New to vaping?
Read our beginners guide.
If you’re a smoker, vaping the right device with the right vape juice can provide you with the same kind of satisfaction as cigarettes. The added benefit is a seriously wide range of flavors to choose. Even though the vape kits on the market have significantly improved over the years to make it simpler for a smoker to switch, there are still a few simple first steps that new vapers need to go through to get the best out of their gear when they first start vaping.
1
Pick your device
So you’ve decided what kind of vaper you’d like to be. Before thinking about flavors, you should look through our selection of complete kits and determine what kind of device fits you best. If you’re after that big satisfying nicotine hit, we recommend you go for something that uses a heating element (known as a coil or a wick) with a high level of resistance (we’ll talk about what this means in the accessories section).
With these devices – which are less power hungry – you’ll be able to use vape juice with a high nicotine content (we’ll talk about what constitutes “high” in the next section). These devices are often (but not always) smaller and more discreet, and because they are less power hungry the batteries tend to last longer. You’ll still get a decent amount of vapor from them, but they won’t produce the enormous clouds you can get from bigger more powerful vapes. They are an excellent choice for situations where you’d rather vape discreetly and without everyone noticing.
2
Get the right parts
To make the most of your new device there are two key spare parts you’ll need to have on hand: coils and batteries – although you’ll only need be able to get spare batteries for devices where the batteries are replaceable.
Coils are the most important, and these apply to any kind of device. These small heating elements are included in every device; they are inside the tank and you need to replace them regularly per your device’s instructions. Coils wear out over time: the constant process of heating and cooling leads to the vapor developing a bitter taste. When your juice doesn’t taste quite as good as it normally does, that means it’s time to change your coil; for many vapers this is about once per week.
We recommend you get spares with your first device so you always have them on hand when you need them. You’ll need to get the coil that is compatible with your device.
3
Pick your e-juice
Vape juice – otherwise known as e-juice, eliquid, juice and all sorts of other things – is essentially a liquid that consists of a “humectant” (either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine – this is what creates the vapor when you exhale), some nicotine, and flavorings. You put it in your vape, according to the instructions and you vape it. Simple, really!
Buying vape juice for the first time can be a little intimidating, with so many to choose from and a dizzying array of brands. But when it comes to the crunch there are only really two decisions you need to make: how much nicotine do you want and what kind of flavors do you enjoy?
Choose a juice from a reputable company and be sure to check the reviews to ensure that it’s the right pick for you. Start by checking out VanGo’s wide-ranging juice line here.
Let’s start with the first question. If you’ve chosen a large device with a low resistance coil and higher power so you can impress your friends with some epic clouds, you’ll need to go easy on the nicotine content. That’s because you’ll be inhaling a larger volume of vapor each time you take a hit.
However, more vapor volume means you’ll get more nicotine per inhalation than if you used a low-powered device. Most vapers who use higher powered devices tend towards nicotine levels of 0mg/ml or 6mg/ml (milligrams of nicotine per milliliter of liquid). There’s no exact science on this – you’ll figure out pretty quickly how you like to vape.
If you’ve chosen a kit with a higher resistance coil and lower power, you might want a higher nicotine content. Vaping this way will give you a more intense nicotine experience because the concentration will be higher. You’ll still get a great vape using juice with lower nicotine content, but for a more intense feeling of satisfaction, you should use 12mg/ml or above. You can’t use this juice in high-powered devices because the resulting flavor and sensation would be harsh (possibly very harsh!).
A new offering we have in higher nicotine liquids is our Nic Salt Line. Every flavour is available in nic salts, which are a smoother form of nicotine. If you’re just transitioning from smoking, we recommend selecting a liquid with a little more nicotine – perhaps 12mg/ml or 18mg/ml in freebase (regular) nicotine, or 20mg/ml or 40mg/ml of our Nic Salt juice.