How to Pick Your First Vape

So, you’ve decided to take the first steps to buy your first vape kit, congratulations!

But the vaping jargon, the wide product selection, and the different types of e-liquids for different types of vape kits can be very overwhelming for someone stepping into the vaping world for the first time.

As experts in everything vaping, we have compiled this easy guide to make your journey to vaping as easy and stress-free as possible! 

Without getting too technical and scaring you away, there are a few basics we have to go through so you understand how to care for your vape properly and how to use it correctly to beat those nicotine cravings.

Firstly, when searching for a vape kit, you might see vape kits categorised into three vaping styles:

• MTL: Mouth-to-lung vaping
• RDTL: Restricted-direct-to-lung vaping
• DTL: Direct-to-lung vaping

Some kits are only MTL, some are only DTL, and some are all three. 

For ex-smokers and disposable vape users, you’ll be used to the mouth-to-lung style. This is where you take an inhale into your mouth, and then inhale into your lungs. 

For RDTL and DTL, this is when you inhale straight into your lungs, rather than into your mouth, and this is how vapers can produce those huge clouds of vapour!

If you’re unsure which vaping style would best suit you, we always recommend an MTL kit due to the familiarity with smoking cigarettes and using disposable vapes.

Once you have chosen the type of vaping style you’re after, it’s time to get around the different styles of vape kits! We’re not going to bore you with in-depth explanations of each type (but there’s our how to vape guide that explains them perfectly)

A low-powered pod device is the easiest vape kit to operate and the best for a beginner vaper. It can be a simple kit with a removable pod cartridge and minimal buttons, and it is usually an MTL style.

We say they can be simple kits because there are more advanced pod kits with extra customisation. But if you’re buying your first vape, we don’t want to suggest a kit with these features just in case it isn’t the kit for you. 

Pod kits are the simplest but still provide a really enjoyable vaping experience! Just remove the mouthpiece, fill the coil with your e-liquid, put it back together, and vape! 

The removable cartridges usually have resistances of 0.6ohm to 1.2ohm and only need to be changed to a fresh pod every 1-3 weeks, depending on the e-liquid you’re using. 

No need to remove the coil itself, or mess around with wattage power (some kits allow you to customise this - it’s best to go for a simpler one for your first time) just simply refill, recharge, and vape your nicotine cravings away!

Once you’re familiar with vaping, you can then upgrade your kit to a pod kit with more customisation features, or to a sub-ohm DTL kit. 

Sub-ohm kits are designed for direct-to-lung vaping, they’re a high-powered kit, used with coils below 1.0ohm resistance, and some require battery safety knowledge due to the removable batteries, so it’s best to keep away from these until you’re experienced!

Next, is knowing the type of nicotine to use with your e-liquid. This is especially important as some vape kits are primarily designed for nicotine salt vaping, and some aren’t designed for nic salts!

The two types of nicotine are:

• Nicotine Salt
• Freebase (Standard) Nicotine 

If you’ve vaped disposables before, you’ll be used to the throat hit of nic salts and the quick nicotine satisfaction, all disposable vapes are prefilled with either 5mg, 10mg, or 20mg of nic salt e-liquid.

Nic salts are relevantly new in the vaping industry, rising in popularity over the last few years, and are a type of naturally forming nicotine found in leaf tobacco. 

Nic salts contain high levels of nicotine, providing immediate and long-lasting craving satisfaction. Unlike freebase nicotine, nic salts deliver an enjoyable smooth throat hit whilst providing flavourful bursts of your chosen e-liquid.

Standard nicotine, also referred to as "freebase" nicotine, was the first kind of nicotine e-liquid for vapers and had a higher pH. This kind provides a highly strong throat hit in strengths higher than 12mg, while also slightly muting the flavour of your e-liquid. 

This may suit some, but if you want a powerful, rapid nicotine delivery with a bold flavour, you'll need nic salts, which is what we like to recommend to ex-smokers who are starting out vaping.

After choosing the best nicotine type for you, it’s time to choose the vape juice to go into your first vape!

The two main types of e-liquid are:

• 50/50 e-liquid: This is 50% VG and 50% PG. 

• 70/30 e-liquid: This is 70% VG and 30% PG.

Vegetable glycerin (VG), also known as high VG e-liquid, is a thickening ingredient that is used to create the large vapour clouds vapers are known for and deliver a smooth vaping experience. 

Whereas propylene glycol (PG) carries the flavour of the e-liquid and is a thinner consistency. 

For 50/50 vape juice, this provides vapers with a perfect balance between cloud production and flavour delivery and is usually vaped in low-powered vape kits. It’s mainly the e-liquid ratio that is with 10ml nicotine salts, due to the flavoursome and smooth vaping experience! 

If you see any e-liquids with ‘Bar Juice’ on the label, also known as disposable flavoured e-liquid or bar salts, this is 50/50 nicotine salts but with a higher flavour concentration. 

These entered the market when ex-smokers moved on to disposables, and then to refillable kits, but found e-liquids to have a weaker taste than disposables, so if you’re after more flavour, this is the type of e-liquid you need! 

On the other hand, 70/30 liquid needs higher powered kits to properly vaporise the high VG content, so it is usually designed for sub-ohm kits or vapes that provide a high power output. They’re not as flavourful as 50/50 ratios, but you can have fun with cloud production and produce vape tricks! 

Once you have established your nicotine type and e-liquid ratio it’s time to break down the vape juice sizes, it may seem simple, but with your chosen nicotine type they can differ quite a bit. 

To put it simply:

• For nicotine salts in 10ml sizes, the strengths available are 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg and they are available in a 50/50 ratio. 

• For freebase nicotine in 10ml sizes, the strengths are 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, and 18mg and are available in a 50/50 ratio. 

• For shortfill sizes (bottles ranging from 50ml to 120ml) the nicotine strength available are 0mg, 3mg, and 6mg, and available in 50/50 and 70/30 ratios. 

This is due to TPD regulations, e-liquid can’t contain nicotine in bottles bigger than 10ml. So if you’re an ex-smoker, you’re best starting at 10ml in high nicotine strength, and working your way down until you’re vaping nicotine free e-liquid. 

Once you have gone down in nic strength, you can start saving even more money with shortfill e-liquid! These arrive with zero nicotine inside, but with space to add in 10ml nicotine shots to add inside, hence the name. 

These are available in 0mg, 3mg, and 6mg strengths, and based on the strength, you’ll receive  different e-liquid amounts and shots:

• If you want 6mg strength in a 120ml e-liquid, you’ll receive 80ml of e-liquid with 4x 18mg nicotine shots. Once these are added inside and shaken, you’ll have 120ml of 6mg strength e-liquid. 

• If you want 3mg strength in a 120ml e-liquid, you’ll receive 100ml of e-liquid with 2x 18mg nicotine shots. Once these are added inside and shaken, you’ll have 120ml of 3mg strength e-liquid. 

Shortfills are a lot cheaper in the long run compared to 10ml bottles, but if you’re after the high nicotine e-liquid we advise to start with the 10ml and find a strength that works for you!

Now that you have all the information you need to get started, it’s time to pick your vape kit! 

To make it easier, we’re going to recommend vape kits bundled with e-liquids so your first vape is slightly cheaper, and you have an e-liquid you know is best suited. 

This simple kit from GeekVape is perfect for beginners or experienced vapers, the Sonder Q features built-in flavour-enhancing coils, a slimline design, and an impressive 1000mAh internal battery! Coupled with the entire Ferocious A-Salt range, this is the ideal bundle to find your favourite e-liquid flavour!

An easy-to-use pod kit by the leading brand Vaporesso! Perfect for beginner and experienced vapers, this kit features a long-life 1000mAh battery and adjustable airflow, and is made to deliver rich flavour all day long! Paired with three Fantasi Bar Juice e-liquids, you can start vaping right away!

If you don’t like the slimline design of the above kits, this device by Aspire will fit comfortably in the palm of your hand whilst delivering powerful flavour! This powerful vape kit also boasts an outstanding 800 mAh built-in battery with a millisecond firing reaction while supporting a 1-19w output range! Together with 3x Fantasi Bar Juice, you’re in for a flavourful experience with this!

If you still need assistance in selecting your first vape kit, do not hesitate to reach out to us. We can guide you in choosing a vape kit that aligns with your preferences, suggest the most suitable e-liquid flavours for your palate, and recommend coil resistances that work best for you and your vaping needs.

Remember, the vape kit you decide on plays a crucial role in your overall vaping experience, including the choice of e-liquid. It is essential to familiarise yourself with both aspects to ensure you are making informed decisions and maximising your satisfaction with vaping. 

Let us help you make the right choice so that you can enjoy vaping to its fullest potential!