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MTL Vaping Explained

MTL Vaping Explained

What is MTL Vaping?

When you are choosing a new vape kit or bottle of e-liquid, you may have heard the term ‘MTL’, an acronym for the term ‘mouth-to-lung’.

Mouth-to-lung vaping is a style of inhaling vapour. The vapour is inhaled into your mouth, then inhaled into the lungs. A two-step technique that’s similar to how you would smoke a cigarette.

MTL vaping has become the go-to vaping style for beginner vapers, those using e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking and those looking for simplicity and a hassle-free vaping experience.

What is a Vaping Style?

A vaping style refers to the specific technique and preferences a vaper adopts when inhaling vapour from an e-cigarette or vape kit. Similar to the varied ways people smoke cigarettes, vapers have different approaches to inhaling vapour. The main vaping styles include MTL (mouth to lung), RDTL (restricted direct to lung), and DTL (direct to lung).

Each style requires its own inhaling technique, hardware components and e-liquids. Tweaking your set up will lead to varying levels of vapour production, temperature, and draw tightness to match your own personal vaping preferences.

How do I Vape MTL?

Image showing how to vape with a Mouth-to-Lung style with a diagram
  1. Take a slow, long and steady draw of vapour into your mouth from an e-cigarette
  2. Hold the vapour in your mouth for 1-2 seconds
  3. Inhale the vapour into your lungs, drawing in air in at the same time
  4. Exhale the vapour

Tips for MTL Vaping:

  • Avoid quick, short and sharp puffs like you would on a cigarette
  • The longer you draw on the mouthpiece, the larger the cloud production, ‘throat hit’ and dose of nicotine delivered
  • The longer you leave the vapour in your mouth before exhaling it, the less vapour will come out, ideal for stealthy draws with minimal vapour clouds
  • Extended puffs will use more battery power
  • Experiment and find the right puff for you

Benefits of MTL Vaping

Image listing the benefits of Mouth-to-Lung vaping

Recreates a Similar Sensation to Smoking

Mouth-to-lung vaping closely replicates the throat hit sensation of tobacco cigarettes, making the transition from smoking to vaping more comfortable and familiar with a satisfying throat hit. MTL kits provide a tighter and more restricted inhale, best suited to beginner vapers who prefer a cigarette-like inhale.

Discreet Vaping

MTL vape kits are currently one of the most popular styles of e-cigarette due to their compact and portable size. These low-powered devices use high resistance coils which deliver a discreet amount of vapour. Refillable MTL pod kits are compatible with 50/50 PG/VG ratio e-liquids which create smaller vape clouds compared to e-liquids with a larger ratio of VG (vegetable glycerine).

Smaller draws results in smaller clouds, so you can easily avoid blowing large clouds of vapour.

Higher Nicotine Dose

MTL vape kits are compatible with all nicotine strength e-liquids, including; 0mg (0% nicotine-free), 3mg (0.3%), 5mg (0.5%), 6mg (0.6%), 10mg (1.0%), 12mg (1.2%), 15mg (1.5%), 18mg (1.8%), 20mg (2.0%).

20mg/ml e-liquid is the maximum nicotine strength legally allowed to be sold in the UK, for a more intense throat hit and delivering a larger dose of nicotine per puff to keep cravings at bay.

If you previously vaped disposables, 20mg may be your go-to nicotine strength. Sticking with 20mg ensures a familiar experience while offering more flexibility and cost savings in the long run when switching to refillable devices.

Easy to Use Vape Kits

Refillable MTL pod vape kits are easy-to-use and require minimal maintenance, designed for both new vapers and those looking for hassle-free vaping. Most mouth-to-lung vape kits offer inhale-activation, quick refilling, built-in coil pods and user-friendly interfaces with enough power to get you through the day on a single charge.

MTL vape pens and MTL tanks are beginner-friendly and simply designed for first time vapers, making an ideal cigarette replacement for nicotine craving relief.

Even with little or no prior experience, MTL kits are uncomplicatedly designed for an easy and seamless transition into the world of vaping.

Less E-Liquid Consumption

Low-wattage MTL kits use high resistance MTL vape coils which require less power to vaporise e-liquid when compared to DTL devices. MTL starter kits are compatible with high nicotine vape juices which will require less vape liquid to curb nicotine cravings. You will be inhaling at a slower rate and at lower temperatures, reducing the amount of e-liquid you are going through whilst maintaining nicotine craving relief.

Cost Effective/ Cheap to Get Started

MTL vapes operate at lower wattages and use higher-resistance coils, as a result consume less vape juice. MTL devices are typically cheap to purchase and use less e-liquid offering a more cost-effective vaping solution when compared to DTL vaping.

While MTL vaping is more cost-effective than DTL vaping, both vaping styles work out much cheaper when compared to traditional cigarette smoking.

MTL Vaping FAQ’s

What is the Best E-Liquid for MTL Vaping?

When switching from smoking to vaping, it’s most important for your e-cigarette to deliver enough nicotine to help you manage your nicotine cravings effectively. You will need a decent amount of nicotine in your juice without it being too harsh on your throat.

Nicotine salt e-liquids are an ideal choice if you are new to vaping as they deliver the highest dose of nicotine in increments up to 20mg nicotine strengths (classed as high nicotine e-liquid).

Freebase nicotine and nicotine salt e-liquids will make for the perfect cigarette replacement, compatible with starter vaping devices.

At Vapeliquids.co.uk we stock a huge selection of the best MTL e-liquids available in the UK right now!

What PG/VG Ratio is Best for MTL Vaping?

A blend of 50% PG to 50% VG is the most common e-liquid ratio available for mouth-to-lung vaping, with your choice of nicotine strengths. This balance of ingredients will provide excellent flavour, satisfying throat hits and discreet vapour production.

E-liquids with greater amounts of VG to PG tend to be thicker in consistency and may be too thick to saturate the smaller wicking channels typically found in MTL pods and tanks. This can lead to insufficient wicking, causing coils to clog and degrade more quickly.

What is the Best Nicotine Strength for MTL Vaping?

MTL kits are designed to work well with e-liquids with a 50-80% PG mix, available in all nicotine strengths ranging from 0mg (0%, nicotine-free), 3mg (0.3%), 5mg (0.5%), 6mg (0.6%), 10mg (1.0%), 12mg (1.2%), 15mg (1.5%), 18mg (1.8%) and 20mg (2.0%).

If you are a former smoker making the switch over to vaping, we recommend starting with a medium to strong nicotine strength e-liquid like 10mg or 20mg to make the switch from smoking to vaping more comfortable. Once you find the right strength for your needs, you can gradually reduce your nicotine intake over time.

What is the Best Coil Resistance for MTL Vaping?

For newcomers to vaping, starting with a vape coil featuring a resistance of 0.8Ω (13-16W) is a great place to start offering a satisfying draw similar to traditional cigarettes.

In the past, the rules stated that coils with a resistance above 1.0 ohm are best suited to mouth-to-lung (MTL) vaping. As vape hardware technology has progressed, coils below 1.0Ω, like 0.6 ohm, 0.8ohm are also great options for MTL vaping.

What is the Best Vape Kit for MTL Vaping?

If you’re looking for a vape kit to deliver a draw that closely resembles the puff on a cigarette, mouth-to-lung (MTL) kits are a great choice. MTL vape kits come in the form of pod kits, pen kits and mod kits. These kits are popular amongst all types of vapers, from beginner switchers, to advanced vapers as these devices are simple to use, offer a hassle-free experience and require minimal maintenance and up-keep.

To make choosing your next refillable vape kit an easier task we have created a checklist outlining important criteria to help make your transition from smoking to vaping as easy as possible.

MTL Vape Kit Checklist:

MTL vape kit selection can be a daunting task, especially when there are so many options. We have put together a list of criteria that we think will help you on your journey, making MTL vaping for beginners as easy as possible when switching from smoking to vaping.

Refillable Vapes

Vape devices that can be filled with e-liquid are the way to go. These kits offer the versatility to choose your own e-liquid flavours and nicotine strengths. They are cheaper to run, convenient, and as the parts can be used over again they are more eco-friendly.

Prefilled pods are easier to use, but you are limited to flavours and strengths, and they are more expensive to purchase.

Rechargeable Vapes

Gone are the days of single-use disposables, with customers looking for greener alternatives to disposable vapes. Rechargeable MTL vape kits with rechargeable batteries are the future. These kits are best suited to vapers who prefer complete control over how they vape, and are conscious about their environmental impact.

Whilst rechargeable kits ‘may cost more’ as an initial investment (the Aspire Gotek X kit price is £9.99), you will experience long-term savings by making the switch from disposable devices to reusable/refillable vape kits.

Auto-Draw Activation Vapes

In recent years many of our customers have tried disposable vapes, when they progress on their vaping journey to refillable and rechargeable devices, they are looking for something that works in a similar way.

Many new vape kits feature a buttonless design, instead of pressing the fire button to activate the kit, inhale-activation or auto-draw technology will instantly turn the device on and produce vapour by simply inhaling on the mouthpiece.

Read our guide to discover the Best Pod Kits which includes the best-selling pod kits and most sought after vape devices available in the UK right now.

Fixed-Coil Pods

Pods with built-in coils are an excellent choice for beginner vapers as well as more experienced vapers looking for simplicity. They allow you to refill the pod with your favourite e-liquid, whilst being super-convenient and easy to use.

Pods that feature a fixed-coil or non-replaceable coil, streamlines the vaping experience and eliminates the need for manual coil replacements. These pods contain a non-removeable heating element, so when the coil needs replacing pull out the entire pod and replace it with a new one.

Adjustable Airflow Vapes

Vape kits that feature adjustable airflow give you the ability to fully customise the way you vape by fine tuning the amount of air that can pass through your vape as you inhale.

Tailor your personal vaping experience with adjustable airflow and choose from a tighter or looser inhale. Improve the flavour, temperature and texture of vapour from your vape.

Smart Mode Vapes

Vape devices that feature ‘Smart Mode’ will check the resistance of the coil you choose and automatically adjust the device settings including the wattage power output for best performance from your coil. Smart mode vape kits come equipped with safety features and protections to keep you safe when vaping.

Smart mode vaping kits are a great option for new vapers, removing the guessing work and extending the life of your coils, reducing ‘dry hits’ and supplying a consistent taste.

Easy Filling Vapes

Top-filling and side-filling pods are extremely user-friendly for quick and clean e-liquid top-ups when on-the-go. If you are looking for gradual nicotine reduction, you can lower nicotine strengths. MTL vaping for smokers offers a familiar sensation to traditional smoking while providing an effective alternative to combustible tobacco products.

Enough Battery for a Full Day’s Use

Vape kits with built-in batteries are the safest choice, as battery safety is paramount. You want to select a kit that will provide at least a full day of vaping between charges, as there’s nothing worse than running out of power. Select a vape kit with a 650mAh high density battery for all-day-power, or 1200mAh battery for longer-lasting battery life.

Quick Charging Times

Many modern vape kits feature Type-C fast-charging capabilities for quick and hassle-free battery top-ups with minimal downtime. MTL vape charging times will vary, but always choose a device that can rapidly charge your kit.

Read our guide for Battery Safety which includes safe battery charging.

Transparent E-Liquid Pods

Vape pods that are made from eco-friendly transparent PCTG material are a great option as they provide a clear viewing window so you can check your e-liquid levels at a glance.

Always avoid letting your e-liquid levels run too low within the pod, if there isn’t sufficient e-liquid to maintain proper saturation, this can result in a burnt coil that will need replacing.

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