Everything You Need to Know About "Throat Hit" When Vaping

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What Is Throat Hit?
What Does a Throat Hit Feel Like?
Critical Factors For Getting The Perfect Throat Hit
How to Get Less/More Throat Hit

A "strong throat hit," "weak throat hit," or the "perfect throat hit"…

If you are new or experienced at vaping, you must have heard fellow vapers mention one or all of these terms a lot. Firstly, most people who vape like to customize the throat hit based on their personal preferences. 

But to discover what works for you, you need to know what a throat hit is and how you can experience one that works for you. 

In this article, we'll be taking a detailed look at the art and science of creating "YOUR" throat hit. Let's dive in!

What Is Throat Hit?

A throat hit describes the sensation that you feel when your e-cig's vapor reaches your throat. Depending on your preference and experience, the sensation can be smooth and satisfying or irritating and harsh. 

Just like smokers distinguish between smooth and harsh cigarettes, vape users have preferences for smooth or hard throat hits. The quality of this experience is something vape users can customize.

Vapers now have many options to pick from when creating their type of hit. The different flavors, e-liquids, mods, and e-cigarettes all play a role in the strength of the throat hit you'll experience. 

What Does a Throat Hit Feel Like?

No matter the sort of sensation you prefer, you can break down this sensation into two distinct types:

• The strong throat hit 
• The weak or smooth throat hit 

A strong hit is an instant delivery of vapor at the back of your throat once the vapor gets into your airways.  

A weak or smooth one is more gentle — No wonder some vapers prefer to call it a smooth hit. It is the direct opposite of the strong throat hit vape. 

If you consider the variables that need to come together to elicit a vaping experience, it isn't too surprising that you have two distinct types. Let's take a closer look at these variables. 

Critical Factors For Getting The Perfect Throat Hit

Here are five critical factors for getting your ideal hit: 

Nicotine Strength

More nicotine means a punchier throat hit. If you have ever puffed a high-nicotine e-liquid, you'll understand how it feels. 

PG/VG Ratio

The PG/VG ratio is another essential factor to consider. PG creates a more substantial delivery. E-liquids with a lot of VG are excellent for people who want a smooth vape. PG creates a sharper throat hit to the back of your throat. It can even feel tickly. 

Too much PG can become unpleasant. If you vape frequently, you might not like the tickly or scratchy sensation. This experience can be uncomfortable, especially if you have a mod and a vape that operate at high power settings.

The Power Settings of Your e-Cig

The power settings of your e-cigarette also affect the strength of your throat hit. People who use variable wattage or temperature control mods must worry about this since small tank systems only allow low-wattage vaping. 

Using a powerhouse mod and sub-ohm tank or another atomizer that supports high wattages will fire up your throat hit.

Flavors of Your Juice

The strength of your throat hit is the outcome of the factors mentioned above. However, if you already maxed out on them and want another way to amp it up — take a second look at the flavor of your juice or pods. Remember, each e-liquid cartridge has its own unique characteristics. 

One of the best options to enhance the delivery of vapor is menthol. Some experienced vapers also add small amounts of menthol to other flavors to get that cooling feel as they inhale. 

Citrus is another flavor that has that same effect, although it's a tad softer. You can also experiment with tobacco, fruity, or coffee flavors. It all depends on your preferences. 

Your Airflow Settings

Your airflow settings can be an underrated factor for achieving your perfect inhale. This factor is usually the last option and if after taking the PG/VG ratio, nicotine levels, power setting, and juice flavor into consideration, and you still aren't satisfied. 

With your airflow settings, the standard rule here is — a wide-open airflow reduces your throat hit, and a restricted airflow increases its strength. 

Here's why.

By increasing the amount of air in your e-cig, the vapor becomes less concentrated. It results in a smooth or almost negligible on your throat as you inhale. 

On the other hand, a restriction of the amount of air you let into the e-cig means the vapor is more concentrated. It results in a stronger sensation when you inhale. This effect usually happens because a tight airflow setting means you vape mouth-to-lung, a situation where you draw the vapor into your mouth and inhale it almost immediately. 

How to Get Less/More Throat Hit

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the variables that affect the strength of the throat hit, let's talk more about you controlling or outright preventing it:

Avoiding Throat Hit

Your first option is to use a vape juice with a lower nicotine concentration. If you do this, you may want to select a device with a higher power to get a similar amount of nicotine overall. The sensation in your throat will be much less noticeable. Another option for how to get less throat hit is to use an e-liquid with a higher pH level. 

Flavorings added to e-liquids change the overall pH level. To get a smoother vaping experience, you should look for an e-liquid with a high pH.

But, If You Are Looking to Get More Throat Hit

How do you increase your throat hit when vaping? The first step is to select a nicotine e-liquid that has a tobacco-based flavor. Fruit or dessert-flavored e-liquids won't produce as strong of an effect. 

Also, double-check if there is enough liquid in your tank. Sometimes, people who vape overlook this. If you're not achieving a satisfying throat hit, it may be due to insufficient liquid in the tank.

Also, make sure you take long and slow puffs. If you smoke cigarettes, you're probably used to taking quick puffs. When vaping, make each puff last three to six seconds. When you inhale, keep the vapor in for longer to savor the throat hit. 

Finally, as mentioned earlier, the amount of nicotine in your e-liquid is vital, too. 

Final Thoughts

Many people who vape don't pay attention to their throat hit. They don't realize that, when controlled, it can be what helps you tailor your vaping experience to your preferences. It's an essential part of the vaping experience.

The device you use, its power settings, and the choice of e-liquid affect the sensation and how to avoid throat hit when vaping - or produce more of it. To customize your vaping experience, consider all of these factors, and make adjustments as needed.