What Is DTL Vaping?
When you are choosing a new vape kit or bottle of e-liquid, you may have heard the term ‘DTL’, an acronym for the term ‘direct-to-lung’.
Direct-to-lung vaping is a style of inhaling vapour. The vapour is inhaled directly into your lungs in a slow and steady draw (3-6 seconds), bypassing the mouth, then exhale the thick clouds of vapour. This one step inhaling technique differs from cigarette smoking and may take some time to get used to it. It may be a little overwhelming on your first attempt, but stick with it and master your technique.
DTL vaping is generally targeted towards more experienced vapers who are interested in large thick clouds of delicious tasting vapour. Specialist high-powered sub-ohm vape kits capable of reaching hight wattages, low-resistance sub-ohm coils, sub-ohm tanks and low-strength high VG e-liquid is needed to fill your lungs with larger and denser clouds of vapour.
Straight-to-lung vaping requires low-strength e-liquid (usually 3mg or 6mg) with a larger ratio of VG (vegetable glycerine) to PG (propylene glycol), which is most commonly available in a 70% VG mix for a much smoother draw, warmer clouds, with a subtle throat hit.
You may be used to vaping high-strength e-liquids like 10mg or 20mg, but due to the increased vapour production, you will inhale a larger volume of vapour per dose and you shouldn’t notice a reduction in satisfaction.
How Do I Vape DTL?
- Slowly and steadily inhale the vapour straight into your lungs (3-6 second draw), taking in as much as possible, similar to taking a deep breath of air. (Fill your lungs with dense clouds of vapour, without letting any vapour escape)
- Exhale the vapour immediately as the vapour hits your lungs
Tips For DTL Vaping:
- Designed for advanced vapers
- Doesn’t resemble smoking cigarettes
- Massive cloud production
- The right vape kit set up is required (kit, tank, coil, vape juice)
- 6mg nicotine strength e-liquid or less is recommended
- If the temperature of vapour is too warm, open the airflow slightly
- Will feel very alien at first and may make you cough
- Will consume larger amounts of e-liquid compared to MTL vaping
- Using the wrong coils with VG e-liquid could cause them to clog up, as VG is more viscous when compared to PG heavy juices
Benefits Of DTL Vaping
Increased Cloud Production
Direct-to-lung vaping requires inhaling the vapour directly into the lungs (through a wider mouthpiece), rather than into the mouth first, which maximises cloud production.
More Flavour
DTL vape kits use more e-liquid per inhale compared to standard vapes, this increase of vapour production also increases the volume of vape juice consumed which intensifies the flavour. The VG in e-liquids acts as a sweetener which adds an extra later of sweetness to vape juice bringing out additional flavour notes, especially beneficial for those with a sweet tooth.
Smoother Inhale
High VG e-liquids most commonly come in a ratio of 70/30 VG/PG. The VG in e-liquids makes the liquid thicker in consistency offering a great base for flavour and throat hit. Vape liquids high in VG provide a mild and smooth throat hit with large clouds of vapour that can be inhaled.
Warmer Vapour
Sub-ohm vaping requires a combination of high power output, low resistance coils and high VG vape juice. As VG e-liquid is thicker, it vaporises at a higher temperature channelling more power to the coil which results in warmer vaping temperatures.
Lower Nicotine Strength
Shortfill e-liquids are nicotine free due to TPD regulations which restrict the volume of nicotine containing e-liquids to 10ml. These larger bottles (usually 100ml) are underfilled or ‘short filled’ to 80% capacity, leaving room for you to add your own nicotine.
- Adding 2x 18mg 10ml nic shots to a 100ml shortfill results in 120ml of 3mg e-liquid
- Adding 4x 18mg 10ml nic shots to a 100ml shortfill results in 140ml of 6mg e-liquid
Add your nic shots to supply enough nicotine to satisfy your cravings. Shortfills are intended to be lower in strength compared to regular e-liquids, we recommend 3mg or 6mg so the throat hit isn’t too harsh.
Denser and thicker vapour per draw means that a higher dose of nicotine is delivered to provide the same satisfaction as higher nicotine strength MTL e-liquids.
Cheaper
Whilst sub-ohm vaping uses more e-liquid, shortfills come in larger bottles, which (per ml) is cheaper to purchase compared to the equivalent volume in bottles of 10ml e-liquid.
Fully Customisable Settings
Sub-ohm kits and sub-ohm box mods are more advanced with additional features (variable wattage, adjustable airflow, high power output settings, temperature control, external batteries) that enable you to adjust the settings to work best for your specific needs. Explore the options for a truly personalised vaping experience with sub ohm-devices.
What Do I Need For Sub-Ohm Vaping?
In order to achieve large, dense and fluffy clouds of vapour, we have created a checklist providing you with a list of everything you will need on your sub-ohm vape journey.
High Wattage Vape Kit
Powerful sub-ohm vape kits are needed to provide enough power to help you achieve large cloud production and flavour intensity, taking your vape game to pro levels.
These sub-ohm power output vape kits are custom-built to provide more power than entry level devices, expertly designed for precision and control for maximum performance. These kits feature cutting-edge vaping technology (variable wattage, adjustable airflow, temperature control, adjustable power output settings) and a high power output above 40W, with the option to increase or decrease the variable wattage power for a personalised vaping experience.
Sub-ohm box mod kits tend to be larger than regular devices as higher power output usually means larger batteries, with some featuring external removable 18650 or 21700 batteries, which requires knowledge of battery safety for vape devices.
Sub-Ohm Tank/ Sub-Ohm Coils
These specifically designed vape tanks are intended for sub-ohm and direct-to-lung vaping. Made from high-quality durable materials, to withstand high temperatures and the rigors of everyday use.
Higher airflow is required for direct-to-lung vape tanks. These tanks come with adjustable airflow that allows you to tailor and regulate the amount of airflow that can pass through your tank, completely altering the vaping experience. The higher amount of airflow, the larger the vape clouds and the looser the inhale. Restricting the airflow will decrease the cloud production, provide a warmer inhale with more discreet clouds. This excellent feature gives more control over the way you vape for cloudy vaping with low nicotine strengths.
DTL vape tanks are compatible with low resistance coils, (have a resistance below 1.0 ohm), helping you produce larger clouds of vapour. They are tailor-made for thick VG e-liquids, with wider inlet holes to properly wick and saturate the cotton within your coil sufficiently. Choosing the correct coil options are important for best coil performance. Check the wattage levels on the box of coils and make sure they are optimised for high wattages and thick vape juices, there are many coil varieties available that will work well.
The mouthpiece drip tip is made shorter and wider to enable cloud chasers to easily inhale deeply, pulling huge amounts of vapour with each inhale.
High VG E-Liquids
High VG e-liquids including 100ml shortfills are thicker in viscosity, specifically formulated for advanced vapers using sub-ohm vape kits, these high-powered devices are for experienced vapers. Sub-ohm e-liquids (VG intensive e-liquids) are most commonly available in 0mg, 3mg and 6mg nicotine strengths. Nicotine levels are important as anything above this would be too harsh, so low nicotine strengths are the way for nicotine satisfaction without vape hits that are too intense.
Shortfill vape juice bottles arrive nicotine-free so you can control the level of nicotine by adding 10ml nic shots to align with your nicotine preferences. 70/30 VG/PG e-liquids are the ideal ratio for large, thick clouds of dense vapour with intense flavours.
If you are entering a cloud competition, you will need: an expert-grade kit, VG dominant juice, the higher VG concentration the better to achieve pro-level vaping with maximum cloud production with low nicotine concentration.
Vape Safety Tips:
We have created a guide of safe vaping practices and safety tips to help you on your vaping journey. Whilst modern sub-ohm vape kits feature advanced built-in safety protections that pose less risk, it is important to have a good knowledge of safety when switching to direct-to-lung vaping with powerful vape kits.
- Quality Products: Always purchase high quality vaping devices and batteries from reputable vape stores to ensure they are safe, and always avoid counterfeit products.
- Battery Safety: Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which act as the engine in vape kits, they can pose a safety risk if they are damaged or used incorrectly. Do not charge batteries unattended, make sure you are using the correct charger and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for vape device safety. Store external lithium-ion batteries safely by using a battery case when not in use, and do not carry them loose in your pocket. Store your batteries in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Replace batteries that are damaged, leaking, or no longer hold their charge.
- Understand Ohms Law: If the resistance of your vape drops too low, the increase in power could push your device beyond safe limits. When purchasing genuine vape products, they will generally be safe as the resistance of the coil will match the power in the battery. Many high-powered sub-ohm kits feature a ‘Smart Mode’ that will automatically adjust the power output of the device to perfectly match the coils resistance for safe use.
- Don’t Vape Near Children and Pets: Always vape a safe distance away from children and pets. TPD-compliant bottles of e-liquid come with child-resistant packaging, but is important to store them in a safe and hard to reach area. If nicotine-containing vape juice is consumed in large quantities, this can be extremely dangerous. If your vape kit features a locking mechanism always secure your vaping devices around children and pets.
- Buy Premium-Quality Vape Juice: In the UK, the vape industry is heavily regulated, but there are some rogue traders selling poor quality e-liquids found to contain dangerous ingredients and chemicals. Always purchase genuine vape supplies from trusted vape stores like Vapeliquids.co.uk to ensure you are purchasing safe regulated products. Don’t vape expired liquids, and properly store your vape juice out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dark and dry place to maintain freshness.
DTL Vaping FAQ’s
Is Direct To Lung Vaping Dangerous?
As with all styles of vaping, e-cigarettes should only be used by existing smokers/vapers over the age of 18. It is always important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe practices and essential to learn about battery safety and Ohms law before using high-powered devices.
If you are equipped with the safety knowledge, and purchase your vape supplies from a reputable vape company, then sub-ohm vaping is as safe as regular vaping.
Direct-to-lung vapes are compatible with VG-rich e-liquids. VG is one of the main ingredients in all e-liquid which is 100% natural and recognised as being safe for human consumption with a low toxicity level. VG e-liquid is vegetable-based and can be an excellent solution if you find PG heavy e-liquids cause irritation. Like all substances, potential allergic reactions are possible although very rare.
Public Health England consider vaping to be 95% less harmful to your health than tobacco cigarettes, and can help most smokers to quit tobacco altogether.
What Is A Direct To Lung Vape Kit?
DTL devices differ from standard mouth-to-lung (MTL) devices, with a focus on bold flavour and big vapour clouds. These expert-grade kits feature parts that are specifically tailored to achieve high temperatures, work with thicker e-liquids and provide enough power to turn vape juice into a vapour that can be inhaled to deliver nicotine.
DTL kits are tailor-made to be compatible with coils that feature a resistance below 1.0ohm (hence the name sub-ohm), they can run at higher temperatures and give you the ability to fully customise your vape to work for your needs.
What Is The Best E-Liquid For DTL Vaping?
High VG freebase e-liquids in low nicotine strengths are perfect for high wattages, capable of producing large vape clouds for DTL vaping with a mild throat hit.
What PG/VG Ratio Is Best For DTL Vaping?
A ratio of 70VG/30PG is ideal for vapers interested in large vapour production. With this mix you will experience a slight sweetness, big thick clouds, rich flavour profile and smooth throat hits for flavourful vaping.
For those less interested in flavour and more interested thicker cloud, an 80/20 VG/PG e-liquid ratio will be ideal for cloud chasing sub ohm vapers. Adjusting the VG/PG ratio in e-liquids will alter throat hit preferences, allowing you to switch between a mild throat hit and or enhanced throat hit.
Please note: The higher the VG content in vape juice, the thicker the liquid. If the liquid is too thick, this could clog up your vape coils and cause them to burn out prematurely.
What Coils Are Needed For DTL Vaping?
Sub-Ohm vape coils with a resistance under 1.0 ohm are the best choice for direct-to-lung vaping. The lower the resistance rating, the coils heat up faster and reach higher temperatures.
Is DTL Or MTL Better?
Most people prefer MTL (mouth-to-lung) vaping as it provides an inhale that closely resembles tobacco cigarette smoking.
That being said, DTL vaping offers many advantages over MTL vaping, including more vapour, sweeter flavours and smoother and less harsh throat hits.
