Restricted Lung Hit – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

A Restricted Hit“>Lung Hit (RLH) is a vaping draw style that sits midway between a classic mouth-to-lung (MTL) puff and a wide-open direct-lung (DL) inhale. Instead of pulling vapour straight to the lungs like a sub-ohm cloud set-up, the user takes a steady, slightly resisted breath through a drip-tip that offers moderate airflow. The goal is to deliver bigger, warmer clouds than MTL while still keeping flavour dense and nicotine smooth, making it ideal for 20-40 W devices, 0.4-0.8 Ω coils and 6-12 mg free-base or 10-20 mg nic-salt e-liquids popular with Australian vapers.

Technical Details

Restricted lung set-ups rely on controlled airflow and mid-range resistance. Tanks, RDAs, RTAs or RDTAs achieve this by using 2-3 mm internal air-holes or interchangeable pins that limit flow to 30-60 % of a fully open DL slot. Most RLH coils read 0.4-0.8 Ω, are built from 26-28 ga Kanthal or SS316L, and run at 20-45 W. Internal chamber diameters sit around 4-5 mm, keeping vapour speed high for rich flavour without the 70 W+ heat of true sub-ohm. Variations include “half-DL” stock-coil pods (0.6 Ω) and single-coil 24 mm RDAs with the AFC ring half closed.

Usage & Tips

  • Prime new coils, start at the lowest suggested wattage and raise in 2 W steps until vapour is warm, not hot.
  • Keep airflow ring half to two-thirds open; too tight causes spit-back, too loose weakens flavour.
  • Use 50-70 VG juice for wicking balance; high-VG (80+) can starve wicks in small ports.
  • If you feel liquid on the drip-tip, check o-rings and lower wattage by 3-4 W to reduce condensation.

History & Context

RLH emerged circa 2016 when Australian vapers wanted cloud enjoyment without the 100 W+ Battery Drain”>battery drain and public attention of full DL. Manufacturers coined “restricted lung” to market single-coil RTAs and 0.6 Ω stock coils that complied with EU/TPD 2 mL tanks, giving birth to today’s bestselling refillable mid-watt hardware.

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