Modern vapes have evolved to become more intuitive and more beginner friendly than ever. The one thing that you won’t find when you open a new vape kit, though, is an instruction manual explaining how to vape for the first time. You’ll find instructions on how to use that product, but the manual will typically assume that you already have a basic idea of what you’re doing. It’s hard to know what you’re doing, though, if you’ve never vaped before.
If you’re getting ready to vape for the first time, you may have a lot of questions on your mind. How do you unbox your vape properly? How do you charge it and prepare it for use? How does a vape actually work? What’s the right way to inhale?
The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive walkthrough that teaches you how to vape and gets you ready for your first experience. We hope that you’ll find it helpful. Let’s dive in.
How to Use a Disposable Vape
Disposable vapes are the simplest and most user-friendly vapes on the market today. They’re specifically designed to be as easy as possible for beginning vapers to use, and they’re the only types of vapes that are pre-charged, pre-filled and ready for use as soon as you buy them.
Disposable vapes are some of the most popular vaping products on the market today, so there’s a good chance that your first vape will be a disposable device. Here’s how to use it.
Are you still trying to choose your first vape? Read our list of the best disposable vapes.
How to Unbox and Set Up a Disposable Vape
One of the biggest benefits of disposable vapes is that they’re ready for immediate use when you buy them. You still need to unbox the device before you can start vaping, though, and here’s how to do it.
- Open the box and remove the inner pouch. Tear open the pouch and remove the device.
- Remove the silicone plug or cover from the mouthpiece.
- Look for a plastic sticker covering the airflow vent and remove it.
- If you have a vape with a screen, the screen may also have a protective film that you’ll need to remove.
How to Use a Disposable Vape
- Vape by inhaling gently through the device’s mouthpiece. A disposable vape has a light or screen that illuminates when the device is on. You only need to inhale firmly enough to make the device light up. If you use too much air pressure, your vape may gurgle or leak.
- Disposable vapes are usually optimized for the mouth-to-lung inhaling style, so you’ll draw the vapor into your mouth and inhale it all at once as you would with a cigarette. Some disposable vapes also have adjustable airflow, which allows you to inhale directly into your lungs if you prefer.
- If your disposable vape has adjustable airflow, you’ll find a slider on the device that you can use to make the draw tighter or looser according to your preferences.
- If you have a vape with a screen such as the Innokin Innobar 20000, your device may have multiple settings that you can use to adjust the warmth and intensity of the vapor. You can usually switch between those settings by pressing a button on the device.
How to Recharge a Disposable Vape
A disposable vape will have a screen or indicator light that lets you know when the battery is dead.
- If your vape has a light, it’s time to recharge the battery when the light blinks.
- If your vape has a screen, it’s time to recharge the battery when the battery meter reaches the bottom.
You can recharge your vape by connecting it to your computer with a USB cable. To keep the price as low as possible, a disposable vape usually doesn’t come with a cable. You can recharge your device with any cable that fits.
- If your vape has a light, the light will either change color or turn off when the vape is fully charged.
- If your vape has a screen, the battery meter will show you when the vape is fully charged.
Do you have a disposable vape without a USB port? This means that your vape isn’t rechargeable. In regions that limit the capacities of pre-filled vaping devices such as Europe and the United Kingdom, disposable vapes usually aren’t rechargeable because a single-use battery provides enough power to use the device’s entire e-liquid supply.
How to Fix Problems with a Disposable Vape
If you’re experiencing a problem with your disposable vape, you’ll find the troubleshooting steps you need here. Click any of the links to view more detailed information.
- Disposable Vape Isn’t Hitting:
- Make sure that you’re removed all silicone plugs, covers and stickers from the device.
- If you’re using a rechargeable vape, try charging the battery.
- Try puffing a little harder in case the airflow sensor isn’t working correctly.
- Disposable Vape Isn’t Charging:
- Clean the charging port with a toothpick.
- Try using a different USB cable.
- Try using a different USB port. Don’t use a wall charger intended for a smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Disposable Vape Is Blinking:
- Charge the battery if you have a rechargeable vape.
- Replace the device if it isn’t rechargeable.
- Disposable Vape Tastes Burnt:
- Wait longer between puffs to give the wick sufficient time to absorb more e-liquid.
- If your vape has adjustable power, try using a lower power level.
- Replace the device if it is out of e-liquid.
When Is a Disposable Vape Finished?
- If you have a disposable vape that’s not rechargeable, it’s finished when the light begins to blink. Disposable vapes without charging ports are designed to run out of vape juice and battery life at the same time.
- If you have a disposable vape with a rechargeable battery, it’s finished when it is out of e-liquid. You’ll know this because the device will either stop producing vapor, or it’ll taste burnt every time you puff on it.
Many modern disposable vapes like the Innokin Innobar 20000 have screens with e-liquid meters. What’s shown on the screen is only an approximation, though, so it’s possible for the meter to show that the device is empty when there is actually some e-liquid remaining. When the meter is empty, though, you’ll definitely need to replace your vape soon.
How to Use a Refillable Vape
Disposable vapes are some of the most popular vaping products today, but refillable vapes have certain benefits that disposables can’t match. Refillable vapes are more economical over time, and they also allow you to use a larger variety of e-liquid flavors and nicotine strengths.
In this section of our guide, we’ll explain how to use your first refillable vape.
Still trying to choose your first vape? Learn about the best pod vapes, the best vape pens or the best vapes overall.
How to Set Up a Refillable Vape
Before you can begin using a refillable vape, you’ll need to set the device up. Here’s how to do it.
- If your vape has a removable battery, you’ll need to install one or more batteries before you can get started. Open the device and install the battery or batteries, making sure that the positive and negative terminals are in the orientation shown on the device. If your vape has a built-in battery, skip this step.
- Charge the vape by connecting it to your computer with the included USB cable. The device is fully charged when the meter reaches 100 percent. A lithium-ion battery usually ships in a partially charged state, so charging your vape for the first time should be fairly quick.
- Fill your device’s tank or pod. After filling your vape for the first time or replacing the coil or pod, always wait 10 minutes to ensure that the wick has enough time to absorb the e-liquid.
- If you’re using a pod system, you can find the filling port by removing the pod’s silicone cover or by removing the mouthpiece.
- If you’re using a device with a glass tank, you can usually open the tank by pressing a release button or by sliding or twisting the tank’s top metal hardware.
Once your device is charged and filled – and after you’ve given the e-liquid several minutes to absorb – you’re ready to start vaping.
How to Use a Refillable Vape
- If your vape doesn’t have a button for activation, you can vape by puffing on the mouthpiece. If your device does have a fire button, puff on it while holding the button. Some refillable vapes support both puff-activated and button-activated firing.
- Your device may have the ability to operate at different power levels. If it does, you can adjust the power by pressing the “+” and “-“ buttons. Some single-button devices also have adjustable power. If this is the case for your device, you can usually adjust the power by tapping the fire button three times. We suggest starting at the lowest available power level when you’re using a new pod or coil and increasing the power slowly until you reach your desired level of intensity.
- Many refillable vapes have adjustable airflow. If you’re using a pod vape with adjustable airflow, you’ll find an airflow slider on the device. If you’re using a device with a glass tank, the tank has a twisting collar that you can use to adjust the airflow.
- If your refillable vape has a manual fire button, you can usually press the button five times to turn the device on and off.
How to Maintain a Refillable Vape
When you use a refillable vape, you need to do a bit of periodic maintenance to keep the device working its best.
- Recharge your vape when the battery meter reaches the bottom.
- Refill your tank or pod when the e-liquid level is low. The e-liquid should never be lower than the white openings visible on the side of the coil assembly in the middle of the tank or pod.
- Replace the pod or coil when your vape begins to produce a smoky or burnt flavor.
- If you’re using a pod system with a replaceable coil, you’ll see the coil on the underside of the pod. Pull the old coil out and push the new coil in.
- If you’re using a pod system with a built-in coil, you’ll need to replace the entire pod when you’re no longer happy with the flavor quality.
- If you’re using a glass tank, you can access the coil by unscrewing the tank’s bottom metal hardware. The coil is either screwed into the tank’s base or pushed into the chimney.
How to Fix Problems with a Refillable Vape
If you’re experiencing a problem with your refillable vape, you’ll find the troubleshooting steps you need here. Click any of the links to view more detailed information.
- Vape Isn’t Hitting:
- Press the activation button five times to confirm that the device is turned on.
- If you’re using a pod system, remove the pod and check for a sticker on the bottom. If you find one, remove and discard it.
- Charge the battery.
- Check the screen for an error message like “No Atomizer” or “Ohms Too High.” Click one of the links in the previous sentence or refer to your vape’s instruction manual for more information about troubleshooting the error.
- Remove the tank or pod and check for a leak. If your device has leaked, dry it thoroughly with paper towels or cotton swabs.
- Replace the pod or coil if your device still isn’t working.
- Vape Isn’t Charging:
- Clean the charging port with a toothpick.
- Try using a different USB cable.
- Try using a different USB port. Don’t use a wall charger intended for a smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Vape Tastes Burnt:
- Reduce the power level if your vape has adjustable wattage or voltage.
- Make sure that the tank or pod isn’t empty.
- Replace the pod or coil.
- Vape Is Leaking:
- Avoid overfilling your device. If you don’t leave a little room for air, your tank or pod may leak when you close it.
- Make sure that the tank or pod is closed all the way.
- Don’t use too much air pressure when you puff on your device. If you puff too hard, you could force some of the e-liquid out of your vape’s reservoir and into the atomizer coil assembly. If there’s more vape juice in the coil assembly than the wick can hold, the excess e-liquid will leak out.
- If you’re using a device with a glass tank, make sure that the tank is assembled correctly. Try disassembling and reassembling the tank, making sure that all components are twisted together firmly and aren’t cross-threaded.
