How long is my e-liquid going to last?
This is a question that has plagued the vaping community for years. The best way to figure this sort of question out is to work backwards using a simple equation that considers three things:
- The duration of your inhale
- VG/PG ratio of the liquid you use
- The resistance of your coil and type of vape device you're using
When most people start vaping, they usually use disposables. These are great benchmarks that let you work backwards, and determine how many puffs you will get out of the vape juice you’re using. These disposable vape kits can be broken down like this: disposable vapes use nicotine salts (or nic salts for short) which have a 50/50 split between vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. This means the liquid inside is able to deliver an even split between vapour and flavour. One disposable vape pen typically has a resistance of around 1.0Ω and has 2ml of e-liquid inside and typically lasts around 600 puffs. These devices will have sufficient nicotine strength for any vaper, and you can find these devices mostly anywhere because they are such big brands like Elf bar 600 and Geek Bar.
So, this means that 1ml of typical e-liquid will last around 300 puffs for most vapers. This is a volatile estimate though; most people find that they will usually get fewer draws than that. This estimate will rarely go below 150 puffs unless your ohm vaping with vigour.
How You Vape Will Change Everything
Mouth-to-lung is when you inhale the vapour to your lungs and then exhale. This is very similar to the sensation of smoking a cigarette and is often adopted by vaping newbies. The cloud production for MTL is lower because you inhale only a mouthful of vapour which reduces cloud production, hence the name. This sort of vape inhale will minimise the amount of liquid that becomes vapourised, so it will usually be the best option for those wanting to save liquid or conserve it so it lasts longer. Usually, you'll be using standard 10ml bottles of vape liquid, or pre-filled pods in pod systems.
Usually, this sort of vaping will involve using devices with high-resistance coils like disposable vape kits, vape pens, pod mods, starter vape kits, or complete vape pod kits.
Direct-to-lung requires a long draw, allowing for the vapour to travel directly to your lung, for non-sub-ohmers, this can be a foreign concept, and it could take some time to get used to if attempted. However, it will allow for huge plummets of vapour, allowing vast clouds to emerge on each exhale. This method is best used with lower nicotine e-liquid as high nicotine can be harsh on your throat. This type of vape will go through liquid very quickly because you’ll be producing massive plumes, so if you’re eager to save the liquid you’ve got, try to keep yourself from chasing clouds.
This sort of inhale will usually involve the use of an advanced mod vape kit, ohm kit or vape mods that have a fitted metal tank that's fitted with a low-resistance coil.
It’s What’s Inside the Liquid That Matters…
MTL vaping is more economical as e-liquid usage is reduced and it’s more favoured by new vapers who are usually using pod devices and pod vapes. This style is best suited to higher nicotine e-liquid with a blend of 50PG/50VG or 60PG/40VG. This way, most vapers can enjoy a classic split between ample vapour production and deeply rich flavour.
Higher VG e-liquid is essential for sub-ohming. VG, also known as Vegetable Glycerine is the thickening element that increases vapour production. DTL is better suited to higher VG e-liquid, 60VG/40PG and upwards, giving a smoother vape.
