Vaping is very easy to do, but don't ever let anyone tell you that it's as easy as smoking. When you light a cigarette, it practically smokes itself. Since a cigarette burns down on its own whether you puff on it or not, you'll figure things out very quickly. Vaping, on the other hand, isn't exactly the same because you're dealing with an electronic device. That makes them just like the other gadgets in your life in that they offer multiple configuration options – and whenever a gadget offers multiple configuration options, there's always a chance that you'll configure it in a way that isn't ideal for your needs. Learning how to vape is an absolutely essential part of having a good vaping experience, and a major part of that is learning how to inhale properly.

So, how do you inhale properly when vaping? That's what you're going to learn as you read this article. There are two different inhaling styles for vaping, and those style are mouth-to-lung inhaling and direct-to-lung inhaling. We'll describe how to use both of those inhaling styles, and we'll also explain why you might want to choose one or the other.

How to Inhale in the Mouth-to-Lung Style

If you use a small vaping device such as a pod system, you'll inhale in the mouth-to-lung style. You can tell that a device is intended for mouth-to-lung inhaling because it'll have a small mouthpiece. You'll also notice a good amount of air resistance – just like with a cigarette – when you puff on it.

A vaping device designed for mouth-to-lung inhaling usually has automatic puff-based activation, which means that it generates vapor automatically when you inhale. Others have manual fire buttons, which means that you'll need to press and hold the button when vaping.

The most important thing to know about the mouth-to-lung inhaling style is that the physics of vaping are very different from the physics of smoking. With a cigarette, you can get a bigger smoke cloud by puffing more aggressively. With a vaping device, however, the vapor production is limited by the power output of the device and the efficiency of the atomizer coil. You won't get a bigger vapor cloud by puffing harder; you'll get a bigger cloud by puffing more deeply.

When you learn how to inhale with a mouth-to-lung vaping device, your goal is to use only the amount of air pressure necessary to get your device to turn on and start producing vapor. Draw the vapor slowly into your mouth before inhaling it into your lungs and then exhaling it.

How to Inhale in the Direct-to-Lung Style

Larger vaping devices such as box mods and many vape pens are designed for the direct-to-lung inhaling style. You can identify a direct-to-lung vaping device by the fact that it'll have a large refillable glass tank with a wide mouthpiece and big airflow vents on the bottom. A direct-to-lung device will also usually have a manual fire button. To use the direct-to-lung vaping style, you'll fill your tank with low-nicotine e-liquid. The most popular nicotine strength for direct-to-lung inhaling is 3 mg/ml.

What to Do if You Get E-Liquid in Your Mouth When Inhaling

If you get e-liquid in your mouth when inhaling, it means that you're using too much air pressure. A mouth-to-lung vaping device has very tight airflow. If you try to draw air through your tank or pod too quickly, the atomizer coil will flood. If the atomizer coil is flooded, the excess e-liquid has to go somewhere. It'll either squirt into your mouth, or it'll leak out the bottom of the tank or pod. Inhale gently to prevent that from happening.

What to Do if Your Vaping Device Pops or Crackles When You Inhale

In most cases, a little popping or crackling is normal when you're using a vaping device with a powerful atomizer coil. If the noise annoys you, consider switching to a tank with a mesh coil. A mesh coil has a very flat profile, which leads to quiet operation and reduced popping and crackling.

What to Do if Your Vaping Device Whistles When You Inhale

Although inhaling too firmly when vaping is mainly a problem that you might face if you're using a mouth-to-lung vaping device, it's also possible to use too much air pressure when inhaling directly to the lungs. If that happens, you may notice a whistling noise coming from your tank's intake vents. The first step here is to make sure that your tank's vents are fully open. If your tank still whistles, consider switching to a tank with larger air vents.