Why Your RELX Refillable Pod Leaks in Dubai's Heat and Humidity

By TEREA 365 Editorial · 11 February 2026 · updated 15 June 2026 · 5 min read

Dubai's heat and humidity turn an ordinary RELX refillable pod into a leak risk through simple physics, not a factory fault. This guide explains what actually causes it, which RELX devices cope with it best, and how to dry out a pod that has already started gurgling.

Why Your RELX Refillable Pod Leaks in Dubai's Heat and Humidity

Why Does a RELX Refillable Pod Leak in Dubai's Heat and Humidity?

Three things change inside a RELX refillable pod once the outdoor temperature climbs past 40°C: the e-liquid thins out, the small pocket of air trapped inside expands, and moving between air conditioning and outdoor heat creates condensation. None of this means the pod is faulty - it is how vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol behave once Gulf heat gets involved.

Viscosity drop: e-liquid is a mix of vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). At room temperature, around 22°C, it stays thick enough to sit inside the ceramic wick. Near 40°C it thins and moves more like water, which lets it seep past the silicone gaskets into the airflow chamber.
The piston effect: every sealed pod holds a small air pocket, and heated air expands. Inside a closed pod, that expansion pushes the trapped e-liquid out through whichever gap is easiest to escape through, usually the mouthpiece or the base.
AC-to-outdoor shock: stepping from roughly 20°C air conditioning into 40°C heat causes condensation to form inside the pod's metal chimney almost immediately. That moisture mixes with the flavour inside and produces the gurgling sound and spit-back many people notice first.

Which Everyday Habits Make a RELX Pod Leak Faster?

Even the newest pod designs will leak if they sit in the wrong conditions long enough. Three habits account for most of the leaking complaints we deal with in the shop.

Leaving it in a parked car: a car left at the mall in direct sun can reach around 60°C inside, which is more than enough to force a full pod to empty into the device.
Carrying it in a tight pocket: body heat around 37°C combined with the pressure of tight jeans effectively pre-heats the pod before you take a single draw.
Storing it flat: leaving a pod lying on its side lets the thinned liquid sit directly against the seals instead of the wick, which is usually when a leak starts.

Which RELX Device Handles Dubai's Climate Best?

Hardware choice makes a real difference to how much a pod leaks once temperatures rise, and the RELX device families behave quite differently from one another. None of them make a pod fully leak-proof; they simply buy more margin before Dubai's heat catches up with it.

RELX Infinity 2 and RELX Infinity 2 Plus: currently the most leak-resistant devices sold in the UAE. Both use the Leak-Resistant Maze 2.0, a series of 11 structural layers built to trap condensation before it reaches the airflow path. Switching to Eco Mode (5.5W-6.5W) through summer also stops the coil adding extra heat to liquid that is already warm.
RELX Infinity Plus: better protected against leaks than the RELX Essential, thanks to pressure-balancing valves and the Super Smooth performance technology that the more basic models lack. That engineering also copes noticeably better with the pressure swings of a high-rise lift or a flight.
RELX Artisan: the metal and leather body looks the part but holds heat longer than a plastic shell. If the device feels warm to the touch, treat that as an early sign the pod inside is already under pressure.

RELX Pod Pro or Pod Pro 2 - Which Is Better for the UAE?

Not every RELX pod is built the same way, and the difference between the Pod Pro and Pod Pro 2 lines shows up most once the weather turns hot.

RELX Pod Pro (1.8%/18mg): uses a slightly higher PG ratio for a smoother throat hit, which also makes the liquid thinner and more sensitive to Dubai's heat. These need a climate-controlled spot rather than a bag or car.
RELX Pod Pro 2: the stronger choice for local conditions. It has a reinforced structural seal built to cope with Boost Mode on the Infinity 2, so it withstands the pressure expansion that comes with high heat noticeably better than the standard Pro line.

Does Nicotine Strength Change How Much a RELX Pod Leaks?

To a degree, yes. Higher-strength options such as the 5% RELX Pod Pro 2 flavours carry a slightly thicker mix than the 1.8% variants, so they take longer to turn watery in the heat. That is a trade-off worth knowing, not a solution: a thicker mix slows a leak down rather than prevents it, and even a 5% pod will still leak if it is left in a hot car or stored flat for long enough.

My RELX Pod Is Already Leaking - What Do I Do Right Now?

If a pod starts gurgling, it is usually still worth rescuing rather than replacing on the spot. Working through these three steps in order clears most leaks within a few minutes, because each step targets one of the causes above: clearing thinned liquid, releasing trapped pressure, and letting condensation settle.

Flick it out: wrap the mouthpiece in a tissue, hold the pod firmly, and flick it downward three to five times. The centrifugal force pushes the excess liquid out of the chimney.
Clean the base: wipe the gold contact pins inside the device and on the underside of the pod with a dry cotton swab. Liquid sitting on those pins is what causes auto-firing and can damage the device over time.
Let it cool: rest the pod on a cold surface, such as a marble countertop, for around five minutes. This lets the liquid settle back to its normal thickness before you use it again.

How Should You Store RELX Pods to Avoid Leaks in Dubai?

Good storage prevents most of the leaks that the rescue steps above have to fix in the first place.

Keep it upright: storing the device vertically lets gravity keep the liquid away from the airflow vents.
Use the quarter-tank rule: if you know you will be outdoors for a long stretch, load a pod that is only 25-50% full. Less liquid means less pressure can build up as the day heats up.
Skip the fridge: it seems logical, but the high humidity inside a fridge can saturate the ceramic coil with moisture, which leads to spitting and a popping sound the next time you use it. A dark drawer in an air-conditioned room does the job better.

Where to Get Genuine, Leak-Resistant RELX Stock in Dubai

Leaking in the UAE is almost always a heat and pressure problem rather than a faulty pod, and it is one you can manage with the device choice and storage habits above. Counterfeit pods make the problem worse, since low-quality rubber seals tend to fail quickly once temperatures hit 40°C, so buying from a seller who carries genuine stock matters as much as the storage advice. Heat is often the tell: a pod that starts leaking or spitting within days of its first use is more likely to have poor-quality seals than to be a bad batch of genuine stock.

TEREA 365, an independent UAE retailer, stocks the RELX pod range, including the Pod Pro 2, alongside IQOS ILUMA devices, TEREA sticks and HEETS. Delivery runs 1-2 hours across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, and within 24 hours to the rest of the UAE, with payment by cash or card on delivery. To place an order, message TEREA 365 on WhatsApp at +971561652004.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my RELX pod leaking?

In the UAE it is almost always heat rather than a fault. Above roughly 40°C the e-liquid thins, the trapped air inside the pod expands and pushes liquid out, and moving from air conditioning into outdoor heat creates condensation inside the chimney. Together these three factors explain why RELX pods leak far more often here than in cooler climates.

What is the RELX Pod Pro 2 and how is it different from the Pod Pro?

The RELX Pod Pro 2 is the newer pod in the Pro line, built with a reinforced structural seal designed for Boost Mode on the Infinity 2. That reinforcement lets it withstand heat-driven pressure expansion better than the original RELX Pod Pro, which uses a slightly higher PG ratio and thins out faster in Dubai's temperatures.

Why has my RELX stopped firing properly?

If a pod has been leaking, e-liquid can settle on the gold contact pins inside the device and at the base of the pod. That residue is a common cause of auto-firing or a device that will not fire at all. Wiping the pins with a dry cotton swab, as part of the flick-and-clean routine, usually resolves it.

Which RELX device leaks least in Dubai's heat?

The RELX Infinity 2 and Infinity 2 Plus currently perform best. Both use the Leak-Resistant Maze 2.0, eleven structural layers designed to trap condensation before it spreads, and running Eco Mode (5.5W-6.5W) in summer stops the coil adding extra heat to liquid that is already warm from the outside temperature.

Can I put a RELX pod in the fridge to stop it leaking?

No. It seems like a reasonable fix, but the high humidity inside a fridge can saturate the ceramic coil with moisture. That leads to spitting and a popping sound the next time you use the pod, which is worse than the leak you were trying to prevent. A dark drawer in an air-conditioned room works better.

Does flavour choice affect how much a RELX pod leaks?

To some extent. Menthol and icy RELX flavours tend to stay more stable as temperatures swing between air conditioning and outdoor heat. Creamy or dessert flavours can thicken unevenly through repeated heating and cooling, which sometimes clogs the airflow rather than causing an outright leak, so the experience varies by flavour.