How to Vape: A Beginners Guide to Vaping

If you’re new to vaping, buying your first vape kit can be a pretty overwhelming experience. Buying your first vape isn’t even the end of it, because you’ve also got to choose the vape juice for your new device – and from there, you still have to learn how to vape. What you need is a guide that introduces you to the world of vaping slowly by breaking down the process of switching to vaping into simple steps that are easy to understand and digest.

This is your beginner’s guide to vaping. In it, you’re going to learn how to start vaping. We’ll explain the pros and cons of the different types of vape kits and describe the components that you can expect your first vape to include. We’ll walk you through the process of buying vape juice for the first time. Most importantly, we’ll help you have the best possible vaping experience by explaining how to vape – step by step – from the moment you unpack your new vaping device.

What Are the Different Parts of a Vape Kit?

A standard vape starter kit consists of four basic components.

• The vaping device is the primary part of any vape kit. This is the component that holds the battery. It regulates the flow of power through the device and also provides the interface that allows you to vape and to change the device’s settings.
• The vape tank or pod holds your vape juice. At the centre of the tank or pod is the atomizer coil that heats the e-liquid and turns it to vapour for inhaling. The coil has a finite life. When it no longer produces a good flavour, it requires replacement.
• The atomizer coil is the component inside the tank or pod that draws power from the battery and generates heat to vaporize the e-liquid. If your vaping device stores its e-liquid in a glass tank, the atomizer coil is a removable and disposable component. In that case, the vape kit will usually include at least one replacement coil. Some vape kits with plastic pods also have replaceable atomizer coils. Some pod systems, however, have fully disposable pods. In that case, you’ll discard and replace the entire pod when the flavour quality begins to suffer.
• Every vape kit includes a charging cable that you’ll use to charge the battery. You can charge any vaping device by connecting it to your computer. Some vape kits may also include other vaping accessories.

What Are the Different Types of Vape Kits?

One of the things that can add difficulty when you’re trying to learn how to start vaping is the fact that there’s so much variety in the different types of vaping devices available. While every traditional cigarette is essentially the same as the rest, buying a new vaping device isn’t quite so easy. These are the four most common types of vape kits.

• Disposable vapes are single-use vaping devices that are pre-charged and pre-filled with vape juice. They’re extremely convenient and are a good way to introduce yourself to vaping. The drawback of disposable vapes, however, is that they aren’t rechargeable or refillable. A typical disposable vape will last a pack-a-day smoker about 1-2 days. When it dies or runs out of e-liquid, you’ll need to buy another one.
• Pod systems or pod mods are the smallest and sleekest of all vaping devices. Not only are they incredibly stylish, but they’re also designed to work well with the high-nicotine e-liquid that you’re likely to want when you’re new to vaping. A pod system is almost always the right choice when you’re shopping for your first vape.
• Vape pens are pen-shaped vaping devices that are generally slightly larger and slightly more powerful than pod systems. If you’re a very heavy smoker, you may need a vaping device that can give you better battery life and a bit more throat hit than you’d get with a small pod system. In that case, a vape pen may be the right choice for you.
• Vape mods are the largest and most powerful of all vaping devices. Although it’s fun to own a vaping device that doubles as a personal cloud machine, vape mods usually aren’t best for new vapers because they’re designed for direct-to-lung inhaling. They’re also designed to work best with low-nicotine e-liquids. As a smoker, though, you’re likely to have a better experience with a high-nicotine e-liquid and a smaller vaping device designed for mouth-to-lung inhaling.

How to Choose Your First Vape Kit

Now that you understand the different types of vaping devices, it’s time to choose the one that’s right for you. Since we don’t recommend vape mods for first-time vapers, we’ll discuss the reasons why you might want to buy one of the other three types of devices.

• Disposable vapes: The main reason why you might want to buy a disposable vape is because you want to find out what vaping is like, and you want to do so in the simplest way possible. Disposable vapes might also be right for you if you’re not interested in the maintenance tasks associated with owning a traditional vaping device, such as recharging the battery and refilling the pod or tank. Disposable vapes are more expensive for daily use than other types of vaping devices, but they’re the easiest way to vape.
• Pod systems: Pod systems are perfect for almost all first-time vapers. They’re optimised for e-liquids with high nicotine strengths. They’re also small and stylish. The manufacturers of vaping devices put most of their effort these days toward the development of new pod systems, and that’s made some other types of vaping devices look a bit obsolete in comparison. Pod systems are also designed to be user-friendly vaping devices for beginners. To use one, all that you need to do is charge the device, fill the pod and puff on the mouthpiece to vape.
• Vape pens: A vape pen uses a refillable tank – usually made from glass – rather than a plastic pod. Compared to a pod system, a vape pen usually has a larger battery and a bit more e-liquid storage. That means you can use a vape pen longer before you’ll need to recharge the battery or fill the tank. Although vape pens aren’t quite as stylish as pod systems, you may find that the increased performance makes it easier for you to switch to vaping if you’re a heavy smoker.

How to Buy E-Liquid for the First Time

If you’re new to vaping and are starting out with a small pod system or vape pen as we suggest, you’ll want to buy an e-liquid that’s high in nicotine and uses a roughly half-and-half blend of vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol as a base. The ideal vape juice for beginners is almost always nicotine salt e-liquid. If you’re a smoker and have never vaped before, we suggest starting with the highest available nicotine strength of 20 mg/ml and reducing the nicotine strength if you feel like you’re getting too much nicotine or after you’ve successfully stopped smoking and switched fully to vaping.

Nicotine strength isn’t the only aspect of e-liquid that’s important; you’ll also need to select a flavour you’ll enjoy. We suggest starting with at least one tobacco or menthol e-liquid depending on the type of cigarette you prefer. You should also select a sweet flavour or two. Many vapers prefer sweet e-liquids, and your preferences may turn out to be similar. There are many hundreds of different vape juice flavours on the market, so don’t be dismayed if you don’t love the first e-liquid you try. With continued experimentation, you’ll find a flavour that’s perfect for you.

How to Vape for a Complete Beginner

When you receive your first vape kit and e-liquid, it’s time to vape for the first time. In this section of the article, we’ll provide a brief walkthrough that’ll teach you the basics of using any refillable vaping device.

• Charge the device by connecting it to your computer using the included USB cable. The device’s LED indicator will turn off or change colour when the battery is fully charged.
• Fill the device’s tank or pod with e-liquid. If the device has a tank, it’ll usually have a top lid that twists off or pops open when you push a button. If you’re using a pod system, you’ll see a filling hole – usually on the side of the pod – when you remove the pod from the device. After you fill the tank or pod, wait several minutes to ensure that the atomizer coil’s wick is completely saturated with e-liquid.
• If you have a vape pen with a manual activation button, you’ll need to turn the device on. You can turn most vape pens on by pushing the fire button five times quickly.
• Vape by puffing gently on the device’s mouthpiece. If you have a vape pen with a manual fire button, you’ll also need to hold the button while puffing. Maintain steady, gentle air pressure when puffing on the device. Vaping doesn’t require as much air pressure as smoking.

After puffing on the device a few times, put it down for a while to gauge your level of satisfaction. Most vapers manage their own nicotine intake without much trouble, so you can simply use the device when needed or when you experience cigarette cravings.