Did you know that, according to Reuters, nearly one in 20 adults in the US now use e-cigarettes? This means that around 10.8 million Americans are using e-cigarettes, a type of vaping that can be used to inhale nicotine, CBD, or THC.
If you’re wondering about how to start vaping, you might not be sure where to start. You might be wondering about what types of vapes are out there and how to vape.
With so many products out there, including the vapes themselves and the liquid you put in, you might feel overwhelmed about how many options are available. How do you choose the right one for you?
And once you do, how do you vape in such a way that it gives you the desired effects?
This is why we’ve put together this guide. In it, you’ll learn all about vaping for beginners. Finally, you can find the right vape for you and start enjoying using it. Read on to learn more.
- What Is Vaping?
Before we review how to start vaping, we’ll go over the basics of what vaping is, as well as what a vape is and how it works. That way, when you’re choosing which type of vape is best for you, you’ll understand how to actually use it.
When you vape, you’re inhaling vapor from a vape device or electronic cigarette. It’s a lot like smoking, but you don’t get the same contaminants as you would from smoking a regular cigarette.
This is why so many people who are attempting to quit smoking use vapes. Additionally, people interested in inhaling CBD, THC, and cannabis-based products made by companies like 3Chi can use vapes to take these products.
- What a Vape Is
A vape is an electronic device you can hold in your hand that produces a foggy vapor you can inhale. Usually, this vapor is flavored and might contain some of the substances mentioned above. The first vape sold on retail was made to resemble a traditional tobacco cigarette.
It was released in the early 2000s by Ruyan, a company based in China. The creator of the vape itself was Hon Link. It entered markets in the US and Europe in 2007.
Since then, many different companies have been releasing different types of vapes.
They vary in terms of vapor amount, power, and design. However, the use and function are more or less the same as the original vape that Ruyan released.
- How a Vape Works
A vape is made of three parts: a vape mod, a coil, and an atomizer. The vape mod is the battery source. When you power it up, it heats up the coil. The coil is the heating element. Once it has been heated up, it vaporizes the liquid that’s in the atomizer.
The atomizer is the small chamber where the liquid you vape is. Once the liquid becomes vaporized, it comes out of the vape so that you can inhale it.
The vape is the combination of these three elements. You need all of them present for the system to work. Many experienced vapers will select these parts separately, putting them together to create the ideal vape for them.
If you’re a beginner, it might be easier for you to use a vape that’s already pre-made. For this reason, you need to know what options are available for each part, so you can choose a pre-made vape that has the right parts for you.
- The Parts of the Vape to Choose From
When you’re choosing what type of vape you want, there are three parts you need to consider. These are the vapor source and the vape mod. Depending on what your needs are, there are different options that will work best for you.
The Vapor Source
When you use a vape, it stores the vapor source in the vape tank or vape atomizer. Inside it, you find the metal coil that heats the substance, as well as a wick that absorbs the liquid, and the liquid itself. There are four types to choose from.
- Refillable
First, there’s the refillable type of vape source. It is multi-use, disposable, and the coils are non-replaceable. Usually, these are referred to as cartomizers, cartridges, and pods. If you want to put in your own substance or pre-mix it yourself, this is a good choice.
- Prefilled
The prefilled vape source is disposable, single-use, and has coils that are non-replaceable. You can usually find this type of vapor source sold on the market as cartomizers, cartridges, and pods. As a beginner, this is a good choice.
You won’t have to mess around with putting the substance into the cartridge. However, you’ll want to make sure it’s the right dosage for you.
Additionally, if you want to add substances of your own, you won’t be able to with this type of vape source.
- Rebuildable
One of the most complex types of vape sources is the rebuildable type. This is infinitely reusable and DIY because you install the coils and wicks yourself. These are always sold with an “R” in the front. So if you see RDTA, RTA, and RDA, these are rebuildable options.
Unless you love taking things apart and putting them back together, this isn’t the best choice for a beginner.
- Refillable, but With Replaceable Coils
Finally, there’s the refillable vape source that comes with replaceable coils. These are usually sold as clearomizers or sub ohm tanks. You can re-use them regularly, and if the coil ever gets old, you can always replace them, too.
Like with the rebuildable type, this isn’t a great choice for beginners unless you’re someone who’s into playing around with technology.
- Considerations to Make
When you’re choosing the right atomizer for your vape, you need to make sure it’s compatible with the vape’s vape mod. If they don’t fit together right, then your vape will be useless. The power and coil resistance have to match up.
As for the coils, these come in a variety of resistance ranges. If you want larger vapor clouds, choose a low resistance coil. If you want smaller ones (this is more discreet), you should choose a high resistance coil.
- The Power Source
You also need to think about the vape’s power source, also known as the vape mod. Within it, you’ll find the batteries that power the vape—which are usually lithium-ion batteries. The vape mod comes in many different versions.
They have different names, including e-cigarettes, pod vapes, tube mods, vape pens, and box mods.
Power limits and electronic features of mods can vary significantly.
Some, such as variable wattage mods, are so advanced that you can adjust their wattage. With temperature control mods, you can control the temperature of the mod itself.
Other mods, on the other hand, are technologically simple, which means beginners can use them easily. Generally, there are three different types of power sources: low, medium, and high.
- Low Power Source
All-in-ones, e-cigarettes, vape pens, and pod vapes often have a low power source. You don’t need any experience to use this type of power source, and the battery is usually small and re-chargeable (unless it’s a one-time or disposable e-cigarette).
Usually, the power isn’t adjustable and the vape itself is ultra-portable and concealable. Because these vapes are so easy to use and discreet, they’re a good choice for beginners.
- Medium Power Source
Box mods, tube mods, and all-in-ones often have a medium power source. With this type of power source, you need a bit of experience and should know about battery safety. The battery is usually of medium size and is either replaceable or built-in.
Even though these are usually not concealable, you can easily put them in your pocket if you want to be discreet. The power is also adjustable often, up to 100 watts.
If you want a little more flexibility, this might be the right choice for you as a beginner.
- High Power Source
Finally, there’s the high power source. You can find this type of source available in mechanical and box mods. You must be experienced to use this type of vape, so we don’t recommend it for beginners. The batteries are rarely built-in and are usually replaceable.
You need to have battery safety knowledge to use this type of power source. Usually, vapes are bulky and heavy, though you can still put them in your pocket.
You can usually adjust the power, going up as high as more than 200 watts.
- How to Start Vaping
Once you’ve chosen the right vape for you, it’s time to start vaping. This takes several steps, which include getting a vape starter kit, getting the right vape juice, and choosing your vaping method. Let’s review each of these steps.
Getting a Vape Starter Kit
First, you need to buy a vape starter kit. These usually cost somewhere between $20 and $60. There are four types. First, there are pod vapes, which have disposable cartridges and are either refillable or prefilled.
Then there are all-in-ones, also referred to as AIOs. These have a replaceable coil and are refillable.
An additional option is the e-cigarette, which has disposable cartridges and can be refillable or prefilled. Finally, there’s the disposable e-cigarette option, which is totally disposable and is prefilled.
Depending on what features you’re looking for after having read the earlier parts of this article, you should know which type of vape starter kit is best for you.
When you receive your vape kit, it should come with instructions. If you find that they’re difficult to follow, complete an online search to see what advice other users have on how to use it properly.
Choose Your Vape Juice
Next, you’ll want to choose your vape juice. You need to choose a nicotine level and flavor you think you would enjoy. If you want higher nicotine, this works best with a lower power vape. Higher nicotine contains 12 to 60 milligrams of nicotine.
Medium nicotine contains 6 to 12 milligrams of nicotine and works best with a vape that has low to medium power.
As for low nicotine, this contains 0 to 6 milligrams of nicotine and works best with a higher power.
One of the best vaping tricks is to base the amount of nicotine on how many cigarettes you’re smoking now.
Smoke a pack a day? Go with higher nicotine amounts. But if you only smoke when you’re drinking, we recommend you go with a lower amount.
If you want to use your vape for CBD or THC, then you can choose a vape juice that has these substances in it instead of nicotine.
- Choose Your Vaping Method
The last of our vaping tips for beginners is that you choose your vaping method. This has to do with how you choose to inhale the vapor. First, there’s mouth-to-lung. When you do this, you inhale deeply and slowly, like you would when smoking a cigarette.
This method is best for high nicotine, high resistance, small vapes.
There’s also the direct lung method. With this method, you draw the vapor quickly into your lungs and then exhale almost immediately. This is better for large vapes that have low nicotine and low resistance coils.
Need More Information?
Now that you know everything about how to start vaping as a beginner, you might need more information. Maybe you want to learn more about the best vapes out there. Or maybe you want to learn about the best vape accessories to use.
Whatever information you need, you can find it on our blog. Simply go to the section of our blog on vaping, and you can learn about the best vapes, vape juices, batteries, accessories, and more.