A Quick Guide to Vaping for Beginners [UPDATED 2023]

Looking to make the switch from smoking to vaping but don’t know where to begin? This quick guide will take you through everything a beginner vaper needs to know, including what e-cigarette device in 2021 is best for you, the types of e-liquid available and a brief touch on some of the vaping terminology you may hear.

Contents:

1. The fundamentals of vaping (MTL vs DTL)
2. How does an e-cigarette work?
3. Which vaping device should you choose?
4. What e-liquid should you choose?
5. Which e-liquid flavour should you choose?
6. Vaping Terminology

1. The fundamentals of vaping (MTL vs. DTL)

There are two basic types of vaping styles – mouth-to-lung (MTL) and direct-to-lung (DTL). 

Mouth-to-lung is where you draw the vapour into your mouth first before inhaling into your lungs, and direct-to-lung, as the name suggests, is where you draw the vapour straight to the lungs.

The majority of people switching to vaping from smoking will probably find the mouth-to-lung style more comfortable, as this will ‘feel’ closer to smoking a cigarette. 

Why does this matter? Well, it will determine which e-cigarette device you are best suited to. 

Generally speaking, a mouth-to-lung device will feel less airy and have a tighter draw (harder to pull on); which again, provides a similar sensation to smoking. 

A direct-to-lung set-up will have more airflow and produce more vapour. Typically, these devices are sub-ohm, meaning the coil inside them has a resistance of less than 1 ohm. 

If you are new to vaping, we would recommend avoiding sub-ohm vaping until you become more experienced. You inhale far more vapour with them and need to use lower strength nicotine to counteract this.

Check out our blog post on MTL & DTL Vaping for more detailed information.

2. How does an e-cigarette work?

E-Cigarettes and vaping devices have evolved over the last 10 years from your basic disposables and pen-style to more advanced box mods and innovative pod kits, but fundamentally they work the same way:

• A battery heats up a coil, which heats up the e-liquid in the pod/tank to form a vapour which is delivered through the mouthpiece.

Below you can learn about the different components that make up an e-cig. These components may look different depending on the type of vape kit you have.

Tip: You’ll know when the coil needs replacing when it begins to loose flavour or tastes burnt.

3. Which vaping device should you choose?

With so many different devices on the market, it can be confusing to know which to choose. Here we will quickly breakdown the different types of e-cigarette so you can make a more informed decision when purchasing your first kit. 

Types of Devices

Type of Device	Example	Vaping Style	Tank/Pod Used
Cig-a-like (AKA Mini)		MTL	Disposable cartridge
Closed Pod System		MTL	Disposable pods
Vape Pens		MTL but increasingly seeing DTL devices	Refillable tanks
Pod Mod		MTL & DTL devices/coils available	Refillable pods
Box Mod		MTL & DTL devices/coils available	Refillable tanks
Mechanical/Mech Mod		DTL (NOT FOR BEGINNERS)	Rebuildable Tank Atomisers (RTA’s) (NOT FOR BEGINNERS)

Pros and Cons of Each Device

Type of Device	Pros	Cons
Cig-a-like (AKA Mini)	Very easy to set up Very easy to use Very small Looks like a cigarette Reputable brands have built-in safety features	Very small battery capacity (won’t last the whole day) Performance can be hit-or-miss Extremely limited in flavour choice No option to customise the vaping experience
Closed Pod System	Very easy to set up Very easy to use Small/pocket-sized Better battery life than a cig-a-like Reputable brands have built-in safety features	Typically have longer battery life than a cig-a-like, but not amazing Limited flavour choice as you can only vape flavours that come in that brand of pod Coil can not be changed, you throw the pod away once the coil has reached the end of its life Disposable pods not eco-friendly or as cost-effective No option to customise the vaping experience
Vape Pens	Easy to set up Easy to use Replaceable coils A wider range of coil resistances Refillable tanks which you can fill with any flavour e-liquid Reputable brands have built-in safety features	Quality can vary, some prone to leaking. Make sure to get a reputable brand More fiddly to do maintenance on (such as cleaning the tank) Maybe a bit too tall in height for some people’s tastes
Pod Mod	Fairly easy to use with more advanced features available More advanced devices come with variable wattage and level of customisation Larger battery capacities available for longer battery life Refillable pods which you can fill with any flavour e-liquid Can have built-in or removable batteries Reputable brands have built-in safety features	Not as simple as the previously listed devices Usually larger than your cig-a-likes and closed pod systems Pods not interchangeable; only takes the pod made for the device
Box Mod	Depending on the device, ease-of-use can vary More advanced devices come with variable wattage and level of customisation Larger battery capacities available for longer battery life Refillable tanks which you can fill with any flavour e-liquid The majority of tanks and mods are cross-compatible Can have built-in or removable batteries Reputable brands have built-in safety features	Certain devices may be too complicated for a beginner Usually larger than your cig-a-likes and closed pod systems
Mechanical/Mech Mod	Used by sub-ohm enthusiasts to blow huge clouds Instant firing Extremely high power output Able to power extremely low resistance coils Removable battery	Usually unregulated and dangerous for a beginner or advanced vaper For DIY enthusiasts who are expert vapers Requires full understanding of Ohms Law No safety features

Tip: The larger the milliampere hours (mAh) the longer the battery life.

4. What e-liquid should you choose?

E-Liquid has three basic ingredients; PG (Propylene Glycol), VG (Vegetable Glycerin) and flavourings. Nicotine is optional, as you can get e-liquid without nicotine, but 3mg, 6mg, 9mg, 12mg and 18mg strengths are available.

Nicotine

Beginner vapers are likely to use nicotine to help curb cigarette cravings, but the nicotine level can be reduced over time should they wish. Typically, the strength you will need depends on previous smoking habits and the device used.

The below table is a handy guide, but be aware that higher-powered box-mods with lower resistance coils (<1ohm AKA sub-ohm)  are best paired with lower nicotine e-liquids, such as a 3mg strength, as you inhale far more vapour and this can be harsh with higher nicotine strengths. 

E-Liquid Strength	Cigarettes Per Day
3mg	1-5 cigarettes daily
6mg	Up to 10 cigarettes daily
12mg	Up to 20 cigarettes daily
18mg	20+ cigarettes daily

PG/VG Ratio

The ratio of PG/VG varies between e-liquids. PG is thought of as a ‘flavour carrier, whereas VG produces clouds and is smoother to vape. You can read more on this in our dedicated PG vs. VG blog post.

In short:

• The higher the VG content, the thicker the juice will be. High VG e-liquids typically clog-up MTL coils with a resistance of more than 1ohm but work well for sub-ohm coils with larger holes.
• The higher the PG content, the thinner the juice will be and more flavourful, but can be harsh to vape at higher levels, especially with a <1ohm (sub-ohm) coil

Types of E-Liquid

Type of E-Liquid	Size	Strength	VG/PG Ratio
Premixed	10ml	0mg 3mg 6mg 12mg 18mg	DV – 50VG/50PG Djinni – 60VG/40PG
Shortfills	50ml or 60ml with nic shot added.	0mg 3mg (with optional free nic shot)	70VG/30PG
Shake & Vape	30ml	0mg 3mg 6mg 12mg	You choose!

A note on Flavour Concentrates: If you are a beginner then this is something you shouldn’t worry about for now. Flavour concentrates are used by people who DIY their e-liquid at home; that is, purchase nicotine, diluent and flavour separately and mix it together. It allows for more customisation of the e-liquid.

Tip: All our vape kits come with an e-liquid best suited to the device and coil it comes with. 

5. Which e-liquid flavour should you choose?

Those who are looking to switch from traditional cigarettes to vaping may benefit from vaping a tobacco flavour, to begin with. For a realistic tobacco flavour, try our Virginia or Tobacco e-liquid or for menthol fans, our strong Menthol flavour is for you.

However, a lot of vapers will move on to tasty flavours like sweet and fruit which further prevents them from wanting to go back to smoking. A recent study by ASH revealed that more vapers use fruit flavoured e-liquid than any other flavour.

Some of our most popular flavours include Berry Crush, Froot Bomb, Absinthe and Custard.

6. Vaping Terminology

Below you will find some of the most common vaping terminologies used today:

AG: Aqueous Glycerine. Similar to VG diluent but has distilled water making it thinner. Used by DIY mixing enthusiasts. 

All-Day-Vape: An e-liquid that is ideal for vaping throughout the day

Atomiser: Another word for a coil

Cartomizer: The ‘tip’ of a cig-a-like that holds the e-liquid. 

Cloud Chasing: Term used to describe vapers who like to use sub-ohm devices to blow big clouds of vapour 

Coil:  Coils are responsible for heating up the e-liquid in your tank/pod and vaporizing it. 

Diluent: The liquid used to dilute the flavourings in e-liquid. Can be PG, VG or AG.

Dry hit: What you experience when the coil burns out or you accidentally forget to top-up the e-liquid. Unpleasant taste. 

DTL: Direct-to-Lung. A vaping style in which the user inhales the vapour directly into the lungs.

Flooding: When the e-liquid gets inside the coil and ‘floods’ it, causing gurgling and spitting. 

mAh: Stands for milliamps Hour which measures the capacity of a battery. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last.

Mod: A mod refers to a vaping device that provides options for you to customise your vape. This could include things such as Variable Wattage, Temprature Control and Puff Count.

MTL: Mouth-to-Lung. A vaping style in which the user takes the vapour into the mouth before inhaling it into the lungs

Ohms: unit of electrical resistance used to measure the coil resistance. The lower the ohm, the looser the vape draw and the more vapour created. 

Passthrough: If a device has passthrough technology, it can be charged and used at the same time.

PG: Propylene Glycol. Referred to as the ‘flavour carrier’, it is a diluent and one of the main ingredients in e-liquid. It has more of a ‘throat hit’ than VG. In some rare cases, people can be allergic to PG and so opt to vape an AG/VG e-liquid.

Priming: You should prime a coil before using it, meaning you allow it time for the e-liquid to soak into the wicking material inside the coil. This reduces the chance of a ‘Dry Hit’

RBA: Rebuildable atomiser. Not something you need to know as a beginner.

RDA: Rebuildable dripping atomiser. Not something you need to know as a beginner.

Resistance: Refers to the coil resistance. The lower the resistance, the lower the ohm.

RTA: Rebuildable tank atomiser. Similar to an RDA but has a tank to hold e-liquid. Not something you need to know as a beginner.

Sub-Ohm: Term used to describe coils that have a resistance of less than one ohm.

TC (Temperature Control): Some devices have a TC feature that enables you to set a temperature that you want to keep the coil at, rather than adjusting the wattage.

Throat-hit: The feeling in the throat when you inhale vapour or smoke. Too much of a throat-hit can be deemed ‘harsh’.

Vape Juice: Another word for e-liquid.

Vaper: A person who vapes.

Vaper’s Tongue: A strange phenomenon whereby if you continue to vape the same flavour, it begins to lose taste because you’ve gotten used to it.

VG: Vegetable Glycerine. A diluent and one of the main ingredients in e-liquid. Has a thick consistency and a slightly sweet taste. 

VW (Variable Wattage): Some devices have a VW feature that enables you to adjust the wattage and directly control the power output of your device. Different resistance coils need to be vaped at different wattages. 

Wick: Refers to the cotton/wicking material inside a coil that absorbs the e-liquid.

7. Conclusion

The switch to vaping is smooth and uncomplicated – which is largely why it has been so successful.

“E-cigarettes are now the most popular quitting aid, and have been shown to be to be nearly twice as successful in helping smokers quit as traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy when used with behavioural support in smoking cessation clinics” – ASH, 2019

There are so many stories about the difference vaping makes to peoples lives, we are happy and proud to be a small part of it.

Once you feel confident about vaping why not try mixing your own flavour concoctions – the possibilities are endless!

For more information, or if you need help with any of our products please do not hesitate to contact us: [email protected].