Choosing The Right Strength

The strength of nicotine in your e-liquid is really important, especially if you’re making the switch from smoking to vaping. The amount you get from a traditional cigarette

 is higher than what you’d get from vaping due to the way smoke reacts with your body compared to the aerosol vapour from an e-cigarette. 

Essentially, the level indicated on the bottle is how much nicotine you get per 1ml of vape juice.

For a general break down this is what we’d recommend:

If you’re a heavy smoker (over a pack a day) we’d say to start on a high nicotine level, around 18-20mg, which is the highest strength we stock.

If you’re more of a pack a day kind of person, go for a middle-of-the-range 12mg.

For those of you who are light smokers, smoking only a few a day try out the 6mg strength.

Finally, anyone who’s a social smoker, start out on 3mg and see how you feel. If that’s too much you can always get some e-liquid in a 0mg strength as well to dilute it down,

 if you’re only wanting just a little nicotine in the mix.

Once you’re used to the feel of vaping and have settled on a strength that works, over time you can gradually reduce the nicotine level.

 If you cut out nicotine altogether but still enjoy vaping you can still get your favourite e-liquids - just look for it in a 0mg instead.

Right - now we’ve got through that part let’s talk about propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. They sound like something you’d find in a lab but they’re actually common ingredients

 in a lot of your kitchen and household products, from flavour enhancer, cake mix, soap and toothpaste.

Propylene glycol (PG) is the flavour carrying ingredient in your e liquid (for a full break down of everything that goes into juice have a look at our E-Liquid for beginners guide).

 It’s thin in consistency, meaning it’s easier to vaporise, so a higher PG content liquid is ideal for beginner vape kits. It’s also what gives you more of a throat hit that gives you that smoking feel.

Vegetable glycerin on the other hand is a much thicker, sweeter liquid. It’s there to give you the vapour clouds you see people blowing all over the streets these days.

What does it mean when you put the two together? Well, for those of you needing a higher nicotine level, you’re probably best off with an even PG:VG ratio, like a 50:50 e-liquid,

 and should go for a standard vape pen or pod mod. The reason behind this is when you’re vaping with a higher level of nicotine and using a more powerful vape,

 it can be too easy to get a bit too much nicotine.

If you’re after something with a lower level, you have a few more options - if the sensation of smoking isn’t as important to you, you can go for a higher VG e-liquid. 

The most popular ones are 70 VG: 30 PG and 80:20 though there are numerous options in between. You’ll get some mammoth clouds and a pleasant drag.

 You’ll also have the option to jump in the deep end and try out a sub ohm vape, giving you more power and flavour.

How Do I Actually Use My Vape?

Finally (we’re nearly there) how you want to vape is also a factor in which vaping device you should get.

There’s two methods when it comes to how you use your vape (no, it isn’t exactly like smoking and yes you may take a few coughs to get used to it).

MTL or, mouth-to-lung, is mimicking the technique used by smokers in that you first draw vapour into your mouth, then into your lungs. 

There are certain vapes that are designed especially for this, typically those with a coil of 1 ohm resistance or higher.

DTL or rather, direct-to-lung, is usually the method used by more experienced vapers who want a deep lung hit. You inhale deeply and get more of the flavour on the exhale, 

bypassing the part where the vapour sits in your mouth on its way through. This method is usually best suited for sub ohm vapes.

TL:DR

If you want any of the following:

High nic content

MTL (mouth to lung) vaping that’s a similar method to how you’d smoke a cigarette

That “throat hit” effect akin to smoking

More powerful flavour

Go for a vape pen or pod kit.

If instead you want:

Some massive vapour production and huge clouds

DTL (direct to lung vaping) for those deep lung drags

A more gentle throat hit with a smoother pull

Customisable options with your vaping.