Common Mistakes For New Vapers

It’s easy to make a mistake when starting to vape. Spilt e-liquid, leaking tanks and burnt atomiser coils, we’ve all been there and in the 14 years Mirage has been in business, we’ve just about seen them all!

There is no need to let this put you off though, over those years the quality, performance and ease of use of vape products has improved dramatically. Hopefully with this guide you can avoid some of the common pitfalls that new vapers experience and get off to the best start possible.

 

1. Starting with the wrong e-liquid

A major mistake new vapers often make is starting with the wrong nicotine strength.

In terms of things that will affect your ability to successfully make the switch from smoking to vaping, this has to be at the top of the list.  Starting with the strength too low and its very likely that you’ll find the vape is not satisfying enough to keep you from craving cigarettes, meaning you might vape without feeling completely satisfied or worse, go back to smoking. 

Too much nicotine and the throat ‘hit’ may be too strong or ‘harsh’ which can result in coughing while trying to inhale.  Our handy guide to choosing e-liquid strength will help you make the right choice, and our staff in store and on the phone are always happy to help you determine the right strength for you and get off on the right foot.

 

2. Starting with the wrong device

Another major mistake new vapers often make, and certainly deserving of its No.2 position in this guide, is choosing a device that does not fit in with your needs and lifestyle.

It is an unfortunate fact that some vape shops will simply encourage new customers to buy the most expensive or profitable device possible, but the truth is that if the goal is to help someone switch from smoking to vaping, this approach simply does not work. 

In general, people new to vaping get on best with an easy-to-use MTL (mouth-to-lung) device which delivers a similar draw and throat hit to the kind of cigarettes the person used to smoke.  Low maintenance, easy charging and simple refilling are all qualities that a new vaper should consider to give themselves the best chance of quitting smoking, removing as many obstacles as possible. 

The Beginner Kits section of our website is a great place to start your vape journey, with carefully chosen selection of devices that most people should find easy to use as a new vaper.

 

 

3. Choosing a device that doesn’t fit with your lifestyle

The varying needs of a nurse, long-distance driver, home worker or bricklayer are very likely not going to be met by the same vape device.  Likewise, the needs of a homebody or an elderly retiree are certainly not going to be the same as a social butterfly or extreme sports fanatic.  This is why it is also important to choose a vape device that will fit in with your lifestyle.

Many beginner kits are small, lightweight and pocket/purse (turn it off first!) friendly devices which are ideal for people who are always on the go and need to travel light.  An advanced kit like a dual battery sub ohm device would likely feel too bulky and heavy to carry around on a night out or a postal worker for example, yet may be absolutely ideal for a homebody or long-distance driver, where the weight doesn’t matter so much and they are more likely to appreciate having better battery life over portability. 

A small tank with smaller-still replaceable coils may be fine for most people too, but perhaps less than ideal for someone who is partially sighted or has difficulty with fine motor skills and might find pre-filled or cig-a-like devices more suitable.

We always recommend that new vapers give some thought to their needs and requirements so that they can choose a device that really fits in well with how they work, socialise and live.  The better the device fits with your lifestyle, the better your chances are of sticking with vaping long term.

4. Starting with the wrong e-liquid (again)

It really is important to find the right e-liquid for you, and not just because of nicotine.  Try out a few different flavours rather than accepting the first one and try to find something that you think you will be able to get along with all day. 

Many people (myself included, when I first switched!) are surprised to find that they much prefer fruity or sweet flavours over tobacco flavours, while others feel they can’t truly get the satisfaction they need from vaping without that familiar cigarette taste. 

Everyone is different, taste is subjective, but one thing is consistent – find a flavour you can get along with or better yet really enjoy, and making the switch becomes much easier.

 

 

5. Expecting too much too soon

Over the years we have heard from many thousands of customers that have successfully switched to vaping.  For some it can be like a magic bullet and once they tried vaping, they never looked back. For some of us however, it takes time.
 
As vaping is fully recognised as being 95% less harmful than smoking, even vaping some of the time and smoking at others is still far better than smoking full time.  Research has shown that people who dual vape (both vape and smoke) are often very successful in switching to vaping completely in the long term, so don’t be disheartened if you can’t make the switch completely right away. 

You’re using one of the most effective quitting aids available, which helps around 50,000 smokers quit each year in the UK.  We truly hope the tips in this guide can help you to become one of them.