Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) vaping involves drawing vapour into the mouth before inhaling it into the lungs, mimicking the traditional smoking experience. In contrast, Direct-to-Lung (DTL) vaping entails inhaling vapour directly into the lungs, similar to taking a deep breath, often resulting in larger vapor production.
As a new starter in the market for your first vape, you are going to see a lot of new jargon. When looking for a beginner kit you are bound to come across the phrase Mouth to Lung or MTL a lot. In this article, we’re going to explain what it is, break down why it is relevant to you when making the switch from smoking and make your first vape purchase an informed and enjoyable one.
The mouth to lung style (MTL) of vaping involves inhaling vapour into your mouth before inhaling it into your lungs, just as you would a cigarette. The MTL style will feel very familiar to smokers as it gives you that satisfying throat hit - something that is missed almost as much as the nicotine!
With vape starter kits, the idea is to replicate this method of inhaling as well as the throat hit, so you get a like-for-like experience which - along with a higher nicotine strength - makes for an almost seamless smoking to vaping transition. This is done by utilising various aspects of the device's design features along with the type of e-cigarette liquid you use. Let's go through MTL vaping in more detail.
The coil is what turns your e-liquid into a vapour, it is a tiny metal tube that encases a metal mesh or coil wrapped in a layer of cotton. The cotton will soak up the e-liquid and, when you activate your vape, it will heat up the coil and voilà, you’re vaping. A single MTL coil will last roughly a week and they come in packs of three or five.
MTL vape coils have narrow centres - which is where your airflow will come through - and they also have a higher resistance. This means they are built to only allow a certain amount of your device’s power through when you activate your device.
Coil resistance is measured in Ohms, with mouth-to-lung coils existing in ranges of 0.8ohm to 1.5ohm. The lower the number (lower the resistance) the more power will get through. This translates to a warmer and much airier vape. Conversely, higher resistance coils with higher numbers will let through less power and provide a tighter and more discreet volume of vapour.
MTL vape kits will include a range of coil resistances, with a new kit often containing one high resistance (e.g: 1.0ohm) and one low (0.8ohm) resistance coil option. This offers you the opportunity to discover what kind of vape you prefer and it is recommended that you try both.
Inside your vape device is a rechargeable battery that can range from 250mAh all the way up to 1800mAh. To put this into perspective, the average mobile phone battery ranges from 3000 - 5000mAh. MTL vape kits don’t use that much power but a good starting point is 500mAh and up. They should last a day between charges depending on use and the latest kits feature USB Type-C charging that can have you back up and running pretty quickly.
The amount of power an MTL starter kit will put out is between 9 - 28 watts. Some kits will offer you the choice of adjusting the power settings while others are fixed or will be determined by the type of coil you use.
We mentioned earlier how coils affect airflow. When you vape, air will get pulled through small openings in your device and drawn up through the narrow centre of the coil - picking up the vapourised e-liquid as it goes. Starter pod kits and vape pens are designed to deliver a restricted draw and are best suited towards MTL-style vaping. The cloud of vapour produced will be discrete and similar to that of a cigarette.
Some kits will have fixed airflow openings whilst others feature an adjustable airflow, which affords you the ability to tweak the tightness of your draw according to your liking. The mouthpiece of these kits is tapered to provide a restricted cigarette-like feel.
Now for the fun part, what vape juice to pick? You want to look out for e-liquids with a 50-50 consistency. This is the ratio of the two base ingredients PG & VG and denotes the thickness of the liquid.
50-50 e-liquids are thin and are vaporised readily by the lower power output of mouth to lung devices. They are called freebase because they contain nicotine that has a higher pH value and will deliver a strong throat hit. They come in nicotine strengths of 3mg, 6mg, 12mg or 18mg. It is worth noting that the throat is quite harsh above 6mg of freebase nicotine. You can also buy larger 50/50 PGVG shortfill bottles, they offer a lot more e-liquid and are very cost-effective.
If you are a seasoned smoker you’ll need a good amount of nicotine to make sure your switch is successful and nic salts are the way to go. They share the same 50-50 consistency as freebase but are blended with nicotine that has a lower pH. This translates to a smooth yet gratifying throat hit at strengths of 5mg, 10mg or 20mg. Nic salts also absorb more quickly than freebase nicotine meaning they’re great if you have a heavy smoking habit.
To make your transition away from smoking even easier, we’ve put together a list of MTL kits highly rated by our customers and staff here at Vape Superstore. What's more, we’ve added a pack of coils, three premium e-liquids and hammered the price down to give you everything you need in one affordable bundle.
*Our Ultimate Beginner Vape Guide will answer all your vaping questions and help you get the perfect vape kit and e-liquid setup.
The Caliburn G3 is the perfect starter kit for any vaper looking for a compact and affordable device. It features progressive airflow control allowing you to adjust the draw of your vape. With an internal 900mAh battery, 5-25W of power to use with 0.6ohm and 0.9ohm coils, a sleek design and great flavour, as well as east top filling, the Caliburn G3 is a high quality starter vape pod kit that does the job really well.
The Caliburn G3 bundle delivers a full setup with a pack of five coils and your choice of 3 RAD nic salt flavours.
If you're looking for a convenient step up from disposables, the Vaporesso XROS 4 Pod Kit is the perfect option. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to fit in a bag or pocket, so you can take it wherever you go. Easy to use and hassle-free, the Vaporesso XROS 4 Pod Kit features an inhale activation system and provides excellent flavour with its Corex 2.0 refillable mesh coil pods and huge 1000mAh rechargeable battery. Grab this bundle offer and get one pack of replacement pods & 3 x 10ml Fruitz Nic Salt E-liquids.
The Pockex Kit is a firm favourite among vapers looking for a simple, easy-to-use kit. This pocket-friendly device features a 1500mAh battery and two coil options, allowing you to choose your preferred vaping style. With its press-to-vape style and ease of refill, this classic design is intuitive while being both durable and lightweight. With this bundle you’ll get a pack of 5 coils and 3 flavours of our very own Fifty-Fifty freebase e-liquid range.
www.vapesuperstore.co.uk contains general information about vaping and vapour products. The information provided is not medical advice, and should not be relied upon unless explicitly cited. We do not make any warranties surrounding the health benefits, reliability and accuracy of written copy across all pages on our website, including blog content and content posted on social media.
