Mouth-to-Lung or Direct-to-Lung Vaping: What's the Difference?

If you’re new to vaping, you may not know the difference between mouth-to-lung vaping and direct-to-lung vaping. In fact, many new vapers don’t know that there are different vaping styles at all. The truth is that your style can not only dictate the experience you get from vaping but also the equipment you need to have the best vaping experience possible.

There’s Another Way To Vape?

Most new vapers start out with mouth-to-lung vaping, and many vapers never go further. With this style of vaping, you inhale the cloud of atomized vape juice into your mouth first, before drawing it from your mouth into your lung. This mechanism is familiar to cigarette, cigar, and pipe smokers, many of which choose to use vaping in an effort to kick the smoking habit. The result is a potent dose of nicotine, and a buzz in the back of the throat—a throat hit—similar to what they’re used to from traditional smoking.

Devices made for mouth-to-lung vaping are generally higher ohm devices using e-liquids that have a higher propylene glycol ratio and lower nicotine levels. This keeps the throat hit manageable and gives you nice, thick vapor clouds. Since the vapor sits in your mouth for a moment before being drawn into your lungs, it also gives you more of a flavor burst, making it a favorite for those who are after taste more than they are nicotine.

The Right Equipment For Mouth-To-Lung Vaping

Usually, you’ll want a higher ohm device, like the Vaporesso Revenger X. While it can work in sub-ohm ranges, it excels with nic salts for a great mouthfeel. There are also devices that bridge the gap between mouth-first and direct-to-lung vaping, such as the Joyetech EGO AIO ECO. These devices can support both vaping styles and operate with both traditional freebase nicotine e-liquids and the more potent nic-salts.

It is possible to use mouth-to-lung vaping with sub-ohm devices, higher temperatures, and liquid mixtures with more vegetable glycerin. However, It is not as common since these three factors can make the throat hit incredibly harsh. It can also lead to an overpowering sensation that is too much for some vapers, especially those new to vaping.

The Alternative: Direct-To-Lung Vaping

For more experienced vapers, drawing the vapor straight into the lungs is preferable to mouth-to-lung vaping. Similar to inhaling with your lips pursed, in this style, the lungs rather than the mouth provide the pull. As the liquid is atomized, it travels directly to your lungs for absorption. It is generally a more intense nicotine experience, but can also be accompanied with even thicker clouds, making it popular for so-called cloud chasers and trick-vape artists.

The liquids for this vaping style are meant to burn at higher temperatures, with a higher vegetable glycerin ratio. This means more powerful equipment, natural wicks, and larger wicking ports to keep those wicks full of liquid. While many people will try mouth-to-lung vaping with equipment intended for inhalation directly into the lungs, the experience is often too hot, too harsh, or too intense and they either learn direct inhalation or switch to the appropriate equipment.

The Equipment For Direct-To-Lung Vaping

Delivering low resistance and high wattage, equipment made for this style of vaping is often larger to accommodate bigger coils and more battery space to run these energy hogs. Devices like the GeekVape Aegis bring a lot of power to bear and have the tanks to hold enough liquid to keep you chucking fat clouds all night. Part of the popular Box Mod category of vapes, these are more complex, with user-defined settings to help you bring out greater flavor, take stronger nic hits, and get truly massive clouds of vape. These vapes are not recommended for new vapers or for mouth-to-lung vaping.

Why You Should Choose Mouth-First Vaping

There are several key reasons why even experienced vapers still cling to the mouth draw:

• It’s easier - Maybe you’re new or you just want a simple vaping experience. Either way, it’s a familiar sensation that anyone can pick up and perform well.
• It’s gentler - Feel the burn at the gym all you want, but it’s not always fun while vaping.
• It’s tastier - They flavor e-juice, why wouldn’t you hold that tasty goodness in your mouth—where your flavor receptors are—for a moment first?
• It’s better for quitting smoking - If you’re using a vape to leave traditional tobacco behind, mouth-to-lung vaping gives you the nicotine and the familiar feel that is part of your established smoking habit.

Why Direct-To-Lung Vaping Is The Right Choice

Direct inhalation has its own positives that are attractive to some vapers:

• It’s stronger - Direct inhalation delivers more nicotine faster, and that gives you an intense hit you can feel right away.
• It’s more satisfying if you like strong throat hits - Hey, people like what they like, and some vapers prefer their vaping a little rough.
• It creates fatter clouds - More vegetable glycerin means big, thick clouds, and that’s just what some vapers are looking for.
• It gives you more control - Compared to mouth-to-lung vaping equipment, direct inhalation gear gives you more flexibility in settings and style preferences. It may not be easier, but you can choose exactly how you want to vape.

The Right Equipment And Supplies For You

Whatever your preferred vaping style, we’re one big vaping family, and that means we’ve got the supplies and gear you need to vape better. We carry a wide range of equipment so you can find the perfect set-up for your lifestyle. If you have any questions about any of our products, contact our vaping experts for more information. Order your direct-to-lung or mouth-to-lung vaping supplies and accessories online from Elevated Vaping today.