Two ways to take a puff
Every vape draw falls into one of two camps. MTL stands for mouth-to-lung: you pull vapour into your mouth first, then breathe it in. DTL stands for direct-to-lung: you pull straight into your lungs in one motion, the way you would suck air through a wide straw.
That is the whole distinction. Everything else follows from it. Airflow, device size, coil choice, and the nicotine strength that will feel right all trace back to which camp you are in.
What MTL feels like
Tight and restricted. The draw pushes back a little, so vapour arrives slowly and in a small amount.
- Small clouds and quiet operation
- Longer battery life and less liquid used per puff
- Works with higher nicotine, usually salt nic at 10 or 20 mg/mL
- Covers nearly every disposable and starter pod on our shelves
If you are shopping disposables or a small pod system, you are shopping MTL whether the box says so or not.
What DTL feels like
Open and airy. There is almost no resistance, and the device turns a lot more liquid into vapour on each pull.
- Big clouds, warmer vapour, louder airflow
- Drains liquid and battery much faster
- Needs low nicotine, usually freebase at 3 or 6 mg/mL
- Lives on sub-ohm tanks and larger mods
Why the strength has to change with the style
This is the part people get wrong, and it costs them a bottle.
A DTL device moves several times more vapour per puff than an MTL pod does. Put 20 mg/mL salt nic in a sub-ohm tank and the draw will be brutally harsh. Go the other way, drop 3 mg/mL freebase into a small pod, and you will barely register it. Our salt nic vs freebase explainer covers the chemistry, but the shortcut is short: tight draw takes high strength, airy draw takes low.
Both styles sit under the same ceiling. BC retail follows Canada's 20 mg/mL nicotine limit, and both run 0 mg/mL if you want none at all.
The coil tells you which one a device wants
Look at the ohm rating printed on the coil or the pod.
- Above roughly 1.0 ohm: built for MTL
- Below roughly 0.6 ohm: built for DTL
- In between: a restricted middle ground that some devices are tuned for
Our coil guide goes further on types and when to swap them. Bring the device in if the numbers have rubbed off.
Plenty of devices do both
Most mid-range kits have an adjustable airflow ring. Close it down for MTL, open it up for DTL, and change the coil to match. One device, two experiences, no second purchase. Staff at any store can show you where the ring sits on the model in your hand.
Quick pick
- Want a tight draw and a device that disappears in a pocket: MTL
- Want the longest battery life and the least liquid used: MTL
- Want cloud volume and do not mind refilling often: DTL
- No idea at all: start MTL, then work outward if you want more
Come try both
Reading about airflow settles nothing. Thirty seconds with one of each in your hand settles it completely.
You must be 19+ with government-issued photo ID, and we card every visit. See what counts as ID if you are unsure. All five stores are open 24/7:
- Newton, Surrey
- Surrey Central
- Delta on Scott Road
- Denman in Vancouver's West End
- Abbotsford on Clearbrook Rd
Find the closest MooseVape, or read our FAQ first. Ask a staff member to set up one of each and take a pull. Fastest answer you will get.