How to Start Vaping in 5 Simple Steps

Jun 22, 2022Updated Oct 23, 20266 min readVape School

Getting started with vaping comes down to a few decisions made in the right order. Make them well and your first device, first bottle and first week will go much more smoothly.

This five-step plan is for adults 21 and older. It covers what to decide before you buy, how to choose a device and a vape juice, which spares to keep on hand, and how to set up for your first puff. For more depth on any step, see our beginner’s guide to vaping.

Step 1: Decide what you want from vaping

Start with why. Some adults who smoke want to learn how vaping compares, some want control over nicotine strength and how the vapor feels, and some simply enjoy the flavors and the gear. Your reasons shape every choice that follows.

Keep two facts in mind. Nicotine is addictive, so if you do not already use nicotine, this is not a habit to pick up. And no vaping product is FDA-approved as a quit-smoking aid. Public-health bodies disagree on many of the details, so if you smoke and are thinking about switching, talk to your doctor and check cdc.gov and fda.gov for current guidance. Our article on vaping vs. smoking explains where the debate stands.

Next, decide how you want to vape:

• Mouth-to-lung (MTL): you draw vapor into your mouth first, then inhale, a bit like sipping through a straw. It gives a tighter draw, more throat hit and modest vapor, and it suits small devices and higher nicotine strengths.
• Direct-to-lung (DTL): a longer, open breath that makes big clouds. It calls for larger devices and lower nicotine strengths.

If you want something pocket-sized and low-key, look at pod systems and disposables. If dense clouds and adjustable settings appeal to you, look at box mods and sub-ohm tanks, which take a little more learning. Either way, follow the rules wherever you are. Our vaping etiquette guide covers the basics.

Step 2: Choose your device

Every vape has the same core parts: a battery, an atomizer (a heating coil and a cotton wick) that turns e-liquid into vapor, and a tank or pod that holds the liquid. What changes is size, battery life and how much control you get.

• Disposables come pre-filled and ready to use, and you replace the whole device when it runs out. Browse our disposable vapes.
• Pod systems are small, light and often draw-activated. Most are built for MTL vaping and pair well with nic salts.
• Vape pens add battery life and tank size, usually with a fire button and a few power settings.
• Box mods offer bigger batteries and adjustable wattage and usually run sub-ohm tanks. Stick with regulated mods, which include protections such as short-circuit detection.

Cig-a-likes, the early e-cigarettes shaped like a cigarette, are the least advanced option and have largely given way to pods and disposables. Still, newer is not automatically better: a simple pod that suits the way you vape beats a feature-packed mod you never set up properly. Higher-wattage devices also drain batteries faster, so a cloud-focused setup means more charging. To decode the numbers on a mod, read what ohms mean in vaping.

Step 3: Pick your vape juice

This is the fun part, and the easiest place to get overwhelmed. Focus on three things.

• Nicotine type and strength. Freebase nicotine is the classic form in most bottled vape juice, used at low strengths in sub-ohm devices and at higher strengths in MTL devices. Nic salts are a form many vapers find smoother at higher strengths, which suits low-power pods. Match the strength to your device and to how much nicotine you already use, and if a puff feels harsh or makes you lightheaded, go lower. See our nicotine strength guide.
• PG/VG ratio. Thinner 50/50 or higher-PG juices suit pods and MTL tanks. Thick, high-VG juices suit sub-ohm tanks and make more vapor. See what PG and VG are.
• Flavor. Start with flavors you already like in food and drink. If you are used to cigarettes, a tobacco or menthol flavor may feel familiar, while plenty of people go straight to fruit or dessert. Try a few different bottles rather than one big one. For more help, read how to choose the right e-liquid.

If you would rather not guess, the Zamplebox Club sends bottles matched to the flavor families and nicotine strength you choose, starting at $23.99 a month. You can swap any bottle before your box ships and skip, pause or cancel anytime. Or start with a few tobacco flavors if you want something familiar:

Step 4: Stock up on spare parts

Few things are more frustrating than reaching for your vape and finding it dead or tasting burnt. Keep these on hand:

• Coils or pods. Coils wear out, and a burnt or muted taste is the usual sign. Keep a spare pack of the exact coil or pod your device takes, and see when to change your vape coils.
• Batteries. If your device takes removable batteries, keep a charged spare in a plastic case, never loose in a pocket with keys or coins, and buy from reputable sellers. Our list of recommended batteries for vaping is a good start. With a built-in battery, a backup device keeps you going while it charges.
• Charging gear. Use the cable that came with your device or a quality replacement, and never leave anything charging unattended.

Store your e-liquid capped, out of direct sunlight and out of reach of children and pets.

Step 5: Set up and take your first puffs

1. Read the manual. It tells you which coils fit, the right power range and how to charge.
2. Prime the coil. Put a few drops of e-liquid on any exposed cotton, fill the tank or pod, and wait 5 to 10 minutes so the wick is fully soaked. Firing a dry coil scorches the cotton. Disposables and pre-filled pods are ready to go.
3. Start low. On adjustable devices, begin at the bottom of the coil’s wattage range and work up until the flavor and warmth feel right.
4. Take slow, gentle puffs. Leave a few seconds between puffs so the wick can refill, and keep the liquid above the coil’s wicking holes.

If something tastes off, our guides to dry hits and burnt-tasting vapes will help.

Common questions

WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.