What Are Mouth-to-Lung and Direct-to-Lung Vaping?

Recent estimates suggest that a bit over 3 million Britons now vape. Chances are, then, that you know at least a few people who have also made the switch from smoking to vaping, just like you. If those people have been vaping for a while, it’s also likely that you’ve seen them using vaping hardware that produces enormous clouds. Meanwhile, you’re using a smaller device that only produces about as much vapour as a cigarette does smoke. What gives? Why are those people getting such huge clouds out of their devices? Should you switch to a device that produces bigger clouds?

When you vape, you can inhale in two different ways: from the mouth to the lungs or directly to the lungs. The two vaping styles tend to attract people with different priorities and different levels of vaping experience. So, do you need a different vaping device? If you’re new to vaping, chances are that you should stick with the device you have. If you’re not certain, though, let’s explore the differences between the two different styles of vaping.

Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Vaping

As a former smoker, you’re most likely familiar with mouth-to-lung inhaling already because it’s the inhaling style that you used when you smoked cigarettes. It’s also the inhaling style that works best with most smaller vaping devices. Companies such as Vaper Empire in Australia have structured their product lineups around the types of smaller devices likely to appeal to new vapers who have just converted from smoking. To use the MTL vaping style, you’ll draw the vapour into your mouth and then inhale it into your lungs.

What Are the Benefits of MTL Vaping?

MTL vaping works best with higher-nicotine e-liquids. When you use an e-liquid with the perfect nicotine strength for your needs, you’ll feel a pleasant sensation in your throat as the vapour passes from your mouth to your lungs. That sensation is called “throat hit.” It’s the same sensation that you get when you inhale cigarette smoke. Although throat hit is technically an irritation of the tissues of your throat caused by nicotine, many people need to feel that sensation when they vape in order to complete the switch from smoking to vaping successfully. Without throat hit, they can’t feel the level of satisfaction they require. Throat hit is the primary benefit of MTL vaping.

The second benefit is that the MTL vaping style helps to conserve your e-liquid supply. Since MTL vaping works best with higher-nicotine e-liquids, you don’t need to use a lot of e-liquid per day to get the amount of nicotine that you require. Mouth-to-lung is definitely the cheapest way to vape.

What Vaping Devices Work Best for MTL Inhaling?

You’ll have the best MTL vaping experience if you use a small, low-temperature vaping device. The device’s tank and mouthpiece should introduce a bit of airflow resistance, just like a cigarette. You can tell whether a device is designed for mouth-to-lung inhaling by looking at the mouthpiece; it should be around the same size as a cigarette filter. If you’re upgrading from your first e-cigarette and want to stick with the mouth-to-lung inhaling style, look for a device with an adjustable airflow collar. You’ll appreciate having the ability to dial in exactly the airflow resistance that you want.

Direct-to-Lung (DTL) Vaping

As you become more experienced with vaping, you may eventually decide that your priorities aren’t what they used to be. You’ll reach the point at which you’re so far removed from smoking that you rarely – if ever – think about cigarettes anymore. Once you reach that point, you no longer need the throat hit to remind you that you’re getting your nicotine. You’re not vaping for the throat hit; you’re vaping for the flavour. You’ve found several e-liquids that you really enjoy, and you’d like to taste every nuance of those e-liquids’ flavours. To use the DTL inhaling style, you’ll inhale the vapour directly from your device’s mouthpiece into your lungs.

What Are the Benefits of DTL Vaping?

DTL vaping works best with lower-nicotine e-liquids. Vaping devices designed for direct-to-lung inhaling generate so much vapour that, if you used such a device without lowering your e-liquid nicotine strength, you’d find the vapour incredibly irritating to inhale. The most common nicotine strength for DTL inhaling is 3 mg. A few people prefer a higher strength of 6 mg.

The primary benefit of DTL vaping is that it gives you a much more flavour-forward vaping experience. With a nicotine strength of 3 mg, you’ll experience little to no throat hit. Reducing the nicotine strength of your e-liquid also means that the e-liquid’s flavouring compounds will be a greater portion of what you inhale. You’ll taste the flavours of your e-liquids much more clearly and will appreciate a skillfully blended vape juice more than ever.

The second benefit of DTL vaping is that switching to a direct-to-lung inhaling style makes it possible to generate enormous vapour clouds. Some people really enjoy creating their own personal weather systems when they vape. If you want to see what cloud chasing is like, you’re only going to have that experience with direct-to-lung vaping.

What Vaping Devices Work Best for DTL Inhaling?

DTL vaping devices are easy to identify because they make up the majority of the devices sold at most local vape shops. Virtually any device that’s significantly larger than a ballpoint pen and includes a large tank is designed for direct-to-lung inhaling. The foolproof way to tell, though, is by looking at the tank. If a vape tank has a wide mouthpiece and big air intake holes, it’s designed for DTL inhaling.

When it’s time for you to buy a vaping device designed for DTL inhaling, two pointers can help you choose the right device for your needs. The first bit of advice is that you should choose a device that either includes a mesh coil or has mesh coils available. Efficient and powerful, mesh coils provide an incredible DTL vaping experience.

The second thing you should remember when shopping for a DTL vaping device is that you’ll have the best experience with a tank that has an adjustable airflow collar. With the collar in the fully open position, you’ll get the biggest vapour clouds. Closing the airflow slightly, however, warms the vapour and focuses the flavour.