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

“Strong throat hit,” “weak throat hit,” or “perfect throat hit” …

Whether you’re new to vaping or you’ve been doing it for years, you’ve undoubtedly heard one or all of these terms mentioned by fellow vapers. For starters, most vapers prefer to customize their throat hit to their individual preferences.

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

In this article, we’ll go into detail about the art and science of creating “your” throat hit. Let’s get started!

What Is a Throat Hit?

A throat hit is the sensation you get when vapor from your vape reaches your throat. Depending on your preferences and experience, this sensation can be smooth and satisfying or harsh and irritating.

Just as a smoker will differentiate between a smooth and a harsh cigarette, a vaper will prefer either a smooth or harsh throat hit. The quality of this experience is something vapers can customize.

Today, vapers have many choices in creating their own unique flavor. Different flavors, e-liquids, vape pens, and vapes can all affect the throat hit you experience.

What Does a Throat Hit Feel Like?

Regardless of how you prefer it to feel, you can divide the sensation into two distinct types:

• A strong throat hit
• A weak or smooth throat hit

A strong hit will deliver the vapor to the back of your throat in an instant, once it reaches your respiratory tract.

A weak or smooth vape is gentler - no wonder some vapers prefer to refer to it as a smooth vape. It’s the exact opposite of a strong throat hit vape.

If you consider the variables that need to be combined to create a vaping experience, it’s no surprise that there are two distinct types. Let’s take a closer look at these variables.

Key Factors to Getting the Perfect Throat Hit

Here are five critical factors for getting your ideal hit:

Nicotine Concentration

The higher the nicotine content, the stronger the throat hit. If you’ve ever vaped with high nicotine content, you’ll understand the sensation.

PG/VG Ratio

The PG/VG ratio is another important factor to consider. PG creates a stronger amount of delivery. E-liquids that have a large amount of VG are great for people who want a smooth vape. PG can create a much harsher sensation in the back of your throat. It can even feel scratchy.

Too much PG can be uncomfortable. If you vape often, you may not appreciate the scratchy or itchy sensation. This experience can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re vaping with a high-wattage setting.

Your Vape’s Power Settings

Your vape’s power settings can also affect a throat hit. People who use variable wattage or temperature control mods must be concerned about this, as pod systems only allow low-wattage vaping.

Using powerful mods and sub-ohm tanks or other atomizers that support high wattages will give your throat hit a kick.

The Flavor of the Juice

A throat hit depends on the factors mentioned above. But if you’ve already hit your limits and want another way to enhance it - look no further than the flavor of your vape juice or pod. Keep in mind that every vape juice pod has its unique characteristics.

Menthol is one of the best choices for enhancing the delivery of vapor. Some seasoned vapers will also add a small amount of menthol to other flavors to get a cooling sensation as they inhale.

Citrus flavors have a similar effect, although it’s a bit milder. You can also experiment with tobacco, fruit, or coffee flavors. It all comes down to your preference.

Your Airflow Settings

The airflow settings can be an underestimated factor in achieving the perfect hit. This factor is often the last option if you’re still not satisfied after considering the PG/VG ratio, nicotine levels, power settings, and e-juice flavor.

For your airflow settings, the rule of thumb here is - a wide open airflow will reduce the throat hit, and a restricted airflow will increase its intensity.

Here’s why.

By increasing the amount of air in your vape, the vapor concentration becomes less dense. This way, the throat will feel smooth or almost unnoticeable when you inhale.

On the other hand, restricting the airflow to your vape means the vapor is more concentrated. The sensation will be more intense when you inhale. This effect usually happens because tight airflow settings mean you’re vaping mouth-to-lung, which is drawing the vapor into your mouth and inhaling almost immediately.

How to Get Less/More of a Throat Hit

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the variables that influence the intensity of a throat hit, let’s discuss how to control or prevent it altogether:

To Avoid a Throat Hit

Your first choice is to use a vape liquid with a low nicotine concentration. If you do this, you may need to go with a higher-powered device to get a similar total amount of nicotine. The sensation in your throat will be less pronounced. Another way to reduce a throat hit is to use an e-liquid with a higher pH level.

Flavorings that are added to e-liquids can alter the overall pH level. For a smoother vaping experience, you should look for e-liquids with a higher pH level.

But What if You Want More of a Throat Hit

How do you increase the throat hit when vaping? The first step is to choose a nicotine e-liquid with a tobacco flavor. Fruit or dessert-flavored e-liquids won’t create a strong effect.

Also, double-check that your tank has enough liquid. Sometimes, vapers overlook this. If you’re not getting a satisfying throat hit, it might be due to insufficient liquid in your tank.

Also, make sure you’re taking slow draws. If you smoke, you may be used to taking quick draws. When vaping, make your draws last three to six seconds. When you inhale, let the vapor linger for a longer amount of time to enjoy the throat hit.

Lastly, as previously mentioned, the nicotine content in the e-liquid matters.

Final Thoughts

Many vapers don’t pay attention to a throat hit. They don’t realize that controlling the throat hit can help you customize the vaping experience to your preferences. It’s an essential part of the vaping experience.

The device you use, its power settings, and your e-juice choices all affect how a vape feels, as well as how to avoid a throat hit or get more of it when vaping. To customize your vaping experience, consider all these factors and adjust accordingly.