22. How to start vaping in 5 easy steps
2020-01-10
1. Pick your experience
2. Pick your device
3. Pick your vape juice
4. Get the right parts
5. Read the instructions and vape
If you’re looking to quit smoking, vaping the right device with the right vape juice can provide you with the same kind of satisfaction as cigarettes. The added benefit is a seriously wide range of flavors to choose. But, even though the vape kits on the market have significantly improved over the years and make it simpler for a smoker to switch, there is still a learning process that new vapers need to go through to get the best out of their gear when they first start vaping.
So we decided to help: here’s how a smoker can switch to vaping in five easy steps.
Pick your experience
Before buying, think about exactly what it is you like about smoking and how that might affect your choice of vape? Vaping is supposed to be enjoyable and give you satisfaction in the same way smoking does, and it is so versatile that you can have lots of different experiences with the various combinations of vape kits and vape juice. Here are four questions we think you should ask yourself before choosing your gear:
Do you crave the kind of satisfaction nicotine gives you and want an experience that has a punchy hit?
Or do you prefer the sensory aspects of smoking – perhaps you smoke menthols or flavored cigars – and you’d like something that caters to this desire?
Are big clouds more important to you or would you rather be more discreet when you vape?
Do you want a big device that makes an impression when you show it to people or would you prefer something smaller and more pocket-friendly?
Once you’ve thought about and answered these you’re ready to go shopping!
Pick your device
So you’ve decided what kind of vaper you’d like to be. Before thinking about flavors, you should look through our selection of complete kits and determine what kind of device fits you best.
If you’re after that big satisfying nicotine hit, we recommend you go for something that uses a heating element (known as a coil or a wick) with a high level of resistance (we’ll talk about what this means in the accessories section).
With these devices – which are less power hungry – you’ll be able to use vape juice with a high nicotine content (we’ll talk about what constitutes "high" in the next section). These devices are often (but not always) smaller and more discreet, and because they are less power hungry the batteries tend to last longer. You’ll still get a decent amount of vapor from them, but they won’t produce the enormous clouds you can get from bigger more powerful vapes. They are an excellent choice for situations where you’d rather vape discreetly and without everyone noticing.
Pick your vape juice
Vape juice – otherwise known as e-juice, eliquid, juice and all sorts of other things – is essentially a liquid that consists of a "humectant" (either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine – this is what creates the vapor when you exhale), some nicotine, and flavorings. You put it in your vape and you vape it. Simple, really!
Buying vape juice for the first time can be a little intimidating, with so many to choose from and a dizzying array of brands. But when it comes to the crunch there are only really two decisions you need to make: how much nicotine do you want and what kind of flavors do you enjoy?
Let’s start with the first question. If you’ve chosen a large device with a low resistance coil and higher power so you can impress your friends with some epic clouds, you’ll need to go easy on the nicotine content. That's because you’ll be inhaling a larger volume of vapor each time you take a hit.
Get the right parts
To make the most of your new device there are two key spare parts you’ll need to have on hand: coils and batteries – although you’ll only need be able to get spare batteries for devices where the batteries are replaceable.
Coils are the most important, and these apply to any kind of device. These small heating elements are included in every device; they are inside the tank and you need to replace them regularly per your device's instructions. Coils wear out over time: the constant process of heating and cooling leads to the vapor developing a bitter taste. When your juice doesn’t taste quite as good as it normally does, that means it’s time to buy a replacement coil; for many vapers this is about once per week sometimes less with a small pod system.
