Mouth-to-lung vs. direct lung explained: choose your experience

One of the strongest points of vaping as a smoking cessation aid is that it lets you customize your experience. From selecting a vaping device to navigating the endless variety of juice flavors, you won’t be strapped for options when it comes to how and what you vape. More than that, you can even choose how to inhale. We are talking about mouth-to-lung (MTL or ML) versus Direct Lung (DL, DLI or DTL) inhale, the phrases you will often hear in the vaping community.

What is mouth-to-lung inhale?

Inhaling mouth-to-lung means that you first fill your mouth with vapor and only then further inhale that vapor into the lung. If you are a smoker, it’s very similar to the way you would smoke a cigarette. If you are not a smoker, it’s kind of like drinking through a straw.

What is direct lung inhale?

Direct lung inhale is when you inhale vapor straight to the lung. It can probably be compared to smoking a hookah or taking a very big breath of air but with your lips rounded.

Does how you inhale matter?

It does — because the way you inhale will affect your choice of a vaping device, e-liquid and the overall experience.

Mouth-to-lung device are usually a good fit for those who have just quit smoking as it closely replicates the sensation one gets from a cigarette. But in order to get the most out of the experience, you need to select a suitable vaping device. Vaping devices that are best for mouth-to-lung vaping have the following things in common:

●     Low wattage: <20 watts, not meant for blowing big clouds

●     A narrow mouthpiece for a tighter draw

●     Very portable and pocket-friendly thanks to a small battery

●     High-resistance coils: >1.0 ohm

●     High nicotine concentration: best used with nic salts or nicotine-rich e-juices

●     Softer throat hit due to small vapor production

●     High flavor intensity

The types of devices you would mostly use for mouth-to-lung vaping are pod systems and cig-a-likes.

 Direct lung vaping is quite a bit different and calls for a different type of vaping devices. Namely:

●     High wattage for big cloud production

●     Larger mouthpiece with airflow control

●     Bigger size because of sizeable batteries

●     Low-resistance coils: < 1.0 ohm

●     Lower nicotine concentration: it’s not recommended to use juice with a concentration higher than 12mg

●     Stronger throat hit: you get bigger clouds and a generally “warmer” vape

●     Lower flavor intensity because you inhale directly into the lung (this can be adjusted by tweaking settings on the device).

DL vaping devices are typically box mods, tube mods or mechanical mods.

Which option would be best for you?

Mouth-to-lung devices are a better option for ex smokers and new vapers: they offer a similar experience to smoking, are really easy to use and upkeep and can deliver intense flavors with higher nicotine content and a softer throat hit.

Direct lung devices, on the other hand, give you more options for personalizing your vaping experience (thanks to variable wattage and airflow control) and bigger clouds — but with a steeper learning curve.

You are free to choose and customize your vaping experience and it may take some experimenting to find the perfect fit — take the time to do some research and make sure to choose quality vaping devices and e-liquids for a smooth and comfortable transition from smoking to vaping.