ELFBAR’s German Business Is Now Built Around Reusable Pod Systems
The brand holds about 60 percent of the country’s pod system market and around 80 percent of its German shipments are in reusable formats, with four products honoured this year by the German Design Award and the CMF Design Awards United States, 1st Jun 2026, – Global vape brand ELFBAR today set out how its German business has shifted toward reusable pod systems over the past several product cycles, following recognition of four of its products by the German Design Award and the International CMF Design Awards in 2026. The two juries honoured the ELFX Mini, the ELFX 2, the ELFA Master Stein and the ELFA pod system. The group together accounts for a meaningful share of ELFBAR’s German sales. The German Design Award is organised by the German Design Council. The International CMF Design Awards evaluates excellence in colour, material and finish. ELFA Master Stein and ELFX Mini are now available in Germany. What the data shows According to internal company data, ELFBAR holds about 60 percent of the German pod system category. That makes it the largest player in the country’s largest vape submarket. Prefilled and refillable products — the ELFX and ELFA pod systems and the ELFLIQ e-liquid range — make up roughly 80 percent of the company’s shipments to Germany. Single-use formats, once a defining part of the category, no longer drive the brand’s German business. The product mix has shifted gradually rather than overnight. The change reflects deliberate prioritisation inside the company: ELFBAR has steadily reduced the share of single-use formats in its German offer and reinvested behind devices that can be refilled, recharged and serviced over a longer life. Design language The shift toward reusable formats has been accompanied by a change in how ELFBAR’s products look and feel. The ELFX and ELFA series — including the four products honoured this year — share a quieter design vocabulary than the bright single-use silhouettes that defined the category’s earliest growth. Colour palettes are subdued. Casings are contoured for one-handed use. Materials are selected for grip and longevity. Branding is small. “Good design should feel confident, not loud,” said Becky Liu, Head of Industrial Design at ELFBAR. “With ELFX and ELFA, we focus on a clean-cut form, precision, and a calm material touch-feel to bring an elegant and intuitive user experience.”…