buttons and no settings. You inhale and it fires. When the battery runs low, you top it up over USB-C. When the e-liquid runs out, the whole device is finished.

One thing to know before you go looking for one in the US: Elf Bar left mainstream US retail after FDA enforcement in 2023, and the same devices have since been sold under the EBDesign and EBCreate names. Counterfeits are common. Our guide to what happened to the Elf Bar BC5000 in the USA covers the full story.

How Each One Vapes

This is where the two products differ most, and it should decide your choice more than any spec on the box.

GoMax: Big Clouds, Open Draw

At 0.19Ω and 60-80W, the GoMax is a direct-to-lung tank. You pull vapor straight into your lungs in one long breath, the way you’d breathe in through a wide straw. The mesh coil heats fast and spreads heat evenly, which helps flavor stay consistent from one tank to the next. Airflow is adjustable, so you can close it down a little for denser flavor or open it up for bigger clouds. Our review found the usable range fairly narrow, though: it works more like two settings than a smooth dial.

BC5000: Tight, Cigarette-Like Draw

The BC5000 is a mouth-to-lung device. You draw vapor into your mouth first, then inhale, like smoking a cigarette. The draw is tighter, the vapor is much smaller, and the high-strength nicotine salt gives a quick, strong hit. That’s why disposables like this became so popular with smokers trying to switch. The airflow is fixed, so what you get is what you get.

If you’ve only ever used disposables, a sub-ohm tank like the GoMax will feel very different: much more vapor, much less throat hit, and a lot of e-liquid used per hour. If you’re a sub-ohm vaper, a BC5000 will feel restrictive.

E-Liquid and Nicotine

With the BC5000, the choice is made for you. With the GoMax, it’s all yours, and you have to choose sensibly.

BC5000 Flavor and Nicotine

Each BC5000 comes pre-filled with 5% (50mg/ml) nicotine salt e-liquid in a single flavor 2. The flavor range was one of the biggest in the disposable market, from fruit and ice blends to dessert and menthol. Some markets also sold a 0% nicotine version. Once you open one, you’re committed to that flavor and that strength until it’s empty.

GoMax: Any E-Liquid You Choose

The GoMax will vape any e-liquid you pour into it, so your flavor range is the whole e-liquid market. Nicotine strength is where you need to be careful. Sub-ohm tanks are meant for low-strength freebase e-liquid, usually 3mg or 6mg, and often a higher-VG blend that wicks well through a mesh coil. A 60-80W tank turns a lot of e-liquid into vapor with every puff, so a 50mg salt like the one in a BC5000 would deliver far more nicotine than is comfortable.

If you’re switching from a BC5000 to the GoMax, expect to change both your nicotine strength and your e-liquid type, not just your hardware.

How Long Each One Lasts

Comparing lifespan is tricky, because one product runs out of e-liquid and the other runs out of coil.

The BC5000 is rated for around 5,000 puffs, based on its roughly 13ml of e-liquid 2. Like every disposable puff count, that number assumes short, even puffs. Longer pulls use more e-liquid per puff, so most people get fewer than 5,000. Because the battery is rechargeable, the e-liquid is what ends the device’s life, not the battery.

The GoMax holds 5.5ml per fill 1, and at sub-ohm power you’ll get through that quickly. A regular daily vaper may refill once or twice a day. The tank itself lasts as long as its coil does, and that depends on your e-liquid (sweet, dark e-liquids wear coils out faster), your wattage, and how much you vape. Some buyers report shorter coil life with heavy daily use, which is worth bearing in mind since you can’t swap in a new coil. When it’s done, you replace the whole tank.

Running Costs and Value

The costs work differently too. With a BC5000, every device is a fresh purchase of hardware and e-liquid together. With the GoMax, you buy a mod once, then pay for tanks and bottled e-liquid.

That makes the comparison less about the sticker price and more about your setup:

• If you don’t own a mod, the GoMax costs more to start, because you need something to power it. Innokin sells the GoMax Tube 80W kit, which pairs a tube mod with this tank, and the GoMax also fits most 510-thread mods that reach 60-80W, such as the Innokin Coolfire Z80 Nex.
• If you already own a mod, the GoMax is just a cheap tank, and bottled e-liquid usually costs much less per milliliter than the e-liquid sealed inside a disposable.
• If you vape only occasionally, a BC5000 has no upfront cost and nothing to maintain, which can work out cheaper overall.

Prices on both change often, and the BC5000 especially varies by seller and by which version is still in stock, so check current prices rather than relying on a figure printed here.

Design, Portability, and Build

The BC5000 is the clear winner on portability. It’s a small, light, single piece that fits any pocket, with nothing to fill and nothing to leak.

The GoMax is only as portable as the mod it sits on. The tank is 29mm wide 1, so it suits mods that wide or wider, and a tank plus a mod is a bigger, heavier setup than any disposable. In return, the slide-to-fill top with its silicone seal makes refills quick and tidy, and the PCTG body is tough enough for everyday use.

Which Should You Choose?

There isn’t a single winner, because these products answer different questions.

Choose the BC5000 If…

You want something that works straight out of the box, you prefer a tight, cigarette-like draw, and you need a strong nicotine hit to stay off cigarettes. It’s also the easier choice if you vape only now and then.

Choose the GoMax If…

You already vape on a mod, or you’re ready to move up from disposables to a proper sub-ohm setup. You want to choose your own flavors and a low nicotine strength, and you like big, open lung hits but are tired of changing coils. The GoMax gives you all of that and keeps maintenance close to disposable-level.

Verdict

The GoMax and the BC5000 aren’t rivals so much as two ends of the vaping spectrum. The BC5000 is about simplicity: one sealed device, one flavor, a strong hit, no decisions. The GoMax is about choice: any e-liquid, an open draw, and big vapor, with the coil change taken out of the routine.

If you’re happy with disposables and just want the easiest option, the BC5000 (or one of its rebranded successors) does the job. If you’ve outgrown disposables and want more flavor and lower running costs without becoming a coil hobbyist, the GoMax on a decent mod is the better long-term setup. If you’d rather have something refillable that’s still as simple as a disposable, a pod kit is the middle ground. Our best vape pods guide is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Innokin GoMax a disposable vape?

No. The GoMax is a disposable sub-ohm tank. It needs a 510-thread mod to power it, and you fill it with your own e-liquid. “Disposable” refers to the built-in coil: when the coil wears out, you replace the whole tank instead of swapping a coil head 1.

Are BC5000 vapes good?

For what they are, yes. The BC5000 earned its popularity with a large flavor range, a dual mesh coil, a rechargeable 650mAh battery, and a strong 5% nicotine salt that suits former smokers 2. The downsides are one flavor per device, a fully disposable design, and, in the US, a market full of rebrands and counterfeits.

How long does a BC5000 vape last?

It’s rated for around 5,000 puffs from about 13ml of e-liquid 2. How many days that lasts depends on how often and how hard you vape. Longer puffs use more e-liquid, so heavy users get fewer puffs than the rating. The battery recharges over USB-C, so the e-liquid running out is what finishes it.

How many hits are in a BC5000?

The manufacturer rates it at about 5,000 puffs 23. That figure assumes short, consistent puffs, so treat it as a ceiling rather than a promise.

Can I put BC5000-style nicotine salt e-liquid in the GoMax?

You shouldn’t. The GoMax runs at 60-80W and turns a lot of e-liquid into vapor with each puff, so 50mg nicotine salt would deliver an uncomfortably large dose of nicotine. Sub-ohm tanks are designed for low-strength freebase e-liquid, typically 3mg or 6mg.

Is Vozol better than Elf Bar?

Neither is better across the board. Both make pre-filled disposables, and the right choice comes down to the specific model, the flavor, and what’s genuinely available where you live. If you’re tired of buying disposables altogether, a refillable setup like the GoMax on a mod or a pod kit will usually cost less over time.

Sources

1. innokin.com GoMax. https://www.innokin.com/gomax
2. vaping360.com Elf Bar BC5000. https://vaping360.com/vape-products/elf-bar-bc5000/
3. elementvape.com Elf Bar BC5000 Disposable Vape. https://www.elementvape.com/elf-bar-bc5000-disposable-vape

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