You’ve heard vaping is cooler than smoking. You’ve heard it’s healthier than tobacco use, too. Well, we’re not allowed to say either way, but we’re pretty sure they’re both true.
One thing is certain, it tastes and smells exponentially better than puffing on old-fashioned tobacco like some sort of dusty cowboy.
So you want to learn how to get into vaping? No problem. Here, we’ll cover everything you need to get the most out of vaping and do it with a reasonably high degree of safety.
How to Vape?
Your first move should be finding a reputable vendor offering high-quality vape products. You DO NOT want to purchase a vape device from a knock-off vape machine or buy a knock-off e-liquid.
Instead, find an established vendor who can supply you with the right parts for the equipment you select.
Read online reviews about the seller you are considering and check that the products they offer are reputable, high-quality components.
Get to know the most successful and popular manufacturers of pod vapes, vape pens, atomizers, juices, and other equipment through careful research and recommendation.
Then, choose an e-liquid flavor you think you’ll like for your refillable pod, and get ready to enjoy trying the variety of flavors offered in the vape industry.
Finally, get to know your atomizer. You will want to learn how to adjust its basic settings. Start at a low setting until you get the strength and smoothness that suits you best.
Then, prepare to enjoy a new hobby that can help you give up cigarettes while introducing you to a whole new community willing to help out newcomers.
Why You Must Learn the Correct Way to Vape: A Cautionary Tale
Sadly, not everything in life is safe. Even if you stay inside and work from home, you may still end up developing back problems from sitting too much or Vitamin D deficiency from lack of sunlight.
Vaping comes with potential risks you should be aware of, too. These risks include possible lithium-ion battery explosions, especially when buying a vape device from an untrusted, second-rate vendor.
Such dangers can land you in the hospital.
The very first step of learning how to vape properly begins with reading this article to the end. Do that, and follow our advice.
Then, you’ll be as safe as anyone can be while enjoying a new high-tech hobby.
Step 1: Select Your Vape Kit
If you’re just starting, there’s nothing wrong with getting one of the basic prefilled kits that’s as easy to use as a pod mod and won’t leave too much of a dent in your bank account.
If you do opt for a more advanced device, ask your vendor how to adjust the basic settings.
The best kits come with detailed instructions to help you get started. In addition, most pod mods come placed at the lowest setting for new users trying to learn how a vape works.
Disposable e-cig pod vape devices come with replaceable cartridges which also serve as a mouthpiece. These don’t require cleaning this part of the system.
If you’re feeling up to the challenge, go for an All in One Kit (AIO). You’ll need to learn the basic components of your starter kit such as how to change your coils.
Once you get the hang of maintaining your device, you’ll have mastered one of the toughest things about vaping and a whole world of options will open up to you.
If you buy a small, inexpensive system and you stick with the hobby, chances are you’re going to move up to other devices of higher quality.
If you think that may be the case, and would like to save some money over the long haul, consider the adage, “buy nice, don’t buy twice.”
The learning curve with more advanced atomizer kits is a bit steeper for many smokers, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll see their value. No matter what kind of unit you buy, you’ll receive detailed instructions.
Start out using your vape mod on the lowest setting and be sure you understand how to operate it before doing anything overtly experimental.
Step 2: Selecting a Vape Juice
Selecting your e-liquid and desired nicotine level is probably the easiest part of the vaping experience, but it is also the most important.
The first step is making sure you’re buying reputable products made under safe and sanitary conditions using high-quality ingredients.
As long as you are buying from a reputable vendor, getting the best e-liquid for your vape pod should not be a problem.
Next, choose the flavor of premium e-liquids you think you’ll like.
If you fancy yourself a rugged customer and prefer intense flavors like tobacco or black coffee, that’s cool. Keep in mind, these will taste a bit harsher than you might expect and therefore, feel a bit rougher on your throat.
Many electronic cigarette smokers go for e-liquid flavors such as fruit or chocolate. These flavors smell delicious, have low nicotine, and nobody will mistake it for the aroma of cigarette smoke.
Nicotine content and vegetable-glycerin to propylene glycol ratio (VG-PG) are two other e-liquid factors to consider when purchasing a vape mod.
The desired nicotine strength depends on how addicted you are to nicotine – a stimulant smokers crave.
The best route is to start by choosing a low level and begin slowly weaning yourself off before moving on to nicotine-free e-liquid. But that’s a personal preference.
You just don’t want to go too far either way, especially if you’re trying to avoid relapsing back to tobacco.
Your next step will be to learn how to inhale the e-liquid of the e-cigarette in a way that’s best for you. Your style of an inhaling will also determine your ideal VG-PG ratio.
VG makes for a more comfortable lung hit. This is good for cloudbusters who want to make the room overcast.
A higher PG ratio is better for those who want a stronger throat hit. This e-cigarette method creates a sensation similar to tobacco use.
A higher PG ratio is helpful for those wanting to quit since it ticks off more sensory checkpoints.
Step 3: Learning to Inhale E-Cigarettes
There are at least two inhalation techniques for using e-cigarettes and learning to control vapour production. They include the mouth to lung (MTL) method and the direct to lung (DTL) method.
Certainly, there are variations and possibly dozens of technically different ways to achieve most vapor techniques.
Once you try the different methods, you will know which way to inhale works best for you.
Mouth to lung (MTL) vaping is similar to cigarette smoking and gives the option of adjustable airflow for creating low vapor. The purpose of this method is to give the e-liquid vapor time to cool down before sending it to the lungs.
For best results, you’ll need a juice with high nicotine strength, a low-power mod, and higher resistance coils to use the MTL method effectively.
DTL vaping involves taking the vapor directly from the mouthpiece of the device to the lungs without holding it in the mouth first. Direct lung vaping produces higher levels of vape clouds.
MTL Pros and Cons
MTL is a cool (as in temperature) e-cigarette method that is ideal for quitting smoking as it delivers a weaker hit than the DTL method.
On the downside, since the MTL vaping method involves a longer draw, it can be tough on the battery life of your device. And, low-power mods consistent with this method have fewer available features.
DTL Pros and Cons
DTL vaping makes bigger clouds and it gives you more control over the airflow. It’s not the same as inhaling a cigarette but can be compared to a bong hit which produces larger vapes.
To use this method, you’ll need higher-powered devices that utilize a drip tip so when the e-juice is added, it goes directly to the heating coil.
Mods with more power and low resistance coils work best for this method as opposed to high resistance coils. And they save your battery and heating element since you don’t draw as long as you do with MTL.
It’s not recommended to use high nicotine strength juice with the DTL method. Unfortunately, the e-juices that work best for this vaping method carry less flavor distributed in low resistance coils.
In addition, you’ll use more juice, drain your vape tanks faster, and the charging times of pod devices will be longer.
Step 4: Don’t Stop Learning
Vaping is easy to learn and easy to do. But there’s a lot to learn about all the different flavors, mixes, and concentrations.
You could spend a week learning about the technology, how to get the most out of lithium-ion batteries, and adjusting the settings.
It’s good to stay apprised of new information so you can achieve the best possible experience.
Keeping up with the latest developments will help you stay abreast of the technology and the exciting, new products entering the vaping industry.
FAQs
Are vaping products regulated?
Yes. There are very strict rules that manufacturers must follow to legally make vaping devices considered safe for use.
What are the ingredients in e-liquids?
Most e-liquids used in vape devices contain three primary ingredients: propylene glycol/or glycerin, chemicals for flavor, and nicotine. Some contain low or zero nicotine.
Is using a vaping device healthier than smoking cigarettes?
Some claim vaping is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes, and in all likelihood, using a vape device probably is. However “safer” does not mean 100% safe.
Can you vape just for the flavor without using nicotine?
Yes. Many e-liquids do not contain nicotine. Some do have nicotine so you should check the label before buying.
Can people under age 18 buy and use these products legally?
Federal law prohibits the sale of nicotine and vaping devices to people under age 18. In some states, the legal vaping age is 21.