Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Vs Direct-Lung (DL) Inhale Explained

I just wanted to buy a vape kit, but when I landed on a site I was immediately confused. Mouth-to-Lung, Sub-Ohm, Direct-Lung…what on earth do they all mean?

Browse through a vaping website and you’ll often come across the terms Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) and Direct-Lung (DL or DTL).

These terms are often used to describe vape hardware such as tanks and kits. They are very useful to experienced vapers, as they help them to decide if a tank or a kit meets their needs.

What is Mouth-to-Lung inhale?

Mouth-to-Lung refers to a type of inhaling. When you MTL inhale, you take the vapour into your mouth. You then hold it in your mouth before inhaling it into your lungs.

With it’s tighter, more restricted draw, the MTL experience is much closer to that of a cigarette.

What’s more, the combination of less air drawn over the coil, the higher PG levels used and the inhaling technique mean you’ll experience more of a throat hit. 

What is Direct-Lung inhale?

Direct-Lung inhale is when you inhale the vapour directly into your lungs, without holding it in your mouth first. It’s almost like taking a deep breath of air, only while pursing your lips. 

Direct-Lung vaping requires greater airflow to cool the vape down. As a result, DL devices are designed to draw more air over the coil.  

Direct-Lung inhale can also be known as Straight-to-Lung inhale.

A mixture of both?

Although most sites use the terms Mouth-to-Lung or Direct-Lung, in reality there can be a blur between the two. However you vape, the vapour has to pass through your mouth on its way to your lungs.

Still, the terms are widely used, and it’s worth learning what they mean before choosing the right device for you.

What is restricted Direct-Lung vaping?

Since we first wrote this post, a new term has entered vaping lingo.

Restricted Direct-Lung (abbreviated as RDL). 

This acknowledges the blur between MTL and DL and refers to a vape which is still airy, but not as airy as a full-on DL inhale.

With restricted Direct-Lung vaping, you inhale in the same way, but you don’t require as much airflow over the coil. The flavour experience is similar to DL, but the throat hit is more similar to MTL. 

Which is right for you?

For new vapers

Most people prefer Mouth-to-Lung inhaling when they start vaping. This is ideal for vape devices with a tighter draw, higher nicotine levels, and which deliver a better throat hit.

Some people also find it more closely resembles the way they smoked. Direct-Lung can be quite intense, and new vapers may find it makes them cough.

For flavour

It’s not just new vapers who prefer mouth to lung vaping. Some vapers believe that they get more flavour from their vape when they use a Mouth-to-Lung vaping technique.

There are several possible reasons for this.

· You add less air to your vape when you MTL vape.

· VG doesn’t mix as well as PG with flavours. 

· When you MTL vape, the vapour spends more time in your mouth where you have more taste buds.

On the other hand, you take in more vapour with DL, which means the flavour is more concentrated.

What’s more, e-liquid mixologists are well aware that flavours taste different with high VG e-liquids. In the early days of vaping, they might have used the same recipe for all VG:PG ratios. Now recipes are more adapted so they work well with higher VG ratios.