A Guide to Vape Kits: Finding the Perfect Device
When you’ve made the decision to switch from smoking to vaping, you’re ready to buy any old vaping kit that’s within your budget for a quick solution. You just want to get vaping. So when you begin browsing, and are faced with a huge range of options and technical jargon you’ve never come across before, it’s easy to feel confused about what’s right for you. This can be a big sticking point to making that first step of quitting, and we want to do everything we can to stop you from reverting to the simplicity of your usual brand of cigarette.
Quitting smoking is much easier when you’ve got a quality device that matches your requirements, so in this guide we’ll walk you through the different types of vape kits and their varying features. You’ll be sure to find one that suits you just perfectly!
The Two Different Styles of Vaping
As you enter the world of vaping, you’ll come across two very commonly used acronyms. DTL and MTL. What on earth do they mean?
MTL, or mouth-to-lung vaping, is a style of vaping that copies the technique of smoking. You first draw vapour into your mouth, then into your lungs. This provides the “throat hit” effect much like smoking, which is why we would always recommend MTL vaping for anyone looking to make the switch away from smoking. For your quitting efforts to be as successful as possible, you’ll want your vaping experience to perfectly replace the feel of smoking a cigarette - and that’s why MTL vaping is our go-to suggestion.
DTL, otherwise known as direct-to-lung or sub-ohm vaping, is a vaping method used by more experienced vapers who want a deep lung hit. You may have seen pictures of people vaping and producing huge clouds of vapour - that’s DTL! To vape in this manner, rather than drawing the vapour into your mouth and then your lungs, you take the vapour directly into your lungs. It’s a little difficult to explain in comparison to smoking, but it’s more akin to taking a deep breath whilst allowing the vapour to enter your lungs within the air you breathe in, then breathing out as you normally would.
Before you pick a device, you’ll need to decide on which style of vaping is right for you. This is because the device you pick will be designed on one style or the other, with kits, e-liquids, tanks, coils and other accessories specifically made for either MTL or DTL vaping. Some more advanced kits can be tailored to either style… but if you’re getting confused already, stick with what you know and join the MTL club!
The Parts That Make Up a Vape Kit
Drip tip or Mouthpiece: A drip tip is a hollow mouthpiece found on slightly more advanced vape kits, which screws directly onto the tank. They come in all shapes, sizes and designs, and can be made from materials such as steel, resin, aluminium, plastic or ceramic. When you purchase a vape kit you’ll usually get a drip tip provided, but when you get to the stage of wanting to customise how your drip tip looks and performs… you’ve officially graduated from the beginner school of vaping.
Coil: A coil is one of the most important components in your vape device, responsible for heating up the e-liquid in your kit and turning it into vapour. Coils are made from wire and a wicking material such as cotton or mesh. Coils come in a variety of specifications, from low-resistance coils suitable for sub-ohm or DTL style vaping, to high-resistance coils that are designed for MTL vaping. Again, when you purchase a vape kit, you’ll find that your device often comes with a few spare coils to start you off, so when you’re ready to purchase some replacement coils, you’ll just need to search our website for that type - no tricky decisions necessary!
Tank: Just like its name suggests, a vape tank is a reservoir which holds your e-liquid. With pod kits, your pod functions as a combination of a tank and coil, whilst with other starter kits your tank will typically be detachable for refilling and coil changes. Coils are attached to and held within the tank, which wicks juice and heats it up to produce vapour. When you purchase a vape kit, the tank will be included in addition to the body of your device, or “mod”, or you can purchase the two separately and mix and match.
The battery: If you’re new to vaping, you don’t have to worry about your battery. Most devices, aside from the most advanced, have a built-in battery that you’ll never even see, change or even think about. You simply plug your vape in to charge with a cable, and vape away!
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Vape Kits and the Differences Between Devices
You Want: The Easiest Form of Vaping Possible
Disposables are the simplest way to make the switch to vaping. With a disposable device you do not have to worry about filling, charing or replacing coils. These type of devices are ready to go out of the box, simply open it up and it's ready to go, you don't even need to turn them on as they are activated by drawing on it in the same way you would a cigarette. Disposables come in a variety of flavours, just pick the flavour you fancy and you're all set. Click here to see our range of disposable devices.
Pod kits are usually a slightly smaller vape with a two-part system, a pre-filled or refillable pod and a device with an internal battery. How pod devices work is that each “pod” contains your coil and wick (and e-liquid if it’s pre-filled), meaning you’ll never have to worry about which coils you need, or do any fiddly coil changes. To use the pod You simply add your liquid, or buy the prefilled pods that match your device, clip into the device and go. When you’re finished with the pod - you’ll know this when the flavour starts to reduce in quality - you just click a new pod into your device!
Pod kits are a fantastic choice for beginner vapers, as you’ll get absolute simplicity from your vape. You don’t need to have any technical know-how, and some pod devices are even inhale-activated. That means that you don’t even have to press a button to vape, you just take a draw and the device will automatically release vapour.
Whilst pre-filled pod kits such as MyBlu do limit your flavour and brand selection when it comes to picking an e-liquid (but increase ease-of-use even further), refillable pod devices such as JustFog Minifit, Caliburn, Vapmor Vpen, Vaporesso Pod Stick and Innokin Go S provide total flexibility with your juice. You can pick from any brand of e-liquid on the market, from Pure to Vampire Vape, IVG, Ohm Brew and more. This enables you to find the perfect e-liquid for you, whether you’d prefer a fruit, dessert, menthol, sweets, cocktail, tobacco or some other crazy flavour!
You Want: Easy Vaping With a Few Different Settings
Vape pens are a style of device that… looks like a pen. Slim, smaller and very portable, a vape pen is a fabulous choice for on-the-go, convenient vaping. They come in a wide variety of colours, styles and features, but are most commonly a less complex form of device that makes them perfect for beginner vapers and those making the switch from smoking. These devices have a detachable tank that you refill with your choice of e-liquid, and you’ll typically have access to a smaller range of set customisation options, such as adjustable airflow and power settings, with very minimal complexity. You can cycle through these options to find the right setting for your needs.
You Want: To Customise Your Vaping Experience
Using a slightly more advanced kit gives you the opportunity to fully tailor every aspect of vaping, from the method of vaping (MTL or DTL) to the e-liquid you use, voltage, wattage and more. Whilst this may seem too complex if you’ve just started vaping, the majority of devices will provide guidance to the best settings for your chosen vaping method, and you can tweak your kit from these benchmarks until it’s just right.
Need more guidance on finding the right device for you? The friendly VHQ team are always here to help as experts on all things vaping, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a personal kit recommendation to start you off on your journey.
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