Getting your head around vaping: what’s MTL and DTL vaping?

Many of the different terms, references and even acronyms you come across when you start vaping aren’t, at first, easy to understand or even work out so you might be able to understand them. Take, for example, MTL and DTL. What on earth are they? You may have gathered in some way they refer to how people physically vape, but how does that fit together with which e-fluids you use, which vape pens, ciaglikes or vape mods (like, say, a Minikin V2 UK) and what kind of vaping you want to give a go – cloud-chasing, sub-ohm vaping or just common-or-garden ordinary vaping…?

MTL – what is it?

So, mouth to lung inhale (or MTL) is when you take in vapour and hold it there before allowing it pass down into your lungs.

DTL – what is it?

Conversely then, direct to lung inhale (DTL) is simply when the vapour’s inhaled directly into the lungs – and isn’t held in the mouth at the outset. Simply purse your lips and – without opening them – act as if you’re taking in a big breath.

MTL and DTL?

In real terms, though, one usually doesn’t have to choose specifically either MTL or DTL, as there’s often a blur between the two when it comes to vaping – after all, it’s inevitably the vapour has to pass through your mouth on its way to the lungs when you’re looking to practice DTL. So, you don’t have to be totally vigilant and just aim for MTL or DTL on every single vape.

Which of the two is best?

So, generally speaking then, which practice – MTL or DTL – is better for…

• New vapers – most people prefer mouth to lung inhaling when they start vaping. This is ideal for vape devices with a tighter draw, higher nicotine levels, and which deliver a better throat hit. Some people also find it more closely resembles the way they smoked. Direct to lung can be quite intense, and new vapers may find it makes them cough

• For e-juice flavour – it’s not just new vapers who prefer mouth to lung vaping. Some vapers believe that they get more flavour from their vape when they use mouth to lung vaping technique. This could be because you add less air to your vape when you mouth to lung vape, or because the vapour spends more time in your mouth where you have more taste buds

• For intensity and cloud generation – direct to lung inhaling is more suitable for people who like blowing big clouds of vapour or for those who like a more intense vaping experience.

Do how do you MTL vape?

No worries. This is very simple; just ensure you take a smooth, steady drag on your e-cig device, much longer than for a conventional ciggie, though, hold it in the mouth for a second or two and then eventually inhale the drag’s vapour.

And how do you DTL vape?

Does your e-cig have adjustable airflow? If so, be sure you open it up fully to allow as airy a vape as possible and take a smooth, steady drag on the device, not allowing it to rest in your mouth before it passing straight down into your lungs.

What e-juice is best for MTL?

E-liquids, if you’re not already aware have two chemicals among their ingredients called propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG); often, e-juices are recommended according to the ratio of PG and VG they comprise. For MTL vaping then, you’ll ideally want a e-fluid with a ratio favouring PG to deliver a satisfying throat hit.

And what’s best for DTL?

Conversely, for satisfying DTL vaping an e-liquid with a higher VG level than a PG level’s what you want; it’ll afford you a smoother vaping experience thanks to delivering more vapour while not proving drastic on your throat in spite of the good size of the clouds you’ll generate. In short, an e-fluid with a 70/ 30 VG/ PG ratio’s the one to go for or even one with an 80/ 20 VG/ PG ratio.

What about nicotine strengths?

What strength of nicotine you’ll want your e juice UK to contain depends on precisely the amount of nicotine you’re used to and, indeed, what you therefore want to receive from your vape. For instance, if you’re looking to quit tobacco ciggies or have just managed to, the likelihood is you’ll require a relatively high nicotine content. That said; for MTL vaping more nicotine’s the norm and for DTL vaping you’ll find less is usually better (often DTL vapers like to opt for nicotine levels around the 0.6 percent or 0.3 percent marks).