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Vaping is the act of using an electronic cigarette to inhale vapour, which contains nicotine and flavourings, much like the act of smoking. The benefit of vaping is that it contains 95% fewer harmful ingredients and is considered far safer than cigarettes, according to the most recent evidence from healthcare experts.
Vapes are comprised of three main parts: a battery, a vape tank or vape pod, which is connected to the battery, and a vape coil, which sits inside your vape's pod or tank.
While the act of lifting your vape up to your mouth to inhale and exhale is very similar to smoking, there two main differences to be aware of when inhaling e-cig vapour: Temperature, Nicotine strength.
One of the biggest differences when inhaling a vape is the temperature. Because vaping devices turn e-liquid into an aerosol by heating it with a coil, it feels much cooler than hot cigarette smoke. This can make the inhalation feel a little strange at first. Give yourself time to adjust to this, and it will soon feel more natural, and you'll be able to inhale properly and exhale with no problems. Adjusting the wattage of your vape kit can also help tailor the temperature of your inhale, so take note of your device settings when finding the right balance.
For some, that heat played a role in why they enjoyed the act of smoking, as it contributes to the sensation of having a ‘satisfying drag’. If you find your vape isn’t as ‘harsh’ as you’d like, increasing the amount of nicotine can help recreate the sensation. Take care not to go higher than you are comfortable with, and try to find a balance between the vaping experience you want and the craving satisfaction you need.
Where different types of tobacco can impact the harshness of a cigarette, your chosen e-liquid nicotine strength can play a major role in the ‘harshness’ of your inhale when vaping. Low-strength e-liquids like 3mg or 6mg are typically smoother, while 12mg and 18mg are incrementally harsher-tasting.
Thick HVG e-liquids like Short Fill vape juices are naturally far smoother tasting because they are only available in lower strengths. They also carry more VG (typically 80%VG-20%PG), which increases vapour production and is a little softer to vape than higher nicotine, higher-PG 50VG-50PG e-liquids and best used in a sub-ohm vape kit.
Some users prefer a harder hit at a higher strength, but for those who want a smooth vaping experience at a higher nicotine level, there is also nicotine salt vape juice. These provide maximum craving satisfaction potential, but offer the smoothness of a 3mg or 6mg due to the special type of nicotine they use.
When it comes to your perfect inhale, choosing the right nicotine strength can be very important – go too harsh and you are likely to cough a little, but go too weak and your vape won’t satisfy -balance is key! If you like a harsher hit and are still coughing, try to take slightly smaller puffs so as not to overwhelm yourself.
This is really down to personal preference, although most vaping devices will have a cut-off for safety after a few seconds of holding down the fire button or inhaling constantly on a puff-activated vape device.
Bear in mind that the longer you use your vape and inhale, the greater the risk of your coil giving you dry burn. This is when the cotton-wicking material has not had long enough since being vaped dry to absorb fresh e-liquid from the tank or pod. Longer inhales keep the heat on for longer, so naturally you will need to give it longer before puffing again or you will likely get dry burn – a generally bad taste that can also ruin your coil if you aren’t careful!
A good general rule to get you started is to take shorter puffs if using higher-strength e-liquids and those that produce big clouds. Doing this will reduce the risk of coughing and dry burn. If it’s a little lower in nicotine or is exceptionally smooth like a nic salt, you will likely get away with a longer inhale, just be mindful of your coil!
While there is no fixed "right or wrong" answer to this question, there are three main inhale techniques that vapers practice: MTL, DTL, and RDTL. MTL and DTL are well-established, whereas RDTL is a newer technique brought about largely by the rise of disposable vapes.
They individually suit different e-liquid and device pairings. We will explain all three in the sections below so you can work out which is the best fit for your journey.
Mouth-to-lung, or as it's abbreviated MTL, is a vaping technique most associated with basic starter vape kits. This name gives away a little about this technique. It is the inhale style most similar to smoking traditional cigarettes, and when you inhale your vape, it will give a throat hit and minimal vapour production like you'd get from smoking. An MTL vape kit is normally in the style of a vape pen or pod vape and uses high-resistance coils that can be run at lower wattages for optimal performance.
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When you use a vape kit that supports MTL vaping, try to be calm and gentle in following the steps below. Don’t panic if learning how to inhale properly takes some getting used to! If you used to smoke a cigarette, try to apply the same principles when MTL vaping, and you will be able to inhale without coughing in no time.
Due to being the easiest and often first inhale techniques a vaper will master, some of the best MTL vape kits are those designed for beginners. This is because they tend to utilise vape coils rated at 1.0ohm or above, and are intended for use with standard 50-50 freebase e-liquids. They avoid fancy features and keep things simple and functional, designed to serve as effortless everyday companions on your vaping journey.
MTL inhaling is the best technique when using freebase 50-50 e-liquids like our original £1 range. This is because the technique will allow you to comfortably vape a full range of nicotine strengths including 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg. Whichever strength you prefer, MTL is a great technique for enjoying them smoothly without coughing. Classic nic salt vape juice flavours can also work well for MTL vapers, but if choosing more modern Bar Salt e-liquids RDTL is best as we will explain further on in this article.
DTL stands for direct-to-lung or direct-lung. Again, the clue is in the name! This technique is a little different to smoking a cigarette, and is better suited to advanced vape devices that can run thick HVG juice. Learning about DTL vaping and how to inhale correctly is something that's recommended for more advanced vapers. If you inhale incorrectly with a larger sub-ohm vape kit that's higher powered than a starter device, chances are you're going to really make yourself cough.
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Just like MTL, don’t panic and inhale the vapour calmly and smoothly to avoid coughing. This technique is a little more specialised, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t master direct lung the first time around!
Any sub-ohm vape kit will be suitable for DTL vaping. These are typically advanced vape kits, also called mods or pod-mods. The key features are coils rated below 0.9ohms, and a higher wattage range to heat them. They pair best with thicker High-VG vape juice. Due to having plenty of extra features built in, the ideal DTL vape kit might be a bit challenging for a new vaper to use right away, so consider MTL or RDTL kits as a starting point before progressing to DTL vaping.
DTL Vaping was invented for getting the most from High-VG e-liquids. This could be 10ml HVGs, or shortfills like our 50ml range. Regardless of your preference, they feature lower nicotine strengths of only 3mg or 6mg, ideal for smoothly inhaling larger volumes of vapour produced by their 70% VG content as opposed to 50-50 ranges. If you are not using a HVG juice or are using one with a higher nicotine strength, consider MTL or RDTL techniques instead, as they better suit stronger, harsher vape juice.
RDTL stands for restricted direct-to-lung vaping. It is a newer technique that functions in the same way as DTL vaping; however, as the name suggests, the vape kits which support this style of inhale have more restricted airflow - still more open than MTL kits and coils, but slightly more restricted than typical DTL sub-ohm vapes; a middle-ground of sorts. This style of inhale technique is actually preferred by many disposable vape users transitioning to bar salts and refillable pod vape kits as it replicates a more 'airy' 50-50 nic salt experience.
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RDTL vaping is identical to DTL in practice, with the only difference being a slightly smaller cloud and more restricted airflow/draw resistance. So the same guidance applies; smooth, deep inhales and exhales in a single motion are the key to not coughing!
The type of vape kits most commonly associated with RDTL Vaping are refillable pod kits with sub-ohm coils or similar intermediate vape kits. Despite being sub-ohm, this style of inhale technique is actually preferred by many disposable vape users transitioning to refillable vape kits. This is because disposable vapes have a very open airflow, which naturally lends itself to the RDTL style inhale, so some device manufacturers have started releasing 50-50 pods and coils tailored to this style with a sub-ohm rating despite still being designed for nic salts. The best examples of which are the Vaporesso Xros range.
RDTL vaping is the best way to enjoy modern 50-50 nic salt e-liquids like our Bar Salt range. This is because vape kits designed for RDTL, paired with a double-concentrated nic salt flavour replicates the experience offered by disposable vapes like Elf Bars or Lost Mary BM600s. The open airflow delivered by RDTL coils gives you an enhanced flavour experience and slightly more vapour production than MTL. This extra vapour doesn't cause problems at higher strengths though as the intended nic salts are very smooth even at 10mg or 20mg.
Your chosen device and e-liquid will make a big impact on the style that best suits you, but there are always exceptions to these guidelines, and it is entirely up to you to decide which technique you prefer.
The important thing to remember when you start vaping is to adjust for the differences between vaping and smoking, and be prepared to explore your options to find the perfect balance to master inhaling your vapour to vape safely. There are many vape products out there on the market today to cater to all levels of vaping experience, from beginner to expert.
If you're considering making the switch from smoking to vaping, we hope this guide on how to inhale a vape properly has helped you understand the different ways to inhale from a vape to get your nicotine hit.
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