Transitioning MTL to DTL Vaping

How to Move from MTL to DTL Vaping

If you’ve spent enough time in the world of vaping, you have no doubt come across the terms MTL vaping and DTL vaping. If so, you have probably learnt that they are simply the two main styles of vaping; that is, two ways of inhaling vape hits.

We’ve covered the difference between MTL and DTL vapingbefore. Instead of recapping these differences, the main aim of this blog is to break down the barriers between MTL and DTL vaping and to show you how you can move between these two ways of vaping. (Please note that this blog assumes that you know the difference between MTL and DTL!)

Read on, and let our guide walk you through the key components of MTL and DTL vaping; dispelling some myths surrounding them and instead looking at why some users switch vaping styles, how the two compare to each other, how you can switch between the two, and—most importantly—how to get the maximum enjoyment from your own personal vaping journey.

Why switch from MTL Vaping to DTL Vaping?

When looking at how to transition or move from MTL vaping to DTL vaping, we should first clear up some misconceptions before we move onto more practical advice.

Typically, DTL vaping has been seen as the more advanced style of vaping—indeed, we ourselves have previously described it as such on our website.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that MTL vaping is in any way a lesser form of vaping, nor is it solely for beginners.

In fact, if you have a cursory browse of any vaping forum or social media, you’re likely to come across discussions on this very topic, and you’ll notice—perhaps unsurprisingly—that human behaviour cannot be slotted into neat boxes. To wit, some vapers report that they have always preferred DTL vaping; that’s what they started with, and it’s where they’ve stayed.

Likewise, others have always been MTL vape fans and have stuck to MTL vaping for many years. As such, it’s fair to say that the beginner/advanced dichotomy does not stand up to scrutiny. As is often the case with most things related to vaping, it comes down to personal preference.

Nonetheless, a vape user may find themselves wanting to transition from MTL vaping to DTL vaping for various reasons, which are often interlinked. Some users may simply want to take a little break from MTL vaping to test out DTL vaping without switching full-time.

Commonly, a lot of vapers tend to find as time goes on that they enjoy the overall ritual and habit of vaping, and thus begin to approach vaping from a slightly more “hobbyist” perspective. In short, a shift towards DTL vaping and its trappings; less nicotine relief, more enjoying vaping at a “pure” level focused on vape juice flavour and larger amounts of vapour.

MTL vs DTL Vaping

This section will compare the respective strengths of MTL and DTL vaping. Whilst a comparison between the two can certainly be both fruitful and instructive, don’t expect this to be a competitive “versus”-style comparison where we crown a winner. Instead, this brief comparison should hopefully give you an idea of which vaping style would best suit you.

As discussed in the previous blog (linked above), MTL vaping and DTL vaping differ not only in the equipment and tools used, but also in their effects.

To recap: MTL vaping is more concerned with delivering quick nicotine relief; users take shorter, sharper drags; there’s less vapour produced; users experience smooth, full-bodied throat hits.

By contrast, DTL vaping is more heavily focused on long, deep, drags; there’s much more vapour produced; there is a less pronounced throat hit as vapour is inhaled directly into the lungs; there is a less immediate nicotine kick compared to MTL vaping, but nicotine saturation builds up gradually with prolonged draws.

To help keep the comparison of MTL and DTL clear, here’s a handy side by side recap of the above points.

Now that we have a good idea of what MTL vaping and DTL vapingare, and how they compare to each other, we can look at the key thrust of this blog: how to make the move from MTL vaping to DTL vaping.

How to Move from MTL Vaping to DTL Vaping

In practical terms, making the move from MTL vaping to DTL vaping is quite straightforward. Let’s assume you’ve been vaping for a while—long enough, at least, to feel comfortable with MTL vaping. There are a few overall steps to consider following for a smoothmove from MTL vaping to DTL vaping.

1. Switch up your hardware

Depending on which vape kit you’re using, the first step may be to upgrade to a more advanced device. This isn’t a commercial blog, so we won’t go into depth, but suffice to say that a standard pen-style vape kit typically only has scope for MTL vaping styles. If, however, you were to move to a pod kit, most of these allow for customisation of two key factors: device wattage, and coil resistance. Of course, any larger vape mod/box mod would also allow for this customisation.

The reason why you need a bigger, stronger device for DTL vaping relates directly to high-VG e-liquid. These types of vape juice are more viscous than high-PG e-liquid; as such, more power is required to vaporise them. Running a vape kit continually at a high wattage requires more battery power, thus the need for larger, more powerful devices—which, by extension, use larger, more powerful batteries.

2. Customise your device settings

Once in possession of a vape kit that has adjustable, customisable settings, start playing around and get comfortable with your device. Many vape kits are sold with several coils included, allowing immediate access to vape hit customisation. Besides the broad differences we’ve sketched thus far in this blog, one of the main things that sets DTL vaping aside from MTL vaping is the sense of freedom and play. For many vapers, being able to customise their vape kit setup to deliver their perfect puff is all part of the fun. So get creative!

3. Vape juice variety

As we mentioned earlier, the key difference between vape juice for MTL and vape juice for DTL is its ratio of VG (vegetable glycerin) to PG (propylene glycol). Broadly, higher-VG eliquid is more viscous, and delivers thicker vapour.

Although certain vape coils do work better with certain vape juice, you’re still fairly free to mix things up a little bit. A coil at a resistance of around 0.9Ω, for example, is in a good midrange between MTL vaping and DTL vaping. This would allow you to use it with both high-VG and high-PG e-liquid, and—theoretically—enjoy a midpoint between the smooth throat hits of MTL and the dense clouds of DTL. As you move into lower vape coil resistance ranges, you get into a better sweet spot for DTL vaping.

When to Switch from MTL Vaping to DTL Vaping

Having looked at why and how someone might go from MTL to DTL, it would be worth looking at when to transition from MTL vaping to DTL vaping. By that, we simply mean; how do you know that you’re ready to make the switch? And, are there any further precautions to be taken?

In a sense, the decision to switch from MTL to DTL vaping is no more “complicated” than making the decision to quit smoking. The operative word here is decision: much like you have to decide for yourself that you’re ready to quit smoking, so you have to decide for yourself that you’re ready to move to DTL vaping. In keeping with this idea, there are a few factors to bear in mind when thinking about making the switch.

●Time: Most beginners and intermediate vapers look for something that mimics a cigarette; in practical terms, this means MTL. It can take months—years even—to be ready to move on from MTL to DTL.

●Nicotine habit: As part of the transition from MTL, body and mind adapt to a lower nicotine level. As a vape user moves away from smoking, cravings can be curbed and satisfaction gained from lower levels of nicotine. Body and mind are able to forget—and move on from—their former smoking habit and addiction; the ritual of smoking is replaced by vaping.

●Technical know-how: High-VG eliquid is overall a little trickier than high-PG eliquid. Thicker and more viscous, they can clog up or quickly burn through vape coils—if the user lacks the required technical know-how to adjust their vape kit settings to match a given e-liquid.

●Preference: Simply put, not everyone will want to switch from MTL vaping to DTL vaping. This may tie into a person’s past smoking habit; how heavily they used to smoke, whether they suffer from smoking relapses, how dedicated they are to quitting. Also, as noted, some vape fans may be smoke-free but simply have a preference for MTL vaping.

Enjoying the Switch from MTL Vaping to DTL Vaping

Overall, we’ve seen that the switch from MTL vaping to DTL vaping need not be all that complicated, and certainly no cause for concern. Instead, it should be seen as a positive and enjoyable part of your personal vaping journey. Alongside the technical tweaks we’ve outlined above, below is a handy cheat sheet of the general schemata for each vaping style.

●MTL Vaping: Low wattage output / high-resistance coils / higher-PG e-liquid

●DTL Vaping: High wattage output / low-resistance coils / higher-VG e-liquid

Once you’re comfortable with these sets of relations, you should be fine to play around with a mixture of both MTL and DTL vaping styles, tweaking the parameters as you see fit.

Adjusting the VG:PG ratio of your e-liquid, switching between different vape coil resistances, getting comfortable playing around with the different settings on your vape kit are all important parts of your vaping journey; switch between styles depending on your given mood, or pinpoint your perfect vape hit and stick with it.

Overall, our main advice would be to ensure you give yourself time and space to get acquainted with all aspects of vaping, and feel physically and mentally ready to take your vaping to this next step. Hopefully, this guide will help you feel more relaxed about the technical backbone of your vape experience, giving you anewfound sense of freedom and enjoyment. 

Vaping Guides at myCigara

At myCigara, we exist to make the UK smoke-free. We believe that vaping is one of the most effective and viable methods available to people who are trying to quit smoking. That’s why we aim to offer comprehensive product education and market-leading content that helps those looking to test vaping as a way to quit smoking for good.

If you’ve landed on this blog, but are feeling a little lost and need to go back to the beginning, why not start with our ‘new to vaping’ page; it’s designed to give total beginners a quick overview of vaping before they begin to explore the vaping world at large.

We also have a full range of tips and guides available —these cover most of the questions customers tend to have about vaping, and may even give you answers you didn’t know you needed! Further to that, why not check out our indomitable selection of vape blogs, covering product reviews, comparisons, user guides, and industry news.

Away from our leading online content, you may wish to simply visit your nearest myCigara vape shop. Our expert in-store staff are always on hand for a friendly chat or to offer guidance on which vape product is right for you. Otherwise, you can always simply get in touch with us with any questions and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.