If you are reading this, you are probably thinking about making the transition from smoking to vaping.
Good move!
But if you haven’t tried vaping before, we know that the terminology can be confusing. There’s a dizzying array of equipment to choose from and you will be keen to choose the right device. You will also be looking to find the best e liquid flavours and there are thousands to explore!
In this guide, we give you all the information you need to start vaping and to choose both your hardware and your e liquids with confidence.
It’s the ultimate guide to vaping for beginners!
Vaping is the use of an electronic device that mimics the sensations of smoking and that enables you to get your nicotine fix. Using a heating wire (vape coil), a vaping device turns a liquid into vapour that you can inhale. Millions of people around the world have turned to vaping to quit their smoking habits, and many of those people no longer use tobacco products.
Electronic cigarettes or e-cigs are also known as vapes. They all work in pretty much the same way. Each device features a battery in a casing, an e liquid reservoir in the form of a tank or pod and a mouthpiece. The tank or pod contains a heating coil and attaches to the battery casing. When you fire the device by pressing the fire button or simply inhaling on the mouthpiece, the coil heats up and vaporises some of the e liquid. You then inhale the vapour via the mouthpiece.
You will probably have noticed that there are many different e cigs available. You do have diverse choices which can be intimidating. But remember that while devices vary in the precise nature of their components and functionality, they are all variants of the same thing.
Now we will explore the different types of devices, explaining their components and attributes.
In recent times, disposables such as Elf Bars and SKE Crystal Bars have been the first ports of call for many new vapers. They are the simplest devices available as they are prefilled with e liquid and are operated by inhaling on the mouthpiece. In other words, there are no controls to master, and you won’t need to worry about refilling the pens.
Disposables are available loaded with a wide variety of flavours and they are pocket-friendly choices. But they are costly in the long run and bad for the environment. In truth, they are best avoided as there are many refillable devices that are as easy to use but that will save you money. Better still, refillable e cigs enable you sample many more flavours and there are e liquid ranges such as ELFLIQ and Bar Juice that feature the flavours found in disposables.
While it is possible to purchase the components of an e cig separately, starter kits give you everything you need to assemble a device. In the world of vaping, the term starter kit does not necessarily refer to a beginner’s kit. It simply means a kit that contains everything you require to vape.
Whatever the type of device you are looking for, you will find the perfect vape starter kit for you. One that contains a battery, a tank or pod, a charging cable and instructions. Many kits also include accessories such as spare pods, spare coils or replacement glass for the tank.
Vape pens are e cigs that boast long and slender forms like pens. There was a time when all vape pens were cylindrical and featured a battery and a glass tank. They tended to be simple, user-friendly e cigs that boasted a fire button and little in the way of functionality.
These days, you can explore diverse vape pens that vary in shape, size and functionality. Some vape pens have tanks while others have pods. Most remain suitable for beginners, but it is possible to invest in complex vape pens with advanced features that are designed for experienced vapers.
A box mod is similar to the battery casing of a vape pen. It contains a built-in battery or the housing for a replaceable battery together with circuitry that enables a variety of functions. Box mods boast fire buttons and/or control buttons and often also screens. Those screens display settings and useful information including battery charge and operating mode.
While the battery casings of vape pens are slender and cylindrical or rectangular, box mods are square or boxy, hence their name. It is possible to purchase a box mod and compatible tank separately, but box mod starter kits are also available.
Box mod kits are often advanced devices suitable for experienced vapers but the ranges of some brands including Innokin include user-friendly box mod kits that would appeal to new vapers.
All vaping devices feature an e liquid reservoir. There was a time when that reservoir would only have been a vape tank. These days, many devices feature pods rather than tanks, but you can still opt to use a vape tank if that is your preference.
Vape tanks are constructed from metal and glass. They hold up to 2ml of e liquid together with the heating coil which is replaceable. Tanks can be refilled with e liquid and are screwed onto battery casings or mods to create an electronic cigarette.
Vape pods are fashioned from plastic and like tanks, they hold e liquid and coils. It is possible to choose pods that are prefilled with e liquid or those that are refillable. With prefilled pods you are restricted to vaping the flavours that are included in the range of pods compatible with your device.
Refillable pods may have built-in coils or replaceable coils. Those with built-In coils should be discarded when their coils give up the ghost. Vape pods with replaceable coils are the most cost-cost effective options over the longer term.
Now that we have given you the lowdown on vaping hardware, it is time to look at e liquid.
E liquid, also known as vape juice, is the substance that is vaporised by e cigs. All e liquids contain the same ingredients – propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG) and flavouring. Most also contain nicotine.
The ratio of PG to VG found in e liquids varies and is expressed as a percentage. E liquids that are high in PG (those that are at least 60% PG) are suitable for devices that have high resistance coils. Vape juices that are high in VG (at least 60% VG) are ideal for e cigs with low resistance coils. 50PG/50VG e liquids are compatible with most devices.
Please see below if you require an explanation of vape coils and their resistances.
E liquids are available in an enormous variety of flavours including fruit, tobacco, drink, dessert, candy and menthol blends. You will quickly discover which types of flavour you enjoy vaping.
When you are exploring e liquid ranges you will see that certain juices are described as being short fills or shortfills. These are e liquids that are nicotine-free but that are supplied in underfilled bottles to provide room to add nicotine shots. Shortfills were introduced to enable vapers to purchase larger volumes of juice because the bottle size of e liquids containing nicotine is restricted to just 10ml.
E liquids that are sold in the UK are heavily regulated. The maximum nicotine strength permitted is 20mg (20 milligrams per millilitre). Most flavours are available with a variety of nicotine strengths to suit your cravings. The different nicotine strengths enable you to reduce your nicotine intake over time.
Two types of nicotine can be included in e liquids – freebase nicotine and salt nicotine. Freebase nicotine provides noticeable throat hits. But salt nicotine delivers smoother throat hits and speedier relief of your cravings. As with e liquid flavours, you will quickly find out which form of nicotine is right for you or whether you enjoy both types.
Your ideal nicotine strength will depend on how heavily you smoked. If you puffed your way though more than 15 cigs each day, choose a high nicotine strength such as 18mg or 20mg. If you were a moderate smoker, try 10mg or 12mg. You can reduce your strength over time and then vape nicotine-free juice or stop vaping altogether.
Vape coils are coils of wire or pieces of perforated metal that are heated by devices to vaporise e liquid. The term coil is often used to refer to what is actually an atomiser head (the casing that holds the wire or metal). When you purchase vape coils you are investing in atomiser heads.
All coils have a specified electrical resistance. This acts like a thermostat and limits the temperature to which a coil can be heated. The lower the resistance of the coil, the hotter it can get. The hotter the coil, the greater the vapour that it produces. Low resistance coils require more power to heat them than high resistance coils and so are features of high wattage e cigs that can deliver the required power.
The resistance of coils is expressed in ohms. Those with resistances of less than 1 ohm are known as sub ohm coils.
Vape coils contain wicking to soak up e liquid. It is important that this wicking has absorbed e liquid before you fire your e cig, otherwise the coil will burn the dry wicking and give you a nasty burnt taste. The process of soaking the wicking is called priming. To prime your wicking, fill your tank or pod with e liquid and then wait a few minutes. Simples!
In 2017, the NHS Stoptober campaign endorsed e-cigarettes for the first time as smoking cessation tools. Vaping is not smoking it is a means to stop smoking. During your switch from smoking to vaping, remember that nicotine isn’t the only active ingredient in cigarettes. Cigarette smoke also contains thousands of other chemicals, and you may not feel entirely yourself while your body works to purge itself of those chemicals. Unlike other forms of nicotine replacement, vaping creates a sensation in the throat and lungs that feels much like smoking. Many people find that those sensations make the switch much easier.
No. Vaping is an alternative for those who can’t or won’t quit smoking. Nicotine is a powerfully addictive substance — one of the most difficult substances in the world to stop using. If you don’t already use nicotine, please don’t start.
Unfortunately vaping, like smoking is not permitted in most buildings or public transport. However, you can vape freely in most outside spaces. Better still, some businesses offer designated smoking and vaping areas. You will find that vaping is not permitted in any area of hospital grounds.
Public health England has said that “vaping is 95% safer than smoking”. It is important to purchase your equipment and e liquid from established retailers who offer genuine, branded products. There’s a significant black market for vaping hardware and juice but those products are unregulated and may be dangerous.
Of course, there will always be people who react badly to certain ingredients in e liquids. But for most people, vaping is a much better choice than smoking.
Do take care to look after the battery of your device as damaged batteries or those that have contacted water should not be used. For further information, consult our battery safety guide.
We hope that our beginners’ guide to vaping has proved helpful. You should now have a better understanding of what vaping is, the equipment that is available and how that hardware works.
So, how do you get started with vaping?
We recommend you ditch your cigs from the outset and fully commit to vaping. You might struggle a little initially, but it will be much easier to stick with vaping if there are no cigarettes around to tempt you. It shouldn’t be long before vaping becomes your new normal and your nicotine cravings will be relieved every time you take a puff.
All you need to do to start vaping is take following steps:
Vaping so closely mimics smoking that it represents the easiest way to quit the cigs. Most vaping devices are easy to understand and to use. It won’t take long to familiarise yourself with all things vaping or to find the ideal set-up and e liquids for you. Vaping jargon and the sheer number of choices can be intimidating at first. But don’t be diverted from your mission to quit smoking. You will find that beginning your vaping adventure is straightforward and it won’t be long before you are expanding your vaping horizons.
