Switching from smoking to vaping can be a fairly intimidating experience if you don’t have someone who can walk you through it. There are many different types of vapes on the market today, and each one has its own pros and cons. Once you’ve selected your device, you still have to learn how to use it – and some vapes are anything but self-explanatory. There just doesn’t seem to be a straightforward guide anywhere on how to vape for the first time. So, we created one.
Whatever your questions might be about how to get started with vaping, you’ll find the answers here – so let’s jump right in with the most important question of all. What type of vape should you buy?
How to Choose Your Vape
Before you can learn how to vape, you need to choose the type of device you’re going to use. Most vaping devices fall into four categories, and we’ll briefly explain the pros and cons of those four types of vapes. Want to dive in even further? Read our guide that lists the best vapes on the market today.
Disposable Vapes
A disposable vape is a vaping device that’s already set up and ready to use when you buy it. It’s charged and filled with e-liquid, and you can use it as soon as you remove it from the package. Disposable vapes are the most convenient of all vaping devices. They’re also easy to use, even if you’ve never vaped before. The drawback of disposable vapes is that they aren’t refillable. When the e-liquid is used up, you need to buy a new device. Our INNOBAR series of devices includes both disposable vapes and pre-filled pod systems, which we’ll discuss next.
Pre-Filled Pod Systems
A pre-filled pod system is nearly as convenient and simple as a disposable vape, but it’s a step up in terms of affordability because you don’t need to replace the entire device when the e-liquid runs out. Instead, you just discard the e-liquid pod and install a new one.
Refillable Pod Systems
A refillable pod system requires a little more maintenance than a pre-filled system because the pod is empty, so you’ll have to fill it yourself. In addition, you’ll have to replace the pod – or the atomizer coil in the pod, depending on the device’s design – periodically when the flavor quality begins to decrease. Although refillable pod systems require more work than pre-filled pod systems or disposable vapes, they also tend to produce larger vapor clouds, which can be useful for those with higher nicotine requirements. Using a refillable vaping device also gives you a higher degree of freedom when it comes to choosing the flavor and nicotine strength of your e-liquid.
Vape Mods
Vape mods are the largest and most advanced vaping devices on the market. They operate at higher wattages than other devices and can produce enormous clouds. They’re also more complicated than other types of vapes, though, which means that they’re usually more appropriate for experienced vapers than they are for beginners.
How to Choose Your E-Liquid
One of the benefits of using a pre-filled vaping device like a disposable vape or a pre-filled pod system is that you don’t have to worry about the nicotine strength of your e-liquid; you just have to choose the flavor. If you’re using a refillable device, though, you need to make sure that you’re using the right strength for your needs and for the hardware, or you won’t have a good experience.
Choosing Your Nicotine Strength
- If you’re using a small device such as a pod system, you’ll generally have the best experience with nicotine salt e-liquidand should choose the highest nicotine strength available in your region if you smoke around a pack of cigarettes per day. The highest available nicotine strength is usually 50 mg/ml or 20 mg/ml depending on the regulations where you live.
- If you’re using a small device and smoke less than half a pack of cigarettes per day, you will probably still have the best experience with nicotine salt e-liquid but should consider using a lower nicotine strength.
- If you’re using a bigger device like a vape mod, your device produces larger clouds and isn’t designed for nicotine salt e-liquid. In this case, you’ll have the best experience with freebase nicotine e-liquid, which is easily identifiable because it doesn’t have the world “Salt” on the package and is often sold in larger bottles. With freebase e-liquid, you should generally start with the lowest nicotine strength of 3 mg/ml and increase the strength only if you’re certain that you aren’t getting enough nicotine.
Choosing Your Flavor
When you buy e-liquid for your first vape, you’ll probably notice that tobacco-flavored vape juice actually isn’t that common. This might surprise you at first, but the truth is that most people who switch from smoking to vaping move away from tobacco e-liquids fairly quickly because other flavor profiles – fruit, dessert and candy, to name a few – taste much better. Taste is subjective, and that’s why there are so many different e-liquid flavors on the market today. When you buy e-liquid for your first refillable vape, we suggest trying a few different flavors that sound good to you. That way, you can begin to learn what your preferences are.
How to Vape for the First Time
Once you’ve purchased your first vape, it’s time to learn how to use it. In this section of our guide, we’ll provide some general instructions that can apply to any type of vaping device.
Unboxing Your Vape
Unboxing most vapes is a fairly straightforward process. Depending on the type of device you’re using, some of the accessories that you might find in the box include a charging cable, a pod or tank and at least one replacement pod or coil. If you’re using a disposable vape, you’ll probably find a silicone plug in the mouthpiece and may also find a sticker on the bottom of the device. You’ll need to remove and discard both of these.
Charging Your Vape
You can charge your vape by connecting it to your computer with a USB cable. Most vape kits include charging cables, but disposable vapes often don’t to save costs. In this case, you’ll need to use your own cable. Your device will have a screen or indicator light that lets you know when the battery is done charging. Don’t forget that if you’re using a disposable vape, the battery is already charged; you can start using your device right away.
Filling Your Vape
If you’re using a refillable vaping device, you’ll need to fill the tank or pod before you can start vaping.
- If you’re using a pre-filled pod system, put a pod into the chamber at the top of the device.
- If you’re using a refillable pod system, the pod probably has a silicone plug on the side covering the filling port. Remove the plug and add e-liquid through the port. Stop when the pod is almost full.
- If you’re using a device with a tank, the tank probably opens from the top. The lid will have a button or arrow, and you can open the tank by pushing the button or sliding the top hardware in the direction of the arrow. If the tank doesn’t have a button or arrow, the top hardware probably twists off. Add e-liquid through the filling port, which is located to the side of the central chimney. Don’t put e-liquid in the chimney.
After filling your tank or pod, wait about 5-10 minutes before vaping to ensure that the e-liquid has absorbed fully into the wick. You’ll also need to do this each time you replace the pod or install a new coil.
Using Your Vape
Once your device is charged and filled, it’s time to start using it. A vaping device can activate in two ways: automatically when you puff on it or manually when you press a button. If you have a button-activated vape, you’ll need to hold the button while puffing on the device.
After you’ve puffed on your vape a few times, pause to gauge your level of satisfaction. If you’re still experiencing cravings, continue vaping until the cravings subside. If not, put your device down for a while. Because vaping tastes so much better than smoking, there’s a natural tendency to fall into a pattern of vaping continuously without monitoring your nicotine intake. If you vape in short sessions and put your device down when you aren’t using it, you’ll be less likely to consume more nicotine than you actually need.
How to Maintain Your Vape
Now that you know how to vape for the first time, it’s time to learn how to maintain your device. Depending on the type of vape you’re using, it may be necessary to recharge and refill it periodically. Here’s how to know when it’s time to do those things.
When Is It Time to Charge Your Vape?
If your device has an indicator light, the light will blink when you try to vape if the battery is dead. If the device has a screen, it’ll display a message like “Low Battery.” At this point, it’s time to recharge your device.
When Is It Time to Refill Your Vape?
If you have a device with a refillable pod or tank, you can look at your device to see when it’s time to refill it. The atomizer coil assembly is at the center of the pod or tank, and it has holes on the side. The e-liquid needs to travel through the holes to reach the wick, which supplies vape juice to the coil’s heating element. When the e-liquid in the tank doesn’t cover the wick holes, it’s time to add vape juice.
How to Avoid Common Problems when Vaping for the First Time
We’ll conclude our guide on how to vape with some tips that can help you avoid the two most common problems that new vapers experience: leaking and burnt flavors.
How to Stop Your Vape from Leaking
If your vape is leaking, the first thing that you should do is remove the e-liquid promptly with a paper towel. If you’re using a pod system, remove the pod and make sure that the area under the pod is completely dry. Follow these tips to ensure that your device won’t leak in the future.
- Puff more gently. If you’re using a device with automatic puff-based firing, you only need to puff hard enough to get the device’s light to turn on.
- If you’re using a pod system, don’t fill the pod all the way to the top because there needs to be some room for the silicone plug that closes the pod. If the pod is completely full, the plug will push some of the e-liquid out.
How to Stop Your Vape from Tasting Burnt
If your vape tastes burnt, the solution depends on the type of device you’re using. Follow these tips to prevent a burnt flavor when vaping.
- If you’re using a disposable vape, try to avoid “chain vaping” and make sure that you’re waiting at least a few seconds after every puff. If your device continues to taste burnt, it’s probably out of e-liquid. At this point, you’ll need to replace the device.
- If you’re using a refillable device, the level of e-liquid may be low. If the vape juice is below the coil’s wick openings, you need to add more e-liquid.
- If you’ve been using your device for a while and have begun to taste a caramelized “burnt sugar” flavor, it’s time to replace the pod or coil. If the e-liquid that you’re using contains an added sweetener, you’ll need to replace the pod or coil more often than you would if you were using unsweetened e-liquid.
- If you’re using a device with adjustable power, reduce the wattage.
