Vape School: Vaping 101 – How to Vape

Mar 11, 2024Updated Oct 23, 20267 min readVape School

Vaping is simple once you know a few basics. Most first-week frustrations, from burnt hits to leaky pods to coughing fits, come down to how the device is set up and how you take a puff.

This Vape School lesson walks you through it step by step. It’s written for adults 21 and older.

Start with the basics

A few facts first. Nicotine is addictive, so vaping isn’t a habit to start if you don’t already use nicotine. No vaping product is FDA-approved as a quit-smoking aid, and public-health bodies disagree on many of the details. If you smoke and are thinking about switching, talk to your doctor and check cdc.gov and fda.gov for current guidance.

Every vape has the same core parts:

• Battery: built in or removable, it powers everything.
• Coil and wick: a metal coil wrapped in cotton that soaks up vape juice and heats it into vapor.
• Tank or pod: holds the vape juice and usually houses the coil.
• Mouthpiece and airflow: where you inhale, plus vents that set how tight or open the draw feels.

Some fire with a button, others when you inhale. For a closer look inside, read how a vape works.

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How to use your vape, step by step

Disposables

Disposables come pre-filled and charged. Remove any packaging or rubber stoppers and take a slow draw. Most fire automatically when you inhale.

When the flavor fades or turns harsh, it’s done. Disposables contain a lithium battery, so check your local rules for e-waste disposal. Browse our disposable vapes.

Pod systems

Pre-filled pods click into the battery and are ready to go. Refillable pods take a few more steps:

1. Fill the pod. Open the fill port, usually a rubber plug, and fill slowly, stopping a little short of the top.
2. Let it soak. Close the port and wait 5 to 10 minutes so the cotton is fully saturated. This is called priming.
3. Vape. Click the pod into place and take a few gentle puffs.

Prime every new pod or coil this way. Firing a dry coil scorches the cotton, and a scorched coil has to be replaced.

Vape pens and box mods

Pens and mods use a separate tank and give you more control:

1. Charge the battery. Use the cable made for the device, and never leave it charging unattended.
2. Prime and fill. Drip a little juice onto the coil’s exposed cotton, then fill the tank down the inside wall, keeping juice out of the center tube and stopping short of the brim. Wait 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Turn it on. Many devices power on with five quick presses of the fire button.
4. Set the power. Start at the low end of the wattage range printed on the coil or its packaging, and work up until the flavor feels right.
5. Vape. Hold the fire button while you inhale, for a few seconds at a time.

Stick with regulated devices, which include protections such as short-circuit detection, and leave mechanical mods to experienced vapers. See regulated vs. unregulated devices.

How to inhale: mouth-to-lung or direct-to-lung

There are two ways to take a puff, and using the wrong one for your device is a common reason new vapers cough.

Mouth-to-lung (MTL)

Draw the vapor into your mouth first, hold it for a moment, then breathe it into your lungs, much like a cigarette. MTL suits disposables, pod systems and small tanks with a tight draw, and it pairs with higher nicotine strengths and nic salts.

Direct-to-lung (DTL)

Breathe the vapor straight into your lungs in one slow, steady breath. DTL suits sub-ohm tanks with open airflow. Each puff delivers much more vapor, so it calls for low nicotine strengths. See our guide to sub-ohm vaping.

Tips for either style

• Go slow. Gentle draws of a few seconds give better flavor than hard pulls.
• Use the airflow. Close it down for a tighter, warmer draw, or open it up for a looser, cooler one.
• Pace yourself. Pausing between puffs lets the wick re-soak and helps prevent dry hits.
• If you cough, check that your technique suits your device, then try a lower nicotine strength.

Match your vape juice to your device

Three things matter most:

• PG/VG ratio. PG carries flavor and throat hit, while thicker VG makes more vapor. Pods and MTL tanks suit thinner blends such as 50/50, and sub-ohm tanks are built for high-VG juice. See what PG and VG are and what 50/50 e-liquid is.
• Nicotine type and strength. Freebase nicotine is used at low strengths such as 3 or 6 mg in sub-ohm tanks and at higher strengths in MTL devices. Nic salts come in higher strengths that many vapers find smoother in low-power pods. If a puff feels harsh or leaves you lightheaded, go lower. See our nicotine strength guide and nic salts explainer.
• Flavor. Start with flavors you already enjoy. Fruit and dessert are our biggest families, and tobacco or menthol can feel familiar if you’re used to cigarettes.

If you’d rather not guess, the Zamplebox Club sends bottles matched to the flavors and nicotine strength you pick, starting at $23.99 a month, and you can cancel anytime. Or read how to choose the right e-liquid and start with a few fruit flavors:

Keep your vape working

A little upkeep prevents most problems:

• Change coils and pods when the taste turns muted or burnt. Sweet juices and high power wear them out faster. See when to change your vape coils.
• Clean your tank when you change coils or flavors. Here’s how to clean your tank.
• Look after batteries. Carry spares in a plastic case, never loose with keys or coins, and replace any with a torn wrap. See our recommended batteries for vaping.
• Store juice carefully. Keep bottles capped, away from heat and sunlight and out of reach of children and pets. Liquid nicotine is poisonous if swallowed. Here’s how long vape juice lasts.

Quick fixes

• Burnt taste: usually a dry wick, too much power or a worn coil. See why your vape tastes burnt and what a dry hit is.
• Gurgling or spitting: usually a flooded coil. Take a few short, gentle puffs and avoid overfilling.

Our troubleshooting guide has more fixes. Wherever you vape, follow local rules and see our vaping etiquette guide, and check the TSA rules for vape gear before you fly. For more lessons, browse the Vape School blog.

Common questions

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