How to Inhale a Vape: MTL, RDL & DTL Explained

If you’ve never vaped before, one of the first things you may wonder is how you’re actually supposed to inhale a vape. Do you use it like a cigarette? Do you breathe the vapour straight into your lungs? Are you supposed to take a huge puff?

The slightly confusing answer is that there’s more than one correct way to do it.

There are three main vaping styles: mouth-to-lung (MTL), restricted direct-to-lung (RDL) and direct-to-lung (DTL). The right technique depends partly on your preference and partly on the type of vape, coil and e-liquid you’re using.

If you’re new to vaping after smoking, MTL will usually feel the most natural. RDL gives you a looser draw and more vapour without going all the way to a full DTL inhale, while DTL is generally associated with more powerful devices, open airflow and much larger clouds.

If you haven’t set up your device yet, our beginner’s guide to vaping covers filling, charging and using a vape for the first time. Here, we’re concentrating specifically on the inhaling part.

Do You Inhale a Vape?

Yes. When vaping normally, the vapour is inhaled, but you don’t necessarily inhale it in exactly the same way with every device.

A small pod vape with a tight airflow usually works best with short, gentle MTL puffs. A more powerful device with an open airflow can produce far more vapour and is usually designed for RDL or DTL inhaling instead.

That distinction matters. Trying to take a huge direct-lung inhale from a tight MTL vape feels awkward, while using a high-output DTL vape as though it were a cigarette can give you far more vapour than you expected.

The easiest approach is to let the device determine the general style and then adjust the airflow and puff length until the draw feels comfortable.

MTL vs RDL vs DTL: What’s the Difference?

How to Mouth-to-Lung Vape

Mouth-to-lung vaping, usually shortened to MTL, is the easiest inhaling style for most people who are switching from cigarettes.

Instead of breathing straight through the vape, you use your mouth to draw in a small amount of vapour first. You then inhale that vapour into your lungs.

How to Take an MTL Puff

1. Place the mouthpiece between your lips.
2. Take a slow, gentle draw for a second or two, bringing the vapour into your mouth.
3. Stop drawing from the vape.
4. Inhale the vapour from your mouth into your lungs along with a little fresh air.
5. Exhale normally.

You don’t need to suck hard. In fact, pulling too forcefully through a pod vape can sometimes make the experience worse. A slow and steady puff generally gives the coil enough airflow to produce vapour without overwhelming it.

Why Do Beginners Usually Prefer MTL?

The two-stage motion is familiar to cigarette smokers, and the restricted airflow gives the puff a little resistance rather than making it feel as though you’re simply breathing through an open tube.

MTL devices also produce comparatively small amounts of vapour, which makes them a natural match for stronger e-liquids such as 10mg or 20mg nicotine salts. That combination is common in compact pod kits and many prefilled vape systems.

If you’re buying your first refillable device, you’ll find plenty of suitable options in our vape kits range.

How to Restricted Direct-to-Lung Vape

Restricted direct-to-lung vaping, or RDL, sits between MTL and DTL. It has become especially common with modern pod systems because adjustable airflow and different pod resistances can allow one compact device to offer several different types of draw.

With RDL, you don’t normally hold the vapour in your mouth before inhaling it. Instead, you breathe it directly into your lungs. The difference from full DTL vaping is that the airflow still has noticeable resistance.

How to Take an RDL Puff

1. Open the airflow more than you would for MTL vaping.
2. Place your lips around the mouthpiece.
3. Take a smooth, steady breath directly through the vape.
4. Stop once you’ve taken a comfortable amount of vapour into your lungs.
5. Exhale normally.

The inhale is generally longer and more relaxed than an MTL puff, but it doesn’t need to be enormous. Think of it as taking a normal breath through a slightly restricted mouthpiece.

Why Choose RDL?

RDL is a useful middle ground if MTL feels a little too tight but you don’t want the very loose draw or large clouds associated with full DTL vaping.

You’ll generally get more vapour than you would from an MTL setup, along with a warmer and fuller puff. At the same time, the moderate airflow can make the draw feel more controlled than a fully open DTL tank.

Many current pod kits can provide both MTL and RDL vaping simply by changing the pod or coil and adjusting the airflow. That makes RDL much more accessible than it once was.

How to Direct-to-Lung Vape

Direct-to-lung vaping, or DTL, uses the most open inhaling style. Instead of drawing the vapour into your mouth first, you breathe directly through the device and into your lungs.

The easiest comparison is taking a deep breath through a wide straw. There should be relatively little airflow resistance.

How to Take a DTL Puff

1. Make sure you’re using a coil, power setting and e-liquid intended for DTL vaping.
2. Open the airflow sufficiently to give you a loose draw.
3. Place your lips around the wider mouthpiece.
4. Inhale steadily and directly into your lungs rather than collecting the vapour in your mouth.
5. Stop when the inhale feels comfortably full.
6. Exhale normally.

You still shouldn’t feel as though you’re fighting the device. A DTL vape needs plenty of airflow, and the inhale should feel smooth rather than strained.

Why Do People Use DTL Vaping?

DTL devices are designed to move much more air through the coil. That allows them to produce significantly more vapour per puff, which can create stronger flavour intensity and larger clouds.

Because each puff contains much more vapour, DTL vaping is normally paired with much lower nicotine strengths. A 3mg e-liquid is a common starting point for a traditional high-output DTL setup, whereas the 10mg and 20mg nic salts commonly used in small MTL devices would generally be far too strong for this style of vaping.

Which Inhaling Style Should You Use?

There isn’t one inhaling technique that’s best for everyone. Your ideal style depends on the type of experience you want and, just as importantly, the hardware you’re using.

Choose MTL If…

• You’ve recently switched from cigarettes.
• You prefer a tight, controlled draw.
• You use a small pod vape.
• You prefer higher nicotine strengths.
• You don’t want to produce large clouds.

Choose RDL If…

• You want a little more airflow than MTL provides.
• You enjoy more vapour but don’t want a fully open DTL draw.
• You have a pod kit with adjustable airflow.
• You want a balance between portability, flavour and vapour production.

Choose DTL If…

• You use a more powerful vape with a low-resistance coil.
• You prefer an open, airy draw.
• You want much larger vapour clouds.
• You use low-strength e-liquid.
• You’re comfortable taking longer, deeper inhales.

Your Vape Determines How You Should Inhale

One of the most important things for a new vaper to understand is that MTL, RDL and DTL aren’t simply three breathing techniques that you can use interchangeably with any device.

Your coil, airflow and power level all help determine how a vape is intended to be used.

Airflow

A very narrow airflow usually indicates an MTL setup. Medium airflow often suits RDL vaping, while large open airflow slots are characteristic of DTL hardware.

If your device has adjustable airflow, you can experiment within the range supported by the installed pod or coil. Closing the airflow generally creates a tighter draw, while opening it makes the inhale looser.

Coil Resistance and Power

Higher-resistance coils are commonly used at lower power levels for MTL vaping. Lower-resistance coils can vaporise more e-liquid and are generally used for RDL or DTL vaping.

There’s no single resistance number that automatically makes a coil MTL, RDL or DTL, though. Modern pod systems overlap considerably, so always check the manufacturer’s recommended wattage and intended vaping style for your particular pod or coil.

Nicotine Strength

As vapour production increases, nicotine strength normally needs to decrease. That’s why a small MTL pod can work well with comparatively strong nic salt e-liquid, while a high-output DTL vape is usually used with much weaker e-liquid.

RDL falls somewhere between those two extremes. The right nicotine strength depends heavily on the actual output of your device, so don’t assume that a strength you enjoy in an MTL pod will feel equally comfortable with a lower-resistance RDL coil.

Why Does Inhaling a Vape Make Me Cough?

Coughing when you first vape is fairly common, particularly if you take a puff that’s much larger or stronger than you expected.

If your vape feels uncomfortable, check a few simple things:

• Take a smaller puff. You don’t need to fill your lungs completely.
• Don’t draw too hard. Slow and steady usually works better.
• Check your nicotine strength. More powerful devices generally require lower-strength e-liquid.
• Check the airflow. An airflow setting that’s too tight or too open for your inhaling technique can make the puff feel unnatural.
• Make sure the coil is properly saturated. A new dry coil can produce an extremely unpleasant burnt hit.

If something feels wrong, stop and check the device rather than repeatedly trying to inhale through the discomfort.

Common Mistakes When Learning How to Vape

Inhaling Too Hard

A cigarette needs a fairly firm draw because you’re pulling air through burning tobacco. A vape doesn’t necessarily need the same amount of suction. Pulling harder usually won’t make the vape work better.

Taking Huge Puffs Straight Away

Start small. You can always take a slightly longer puff once you know how much vapour your device produces.

Using the Wrong Nicotine Strength

A nicotine strength that feels comfortable in a low-powered MTL pod can feel much stronger if you switch to a lower-resistance RDL setup producing substantially more vapour.

Trying to DTL a Tight MTL Device

If there’s hardly any airflow, trying to breathe directly through the vape will feel like inhaling through a blocked straw. Use the technique that matches the device rather than forcing it to behave like a different type of vape.

Trying to MTL a Powerful DTL Vape

The reverse can be just as uncomfortable. A powerful sub-ohm device can produce a great deal of vapour very quickly, so collecting an entire puff in your mouth may be overwhelming.

So, What’s the Best Way to Inhale a Vape?

If you’re completely new to vaping, mouth-to-lung inhaling is usually the easiest place to start. Take a gentle puff into your mouth, inhale it and exhale normally. It’s simple, controlled and works particularly well with the compact pod vapes that many beginners use.

If you eventually decide that you want more airflow and vapour, RDL is the natural next step. You’ll inhale directly into your lungs, but the airflow retains enough restriction to keep the puff controlled.

DTL sits at the other end of the scale. It uses open airflow, low-strength e-liquid and a deeper direct inhale to produce substantially more vapour.

Whichever method you choose, don’t worry about trying to perfect a special vaping technique. Match your inhaling style to your device, use a nicotine strength that’s comfortable for its level of vapour production and take slow, relaxed puffs. The rest becomes second nature surprisingly quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you inhale vape vapour into your lungs?

With normal MTL, RDL and DTL vaping, the vapour is ultimately inhaled into the lungs. The difference is whether it goes into your mouth first. MTL uses a two-stage mouth-then-lung inhale, while RDL and DTL take the vapour directly into the lungs.

Are you supposed to inhale a vape like a cigarette?

If you’re using an MTL vape, yes. Draw the vapour gently into your mouth first and then inhale it. RDL and DTL devices are inhaled differently, with the vapour travelling directly into your lungs.

What does RDL mean in vaping?

RDL means restricted direct-to-lung. You inhale directly into your lungs as you would with DTL vaping, but the airflow is more restricted. This creates a draw that sits between tight MTL vaping and very airy DTL vaping.

Is MTL or DTL better for beginners?

MTL is usually easier for beginners, particularly people switching from cigarettes. The draw is tighter, the amount of vapour is easier to control and the inhaling motion will already feel familiar to most smokers.

Is RDL good for beginners?

It can be. RDL works particularly well for someone who finds a traditional MTL draw too tight but doesn’t want the power and very open airflow of a full DTL setup. Many modern pod kits support both MTL and RDL vaping.

Should you inhale a vape deeply?

No. Your inhale only needs to be as large as feels comfortable. Small MTL devices are normally used with relatively short puffs, while RDL and DTL devices encourage longer inhales because they allow more airflow.

Why does my vape make me cough when I inhale?

You may be taking too large a puff, using a nicotine strength that’s too high for your device or using an airflow setting that doesn’t suit your inhaling style. Try taking a shorter, gentler puff and check that your coil, e-liquid and device settings are appropriate for the type of vaping you’re trying to do.

Can I use nic salts for DTL vaping?

High-strength nic salts are primarily intended for low-powered MTL devices. A DTL vape produces far more vapour per puff, so it normally requires much lower nicotine strengths. Always choose an e-liquid strength appropriate for the output of your particular device.

What’s the difference between RDL and DTL?

Both are direct-lung inhaling styles. RDL deliberately restricts the airflow to create a tighter, more controlled draw and moderate vapour production. DTL uses much more open airflow and generally produces significantly larger clouds.