Want to switch to vaping? These handy tips will maximise your chances of success during the transition from smoking.
These suggestions are based not just on our own 16 years of experience but on the experience of dozens of long-time vapers who kindly shared their tips with us on social media.
If you're looking for a more in-depth guide on switching to vaping, make sure you check out The Beginners Guide to Vaping in our E-Cigarette Academy. You may also want to check out how a new staffer was able to switch to vaping in just 6 weeks.
Contents
- Start simple
- Get the inhale right
- Nicotine level
- Flavour
- E-liquid type
- Learn the basics
- Keep hydrated
- Don’t beat yourself up
- Get support
- Focus on harm reduction
For most people, starting with a simple vape device minimises the learning curve, allowing you to focus on the experience rather than mastering advanced controls.
One great option is a prefilled pod system. All you have to do is clip the pod into the device and inhale. Once you’ve mastered that, switching to a refillable pod system will allow you to reduce costs and experiment with more flavours.
Learn more: How to Choose and Use a Pod Vape
Vaping requires longer, slower puffs than smoking to get the most out of it. This was even confirmed in a study: longer, slower puffs got users more nicotine.
The problem is simple...
When you puff harder on a cigarette, you get more smoke, but when you puff harder on a vape, nothing happens. The ingrained habit of puffing harder for more nicotine just doesn't work when you vape.
So if you find yourself unsatisfied when you try vaping, try changing your puffing style. Try taking deeper, slower puffs and see if it makes a difference. See our guide to inhaling your vape for more info.
AndriaD, commenting on the E-Cigarette Forum, noted that this was the issue that was holding her back from making the switch:
I wondered why it was so much harder in the morning than at any other time, and I finally realised that, half asleep, I was trying to vape as if I was smoking – short hard draw, fast deep inhales. So, that night while watching TV, I practised the long, slow draws, letting it hang around in my mouth and throat before inhaling, and then letting it emerge via my nose as much as my mouth. [...]The next morning, I consciously made myself vape that way. That was my very first smoke-free day.
Learn More: How to Inhale When You Vape
One of the biggest reasons smokers fail to switch to vaping is using the wrong nicotine level.
Vapes deliver less nicotine than cigarettes, so it’s crucial to use a nicotine strength that can meet your cravings.
At the same time, if you’re a light smoker, or smoke weaker cigarettes, you don’t want to use too high a strength.
“tj99959” from the E-Cigarette Forum found that striking the right balance was what made the difference:
When I started, 24mg nicotine made me sick, and 12mg nicotine left me wanting, so I had to stay within those parameters. 18mg did the trick.
The key here is to experiment and find a strength that meets your cravings without any negative effects.
Learn more: Nicotine and E-Liquid: What Strength Do You Need?
When most people start vaping, they want a tobacco flavour such as American Red or Classic Virginia. This does work for a lot of people and, in our shops, we always try to match the e-liquid to the tobacco flavour people have been smoking. However, I’ve also seen people say they want to start with a tobacco flavour, but when they try a sweet or fruity flavour they prefer it and end up using that.
They're probably in the minority. But we do notice a lot of vapers change to non-tobacco flavours in the weeks and months after switching..
A lot of people find it easier to switch using non-tobacco flavours because it helps them move away from the taste of tobacco and, if they get tempted into smoking again, they find the taste of cigarettes unpleasant.
Researchers agree, with one saying:
Evidence from our own research suggests that a significantly higher proportion of smokers who prefer to vape non-tobacco flavours go on to completely quit smoking cigarettes within three months.
Learn more: Flavours Save Lives: Here’s How
There are two main types of e-liquids; nicotine salts and freebase.
Nicotine salts are best if you prefer a smooth throat hit, as they are gentle on the back of your throat even at higher nicotine levels.
Regular e-liquid (aka freebase) is stronger on the back of the throat, and is a great choice for lower nicotine levels or if you prefer a stronger throat hit.
Learn more: Vape Juice Buying Guide
Gone are the days when you needed to spend hours reading tutorials to get the most out of your vape. Simply put, vaping has become much, much simpler.
That said, it’s worth learning a few basics, especially if you are using refillable devices.
Two key things to know are:
When to change the pod or coil - Failure to do this can lead to a scratchy, burnt taste.
How to prime a coil to make it last longer.
Learn more: The Beginner’s Guide to Vaping
One of the key components in e-liquid, propylene glycol, can give you a dry mouth.
This seems more common with new vapers than experienced vapers, but the solution is simple - ensure you sip a glass of water when vaping.
Going from a pack a day to no cigarettes may be ideal, but it’s not easy.. That’s why ‘dual use’ (both vaping and smoking) is common with new vapers.
This might seem like a problem if you’re expecting vaping to be a “magic bullet.” You might think it means that vaping isn’t for you, but that isn’t the case at all.
Many vapers we spoke to didn’t completely stop smoking when they first started. They often cut down the amount they smoked, but didn't stop altogether. That’s still a good thing: switching 100% might be better, but cutting down is great too.
The advice we got on this was unanimous, and David Ock from the E-Cigarette Forum summed it up like this:
Don't beat yourself up if you ‘slip’ and smoke. Count the ones you don’t smoke, and move on.
“Del1977” from the Planet of the Vapes forum expanded with a bit of advice:
Give the vaping a proper go, but, realise that a bit of dual fuelling isn't a disaster. Smoke if you must have one, but sitting about watching TV, on the computer, during breaks at work and in the car e.t.c.: just vape away. Vaping becomes more enjoyable than smoking pretty quickly.
Getting support is a huge help when you’re making the switch. Whether it's from other vapers, friends, family or stop-smoking services, support spurs you on.
Louise Ross drove this point home clearly:
Support is really important, in my opinion. Any behaviour change that involves losing an aspect of ‘normal life’ can be hard, especially when the rewards have to be hard-won, and it’s the encouragement from others that can make the difference between success and failure.
Besides, other people (whether it’s vapers or stop smoking advisors) will have good ideas that can be added to your repertoire of good tips that keep you going during the tricky times.
Encouragement from your friends and family boosts your motivation and helps you through the tough periods.
And if you need help navigating the often world of devices and atomizers, other vapers can help make sure you come out with something you love.
If you need motivation to try vaping again, focusing on the harm reduction aspect can really help.
Several vapers said that focusing on the risks of smoking helped them stay motivated. Remember why you want to switch, and use that motivation to push you to give vaping another try.
Additionally, the media's focus on potential risks of vaping may be putting you off. The risks of vaping are routinely exaggerated and the benefits are often downplayed.
The result is that it’s easy to think “if vaping is just as bad as smoking, I might as well just smoke.”
Public Health England noted this in their report. It’s part of the reason they firmly stressed the point that vaping is at least 95 per cent safer than smoking. If the choice is between smoking and vaping, you’re definitely much better off vaping.
We asked Louise Ross for her number one advice for smokers trying to switch, and she responded:
Don’t be scared off by newspaper stories about the possible downsides, we can say with certainty that e-cigs are at least 95% safer than smoked cigarettes. People have told us that using a vaporiser to stop smoking was a revelation!
Learn more: 95% Safer? The Real Story on Vaping Safety
11. Charge batteries properly and never leave a charging battery unattended.
Learn more: Battery Safety Guidelines
12. Always keep devices and liquids out of the reach of children and pets.
Learn more: Pets and Vaping: What’s the risk?
13. Always have at least two batteries on charge
Vaping isn’t for everyone (because nothing really is), but don’t base your verdict on one or two experiences.
Plenty of vapers don’t switch at first. But before you give up on vaping, experiment with the options available to you. Explore the different devices on offer, taste tons of e-liquids, and - above all – focus on learning to enjoy vaping as much as you can.
Exploring the options might seem like a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it when you hit on the winning combination.
We’d like to thank Louise Ross and everyone from the E-Cigarette Forum, UK Vapers, Planet of the Vapes, Vapers Network and Vapors Lounge who shared their experience and made this post possible.
