How long do vape cartridges last?
A sealed vape cartridge lasts about a year before the oil noticeably loses potency, and an opened one that you're using lasts somewhere between two weeks and two months depending on how often you hit it. Carts don't spoil the way food does. There's no water in the oil, so nothing grows in it. What happens instead is slow chemical change: THC breaks down into CBN, terpenes evaporate, and the oil gets darker and thicker. The cart is still safe to use after that, it's just weaker and tastes flatter.
How long a cart lasts in puffs
A 0.5ml cart gives roughly 100 to 150 puffs and a 1ml cart roughly 200 to 300, counting a puff as a three-second draw. Longer draws use more oil per puff and the count drops.
0.5ml (100 to 150 puffs): 3 to 4 weeks at 5 puffs a day, 1 to 1.5 weeks at 15 a day, 4 to 5 days at 30 or more.
1ml (200 to 300 puffs): 6 to 8 weeks at 5 a day, 2 to 3 weeks at 15 a day, 1 to 1.5 weeks at 30 or more.
2ml (400 to 600 puffs): 3 to 4 months at 5 a day, 4 to 6 weeks at 15 a day, 2 to 3 weeks at 30 or more.
These numbers assume the cart is working properly. A clogged cart or one on too high a voltage wastes oil, which is why some carts seem to "run out" faster than the math says.
How long a cart lasts on the shelf
Unopened and stored well, most distillate carts keep close to full potency for 12 months, and stay usable for 24. Live resin and rosin carts have more terpenes and more of the fragile compounds, so they're best inside 6 to 9 months.
The three things that shorten that are heat, light and air:
Heat speeds up the THC to CBN conversion. A cart left in a hot car for an afternoon can lose more than a cart stored in a drawer for six months.
Light, especially sunlight, breaks down cannabinoids and terpenes. Clear glass tanks don't block it.
Air oxidises the oil. A sealed cart has almost no air inside; one that's been used has more air in the tank every time the level drops.
Licensed products carry a packaged-on date and often a best-by date. If there's no date, the batch number on the label will tell the dispensary when it was tested.
Do vape carts expire?
Yes, in the sense that they lose strength and flavour. No, in the sense that they don't become unsafe on a date. An old cart that's been kept cool and dark will hit softer and taste a bit flat. That's the whole story.
The exception is a cart that has leaked or been contaminated. If oil has run out of the base and into the battery, or the mouthpiece has been shared and left dirty, that's a hygiene issue rather than an age issue.
How to tell a cart has gone off
Four signs, roughly in the order they show up:
1. Colour has darkened. Fresh distillate is light amber. Over months it goes brown. Some darkening is normal; a cart that's gone the colour of soy sauce has lost a lot.
2. Oil has thickened or crystallised. Thick oil that won't move when you tilt the cart is oxidised or cold. Crystals are usually THCA separating out and warm up fine; they're not a sign of a bad cart.
3. Taste has gone flat or harsh. Terpenes evaporate first, so the flavour disappears before the strength does. Harshness usually means a burnt wick, not old oil.
4. It hits weaker than it used to. The THC has converted to CBN, which is sedating rather than strong.
If the cart smells sour or chemical, that's different. Stop using it and take it back to the dispensary with the batch number.
How to make a cart last longer
Store it upright, cool and dark. That's most of it.
Upright keeps oil on the wick and away from the mouthpiece, so it doesn't leak or clog.
Cool means room temperature or a bit below. Not the fridge: condensation gets into the airpath and the oil thickens so much the cart won't pull. Definitely not the car.
Dark means a drawer or the original box, not a windowsill.
Keep it on a low voltage. 2.8V to 3.2V uses less oil per puff and doesn't scorch the coil.
Take it off the battery when you're travelling with it. Batteries that fire in a pocket cook the oil.
What about the battery?
A 510 battery is a separate question. Most pen batteries are rated for 300 to 500 charge cycles, which is a year or two of daily use, and they lose a bit of capacity every cycle. A cart that "died" often just has a flat battery under it. Charge the battery, or try the cart on a different one, before deciding the cart is finished.
If you sell them
The shelf life of a cart is the shelf life of the oil, but the hardware and the packaging decide how much of that year the customer actually gets. A glass tank blocks less light than a ceramic one. A blister pack lets more light in than a box. A child-resistant carton with the cart inside its own sleeve keeps the oil in the dark until the customer opens it. We build custom vape cartridges and the boxes they ship in, and part of the spec conversation is how long the product needs to sit on a shelf. If you're reading about carts for the first time, start with what a 510 cartridge is.
Quick answers
How long does a 1g cart last? 200 to 300 puffs. Two to three weeks for a regular user, six to eight weeks for a light one.
How long does a cart last unopened? About 12 months at full strength, up to 24 months usable, if stored cool and dark.
Can I use an expired cart? Yes, if it was stored properly. It'll be weaker and taste flatter, not unsafe.
Why did my cart turn dark? Oxidation and heat. Some darkening over months is normal; fast darkening means it got hot.
Should I keep carts in the fridge? No. Condensation clogs the airpath and the oil thickens. A cool drawer is better.
