How to Vape Safely? Tricks for MTL, RTDL & DTL

Are you wondering about “How to inhale vape safely?” And, how to avoid burnt hits, coughs, and throat irritation?

These electronic cigarettes have become a popular alternative to smoking. Why? They are easy to use, produce no carbon monoxide, and offer awesome flavours. However, it’s important to use them properly to enjoy a great experience.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to vape for three different types of draws: mouth to lung (MTL), restricted direct to lung (RTDL), and direct to lung (DTL). You’ll also learn many exhaling tricks. 

There are different types of vape kits, each manufactured to deliver a unique experience. The anatomy of each device will decide whether it should be used for MTL, RTDL, or DTL.

To better understand, let’s have a look at their main components:

• Mouthpieces: These are located right at the top of the devices. You place them in your mouth to inhale the vapours.


• Batteries/mods: These supply energy to the entire device.


• Pods: The parts of the kits that have the heating coil and wick (atomisers). Check our guide on vape pods to explore their types and more.


• Coils: These are often referred to as the heart of vaping kits, as they heat the e-liquid and form vapours. The vaping style highly depends on the resistance of the coil you’re using (high resistance coils are for MTL/RTDL, and low resistance coils for DTL).


• E-liquids: Just like coils, the type of e-liquid also plays an important role in forming the entire vaping experience. The thickness, flavour, nicotine strength, and VG/PG ratio, all should be considered for vaping styles. Read our guide on e-liquids to learn more.

These components work together to form the optimal vaping experience. Want to know more about an e-cig? Check out our comprehensive guide on e-cigarettes!

How to Inhale a Vape: 3 Different Styles

Note that for every vaping style, you need to follow different steps. Here is an overview of all three:

Vaping Style 1: Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Vaping

MTL is a technique where the vapour is first drawn into the mouth and then inhaled into the lungs. It’s similar to smoking. This option is great for those who are transitioning from smoking or trying vaping for the first time in their life.

How to Inhale Vape Correctly for MTL?

For first-time vapers, getting the inhale technique right is important. If you’ve ever smoked, you may already be familiar with the process. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you get the correct MTL inhale:

• Fill Your Mouth with Vapour: Press the fire button on your device (if any) and gently draw the vapour into your mouth. The vapour should fill your mouth slowly and comfortably. This shouldn’t be a huge drag like you would do with a DTL hit. A gentle, controlled inhale works best.


• Hold the Vapour in Your Mouth: Hold the vapour in your mouth for a second or two. Just like smoking, don’t rush this step. It’s important to get used to the sensation and feel comfortable with it.


• Inhale Into Your Lungs: After holding the vapour in your mouth, inhale it into your lungs in a slow motion. This should feel natural and similar to a cigarette.


• Exhale: Finally, exhale the vapour smoothly, and enjoy the sensation.

Exhale Tricks for MTL

Once you’ve learned the inhalation technique, it’s time to explore some fun exhale tricks. Here are some simple tricks for smoother exhalation:

• Simple Exhale: Inhale the vapour and exhale through your nose or mouth, depending on your comfort level. This will help ensure that the vapour doesn’t feel harsh. Make sure not to rush.
• Blowing Rings: One fun trick you can try is blowing vapour rings. Here’s how:


• Exhale a small amount of vapour from your mouth.
• Use your lips to form a circular motion and move a small amount of vapour out.
• Next, with the help of your tongue, create a wave that pushes the vapour out.

French Inhale: For this, you exhale the vapour through your nose and, in the meantime, inhale through your mouth. The vapour will appear to "flow" from your nose back into your lungs.

What’s the Ideal Coil Resistance, Wattage and Airflow Settings for MTL?

The different factors that you need to consider when choosing an MTL device are listed below:

• Coil Resistance: Use high-resistance coils for MTL. You can go for 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0 ohms.


• Wattage: MTL devices work best at lower wattages. A range of 10 to 20 watts is ideal for MTL vaping. It also allows the nicotine hit to be more satisfying.


• Airflow: Set the airflow to a small, restrictive opening. A restricted airflow will provide a smoother inhale.

Best Kits for MTL Vaping

Here are some options for MTL vaping:

• Pod Devices: Pod systems are portable and simple-to-use kits that are perfect for beginners. Popular choices include Aspire Gotek X Vape and the Smok Nord 2 Kit, both of which are easy to fill and provide tight MTL draws.


• Starter kits: Starter kits are also perfect for MTL. These come with all the components you need to set up your first type. Examples include Vaporesso Gen Fit 20W and Smok Priv N19 Kit.


• Big Puffs: Big puffs are great alternatives to disposable vapes. They offer more vapour production and require minimal effort to set up. The best TPD-compliant big puffs are: IVG 2400 4 in 1, and Hyola Ultra 30K 2-in-1.

If you're still unsure about the difference between these vaping styles and how they perform, take a look at our blog on MTL vs. DTL vaping.

RTDL (Restricted Direct to Lung) is a vaping style where you inhale vapour directly into the lungs but with restricted airflow. It provides a blend of MTL and DTL draws that’s ideal for people who want to enjoy minimal throat hit with a smooth DTL draw.

How to Inhale Vape Correctly for RTDL?

RTDL works like MTL and DTL. Follow these steps for RTDL vaping:

Adjust Your Airflow: Set your vape device to a more restrictive airflow setting than DTL. This will create a slightly tighter draw, but still allow you to inhale the vapour directly into your lungs.

Direct Inhale: Take a direct inhale and draw the vapour straight into your lungs in one smooth motion.

Hold and Exhale: After inhaling the vapour into your lungs, hold it for a moment (if desired), and then exhale. Because of the restricted airflow, the vapour will likely feel smoother, but still provide a satisfying throat hit.

Recommended Coil Resistances, Wattage and Airflow Settings for RTDL

For RTDL, finding the right balance between wattage and airflow is important. The wattage should generally fall between 30 and 50 watts, depending on your coil resistance and device.

In addition, the airflow should be set to a medium to restricted setting. You want more restriction than a traditional DTL setup, but not as tight as MTL. A small, adjustable airflow option can help you find the perfect balance for a smoother draw. Choose coil resistances that are slightly higher than MTL coils.

Best Devices for RTDL Vaping

To get the most out of your RTDL vaping experience, you need a device that can support a restricted direct-to-lung inhale. You can get vaping kits like Aspire Pockex Anniversary Edition Kit and Geekvape Wenax Q Pod Kit that feature 0.6-ohm coils or close to this.

Vaping Style 3: DTL

DTL vaping involves inhaling vapour directly into your lungs in a single motion. DTL requires a stronger draw and higher wattage to generate the kind of vapour production.

How to Inhale Vape Properly for DTL?

DTL vaping is for advanced people who’ve been vaping for some time now and want to try more intense cloud production. You may need to practice the draws to finally get the hang of it, especially if you’re transitioning from MTL.

Here are the right steps to help you get started with DTL vaping:

• Adjust Your Airflow and Wattage: For DTL, you want wide-open airflow and higher wattages. This will give you the best vapour production and the smoothest inhale. The wattage for DTL ranges from 30 to 100 watts.


• Inhale Directly Into Your Lungs: When you take a draw, inhale deeply and directly into your lungs. The airflow should be wide and unrestricted. You don't need to hold the vapour in your mouth before inhaling. The vapour should flow directly from the device into your lungs.


• Hold the vapour (Optional): After inhaling, some vapers hold the vapour in their lungs for a brief moment to enjoy the flavour. This is optional.


• Exhale Slowly: DTL vaping is associated with larger clouds. When you exhale, do so slowly and steadily to release the vapour. It can be helpful to exhale through your mouth to enjoy the full effect of the large vapour clouds.

Exhale Tricks for DTL

DTL vaping is perfect for creating large clouds of vapour, so it’s no surprise that many vapers enjoy experimenting with exhale tricks. Here are some fun tricks that are easier to do with DTL vaping:

Blowing Large Vapour Rings: DTL vaping creates loads of vapour, and you can easily blow rings with the following steps.

• Exhale a slow puff of vapour.
• Form your lips into a small circle and gently push the vapour out. That’s it.

Ghost Inhale: The ghost inhale trick is a nice way to impress others. To do this:

• Exhale a small cloud of vapour and let it float in front of your face.
• Quickly inhale the vapour back into your lungs and create the illusion that it’s disappearing and reappearing.

French Inhale: The French inhale involves exhaling vapour through your nose while inhaling through your mouth. This trick works well with DTL vaping because of the smooth airflow.

O Rings: You can blow rings or shapes even with DTL vaping. Practice exhaling smaller puffs and shaping them with your lips and tongue to form a smooth ring.

Recommended Coil Resistance, Wattage and Airflow Settings for DTL

For DTL vaping, you’ll be using sub-ohm coils (like 0.2 ohms, 0.1 ohms, etc.). These coils require higher wattages to work properly. Wattages in the range of 30 to 100 watts are common, with more advanced vapers pushing up to 200 watts or more.

DTL vaping requires wide-open airflow to allow large volumes of vapour to pass through. A wider airflow allows for more vapour and a smoother draw. It’s recommended to experiment with airflow settings until you find the sweet spot.

Best Devices for DTL Vaping

Special devices like box mods are used for DTL vaping. You can’t pick the standard pods or big puffs with high-resistance coils. Instead, you’ll have to go for advanced devices that support low-resistance coils, like Innokin Adept Zlide Kit and Voopoo Argus GT II 200W Kit.

Each of the vaping techniques comes with its own set of pros, cons, and best practices. Let’s discuss the do’s and don’ts for MTL, RTDL and DTL vaping, providing you with helpful tips to maximise your vaping experience.

MTL & RTDL Vaping: Do’s and Don’ts

DTL Vaping: Do’s and Don’ts

Here are the do’s and don’ts on how to smoke a vape for DTL draw:

When it comes to vaping, it’s important to be mindful of how you’re doing it, so you don’t harm your lungs or overall health. Here are some tips for inhaling vape safely:

Start Slow If you're new to vaping, don’t rush it. Start with small puffs and gradually work your way up. It’s all about getting used to the sensation and not overloading your lungs with too much vapour at once.

Don’t Hold It In Too Long There’s a common belief that holding the vapour in your lungs will give you a stronger effect, but that's not the case. Your lungs absorb what they need in just a fraction of a second. Holding the vapour in too long can actually irritate your throat and lungs.

Keep It Clean Make sure to regularly clean your vape device, especially the mouthpiece. If there's any buildup or residue, you could end up inhaling something that wasn’t intended to be inhaled. Plus, cleaning your vape keeps it working properly, so you’re not getting too much of one hit and less of the next.

Stay Hydrated Vaping can dry out your mouth and throat. It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of water nearby to keep your throat moist and avoid any discomfort. Hydrating also helps your body handle the extra ingredients in the vape juice better.

Be Mindful of Your Device Different devices can affect how much vapour you’re inhaling. If you're using a mod or something more powerful, you’ll get a bigger hit, which could feel overwhelming if you’re not used to it. If you find yourself coughing a lot, you might want to try a lower wattage setting.

Take Breaks It’s easy to get caught up in vaping for extended periods of time, but it’s good practice to give yourself breaks. Your lungs need time to recover, and constantly inhaling vapour might lead to irritation or dryness.

Watch for Overheating If you’re using a refillable vape, make sure not to burn the coil. If you’re getting a burnt taste, it means the coil is too hot, and you might be inhaling harmful chemicals. Avoid that by adjusting your settings or making sure the tank has enough liquid to keep the coil moist.

Choose Quality Products Not all vape juices are created equally. Stick with trusted brands that are transparent about their ingredients. Some brands are offering the option to scan a QR code to verify the reliability of their product. Poor-quality juice can contain harmful additives that are dangerous to inhale, so it’s worth spending a little extra for something more reliable.

Listen to Your Body If you’re feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseous after a few hits, that’s your body telling you something’s off. It’s okay to stop and take a break. Overdoing it can cause more harm than good, so pay attention to how you’re feeling.

In order to vape properly, you’ll have to consider many factors, specifically the types of draws (MTL, RTDL & DTL). In addition, don’t forget to choose the right PG/VG ratio. For MTL, we recommend getting a high-PG e-liquid. And, for DTL, always pick high-VG e-liquids.

Make sure to choose the best TPD-compliant device to ensure it’s safe. Check the device’s registration on the MHRA to know its legal status. Avoid buying from the black market or illegal vape retailers.

FAQs

How to set up a vape?

Most of the people are so concerned and excited about “how to use a vape” that they forget about the initial step of setting the entire device up. Depending on how accurately you’ve placed the pod, coils, and other components, you’ll define the entire vaping experience. So, read the user manual carefully and ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

How old do I have to be to vape in the UK?

In the United Kingdom (UK), people under 18 cannot buy any vape products. You have to be 18 or above to even buy a simple starter pack. These regulations are implemented by higher commissions to control youth vaping and addiction to nicotine.

How to ghost a vape?

This is a popular trick where the vaper exhales a dense layer of vapour and then quickly inhales it back, making it appear as if the clouds have vanished. For this, inhale the vapours, hold them for 2-3 seconds, and shape your mouth to “O”. Now, push out the vapour and use your finger to form the “ball” shape. As soon as the ball-shaped vapour leaves your mouth, quickly inhale it back.