The RUBI: a small gem. Meet the sleekest, tiniest, lightest vape we’ve ever reviewed: the RUBI, from KandyPens.

The RUBI KandyPen is a super compact and highly portable vaporizer with a refillable cartridge that handles thin oils, CBD liquid, distillates and e-liquids. At just 4 inches (10 cm) tall and weighing less than half an ounce (grams), the RUBI not only looks good it feels great in the hand too.

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The RUBI ultralight vapor pen uses refillable canisters for e-juice or light cannabis oils and diluted thicker concentrates....

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Out of the Box

Arriving nicely packaged, once removed from its box the RUBI charges fully via a Universal Micro-USB charging port in around 30 minutes. A tiny LED battery indicator lets you know when it’s ready for use.

The RUBI was specifically designed (patent pending) for Direct to Lung (DTL) inhalation in the USA, and hand-built in China. It’s sleek, and despite the insubstantial weight, feels well made.

Inside the Pod

The pod is a single unit mouthpiece and 1 ml. tank that slides out for filling. A tiny plug in the tank’s side pops out; it’s a little fiddly and whatever you’re filling it with, a needle-style nozzle will reduce spillage.

Want to know more about pen vaporizers? Check all of them out and compare!

The OCELL ceramic coil heating element is wrapped in a Japanese cotton wick. The coil is 1.6 ohm and the battery gives you 8.5 watts of power, or 3.7 volts. This makes the RUBI actually pretty powerful for its size, and it kicks out a decent volume of vapor.

Filling it Up

I started with an e-liquid, since I had some on hand. I’m not a big juice user but it’s nice once in a while. With its fine nozzle, filling up from an e-juice bottle was mess-free.

The draw is air activated – so no power button – with dual airflow and air carb for instantaneous delivery. As long as the rubber plug is securely back in place the RUBI’s pods should not leak, and I experienced no spit back through the mouthpiece.

Small, Light Battery

The battery is 280mAh, so pretty small and light. I didn’t expect it to last forever but I’ve been getting between 30-50 draws per charge. Obviously, your mileage may vary depending on pull length and rip size.

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Easy in the Hand and Pocket

I’ve dabbled with e-juice in the past, but I find the box mod style too bulky and am not a fan of tube-like pens. The ultra-light weight and flattened profile of the RUBI though, I’ve really taken to. It slips in a shirt pocket easily and easy to take a crafty puff on in situations where a regular vape might be too obtrusive. Importantly, I actually used it regularly!

Yes, it handles ‘noids

It you want to vape cannabinoid concentrates – and who doesn’t? – you have a number of options. You can mix a little wax with some liquid terpenes to achieve a useable fluid. Since terps are quite expensive not to mention hard to come by outside the USA, you could also mix a more sticky concentrate with some propylene glycol (PG) blend.

Oil Cocktail

I got hold of some oil thin enough to use directly. If you can only get the more viscous stuff, you’ll need some PG – or dilute it with some e-juice. Since I only had one pod and that already contained e-juice, that’s what I did: made up an approximately 70-30 mix of oil and juice. It worked very nicely, thank you very much. Spare pods are available and recommended if you want to swap between vaping liquids

Non-proprietary Pods

The RUBI looks quite similar to a more expensive system put out by a popular US herbal vape maker (our review is underway…) that uses pre- filled proprietary pods. All fine in the USA, but hard to get elsewhere. Plus more expensive and not as customizable to your own vape liquid wishes as the relatively inexpensive RUBI.

Want to know about best vaporizers of 2018? Check an article on Vaporizerblog.com

Low-cost Open System

With its low cost, great looks, simple operation and open system pods, the RUBI is a great addition to your vaping options. There’s also a lifetime warranty on the battery.

Pros

• Low cost
• Very lightweight Attractive, simple design Refillable pods

Cons

• Needs a light oil

Other concentrates, with additives

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Are you informed enough to invest in your new cannabis gadget? It would mean the world if you could buy through one of our affiliates. We have partnered with them because they have outstanding customer service + they ship to almost any corner of the world. We also get a commission from them if you chose to buy via us.

The RUBI ultralight vapor pen uses refillable canisters for e-juice or light cannabis oils and diluted thicker concentrates.

8.5 Vaporizerblog
rating

RIP The Herbalizer

The makers of our favourite desktop vape, designed by former rocket scientists, suddenly shut down operations last June. One day they were there, the next, gone. No email, website offline – not even a note for the milkman. 

Apparently there was a patent dispute with Storz & Bickel, makers of the rival and previous desktop champion the Volcano. Over something stupid like the vapor bag valve, but we guess it was too expensive to fight. 

Hopefully they’re be back in 2019; the Herbie really was a high-tech joy (even if they never managed to make it usable outside the US due to its sensitivity to electric power frequency variations). 

That said, here’s our pick for the best vaporizers 2018:

Best Tasting Vapor in a Portable.

Having fallen flat with its 2017 introduction, the Ghost MV1 was improved and successfully re-launched this year. Rookie manufacturers XXX delivered a bizarre-looking but powerful on-demand, true convection vapor. Beats the Firefly 2 thanks to the sheer size of its flavorsome hits. One for the vapor purists.

Best Low-priced Portable

The Linx Gaia is an attractive, dinky-but-sturdy new model that won’t break the bank. It pulled in a solid 9 from our reviewers; find out why here.

Best Vape for Smokers

Dr Dabber nipped in towards the end of the year with their technically remarkable Switch, a first herb vape from the established dab pen maker.

If using magnetic induction for rapid but economical heat and a native water cooled bong attachment were not enough, airless pyrolysis of weed gives the Switch the densest, dankest hits of any vape to date. 

Producing not strictly vapor but not smoke either, it might just be the device to persuade the stubborn joint smoker in your life to make the, er, switch to vaping.

New Category: Best Vape for Hashish

The 800-degree self-cleaning cycle of the Dr Dabber Switch means it can not only vape concentrates very well, and weed questionably well, it handles hashish without irreparably gunking up its removable ceramic/metal cup. This vape makes it a delight for old school hash lovers.

Best E-Pen

With its glass mouthpiece and sturdy stainless steel body, the Linx Hypno was the tastiest and least wasteful of the dab pens we tried in 2018. If you’re a terp-loving dabber-on-the-go, this is your device.

Best E-Juice Pen 

The super-slim, light and attractive RUBI from Kandipens. Although it’s wick’ed tank can only vape e-juice and cannabis oils, you can dissolve harder concentrates in some propylene glycol blend. But the fact that its tank is self-fillable means you’ll save a packet over similar designs using proprietary canisters.

Most Stylish Portable

The Pax has kept its iconic shape and form through three iterations, packing more and more functionality in with successive model. Although the Pax 3 came out in 2017, there was nothing new in 2018 that beat its silky good looks. 

Best Desktop Vape

With the Herbie gone, the title for best desktop remains split between the Arizer Extreme Q and the Volcano from S&B. Both produce forced air, quality vapor; one’s a big metal cone-and-bag, the other’s a smaller device that can handle bags or whips. It’s versatile, reliable and remote controlled. It’s also very affordable.

Honorary mention to 

Lastly, the list of best vaporizers 2018 wouldn’t complete without the Verdamper, an all-glass, water-cooled vape from the vape Stone Age (i.e. the mid-1990s!). Designed by a mad Dutchman and hand-built by Czech glassblowers, despite it being expensive, it remains the vape of choice by all Amsterdam coffee shops for determining the quality of their supplies, even 20 years after its launch. Now that’s a classic!

Back from the dead. The Ghost MV1 has been re-launched after it originally fell short of hyped expectations. Issues fixed, it’s an extraordinary device that will still polarize vape users.  But the incredible vapor quality changed the mind of our initially skeptical reviewer and left him reaching for the superlatives.

The Ghost MV1 hit the market in 2017 to feverish pre-launch excitement throughout the vape world.

Word was this – the first vape from new entrants Ghost Herbal Concepts Ltd – was going to re-set the benchmark for on-demand, true convection vapor, with its all-new proprietary tech and radical design.

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Teething Troubles

In the event, the Ghost flopped. Not because its tech and design were not extraordinary – they were. But for what can be in retrospect described as teething troubles: a leaky air path, heat sink with a tendency to scratch the retractable mouthpiece, unacceptable battery life and some tolerance gaps in manufacturing.

Take Two…

The good news is GHC spent the next 10 months ironing out these firmware and software issues, and re-launched the MV1 in 2018. The Vaperizerblog team were super excited when the device finally arrived; not having reviewed it on its original launch we had never had our expectations squashed. Here’s what our reviewer thought…

Out the Box: Stunned (not in a good way)

The Ghost MV1 arrives in a high quality consumer packaging, as it should do for the price! On un-boxing my initial reaction was: no. The size, the weight, the indescribable shape. I just can’t see myself getting in to this at all. It’s like some glossy power tool…zero stealth…too heavy to be portable…what the hell even is this?

Breaking Convention

The MV1 does go against a number of industry trends and aesthetic standards. For the last 6-7 years now, portable vapes have been getting smaller, faster, sleeker as they edged their way into mainstream use. As they reached ‘Oscar goodie bag’ levels of consumer acceptance, they became design objects first and foremost, while simplicity of use was stressed at the expense of vapor quality, volume and effect.

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Reverse Engineering

According to their website, GHC essentially worked backwards to arrive at the MV1’s design:

“We started out by reverse engineering the top selling products in the market,interviewing countless retailers & consumers and developing a completeinsight into pre-existing technologies and the aspirations of our users. We focused on what people were unhappy about and then eliminated these designfaults from our product. “

Holy Grail of Vapes 1.0?

Having then developed their own engineering techniques and a new, ground-breaking technology, they’ve built the first generation ‘holy grail’ (my phrase not theirs), because what could any vape fan add to:

“On demand True Convection vaporization for dry herbs and concentrates, built to medical device standards, using only the highest quality materials, massive power with industry leading performance, ready in seconds with no temperature drop during use, no stirring, no charring, unique app functionality and a host of additional new features.”

Packing in the Power

Okay, so an ambitious goal and one I trust requires a lot of power, hence the bulbous shape and heavy weight. It is actually a beautiful object; shiny, solid, mysterious and clearly well built and finished. After the recommended all night initial battery charge, I was ready to try it out.

A chrome latch on the side opens a slide-out metal bracket holding a ceramic, lidded crucible for the herbs. With holes in the crucible bottom and holes in the steel lid, herb grind should be coarse to medium. Fine particles could escape the crucible.

Filling the Cradle

Around 0.15 grams of dryherb is ideal (moist herb will need grinding and drying before use). Don’t tamp down but fill the crucible to its brim. Make sure the rim is clean (no crumbs or oil) and place the lid on. Replace in the cradle and close with a click. Interior silicone rings hold the crucible in place and close the air path.

Want to know more about Vaporizer for Chronic Pain Relief? Read our Vape Info Article

In theory I love the purity of a ceramic crucible and the ease of cleaning afforded by its complete removal. In practice, it’s a fiddly operation. The lid is obviously not magnetic and it takes a few tries to get the hang of placing it in the cradle without the lid flipping off. Persevere – it will be worth it.

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Begin Ignition…

Triple pressing the large metal mode button near the base of the MV1 turns it on to standby and displays the battery strength. Pressing again allows you to cycle through the pre-set temperatures.

The Ghost arrives with 3 pre-determined settings for dry herb, and two customizable ones that you can set with its app, and a mode for concentrates. Beyond switching between these five settings, there’s no way to set a specific temperature from the device itself. But you can go through the app and change one of the ‘favourites’ you’ve set.

Choosing your Temp

The presets of Low (340°F), Med (365°F) and High (390°F), or 171/185/199°C may be a bit on the low side for those who enjoy a thicker cloud. But with the app you can customize your settings anywhere between 300-470°F. But be warned that above 428°F/220°C dry herb becomes prone to combustion. Above 446°F/230°C I would only use for concentrates. Settings are indicated by the orange-green-red LED lights.

Let there be Heat

Carefully pull the retractable plastic straw out of its housing inside the metal heat sump. Not all the way out (except for cleaning), but around 1⁄2 – 3/4 of an inch (1 cm). To activate the chosen heat, press the black vape button on the other side of the device. The MV1 gives a brief trill and 5-10 seconds later a longer buzz to indicate temperature reached. Now here’s the interesting part – for on demand, true convection, you need to start inhaling and for 8-10 seconds you will get barely any vapor. Keep drawing and the production curve goes through the roof. Over the next 5 seconds most if not all the cannabinoids in your 0.1-0.15 are released.

Devastatingly Good Vapor

And Holy Mother, what a hit! There is virtually zero draw resistance, the vapor is as cool as from a water bubbler; you can taste every nuanced terpenoid in your herb. In a word: ka-blam! If you started low you can up the temp for a second hit, still full but not as tasty as the first. Maybe even a thin third if you whack it up to full heat.

But that’s it! Basically, one spectacularly amazing 15-second lungful. Top class flavor, top class effect. This is not the vape you want for economical sipping; but it will be a delight for connoisseurs – and vape evangelists who want to show a skeptic just what a vape can deliver. You know the type: “meh, I never get that high from vapes man…” The Ghost will S them TFU, guaranteed.

Battery Power

I’m still on my first full charge as I write this but I hear 40, 50 as many as 90 hits are achievable from a full charge. Bear in mind that performance will fall with charge so at some stage you will need to up your temp a notch higher than you usually have it. I also hear there are inaccuracies with the LED charge display, so you will be able to vape even when the battery is supposedly very low.

Re-charging from empty takes several hours so if you’re a heavy daily user you may want a spare battery (pops in and out really easily) or better, the optional fast charger (pricey, at $60).

Portable & Packable

The Ghost is obviously portable but you’ll need a bag to hump it around in, and it is sturdy enough to do so without worry. It’s in no way a pocket device, but it does deliver tabletop power from that bulbous form. The all medical and food grade components and proprietary tech are also apparent from the vapor quality.

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E-Z 2 Clean

It’s easy to get spotlessly clean, the concentrate pad in the spare crucible works well. My only real gripe would be the LED mode display, but once you memorize the press sequences and play with the app, it’s not so worrisome. I personally would prefer a nice OLED display.

The Right Compromises

Yes, the Ghost is heavy and gawky, but its operation is simple (if fiddly) and it actually feels really good in the hand. As with every other vape ever built, you make your choices and suffer the compromises. It’s about what you want from the experience.

Don’t Wait for the Future

Expect firmware updates and tweaked operation and performance via the app. I can envision that like the Firefly-to-Firefly 2 (which along with S&B’s Mighty occupies the price-performance space into which the Ghost has launched), the next Ghost will be smaller and lighter. If you can’t wait until then for ultimate vapor, there’s no need to. The Ghost MV1 is already delivering that reliably.

Pros:

• Thick, flavoursome vapor Well built
• Ceramic crucible
• Clean, cool air path
• Good battery life
• On demand, true convection

Cons:

• Heavy, bulky
• Less than economical Not cheap
• Long charge by USB

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Marketed as a vaporizer, the new Atmos Raw vaporizer is an amazingly compact, and intelligently designed battery-operated smoking device. The classy pen-style design and rapid heating technology make it one, if not the best looking pen vaporizer, I’ve ever seen.

What exactly makes a vaporizer a vaporizer? Well, for those unfamiliar to the process, vaporization is the changing of a particular matter, say cannabis, into vapor by the process of heating said matter into a vapor.

I was a big fan of the Magic Flight Box and the pax ploomuntil I met the Atmos Raw vaporizer. The Apple-style packaging is also very impressive. This thing is simply genius.

Atmos Raw Unboxed

Encased in a rubber cover that comes in 3 different colors (black, grey and blue), the Atmos Raw vaporizer is composed of seven parts that fit with one another to make the most unique and reliable lightweight 5-inch electronic “blunt” out there.

The Seven Pieces that Make Up the Atmos Raw vaporizer

Made up of:

• a self-contained battery;
• ceramic heating chamber;
• chamber connector;
• ceramic filter;
• mesh filter;
• metal spring;
• rubber mouthpiece;

The Atmos Raw looks like something out of Ethan Hunt’s spy kit.

The battery can be charged via electric adapter or USB. This is the first time I’ve seen this feature on a vaporizer. But I have to admit I’m not convinced it’s really vaporizing. Why, you ask?

Well, let’s consider the heating mechanism and heating chamber on the Atmos Raw vaporizer. Compared to other appropriately named vaporizers, like the Magic Flight Box, the heating chamber is separated from the herbal material by a mesh filter. This means that the herbal material is actually heated to vaporization, instead of being burned in the heat chamber, because the herbal material is never touching the heating coil itself.

The mesh filter separates the herbal material from the heating coil. Although the Atmos Raw vaporizer does come with a removable mesh filter, I’m not exactly sure how to fit it into the heating chamber so that the material never touches the heating coil, and actually gets vaped.

The VapeBuster crew tried several ways to finagle the mesh filter into the heating chamber to successfully vape some nice herbs, but with no success. The heating coil just doesn’t reach a high enough temperature to heat the herbal material when it’s in the mesh filter, and there’s simply no way to tell how far the bottom of the filter is from the heating coil.

If the makers of the Atmos Raw vaporizer can figure a way to either make a better mesh filter, or a hotter heating coil, this would, by far, be one of the top performers in the vaporizer universe. But, in the meantime, this seems to be a major flaw, and the makers of the Atmos Raw vaporizer need to do an upgrade on this unit before they can truly call it a vaporizer.

So, what is the Atmos Raw vaporizer?

The Atmos Produces a Lot of VaporIt’s one helluva electronic smoking “cigarette”. It smokes like a charm. But that’s just it. It smokes like a charm.

Holding the power button down for less than 2 seconds allows the heating coil to heat up faster than any other electronic smoker I’ve ever seen. Oh and about the power button.. It is a very tiny black button so when we were showing it around in Amsterdam and letting people try it out (yes we love living here), they were having a bit of trouble finding it. So that was a complaint we got a lot.

It delivers full, thick smoke. And, if you’re not particular about whether you’re smoking or vaping, and you’re looking for a discreet, reliable, compact and battery-operated pen-shaped challis that makes you look like a rock star ready to sign autographs from your Porsche, then the Atmos Raw vaporizer is most definitely for you. If you are looking for a true vaporizer in the sense that there is absolutely no combustion you should have a look at our detailed Pax vaporizer review by Ploom and our Arizer Solo vaporizer review. Among the portable vaporizers, these two are the best portable vaporizers that are currently available on the market.

It’s been a few years since we had so much to say about a new vape, but the Switch from Dr Dabber is a game-changer in so many ways. Technically amazing yet far from perfect, the Switch is also the most controversial vape we’ve ever reviewed.

Entering Herb Space

Dr Dabber is best known for its range of dabbing devices, such as this one we reviewed; the Switch is the company’s first venture into the herb space.

True to its heritage, the Switch is also a superior dabbing device – you can toggle, or switch between the two modes (hence the name).

Nice Packaging

The first hint that we’re dealing with something out of the ordinary is that the Switch arrives well packaged in a box the size of a small suitcase.

Besides the unit itself and its battery pack, there are two ‘ceramic induction caps’ or load chambers, one black (for leaf) and one white (for oil). They’re both made of titanium and ceramic coated. Also ceramic is a leaf filter cap.

Water Cooling

There’s a glass tool for loading concentrates that doubles as a carb for – drum roll – the glass percolator or bubbler. Yes, the Switch is a native water-cooled vaporizer, the first since the Verdamper was launched 20 years ago.

Rounding off the contents of the well-padded box: a pair of reverse action tweezers, silicone stash box, charging cable and adapter, and a comprehensive, well-illustrated manual. You’ll be referring to this a lot; there’s much to learn about this complex and groundbreaking device.

Getting to Grips

While the battery was charging (60 minutes to full, with pass through so it can be used immediately), I took some time to check out the manual and get my head around what, besides water-cooling, is so novel about this device.

Introduction to the Dr Dabber Switch Review

For a start it uses a whole new method of heating – magnetic induction. This uses precision directed energy in the form of an oscillating magnetic field that is transmitted into or absorbed by the induction cups, causing them to heat up.

Rapid Heat Up

Induction heating has a number of advantages. The ceramic-coated cups heat up incredibly quickly – 5 seconds max for most of the temperature profiles – and evenly for fewer hot spots and thus a consistent flavor.

The electronics for all this are totally shielded from the vaporization environment, which is a solid glass ‘well’ into which the herb or concentrate-loaded cup is dropped.

Robust Isolation

This set-up means zero chance of leakage, no air passing anywhere near the electronics, no silicone anywhere, no electronic connections to the heating element to wear out or break.

Precise & Thrifty

Induction heating is also very precise (+/- 1%) and controllable. The manufacturer claims you can get up to 150 dabs on a single battery charge, which I never got to actually check but even half that is outstanding for a battery rig.

Want to know more about dabbing? Read our Vape info Article

5×5 Heat Profiles

This controllability is used to give the Switch five basic heating profiles, each of which can be further broken down into five more in advanced mode. Just hold down the Dabber button when switching on to enter this mode – rainbow lights come on, and 25 temp settings (five colors, each with 5 temp levels in it) become available, spanning a 300-800 degrees F. (XXX degrees C.) You can further customize the hold times for draws too.

Self-Cleaning Mode

That ‘super heat’ (800 degrees F.) mode burns off any residues in the cups, making it essentially self-cleaning (caveat ahead).

Combustion Impossible

The glass well-and-cup has been designed to keep air out of the vaporization environment so combustion is physically impossible (it needs oxygen).

The result is supposed to deliver smoother vapor, less waste and higher efficiency (another caveat on the way).

And? How does it taste?

Let’s get to the vaping experience. I started out with a couple of very different weeds. Neville’s Haze, a sativa hybrid chock full of fruity terpenes with 16.8% THC and zero CBD.

For contrast, I also used some Purple Power Bio, an outdoor grown ruderalis x sativa with 10.8% THC and 0.9% CBD.

I loaded some fine-ground Haze into the black cup and carefully dropped this into glass well, filled the bubbler and slid this onto the glass well. I got the ground glass-on-glass squeak familiar to old school bong users and had to remind myself that this was actually a vaporizer.

Flipping the Switch

A switch at the base of the device was flipped to leaf mode and the five LEDs indicated that it was pre-set at 3 lights, which flashed green a few seconds later to indicate this temperature had been reached.

Pre-programmed settings

I should mention here that there are no thermal measurements shown on the device; they’re all pre-programmed, and the settings have as much to do with how the temperature is reached as the eventual temperature.

It’s kind of black-boxy for anyone used to seeing a readout or even a temperature band, and you kind of have to trust the Dabber tech-heads – and play around with the settings.

Vapor Quality

The first hit was fruity and a bit thin, becoming less fruity and thicker with subsequent pulls. I think this thin-to-thick gradient had to do with the air in the carb mixing with the vapor and diluting it.

The vapor was lovely and cool, as expected with the glass bubbler.

Powerful Body High

Overall, pleasant but strong. I mean, maybe the induction heating draws out more of the higher boiling point cannabinoids, because the effect was very bodily and stoney compared to other vapes with their light, heady hits.

The reverse tweezers are needed to pluck the hot cups of spent load out of the glass well. You can use them to place the cup into the well, or just drop it in).

Altered Carbon

Tipping out the remains I was shocked to see what looked like granules of pure carbon. No browning or patches of green ABV, just jet black charcoal.

Pyrolysis not Burning

And this is essentially what it is, for the other unique thing about the Switch heating in an oxygen-free environment is that pyrolysis takes place. This is not combustion.

In other words, the Switch is barely even vaporizering as we have been used to understanding the term. It produces not smoke or vapor but something in between.

Purists Shocked

It is this aspect of the Switch that merits the term ‘controversial’. The vapor purists may well hate it, but (joint) smokers will probably love it.

Smokers Love It

The pyrolysis generates a much thicker and more satisfying vapor (or whatever it is).

This is undoubtedly less ‘clean’ and probably less healthy than pure terps-and-‘noids, but still healthier than smoking a bong or joint.

Mysterious Substances?

What you’re actually inhaling is anyone’s guess. The fruitiness suggests the terps are not being destroyed by pyrolysis, and the (very) tangible effects demonstrate that the cannabinoids are also getting through un-broken down. But what else is being created in this super-heated environment?

I tried the Purple Bio next and while the vapor production was the same as the Haze, it had none of the fruitiness. I have to conclude that it’s just not a great herb to vape with, taste-wise.

On to the Dabbing

You have to turn the Switch off before turning it to Oil Mode, and use the white ceramic cup.

There is a quartz crystal cup option that uses its own heat profile but these are not standard and I didn’t try it myself. Other reviews have noted that the extra money is worth it; the dab is improved significantly.

Hot or Cold Load

You can hot load or cold load the dabbing material, but the latter produces a nicer flavor at lower temps.

The Switch works well with small or large dabs. In fact, so well that this is actually an outstanding and uncontroversial aspect of the Switch.

It’s a greatdab rig, one of the best battery operated available. Much less scary for newbies without the need for a torch, and just a superior user experience all round. Especially with the quartz option.

Playing with Profiles

Further sessions were spent playing around with the 5 or 25 heating profiles, and this is indeed a vape you need to play around with.

It’ll handle any level of moistness of herb, you can get a regular ABV out of it at lower temps but you can also crank it up and nuke your weed for unbelievable clouds of whatever it is you get from intense pyrolysis.

Pro Tip: Pack Tight

If you pack your herb tight and start at a low temp, you can reduce or eradicate the pyrolysis.

Modern Lava Lamp

You can also play around with the glass well lighting – there are multi-coloured LEDs in it, programmed into 36 light modes – for a modern version of the Lava lamp.

As a light smoker, I liked the dry herb mode. It does generate a satisfying punch similar to a bong hit but with much better flavor, though I can understand why some reviewers say if dry herb is your prime motive maybe look elsewhere.

Holy Hash!

What no-one else has picked up on though, perhaps because all the reviews I’ve seen were from America, is that this baby is the first vape to be able to handle pure hashish.

Let me repeat that for the Europeans out there because this is huge: finally you can vape hash!

Thanks to the self-cleaning mode and removability of the cups without terminally gunking up your device!

Smokey Odor

Back to the pyrolysis and herb issue, I did notice that the room smells somewhat smoky using this mode, even though, as we heard, there is no smoke produced.

Keep it Clean

Also the glass well gets verysticky and smelly after a couple of uses. Being glass it cleans easily with a Q-tip and isopropyl, but you’ll need some old -fashioned bong cleaning fluid for the glass attachment.

As with any glass rig, you don’t want to go from using flower to using oil or vice versa without a thorough cleaning.

Optional Extras

Besides the crystal cup, other optional accessories include a black glass bong and a carry case.

Strong Effects

At low temps the vapor may seem a little wispy compared to other vapes but the effects are generally much stronger.

Medical users especially have praised the physical effects, while stoners love the intensity of the highs achievable with the Switch.

A ‘Swiss Army’ Vape?

That is one of the device’s best qualities: you can rip just like a real dab rig, or vaporizer, or bong rip, or e-nail. The settings are varied enough that every form of consumption can be tackled – it even has the ability to record and save your hit time to match your preferred inhale.

Session Mobility

Thanks to its size the Switch is not strictly portable but it is great and easy to lug around the house, more than any other dab rig anyway.

Having it battery powered is way better than having it plugged in all the time. You can just grab it off my table and sit back comfortably and chill throughout your session.

Superb Battery Life

The fact that it heats so quickly yet the battery life lasts so long is mind blowing; I don’t think there’s anything on the market of comparable efficiency. Methinks we’re going to see a lot more induction in the future.

The battery and electronics are guaranteed for two years.

Light Interface

For a vape this size it really should have an LCD screen; working only with colored lights is confusing. I’m sure Dabber has its reasons; am just sayin’.

Excellent Build

The build quality is excellent; it feels super sturdy and not nearly as fragile as other dab rigs, with no atomizer or other parts that will need to be replaced due to malfunction or breaking. You can ram a Q-tip in and nothing is going to break.

Present Imperfect

Bear in mind this is a first generation product so not expected to be perfect.

There are small quibbles but when you get right down to the nitty gritty – performance – the Switch is a transformative device, especially for dabbing.

Hope for Future Iterations

The heat up is near instant, it gets you high AF, is super customizable and it more or less cleans itself with very little maintenance needed.

No doubt it could be in a prettier body with a more intuitive UI, and the firmware under the hood will be tweaked according to customer feedback in future iterations.

Conversion Therapy

The Switch is stronger than vaping and smoother than smoking and could well become the device that sways combusters that have found normal vaping unsatisfying.

Bonus – Noah from Highcuisine.com reviews the Dr Dabber Switch

Pros:

• Great battery life
• Long lasting charge
• Fast heat up
• Superior, economical dabbing
• Water-cooled vapor
• Concentrates and herb

Cons

• Is it really vapor?
• Dry herb controversy
• Opaque interface & temps
• Room odor with herb

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If you enjoy concentrates and cartridge vapes but find the vapor harsh and you hate wasting product, the Hypnos Zero from Linx Vapor might be just what you’re looking for.

What’s new – unique even – is the wick-less ceramic plate atomizer. There are also improvements to the (650 mAH) Lithium-ion battery, some tweaking of the temperature settings, and adding a 5-click lock function.

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E-Z dabs on the go

Dab rigs are effective, but there’s a learning curve to them. The  Linx Hypnos Zero is plug-and-play: simply drop your concentrates in the heating chamber (tool included), screw the filter/mouthpiece section on, and hold down the button while you draw smooth, consistent hits.

This is a wick-less vaporizer that produces the perfect level of conduction heating. With its four temperature settings (each heat indicated by a different color light), you can decide what amount of heat works best with your particular concentrate.

A little beauty

Out of the box, I was immediately impressed by the simplicity and clean design of the Linx Hypnos Zero brushed stainless steel body and modular construction of battery, atomizer, filter section and glass mouthpiece sections that screw together.

If you like a minimalist look and feel, this is the nicest looking, most elegant of pens to date. The outer shell is strong, durable, precision-machined, and the brushed stainless steel finish is luxuriously smooth.

At 10cm long (14mm x 107mm) and weighing just 46 g, it’s currently the smallest vape pen we’ve reviewed but it remains easy to hold and use and will go anywhere with you.

Modular Construction

The Linx Hypnos Zero vape pen breaks down into three pieces for easy maintenance. The mouthpiece is a glass tip that screws into a separate filter which connects to the all ceramic heating chamber/atomizer.

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Wick-less ceramic plate atomizer

Linx did away with the coils, rods and discs used in other pens and went with an innovative ceramic plate at the bottom of the chamber. This bulges up slightly with a depressed rim around it.

This is all your concentrate touches – no metals. The plate is the only part that heats up and it does an excellent job of vaporizing your wax, with very little reclaim.

Effective Vaporization

Slowly rotating the device a bit while you draw while holding it at a slight angle helps your wax coat the ceramic plate and so vaporize (more accurately, atomize) more effectively,

The concentrate capacity is not huge; I’d say that for best performance 0.1grams or a rice grain-sized amount works best. This will give you 10-20 draws (depending on heat setting and draw duration), which is quite efficient.

Smooth, big vapor clouds

The Linx Hypnos Zero produces noticeably smoother vapor than most other pens, which is a big plus. Other wax pens I’ve tried I’ve found to be too dry on the throat.

In general, ceramic elements do tend to provide the smoothest vapor with quartz elements usually provide the purest flavor. The Zero manages to be both smooth and flavorsome.

I used it with some Great God Bud oil (an Indica-dominant cross between God Bud and Grapefruit), and mm-mm, I could really taste the delicious grapefruit terpenes. I tried some CBD distillate, which also vaped well, and with taste.

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4 Temperature Settings

Another unique feature of this pen is the four pre-set heat settings. Most pens have 3, a couple as many as 8, but the Hypnos has 4.

Linx recalibrated the temperatures a little, which makes the Zero perform differently than the original Hypnos. The battery life is better, the lowest temp now goes even lower, and the highest temp goes a little higher.

I personally ended up using it on the lowest 2 heat levels most of the time for the flavor quality, and bumped it up to Max (red) once in a while for a really dense draw and vapor.

Great Airflow

Airflow is as good with the Zero as it was with the original Hypnos. There are four air holes cross-drilled around the inner top edge of the chamber, and as long as you don’t load too much these holes will never get clogged.

Linx did change the way the screen in the mouthpiece is machined; it has a different hole pattern and now builds up reclaim in different areas. This will occasionally feel clogged for a second when you first take a hit from a cold device.

The little bit of wax that builds up in the mouthpiece covers the holes, but once the chamber is heated up they unblock and performance is not affected.

Industry-Leading Battery Life

The USB charger included in the box screws onto the battery and full charging takes between 75-90 minutes.

When compared to rivals such as the KandyPens Galaxy or the Dr Dabber Aurora, the Hypnos Zero provides the most usage time. Its battery lasts up to 25% longer, I’m guessing because the ceramic plate draws power more efficiently. In practice, this means you’ll get around 15-16 minutes of use, so 65 or more full heat cycles per full charge.

Cleaning Screw Threads

If you overload with concentrate you can also find wax getting onto the threads of the atomizer and causing it to stick when screwing and unscrewing the mouthpiece. This doesn’t really affect its performance but it is annoying and a little wasteful.

To clean it all off simply soak the mouthpiece in some ISO alcohol for a few minutes while you’re charging the battery.

The Only Drawback

The only thing I feel needs to be improved is the buildup that happens inside the mouthpiece. This wasn’t such an issue with the original Hypnos, probably because of the lower temperature used.

The Linx Hypnos Zero is more powerful and this can cause some of your concentrate to splatter and condense inside the glass tip and around the built-in screen. This is less of an issue for the lower heat settings.

If you can get hold of them, the Hypnos battery section can be connected to (510 compatible) threaded cartridges.

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Conclusion: Linx Hypnos Zero vaporizer

Overall, Linx Hypnos Zero is a great vape. A tiny, compact pen specifically engineered for use with concentrates that performs near flawlessly and is reasonably priced. When using full-flavoured products, it’s the best tasting pen I’ve tried.

Pros:

• Excellent modular design and build
• 4 temperature settings
• Great flavor
• Long battery life
• Tiny but robust

Cons:

• Some splatter residue
• Prone to build up on screw threads

The Linx Hypnos Zero is a tiny design marvel that produces the best flavor of any concentrate pen we have tried. This is thanks to a unique ceramic plate heating element and four different heat settings.

9 Vaporizerblog
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The new Linx Gaia features a next-generation (patent-pending) quartz heating chamber, air insulation, hybrid heating technology and single degree temperature variability (200º – 428º F).

Incoming air bypasses internal electronic components and flows directly through the quartz chamber to Linx’s signature glass mouthpiece – a clean air path that brings out the smoothest and purest flavor.

The Linx Gaia features an OLED screen, 2200 mAH battery, signature glass mouthpiece, magnetic cap, and tool, cleaning brush, and a dual head Micro USB/lightning port charger.

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In-depth – Good Looks

The Linx Gaia vaporizer is really nice looking, sits solidly in the palm of your hand and no part of it feels cheap. There’s clear attention to details and the vertically brushed casing crafted from quality metal makes

the Gaia a sleek and elegant device.I really like the size, which sits between the FlowerMate Mini Pro and the DaVinci IQ. The Gaia is shorter, fatter and more ‘boxy’ than the rounded IQ, but fits in the back pocket just as easily and matches it for taste.

Gaia a sleek and elegant device.

High-Quality Vapor

Linx makes some pretty bold statements about the quality of the Linc Gaia’s vapor, and use some innovative approaches to air path, chamber and insulation. From the company’s product development experience, three factors affect the efficiency of a heating chamber:

• Thermal conductivity of the chamber material
• Contact area between the heating elements and chamber
• Insulation of the heating chamber

The latter two factors are even more essential to the heating performance of a chamber.

The Chamber of Quartz

Most dry herb heating chambers are made of steel or ceramic, and while they do a good job conveying heat they have the tendency to affect the terpene flavors. The Gaia uses a revolutionary quartz heating chamber (first in the market) that eliminates steel and ceramic for a purer and healthier flavor.

This chamber is deep and narrow (20mm x 10mm) and works well when filled tight or loose, though of course with a full chamber packed tight, the draw resistance increased, but not hugely; it was still okay to pull from. Just don’t tamp the load too tightly.

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All Air Insulation

As for insulation, most vaporizers have a thin layer of white or black fiber

materials wrapped around the outside wall of the chamber as a way to insulate heat. This raised concerns about the possibility of inhaling those synthetic materials to Linx.

The Gaia uses 100% air to insulate heat from the vaporization process. With the lowest thermal conductivity, air performs better in insulation than other materials. It is a technology used in other industries, but Linx has pioneered its application to vaporizer design.

Superior Air Path

When it comes to health and taste, a clean air path is of the utmost importance, and the design and materials used in the Gaia ensure just this. Its innovative air insulation technology eliminates all unhealthy insulation materials used in most dry herb vaporizers.

The incoming air flows directly over the heating element, avoiding contact with plastic parts, electronic components or other unhealthy materials, making it one of the most health-conscious and fine-flavoured vapes on the market. Air is drawn in through the side slots, through the air holes located on the top of the steel cylinder that surrounds the quartz chamber, and finally through the holes at the bottom of the chamber to reach the herbs.

Hybrid Heating – Fast & Even

This air path enables the hybrid heating: the quartz chamber heats up to warm the herbs via conduction heating, while the hot air is drawn between the steel cylinder and quartz chamber for an even distribution of heat (convection heating).

Combining convection and conduction heating technology allows for fast, efficient and even heating.

Variable Temperature, Unique Charger

An OLED screen indicates battery status and temperature settings, which adjust in single degree increments between 200º F and 428º F (93º C and 220º C).

I personally prefer this fine-tuning ability to pre-set temperatures.

The charging cable is unique in having both Micro USB and Apple Lightning male chargers. It features pass-through charging so that you can vape while charging

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Built in battery for ease and safety

The Gaia has a built-in 18650 rechargeable, 2200 mAH Lithium-ion battery.

Linx considered offering a swappable battery when the Gaia was in the design and development stage, but opted for the simplicity and safety of a built-in soft pack battery.

The best way to maintain any lithium-ion battery is to ensure you don’t over-charge nor over-drain it. So when possible, do not empty the battery completely before the next charge, nor charge the battery over time. Observe these rules and Linx reckon the Gaia’s battery will be good for 3 years or longer

Heating speed

The Gaia heats up pretty fast, achieving 375º F in 20 seconds and 428º F in 30 seconds from a room temperature start. This is comparable if not faster than most metal and ceramic chambers on the market. I like that I don’t detect an odor from the unit when it’s heating up.

With the oven being directly below the mouthpiece, I expected really warm vapor and a hot mouthpiece. But the draw is surprisingly cool up to 400º degrees.

There is an optional bubbler that connects to the mouthpiece used in all Linx vaporizers ($20, sold separately) if vapor smoothness is a major consideration for you.

Pack snugly

I was loading about .2 grams of herb, ground medium/fine and snugly packed and this works well; you don’t want to go below about 0.15 grams as the Gaia’s conduction heating needs some physical contact between oven and herb.

Stepped heat suggestion

A good heat path is to start at 360º for a couple of hits at maximum taste, then bump it to 380º, 390º, 400º over the course of 3 sessions of pretty decent clouds. The Gaia is not really a sippers vape but requires more like a 10-12 second draw.

Flavour does degrade with most terpenes already vaped, but it never tastes bad or scorched. Give your load a stir with the on-board tool and your ABV will be an even, coffee grounds color, with no combustion even at 420º degrees.

Safety shutoff

There is a 4-minute auto-shutoff to conserve battery life, and if you stick to that the Gaia does not really get too hot. Keep it cranked up for 5 minutes or more and it will get very warm and the quartz oven may start to scorch your herb.

Magnetic top and bottom

A magnetic cap protects the glass mouthpiece, and the packing tool that slides into the base of the unit and is held in place magnetically. A small steel funnel that screws into the opening of the oven for easy filling is another nice touch added to the Gaia since its launch.

Spic and span

Cleaning was easy and straightforward. Brush out the chamber and soak the filters in isopropyl alcohol for an hour or two to resolve any clogging.

Subtly Stealthy

The styling of the vaporizer is excellent, as is the stealth factor. The shape looks like a regular e-liquid ‘box mod’ and fits in your palm. Most people will not know what it is if they aren’t herbal vape aficionados.

Conclusion: Linx Gaia

Overall: a good buy!

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Not only does the Linx Gaia vaporizer hit well and deliver a fresh, full taste, it also looks chic and feels solid yet small in the palm of your hand. This quality distinguishes it from the cheaper comparisons such as the FlowerMate, and matches more expensive comparably sized vapes like the DaVinci IQ and S&B’s Mighty.

With a free one-year limited warranty, the Gaia is a great first herb vape from Linx.

Pros:

• Compact design and build
• Single degree temperatures
• Quartz chamber and hybrid heating
• Clean air path & flavor
• Glass mouthpiece

Cons:

• Slow battery charge
• 4 min auto-shut off too quick
• Mouthpiece occasionally gets hot.

The Linx Gaia is a compact, attractive and affordable dry herb vape using a unique quartz oven and very clean air path for high quality vapor.

9 Vaporizerblog
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The IQ’s Pedigree

The original DaVinci launched in 2012 around the same time as the first Pax, and narrowly edged ‘Vape of the Year’ in the Vaporizerblog.com.

Its rubberized aluminium shell was rugged as hell and although the flexible draw-tube ultimately failed, while it worked it was great. I personally loved the little canisters of herbal oil mixes that slotted into the oven – an innovation never repeated by DaVinci or any other manufacturer.

Pax makers Ploom subsequently chose to stick with its iconic shell, and focus innovation on the internal functionality of the Pax 2 and Pax 3, with great success.

The DaVinci, by contrast, was re-built from the ground up for its second iteration, the Ascent. With its rounded edges and retractable glass mouthpiece, it proved to be a popular (if still flawed) all-new vape.

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The highest DaVinci to-date

The DaVinci IQ vaporizer arrives in a small, elegant box, and its luxurious packaging is certainly representative of the quality vape it holds within. When unboxing this baby, you feel that you’re unpacking something precious

Its contents include the vaporizer itself; two zirconia mouthpieces – flat and extended; a small bud storage container, and a box of accessories.

Powering Up DaVinci IQ vaporizer 

Juice comes via the micro-USB cable, which charges a replaceable 18650 battery. Cleaning tools, an instruction manual and a carry-on keychain with extra scraping tool complete the kit.

The device itself is impressively small, with a compact design. It can easily be disguised in the palm of your hand, making it competitive with the PAX 3 in terms of stealth. It weighs more than it looks like it should for its size (145 grams) and as a result feels very solid and durable in the hand. The matte finish is appealing, with the black zirconia elements completing a futuristic look & feel.

Swappable Battery!

On the left side of the IQ , you will find the (standard 3500mAh) 18650 battery, which can be replaced or charged outside of the device. On the rear of the device, you will find the micro USB charging port.

A unique mouthpiece that elevates the purity and richness of the flavor of dry herb, in particular. Thanks to a 100% ceramic zirconia air path and the highest quality materials, the user is able to easily pull out thick, rich, high-quality vapor with minimal draw resistance.

The IQ’s Zirconia Mouthpieces

The IQ comes with a choice of flat or “extended” mouthpiece (both made from Zirconia). The flat mouthpiece requires the user to purse their lips against the device and neither I nor the few friends who tried it liked it. The extended one however is great; a glass-like ‘mouthfeel’ that keeps the vapor cooler (and can be modified with a water bubbler attachment) 

Zirconia is a very dense material sometimes referred to as ‘ceramic steel’ as it has the properties of ceramic and the toughness of steel. So more durable than glass (the Ascent did have a tendency to break), with the same purity of flavour, high-temperature capability (up to 2400º C), and low thermal conductivity.

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‘Bicameral’ or two chambered

The DaVinci IQ vaporizer features two separate internal chambers – the newly designed flavor chamber, and the glass lined ceramic oven (a feature first trialled in the Ascent). Both are revealed by hinged, flip-open lids; the base flips open to reveal the oven, complete with a zirconia “pearl” that seals the oven from the bottom and becomes hot – facilitating an even heat distribution throughout the herb in the oven chamber.

Easy Loading

One of our biggest gripes with the original 2012 DaVinci was the difficulty of filling and cleaning the oven. The DaVinci IQ vaporizer is the ultimate riposte to this criticism; a silvered, contoured ledge practically sucks the ground herb into the oven with zero mess or fuss. Hands down, the easiest oven to fill, ever!

Open the lid at the bottom of the DaVinci IQ vaporizer to expose the chamber, and fill it up with herb. You can use the supplied oven tool to help you pack it. You can either grind your herb coarsely for not as much vapor, but with less draw resistance, or very finely, which will result in denser vapor but greater resistance.

Newly launched DaVinci IQ glass spacers will allow you to shrink the chamber, and to use less herb for the same amazing results.

Enter the flavor chamber

The flavor chamber is found at the opposite end of the DaVinci IQ, and also revealed by a flip-open lid that houses the mouthpiece. This chamber is like a hollow bullet made of zirconia with a hole at each end that sits directly in the post-oven air path.

A slim tool is hidden alongside it. Pull it out and you use the tool to extract the chamber and open its lid. The idea is you can fill this with a second herb – yes, I said SECOND HERB!

So hot air is drawn through the oven, where it loads up on terpenes and cannabinoids, and is then drawn through the flavor chamber when it is still warm enough to pick up a second payload of herbal goodies. I tried a light load of dry lavender and indeed, the end result is a delicious, cool, lavender-flavoured vapor.

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Excellent Draw

The draw with the flavor chamber in is pretty good, on par with most compact vapes. Without the second chamber it is a spectacularly easy draw. Cloud chasers, take note.

But the slight dip in draw performance is more than compensated by the novelty of flavoured vapor. I also tried rosemary and dried, ground lemon peel with success, and this feature is really only limited by the herbs you have at hand.

The 100% zirconia air path also contributes to the excellence of the vapor quality, and if you want to rise to even greater levels of vapor pleasure, water filtration accessories are available from DaVinci (not included in our review package).

DaVinci IQ vaporizer Interface

The device comes with 3 pre-defined heat modes – Smart Path mode, Precision mode, and Boost mode. A 51-dot LED Light Grid displays temperature and battery settings. It looks really cool and the dots of light are animated and quite mesmerizing.

To turn the IQ on, click the main control button five times rapidly. The IQ will turn on in Smart Path mode and start heating up. You can use the up or down buttons to select one of four smart heating paths

The Smart Paths are preset, but can be changed and configured via the smartphone app. Using the smart paths, you can set the IQ to start at a certain temperature, then heat up to another temperature over the course of selected time.

The other temperature modes

Precision mode: allows you to pick a precise temperature which will be maintained for the entire session. Again, you can completely change it at any time. To turn the precision mode on, tap the top button once and then press the Up or Down buttons to set your optimal temperature.

Boost mode: if you hold down the top button, boost mode will be activated. The heater will be engaged fully, and will now slowly work towards 430ºF as long as you continue holding the button. The boost mode can help you experience that extra draw at the device’s maximum temp.

You can also use the smartphone app to activate “Stealth Mode”, which will dim the LEDs within the app.

The IQ’s temperature range (250ºF – 430ºF) is broad enough to enable the use of a variety of secondary herbs, and is changeable in single degree increments (as all DaVinci vapes have been).

App Not Mandatory, but Recommended

The onboard interface allows full control of the device, making the app completely optional. We recommend using it, as it adds some cool features such as the total usage time, average session length, and average temperature.

The IQ allows the user to have full control over a session, by allowing you to track your Smart Path usage and see other important information about your vaporizer. Session progress is tracked via a graph in the app that shows the timeline vs. the temperature level.

On emptying out the oven to check the material to see if the IQ did a good job extracting all the active ingredients, the material was completely brown and dry. It seems that the Pearl does as it intended to: create a more consistent, even distribution of heat throughout the entire session.

After a few weeks’ use, the IQ is noticeably durable as well as easy to clean and maintain. It really feels like you’re using a luxurious gadget to vape with.

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DaVinci IQ Conclusion – exceptional vapor quality

The DaVinci IQ vaporizer is an outstanding success, and vaping with the IQ is a real pleasure. The vapor quality is exceptional, and the amount and density of the vapor the IQ produced is surprising.

The second chamber, hidden tool, easy-fill oven, swappable mouthpieces and quality app make the IQ a fun piece of kit to play around with. I love the ability to combine other herbs for their health benefits or just for the added flavor.

No matter which setting we used, the IQ delivers. The vapor is rich, tasty and flavorful, and we are truly impressed with the DaVinci IQ vaporizer in every aspect.

Pros:

• Feels good in hand; very portable
• Great temp control with Smart Path & Boost Mode
• Easy to load and use
• Excellent vapor quality and flavor

Cons:

• On the expensive side
• Slow battery charge
• Hard to clean once residue built up

The IQ is the best DaVinco to-date, being an all-new design. Innovative second heating chamber allows you to flavour your herb. Very easy oven fill, with onboard tool. All glass oven plus zirconia mouthpiece adds to the flavour purity. Uses swappable standard battery for even more juice on the go.

9 Vaporizerblog
rating

I reckon you’ll still be able to vape glow-in-the-dark mutant buds with the ALIVI8 Vaporizer after a nuclear holocaust. This medical grade steel son-of-a-bitch looks like it was designed in some 1950s Cold War lab to survive.

Like all good ordnance, it packs a decent bang for your buck. It’s simple and effective and you can drop it from a tall building. As my old dad used to say: If you’re looking for ultimate simplicity and durability, go with machined, medical grade stainless steel.

The ALIVI8 Vaporizer looks like unexploded high calibre ammunition, and it packs a decent bang when it’s in use.

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SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY – FIRE

Measuring 4-inches (100 mm) long, the steel version weighs 4 oz (120 g) and colored versions made from anodized aluminium have the same dimensions but with a third of the weight 1.5 oz (40 g). So it becomes more of a Space Age thing then.

Operating the ALIVI8 Vaporizer is simple too. Just unscrew the herb chamber, load your herb (it’s quite voluminous) and screw back together. A piece of gauze at the end of this metal cigar takes of an applied flame, which heats the air behind it, which is inhaled through the herb chamber behind a second gauze.

HEATING THINGS UP

Being all metal, you need an electronic lighter to apply the heat for a few seconds, turning the ALIVI8 vaporizer as you do so. A torch lighter like you need for concentrates is too much.

Inhale for 8-10 seconds and pay attention to the flavour; yes, avoiding overheating is that primitive, or finessed, depending on your view.

The usual disclaimer applies for vapes using a naked flame: practice to avoid combustion or incomplete vaping.

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FIRE PLUS STICK!

It comes with a stirring tool to refresh the bowl between puffs, though after a few hits the base is too hot to unscrew.

Once you have the knack of using the ALIVI8 vaporizer you will be rewarded with quality clouds and surprisingly fresh too, thanks to the cooling mass of the solid metal body.

The whole thing unscrews to allow thorough cleaning.

GOOD TOOL

All in all, I found the ALIVI8 vaporizer to be an interesting device to play with that I can see has practical advantages in high risk or impact situations. It also looks cool enough to share.

It fits in a jean pocket, there are no electronics to charge or screw up and you can get it wet. You could bludgeon a snake with it when camping, not that you would or should. In short, it’s a simple, solid device, the Sputnik of vapes.

HEATING LEARNING CURVE

A torch lighter is not recommended but one with electronic ignition is. As with all naked flame vapes, it does take a little practice to avoid combustion or incomplete vaping.

Move the flame in circular motion, inhale for 8-10 seconds, pay attention to the flavours to avoid overheating, and stir with the tool that comes with it between puffs for more uniform vaporization (the heat chamber gets too hot to unscrew immediately for herb stirring).

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ALIVI8: GOOD HITS

But when you find the sweet spot, the ALIVI8 Vaporizer gives a good, cloudy hit

The device’s mass is put to good use as a heat sink for the vapor; by the time it has wound its way to your mouth, it’s nicely cool. Unscrew the mouthpiece to reveal the cooling fins inside and for cleaning.

The ALIVI8 vaporizer is very portable, pocketable, and durable, with a nice large herb chamber. The vapor is tasty

* There have been some online insinuations that there may be health issues relating to the metal foam filters in the Alivi8. The makers (red-eye.co.uk) have posted reassurances from the manufacturers of the filters that the material (FeCrAlY) is perfectly safe for use in this particular application.

This machined medical grade stainless steel ‘bullet-style’ ALIVI8 vape is simple, effective and damn near indestructible. A double gauze system allows heat applied by a regular electronic lighter (not torch-style) to be moderated enough to create vapor without combustion.

8.6 Vaporizerblog
rating

The Volcano Vaporizer – “800 lb gorilla” in the room

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The undisputed heavyweight champ of vapes, the Volcano Vaporizer has set the bar high when it comes to quality, durability and performance. Not to mention price.

It sells for between $500+ (Classic) and $600+ (Digital) USD, is at the outer reaches, in terms of price, for the average vaporizer user. 

But, as with any good vaporizer it is well worth the investment in your health. Read on to find out what makes it different from other vaporizers. Be sure to watch the video too.

It comes in two styles: “Classic” and “Digit”

The “Classic” Volcano Vaporizer

The Classic has a dial-style design that allows you to set your desired vape temperature. The dial is numbered “1” through “9”, and the manual that comes with the Classic has a diagram that explains how the numbers indicate a temperature range. According to the Storz & Bickel website, the temperature range of the “classic” is between 130°C and 230°C (266° and 446°F).

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The “Digit” Volcano Vaporizer

The digital has a very large and easily readable LED display with big green “+” and “-” buttons to manually adjust its vape temp. Another handy feature of the digital version is the auto switch-off function.The temperature range for the “Digit” is between 40°C and 230°C (104°F and 446°F). The difference in temperature ranges between the two has to do with the digital accuracy of the “Volcano Digit”. Dig it?

“Easy Valve” & “Solid Valve”

Both the “Classic” and the “Digital” use “Easy Valve” and “Solid Valve” balloon technology. Honestly, I really don’t know what this means…lol. But seriously it’s a matter of preference. The Solid Valve is durable, re-usable and you can choose your balloon size. It’s cheaper than the Easy Valve but you’ll have to put some work into it, take it apart and clean it. The Easy Valve is basically maintenance free, no cleaning involved but it has a pre-set balloon. The Solid Valve will help save a few dollars over the long term, since the balloons can be purchased separately, as compared to the easy valve where the balloons have to be replaced together with the valve.

What can I say, it’s all in the name…the Easy Valve is ‘Easy’.

I think I would have to own one for about a year to fully appreciate the difference between the valve systems. To me, it’s a matter of durability. It’s cool tech though. Just push in the valve attached to the balloon and the vapor is released, ready to be inhaled.

Anyway, I do wonder why the Volcano Vaporizer uses only the balloon, and not a wand whip as well. I would like to see a vape chamber attachment, on the Classic and the digital, with a wand whip valve attachment. It is an industrial-sized piece of equipment though. Maybe that’s why.

Filling Chamber

The filling chamber is pretty big. My guess is that you could get a good 2-2.5 grams of your finest “cheeba-cheeba y’all” in there.

But, I wouldn’t suggest doing that. Unlike a smoking bowl or bong, it’s not necessary to pack your “pot”-pourri in tight. It’s a good idea to leave some room for the hot air from the heating chamber to circulate and properly vape your buds.

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Conclusion: Volcano Vaporizer

So is it worth it? If money is no object I’d recommend you buy a Volcano Vaporizer, because it is the best herbal vaporizer and it will last you a very long time because of the build quality.

It even serves a dual purpose as a restaurant or home kitchen appliance as well. Read more about that in my “cooking with the Volcano” article.

Now your probably thinking: How much does it cost? Well, the Volcano Vaporizer is the Maybach of modern vaporizers. Like a Maybach, it probably is a bit on the expensive side for most aspiring users.

The Volcano from Storz & Bickel thrust vaporizing as a concept and technology into the mainstream with its 2000 launch. The German-based company had the technology, engineering skills and marketing sense, and became a standard in hiphop cribs and elite dinner parties, endorsed by Hollywood stars.

8.8 Vaporizerblog
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One of the premier vaporizer manufacturers in the world, German company Storz & Bickel introduced the iconic Volcano in 2000. It quickly became a favourite amongst medical users and a golden standard for desk top vaporizers.

The story of this remarkable company starts in 1996, when graphic designer Markus Storz began developing vaporizers in his basement. For his first experiments he used a heat gun, just like other pioneers such as American “Eagle Bill” Amato (1942-2005) and Dutch Evert “De Verdamper”.

But Storz wanted something better and in 1998 filed a patent for the removable valve balloon for a “volcano inhaler”. He founded the company “Vapormed Inhalatoren” in 2000 to produce and sell the first version of the Volcano vaporizer, that separated the vaporizing process from the inhaling. The vapor produced by heating up ground cannabis filled up a balloon, from which you could easily inhale it. This was something never seen before and it was an almost instant hit.

One of the first people to ever buy this revolutionary new device was Jürgen Bickel, a civil engineer working in Peru and a longtime friend of Markus Storz. They decided to team up and establish a new company in December 2002: Storz & Bickel GmbH & Co. It is based in Tuttlingen, a small town on the Donau river in the South of Germany that has a history of producing surgical instruments going back more than 150 years. As the reputation of the Volcano spread, the company kept growing. Storz & Bickel America started in Oakland, California in 2005. The Volcano was continuously improved, with the Digit (2007) allowing for exact temperature control between 40 and 240 degrees Celsius (104 to 464 Fahrenheit).

In 2010, Storz & Bickel became the first vaporizer manufacturer to receive ISO

(International Organization for Standardization) manufacturing certification. The whole production process, from research and development to individual testing of every single unit and after sales services breathes German Gründlichkeit, that special kind of thoroughness for which German cars are loved the world over. Sure, it comes at a price, but the quality and durability are unrivalled. Or as one reviewer on YouTube put it: “I used the crap out of it and it still works amazingly.” Dutch health insurance companies who cover medicinal cannabis usually cover the cost of a Volcano as well, adding to its reputation as the golden standard for vaporizers.

Developed by Vapir, the Rise is a versatile forced-air vaporizer offering whip or balloon bag inhalation for use with both dry herbal blends and aromatherapy oils.
With up to four simultaneous users, it’s the perfect vape for sociable stoners, coffeeshops and compassion clubs.

Established in 1997, Vapir earned themselves a positive reputation in the vaporizer industry with popular models like the NO2, Oxygen Mini and One 5.0.

With the recently tweaked Rise they have muscled into Volcano territory; if the design is not as iconic, its functionality and sheer versatility are more than a match.

What’s new?

New features of the Vapir Rise 2.0 include an extended temperature range (it now goes as high as 215°C/420°F), and fanless operation. As well as ten speeds, the new, improved Rise can also function with the fan turned fully off for a longer, more efficient vaping session.

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Getting started

Opening the box of Vapir Rise 2.0 Accessories is at first rather intimidating; there are just so many damn parts. But the guidebook is clear and well laid out and the quick-start summary will get you up and vaping in no time. It’s this variety of parts that gives the Rise such versatility.

For the record, the box includes the unit itself and its power cord. There are separate chambers for herb blend and oils, and adapters for the chamber, balloon and inhalation. There’s a metal ‘grabber’ for picking up the hot chamber, 3 inflatable balloons and a balloon clamp, large and small mesh screens, 4 silicone tubes and a multi-user adapter.

Phew, right?

Precise Touch Pad Control System

The Rise features a precise touch pad control system that makes the vaporization process clear and easy to control. The LCD screen displays in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

The unit is able to hit vaporizing temperatures in less than 1 minute. Its wide range and accurate temperature control makes the Vapir Rise 2.0 great for use with a variety of common and exotic herbs.

Dual Functionality

The Vapir Rise 2.0 sports a dual-functionality: you can enjoy the vapor through the traditional whip (silicone tubing) or a balloon bag system. Personally, I’m a not a huge bag fan, and the Rise bags are rather plastic-y (as opposed to the more culinary feel of the Volcano bags). The valve is also a bit cheap.

Rising to the occasion

Having filled the herb chamber – well, half-filled it since it is huge – I opted for the whip. The oven lid can have 1,2,3 or 4 whips attached simultaneously, thanks to its Multi-User Adapter.

The stainless steel design creates a clean vapor path and good tasting vapor, helped by a ceramic heating element and HEPA air filter system. The forced-air fan system is quieter than more expensive fan vapes on the market.

Sociable hookah-mode

It works well with a single user, and just as well with 3 (the most I got together). I’d never used a multi-user vape before, and it is nicely sociable.

The multiple user adapter looks like cylinder of a revolver, which led me to assume it held separate loads of herb. It’s actually just a diverter with little switches to cut off airflow, allowing the 1-4 user functionality.

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You’ll be a fan of this fan

As noted, the fan is quiet; very quiet on the lowest (of 10) setting, and can be switched off entirely. If you’ve ever been annoyed at the volume your desktop vape makes, you’ll like this feature.

The continuous fan is to keep the herb chamber cool. If you have a Volcano you need to remove the herb chamber between bag fills so the herb doesn’t scorch. On it’s lowest setting, the imperceptible airflow from the fan is sufficient to prevent this.

Cleaning

When cleaning, pay careful attention to the rod in the center of the basket and clean it up and down with a cotton bud dipped in Iso. The whips can be cleaned by half-filling with Iso and shaking with the ends closed, and rinsing with hot water. Introduce a spot of washing up liquid, half fill with water and shake. Rinse again and hang up to dry.

Getting top clouds

If you’re after thick vapor clouds (and you can, even with small loads), there are a couple of tricks you need to know. One is to pre-heat the bowl for 3-5 minutes before using the hot chamber grabber to pull open the bowl and load your herb. The chamber will be hot, and you will need the holder. Snap chamber back in the unit and you’re good to go.

The second key thing is to make sure the upper screen in the heating chamber with the shaft attached to it remains sitting against your herb. Sometimes (when sticky, prior to cleaning) it will get stuck at the top of the chamber as your heated weed shrinks, reducing the performance.

For real cloud chasers, this newly pimped up Rise produces even thicker vapor thanks to the higher possible temps, and the option of shutting the fan off.

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Conclusion: Vapir Rise 2.0

With its design tweaks, the Vapir Rise 2.0 is way superior to previous Vapir products, bringing a solidity and greater functionality than we’ve been used to. It’s super-versatile, solid and well made.

The design is practical but for the most part elegant, the whole unit is compact and overall offers great bangs for your buck. The touchscreen controls are clear and effortlessness.

Can deliver vapor for up to 4 users by whip simultaneous or by bag, making it the best vaporizer on the market for compassion clubs and coffeeshops as ell as party people. Compact yet very functional, with an elegant LED interface and touch interface, the Rise 2.0 is one of our favorite desktop vapes.

8.3 Vaporizerblog
rating

“That first puff of a joint was a relief” – Bart Hissink

People all around the world are discovering the medicinal properties of cannabis. The healing power of the plant transforms lives every day. In this series we present personal stories of people who find comfort and relief in nature’s oldest medicine.

Bart Hissink was a successful professional rally co-pilot and hosted a TV show about cars and rallying when in 2009 a terrible car accident turned his life upside down. Bart barely survived the crash, lay in a coma for weeks and suffered serious brain injury. The biggest change, he says, was the loss of his independence.

            “Suddenly I was dependent on others. Not just for my health, but financially as well. Brain injury is a definitive break in your lifeline. I had to learn everything all over again.”

DB: How did you discover cannabis as a medicine?

BH: “I found out when I sought out what was actually broken in my brain. Because of the injury, the transmission of signals between receptors in the brain were disrupted. This transfer happens through cannabinoids. And cannabinoids turn out to be present in mother’s milk and in cannabis. Could it be that simple? Well, that first puff of a joint was a relief!”

DB: How does cannabis work for you?

BH: “For me cannabis has analgesic, relaxing and pain relieving effects. It’s like the fairground in my head is turned down a few notches. It diminishes external stimuli, so I can think of something else than just the consequences of the accident.”

DB: What’s your preferred method of use?
BH: “Before the accident I had been smoking tobacco, so I started with a joint with tobacco. After a few years I switched to vaporizing and found the taste is much more important if you vape. My outdoor weed tasted like hay in a vaporizer. Occasionally I will roll a pure joint, but I don’t really have enough cannabis to do it often. So that’s why I still mix cannabis with tobacco, really. About a year ago I started using THC oil at night. My goal is to eventually only vape and use oil.”

DB: In 2015 you decided to “come out of the closet” as a medicinal cannabis user: why?

BH: “I wanted to grow my own cannabis but I ran into the infamous Dutch tolerance policy. There was talk of an exception to the rules for medicinal use, but to me that’s nonsense. Why would you need to be sick before you’re entitled to self-determination? I was inspired by Rick Simpson’s “Run from the Cure” documentary; this should be resolved through politics, not through the courts. My personal story is a good alibi.”

DB: You are an ambassador for the campaign “Cannabis? Aangenaam?” (Cannabis Introduced) [http://cannabisaangenaam.nl]. Can you tell us about this campaign?

BH: “I would like to do my small part in the effort to legalize cannabis. Before the accident, my world consisted of rally cars, media and promotion. Through cannabis I discovered a whole new world and my own little world started growing bigger again. The media campaign started by the VOC (Union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition) came at the right time for me. By combining the two worlds, I hope to contribute something to the fight against the hypocritical prohibition of cannabis.”

DB: If you could give one piece of advice to the new Dutch government about cannabis, what would it be?

BH: “My message to the new government: there are plenty of reasons you can come up with to maintain the ban on cannabis, but it takes just one argument to abolish it. And that’s the right to self-determination. Wipe the ban off the table and let the market do its work. Keep it safe and simple.”

With excellent vapor quality and key improvements on the original, the Firefly 2 Vaporizer is a great portable vaporizer, even if it’s not as user-friendly right out of the box as other high-end devices.

In 2013 we gave the first Firefly a mixed review. We praised it for being one of the first portable dry herb vaporizers to offer on-demand convection heating at the touch of a button. It was a simple device to use, provided decent vapor quality and was clearly an innovative design.

But it fell short in terms of temperature control, a short battery life, and difficult heat profile to master. It’s all-metal shell also made it a bit of a clunker; heavy and a bit cumbersome, which was a shame given its elegance under the hood.

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Smaller & lighter

The Firefly 2 Vaporizer is the second attempt from Firefly Vapor. It is 33% smaller and 55% lighter than the original and features on-demand convection heating at the touch of a button and a glass vapor path for instant flavourful vapor.

Most vaporizers have a 1 – 2 minute heat up time and once they reach the set temperature they maintain it during the entire session. While an effective way to vaporize it can be a bit wasteful because the herb is cooking even if you are not drawing from the device.

Always at the ready

The Firefly 2 Vaporizer does not have an on/off function but is constantly on and in standby mode. There are two ‘capacitive touch activation’ sensors, which we’re calling buttons, one on either side of the unit.

With the Firefly2, your herbs are only heated when you press the finger-sensitive button(s) wait for the flashing green light to turn solid in a few seconds and begin drawing from the unit. Once you let go and stop, drawing your herb no longer cooks, helping to maintain its flavorsome resin for the next draw.

You can choose via the app whether you prefer to press one or both buttons to create heat. I felt two made the device uncomfortable on the wrist, but when I opted for the single button I was constantly initiating heat up when filling the oven or passing the Firefly around. Frankly, neither option is perfect, but that’s a small gripe.

Out of the lovely box

The Firefly 2 Vaporizer arrives as beautifully packaged as one would expect from a vape at the top of the portable range. The moment you open the box you feel like you are getting a quality product, and the Firefly 2 is indeed sleek and sexy.

Its reduced weight and size feels much better than the previous model, while still maintaining a quality feel to it.

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Swappable batteries

Much of the weight reduction comes from the smaller yet more powerful – and removable – 770 mAH lithium ion battery. There’s also a spare battery to ensure you are never without juice – a welcome addition to the Firefly 2, as the original did suffer from poor battery life.

Charging is via a USB-supplied contact cradle. Just lay the Firefly down in it and wait a couple of hours and you’re good to go.

Cooling faceplate

The magnetic faceplate made of magnesium alloy, with its quartz window built into it so you can watch your herb cooking, is a joy to behold.

The moderately sized oven is revealed under this faceplate, as with the original ‘Fly, held in place magnetically and with a rubber seal. This can be a little fiddly to snap back in place perfectly.

The oven is made from borosilicate glass, good for around 0.2 grams of finely ground herb. Also like the original, it visibly glows orange as it heats up, and can be seen from the side and through the window in the covering plate. Hence ‘Firefly’.

Green light for go

When the green light turns solid you are ready to start drawing from the mouthpiece. For best results, we recommend very slow, long draws. The device goes back into standby mode after pressing the buttons for 30 seconds, and for the best draws, you will want to inhale for that entire duration.

It’s a sipping method that does have a fairly steep learning curve; you basically have to unlearn everything you knew about vaporizers and start afresh with this device.

If you find yourself underwhelmed after the first session do not be discouraged. We had the same sense of “is this it?”, but after a couple more sessions we figured out how to take correct draws for some very nice vapor. Cool, thanks to the long vapor path under the metal faceplate, and very flavorsome thanks to the convection heating.

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App access to temp profiles

One of the biggest issues with the original Firefly was its lack of temperature flexibility. The Firefly 2 Vaporizer fixes this by having temperature control accessed through the Bluetooth Firefly app. This offers access to 6 temperature settings, 5 for herbs and 1 for concentrate. It’s also where you choose which buttons need to be pressed to heat the device.

With the herbs setting you can choose between low (171 C), medium-low (182 C), medium (193 C), medium-high (204 C), and high (215 C). This gives you a decent range to work with and you should find a temperature that works for you.

Concentrates & power tuning

The concentrate mode heats the device up to 260 C, which is perfect for waxes but will ignite herbs, so always make sure you know what mode you are in before using the device.

Make sure you update your Firefly 2 to the newest firmware (by connecting the Firefly to the app with an internet connection). You will be able to “Power Tune” the fixed heat settings by up to 11%. This means the highest setting of 215 C will be boosted to a max of 230 C. It’s a nice customization option to find the type of vapor you prefer.

Exceptional vapor quality

With the learning curve mastered and the right heat setting, vapor quality from the Firefly 2 Vaporizer is outstanding. You can really taste all of the subtle flavors

If you want decent sized clouds we recommend the highest herb setting (high) and the power tuning setting cranked up to 111%. Even at this outer limit still the Firefly2 manages to deliver a pure flavor, though this will diminish through the session.

On lower heat settings, vapor is thinner but some of the best tasting currently available. Note that to ensure an even cook and get everything out of your herb you need to stir the bowl after every 3 or 4 draws. The Firefly 2 lacks a built in stirring tool, so you will have to remember to carry the one that arrived in the box to ensure an efficient session.

Very good for concentrates

We mentioned that this baby can handle waxes and concentrates with the use of mesh liquid pads and by changing the heat profile to “Concentrate Mode”.

We’ve found most vapes offering dry herb and concentrate compatibility do not do so very well. But the Firefly 2 really handles concentrates well, producing the best taste experience we’ve had the pleasure of, even with small amounts of concentrate.

So-so power

With moderate use, a single battery gets roughly 3 – 4 complete cooks, depending on temperature setting. While not great, with the second battery you will be able to get about 6 – 8 sessions out of the Firefly without needing to charge it.

The dual battery system would have been a perfect solution but for one major drawback: the battery must be in the unit in order for it to charge. So if a battery is dead and you swap it for a fresh one, you can’t charge the dead battery until you have finished your session. This almost negates the benefit of having the extra battery.

Hopefully, a future Firefly (or a new dock accessory) will adopt a system similar to that used by the Prima, which allows its spare battery to charge in an external charger, independently of the device.

Stealth/portability

The Firefly2 is still on the large side of portable when compared to the similarly-priced Pax3 or G-Pen Elite. But it will still fit in a back pocket or a bag if you want to take it out and about. Nor is it exactly stealthy to use, being smoked like a big fat cigar. In its favor, the device does not emit much of a smell, especially at lower temperatures.

But if you want a whole day’s use you will find the need for all the external accessories a bit of a hassle. You’re going to need the second battery, maybe even the charging dock and USB cable – and that stirring stick we mentioned. All in all, travelling while keeping the Firefly up and running can be a bit annoying.

And then there’s the need for your phone if you want to change temperatures, as the only way to swap profiles is via the app. This too can be annoying, especially if you like to ‘step’ your heating (slowly increase the temp as you use it), as you’ll be on and off your phone the whole time.

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Firefly 2 Vaporizer Conclusion

The first Firefly was a revolutionary, technically advanced but ultimately flawed addition to the premium portable vape market. This widely anticipated successor is smaller, lighter and smarter. A big improvement over the previous model that provides some of the best vapor quality we have experienced.

While not perfect, the Firefly 2 is a unique device that deserves hands-on use to really appreciate. After you get over the learning curve it’s a pleasure to use, providing flavorful on-demand convection vapor at the touch of a button.

It’s great if you want to quick sessions without the heat up time of other vaporizers, to put it down and pick it up again later while remaining efficient with a smaller amount of herb. It also does a super job vaporizing concentrates and provided one of the most flavorful wax experiences to date.

Smaller, lighter, smarter and just better all round than the original 2013 Firefly, the Firefly2 is a unique vape in terms of heating (all convection), design and vapor quality.

8.3 Vaporizerblog
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Since March 2017 medical cannabis is legal in Germany and insurers are required to cover the costs of cannabis products when prescribed for “severe conditions”. Meanwhile, Dutch insurance companies have stopped covering medical cannabis, although it has been legally available through pharmacies since 2003.

So why are the two neighbors moving in different directions?

Whichever way you look at it, the legalization of medical cannabis in Europe’s biggest and richest countries is a momentous occasion. German activists rightly criticize the fact that there is no provision for home-growing and also point out the risk of a few big players monopolizing the market. German doctors respond positively. Josef Mischo from the German Medical Association told TheLocal.de [https://www.thelocal.de/20170303/doctors-rejoice-as-germany-kicks-off-medical-marijuana-prescriptions] predicts “a certain increase of this therapy, though to what extent is unclear”. “As a medical community, we welcome the fact that therapeutic possibilities have now been expanded.”

Before the new law went into effect only about 1000 German patients had permission to purchase and use medical cannabis, at their own expense and at very high prices. Doctors can now prescribe cannabis to anyone and the list of conditions isn’t exactly defined. “It is good that the legislators largely left it up to the doctors to decide if cannabis should be used”, said Mischo. “Right now I can already imagine that many doctors will now, for one thing, test to see if their chronic pain patients get better with cannabis.”

It would be quite difficult to find a Dutch doctor with such a positive and constructive approach to medical cannabis. The Netherlands legalized medical cannabis back in 2003, but for years the number of people who bought their cannabis at the pharmacy was very low.

There were a few of reasons for this. All Dutch medical cannabis is produced by one company, Bedrocan. For years, they only produced one variety, these days they offer five different strains.

Prices have gone down and are now below those at coffeeshops, around €31 for 5 grams. The number of “official patients” buying cannabis at the pharmacy has risen considerably in recent years.

But this number is likely to go down again after the few Dutch Insurance Companies that covered medical cannabis decided to stop paying for it at the end of 2016, claiming there is “not enough scientific proof that medical cannabis works”.

One thing that has hardly changed over the years is the unwillingness of most Dutch doctors to prescribe medical cannabis. It’s one of the complaints that the Patient Group Medicinal Cannabis Users (PGMCG) receives most often.

The PGMCG is based in the Southern Dutch city of Tilburg and was founded in 2014 by Marian Hutten, who uses cannabis against COPD, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. She had to go to great lengths herself to obtain a prescription. It’s a sharp contrast with the situation in the United States, where it’s very easy to get a prescription if you live in one of the many states that have legalized medical cannabis.

Another pressing problem in the Netherlands is the harsh prosecution of patients growing their own medicine. The PGMCG achieved a remarkable success on this front: they negotiated a formal agreement with local authorities not to persecute medicinal home growers, as long as they have a prescription and adhere to clearly defined requirements. This “Tilburg” approach has attracted a lot of attention and some cities are ready to copy it. It proves how real change often starts at the local, grass roots level. And it also seems to demonstrate the main difference between what has been happening in Germany and the Netherlands. The Germans are regulating medical cannabis top down, while continuing to criminalize recreational use and any form of home growing. In the Netherlands, local initiatives push the much needed change in cannabis policies from the bottom up.

A lot of work remains to be done in both countries, but one thing is certain: medical cannabis is firmly on the agenda and won’t go away anytime soon.

DaVinci Vaporizer stays looking good

Organicix, LLC, the Las Vegas-based makers of the Karma e-cigarette range, released their first portable herb vaporizer earlier this year. We got hold of a model to review. It’s called DaVinci Vaporizer, and we like it. Though you might wanna check out the new Ascent portable by DaVinci also.

The DaVinci Vaporizer arrives in a sturdy but attractive box that announces: quality within! It’s later pointed out to me that Leonardo’s famous Vitruvian Man image that graces the box lid is clutching a (Da Vinci) vape in his hand. Nice touch.

Out it comes and – relief, the device inside feels as rugged and sturdy as the packaging suggested. Not bulky by any means, but it feels like you could drop it, pick it up and just keep vaping.

The looks

The aluminum face and heavy-duty high temperature rubberized plastic paint (black, in my case, but also silver or red) add to the butch, outdoors-y feel. Besides adding more toughness to the unit, the rubberized paint shrugs off scratching and smudging. Even after a heavy night of being passed around friends, it still looked slick.

At 16oz (453g), the unit’s as heavy as an NO2 but barely 4 inches high and an inch wide. A quick ‘back pocket’ test reveals that the DaVinci Vaporizer is genuinely and comfortably portable.

Let’s charge this baby up

Much of the weight comes from the array of 3 Lithium-ion batteries (total 13.5 V) used to heat the (bronze) heating chamber. These are charged up via an adapter; I gather the battery is partly pre-charged at the factory before shipment but still needs 3 hours to top up. Subsequent charge time is about 3 hours from empty to full for 40-60 minutes of use.

The master on/off button on the side has to be on to charge the device; a small LCD screen will also show battery strength and current temperature. The DaVinci Vaporizer will not begin to heat up until the second button on the front face is pressed. I liked this safety/battery saving feature.

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Good battery time

The actual time can be extended by smaller drags, turning the unit off after initial use and vaping at lower temps, plus there are other variables: how long the unit is powered on, how much it’s used, etc. But as a rule of thumb, depending on how hard you’re inhaling, one charge is good for approximately two loads.

That’s also why there’s a master on/off switch and a secondary on/off switch that starts the heat up process: to avoid accidentally switching it on in a pocket or backpack and have the battery drain (as happened when I used the old Pax vaporizer).

Auto shut-off feature

Due to popular demand, the unit automatically shuts off after 10 minutes of inactivity. This will lead to a longer battery life and avoid overheating (if the unit sits too long with the heating unit turned on, it can get really warm). This only turns off the heating element and not the master power switch.

Organicix reckon the batteries will be good for a 300 charge cycle before they start losing the charge capacity, though lifetime capacity should be good for about 2000 full charges. The warranty on the battery is 6 months (on the rest of the unit is a 2 year warranty).

Easy to pack

A small silver button frees the Da Vinci’s corner lid to lift up and reveal the chamber. A chamfered opening enables easy loading of around a cubic centimeter of herb; the actual weight would depend on the fineness of the grind, etc.

Accuracy: a BIG win

Above this are two buttons for setting the desired temperature. True, the older and much uglier VM3 had a variable temperature, so the DaVinci Vaporizer is not the first portable with the feature.

But if you want to use multiple herb samples this alone must put it at the top of your portable list. The digital temperature gauge is accurate to within a degree or two and a chart is included of the temperatures suited to various beneficial herbs (St John’s wort, Gingko , etc).

And we have take off!

My device was set for Farenheit; there may be a way to switch to Celsius but I didn’t find it in the short time I had it to use. The (otherwise, clear) manual did not mention it.

I just settled for the default 375 degrees as a starter, pressed the second ‘on’ switch and whoosh – the LCD readout started to whir. This baby heats up really fast, reaching 375 in about a minute and a half – about twice the speed of my Volcano.

Convection: Hot Air

Talking of heat, the DaVinci Vaporizer is a Convection vaporizer – the herb sits on a fine mesh screen at the bottom of the chamber, with the heating coil just under it. Hot air flows from the bottom holes through the material, as opposed to of conduction where the material gets “roasted” more by touching hot surface areas.

Other heating devices

The Arizer Solo and Iolite Wispr use a combination of conduction and convection. They work ok, but are not as efficient and prematurely toast the herbs with their hot surface areas. I don’t own one, but some users report Magic Flight Box also tastes over-toasted after a couple of puffs.

Unlike butane-powered vaporizers, the DaVinci Vaporizer will perform just as well at higher altitudes, and does not have the igniting issues that we hear about.

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Hitting the temperature mark

The max. temperature is supposed to be around 405 degrees F., but my device would only go as high as 400 (which is still way higher than I’d ever had cause to run it). A green LED light comes on when you hit the desire heat (which is also stated on the LCD screen), and readings are accurate within a couple degrees, say the makers, thanks to a proprietary microprocessor set up to read them.

A choice of whips

The short (? cms) and long whips (? cms) screw into the top of the vape, into the lid, actually; I’d recommend removing them when you’re transporting the device.
They’re made from cloth-protected high temperature food grade silicon, and I smelt no chemical residues or off gassing even on the first use.

The moment of truth – sweet vapor

I went with the short whip, screwed it in, sucked for the moment of truth, and…sweet! The draw is excellent, the herb sample taste came through with no aftertaste, and a decent cloud of vapor was effortlessly drawn into my lungs (I appreciated when I exhaled).

Time to cool down

Inside, a honeycomb mesh screen behind the exhaust holes serves to cool the device, and once switched off it cools quickly. The heat while using is tolerable, but keep your grip off the cooling grill (which feels a little awkward).

Oil barrels and herb stash

Two cylindrical barrels are included in the package that slot snugly into the heat chamber. These can be pre-loaded with oil or concentrates. The silicon grommet lid is heat resistant and again, I noticed no aftertaste when using the barrel. I did have taste issues but this may have been the oil; it was the first time I’ve vaped it.

With the lid up, there is a hidden herb storage chamber (or which can also accommodate the oil barrel), which is a nice feature, although the pull out soft silicone stopper is a bit fiddly.

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Cleaning – mostly easy

The screens at the bottom of the chamber come out for cleaning (it arrives with 3 replacement screens), and a cleaning brush is cleverly secreted under the chamber lid. This is pretty useful for stirring a herb load, and removing the cap from the barrels too, and I liked having it on hand and safely stowed away at all times.

Rubbing alcohol, a cotton swab or a pipe cleaner are recommended for removing residues. Although later models have been adapted to allow the lid to open further than it originally did, cleaning the chamber is still pretty tricky.

Ah, that lid…first big bad point

In fact, the lid opening would be a possible deal breaker for me. It’s that annoying. No matter how you angle your head or the lighting, it’s impossible to see into the bottom of the chamber to see if it’s clogged or improperly cleaned.

I’d like to see the lid open outwards, the other way to how it is currently attached. Or maybe it’s possible to add a small LED light to the lid that can shine into the chamber. That’d work, and be pretty cool.

Comes into its own for Medical Use

Medical marijuana’s most effective active ingredient is not THC but CDB (and other cannabinoids). THC can melt and aerosolize to create vapor at 180 C, but CBD needs to be nearer 206 C (and CBN at 212 C). For this reason medical users, I suspect, will love the Da Vinci.

The Vapor Path

For airpath cleaning, the whip unscrews and the bottom part of that (under the lid) also unscrews, so they can be easily cleaned. The vapor path is all high-
temperature food grade silicon, with some plastic flexible wrapping on the outside. The internal components are mil spec food grade plastics (so no outgassing and no overheating issues) and stainless steel alloys, plus all the soldering is non-lead containing.

Good Safety & Service

Organicix is apparently undergoing a safety certification process for all of its components, though I haven’t found out whether this has been granted.

All units are hand assembled and Organicix co-owns the Shenzhen factory that was built specifically to manufacture the Da Vinci. Having an owner with 20+ years of experience in the import/export game should help with all of the logistics, and they have been active listeners. It looks as though service, support, and contact are prompt, and user feedback acted upon.

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Da Vinci Vaporizer: a benchmark for accurate vaping on the love!

While lacking the drool factor of the portable Pax, DaVinci Vaporizer is not a bad looker. It feels and performs solidly, and heats up exceptionally well (combining accuracy & speed). I think it makes a great first choice outdoor portable vape if you can overlook (or not mind) the slightly frustrating lid. Both draw and taste are good, and though I had it for only a short while I’m confident it can be trusted to perform well over the long term.

Its anodized aluminium shell (gold or black) sports grooves for grip and a slightly wider neck with heat-dissipating ridges surrounding the oven.

It comes with a snap-off plastic mouthpiece (glass as an optional accessory), and feels solid. The external finish is really nice but it does retain a bit of heat, so after 3 sessions the body is pretty warm. The 1-button function is easy.

The vapor is quite harsh at high temps but Top Bond Torch does supply a waterpiece adapter – recommended, as without it the Torch doesn’t get the chance to shine.

The Top Bond Torch – how bright does it shine?

I must admit I overlooked the Top Bond Torch vaporizer initially. As one of a whole bunch of vapes that arrived around the same time for review, it slid to the bottom of the pile thanks to its rather toy-like appearance. But when it’s time for scrutiny finally arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Torch by Top Bond is the companion vape of the boxy-but-likeable Odin, and my first reaction on removing it from its box is that it looks like a golden light sabre for a small child (or Yoda). You’ll have to decide whether this is a good or bad thing for yourself, but technically it’s a decent device for a very decent price.

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Torch shaped and groovy

As its name suggests, the Top Bond Torch does also look like a pocket torch, with a shell of gold (or black) anodized aluminium, with grooves for grip and a slightly wider neck with heat-dissipating ridges surrounding the oven.

Just over 13 cm’s tall and 2.5cm wide (5.2’’ x 0.94’’), it comes with a snap off plastic mouthpiece (or glass as an optional accessory; I would have liked to try this and other reviews indicate it comes as standard, but our review device arrived without it.).

It comes a basic brush and tool, USB cord, replacement screens and user guide.

Getting the Torch started

Initial charging of the 18500 non-removable battery took just under two hours via a discreetly-located USB slot. An LED turns the On button red, and once fully charged this turns green.

Removing the mouthpiece reveals a narrow yet deep ceramic oven with a capacity of around 0.2g of fine ground herb. Loading is pretty mess-free thanks to a recessed lip around the oven, then the mouthpiece snaps back snugly in place (it’s not magnetized but there was no vapor leakage when operating).

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Blue LEDs and settings

Press the single, small black On button 3 times to switch on and choose from the six temperature settings, indicated by tiny blue LEDs just under the ridged neck of the Torch. And I mean TINY – no bigger than a pinhead and frankly, not that clear.

The settings are: 175,185,195,205,215 and 225 Celsius (340, 360, 380, 400, 420 and 440 Fahrenheit), and they can be cycled through by keeping the On button pressed.

Taste: mixed reactions

Being mostly conduction (with maybe a little convection), the taste is not as good as a convection vaporizer and is pretty thin at the lowest temp, and thick if rather dry clouds at the highest. It took a couple of sessions to get the right draw – long and slow work best.

Personally, I found the 225 degrees a little high and the used herb does indeed come out dark and scorched. But starting at 195 °C and finishing at 205 °C. I got around 5-6 sessions per charge.

With no fancy heat management found in higher end portables, the Top Bond Torch is not the most economical vape in the world. Even when you’re not drawing, it is still cooking your herb.

The airpath is isolated and all regular plastics have been replaced with PEEK, so it did not stink of plastic on first use. But that airpath is also very short and when in use the Torch can be a bit smelly.

Stealth factor

The Top Bond Torch has a good stealth factor being small enough to hide in a palm and with no screen; the LED lights can easily be covered, and it can be used one handed. Think Cuban cigar…

There’s nothing dramatically new about the Torch but it is one of the smaller, lighter devices on the market and it does retail for a very reasonable price and like the Odin, it comes with a 1-year warranty.

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Conclusion

The Top Bond Torch feels solid, the external finish is really nice but it does retain a bit of heat, so after 3 sessions the body is pretty warm. The 1-button function is easy.

I liked its looks, but some people may not. The cooling fins are a nice feature and it being the same size/shape as a flashlight, it fits well in the hand. For a similar sized but more minimalist design, a good comparison would be with the Lift by Flyt.

The vapor is quite harsh at high temps but the Top Bond does supply a waterpiece adapter – again, this did not come as standard, which is a great shame as this feels like a device that will really benefit from a bit of water-cooling. Without it, I don’t feel like the Torch has had the chance to shine.

The Torch by Top Bond is the companion vape of the boxy-but-likeable Odin and equally bizarre. It looks like a small light sabre (ok, or a torch), but technically it’s a decent device for a very decent price.

7.6 Vaporizerblog
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The successor to the Vapium Summit, at first glance not much has changed; slightly bigger ‘in all directions’. That is, it’s about .1 inches taller, wider and longer.

It’s splash proof (IP54 quality), with a stronger magnet on the mouthpiece, and a stretchy ring added to keep the oven lid more firmly in place. The built-in stirring tool is really handy.

The battery life is longer and the vapor path is different to the original Summit; it has a smaller metal tube that goes inside the internal tube leading to the bowl, not outside like it did before.

Summit to shout about from Vapium

Discretion itself, the Summit looks like a flash drive and nestles in the palm of your hand. Quiet vibrations let you know when it’s ready to use without making a sound. It’s lightweight yet rugged, with textured grips and a minimum of vulnerable parts.

Summit Vaporizer – a peak experience

The Summit from Vapium is a rugged portable dry herb vaporizer that is as powerful as it is easy to use. With innovative technology, high-quality construction and intuitive functionality, it is clearly designed for on-the-go use.

What’s in the Box

With the Summit Vaporizer you get a micro USB power adapter and wall charger, cleaning kit with regular and elongated cleaning brushes, cleaning wipes, stir/pick tool, extra screens & mouthpiece guard, and a user manual.

A nylon carry bag (not specifically designed for the device) is big enough for tools, stash box, etc

How it Works

Finely ground herb is recommended for loading the chamber about 3/4 full before lightly tamping it down. You press and hold the Go button for 3 seconds to turn the Summit Vaporizer on, and the temperature is selected using the “+” or “-” button.

There are 8 settings from four lights by lighting them fully or partially. Half blue (160°C/320°F ), full blue (170 C), then up in stages through yellow and orange to full red (230 C°). You can use the Summit while it charges. The On button glows blue as the desired temperature is being reached, then green, accompanied by 3 buzzes (or ‘haptic feedback vibration’) when that temp is reached.

For best results allow vapor to form in the chamber to produce bigger clouds. To preserve battery, the Summit will automatically shut off after 90 seconds – simply press Go once to re-engage the heater.

Good look & feel

Made from lightweight, sturdy black plastic with a rubber hand grip/protector, the Summit Vaporizer feels good in the hand. A nice touch is the magnetic oven lid’s cord to prevent losing it. The mouthpiece is removable and is also magnetic, and there’s a clear plastic sleeve that snaps over it for extra insulation.

All these features (tethering of lids, haptic feedback) suggest the Summit’s perfect for outdoor, sporty types (Vapium have tested it in snow and extreme cold). You feel like you can safely drop it, watch it bounce down a cliff, then retrieve it and put it straight back in use.

The stainless steel vapor pathway gives excellent taste with low draw resistance for a small vape, and the vapor is surprisingly cool.

Using a ribbon USB cord, the device gives a short buzz to acknowledge it is charging and on button glows blue, then eventually green. Its (non-replaceable) Lithium-ion battery gives up to 1 hour of continuous use at 410°F/210°C. and features automatic shut off.

Press the button and hold it down, and the Summit gives a double buzz to indicate it’s switched off again

Cleaning the machine

Cleaning is a bit fiddly, but thorough: remove the mouthpiece and push a pipe cleaner through the heat path, popping the screen as it does so, and move back and forth. Screen replacement requires some patience, and the magnetic recesses of the chamber seem prone to filling with dust. Packing is also a bit messy, with those same magnetic holes picking up herb

Conclusion: Summit Vaporizer 

However, these quibbles aside, the Summit Vaporizer is a great little vape. Discrete to use, lightweight yet robust. It’s available in green, black or blue, and comes with a 1-year warranty.

The new Summit PLUS by Vapium is crafted for the rugged end of on-the-go use and a new peak in outdoor vaping. Designed to withstand extreme temperatures, it’s durable, powerful and easy to use, with innovative technology, high-quality materials/build quality with intuitive use.

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Similar in size, shell and mouthpieces perhaps, but the Boundless vapes actually improve on heat up time. Vapor quality from their patent hybrid heating technology, while not as smooth as the Crafty’s convection-only, is pretty close. And all for less than half the cost of the S&B unit!

The black plastic shell is contoured for easy grip and heat dissipation, and the device feels solid. It has the same flip-out, 360-degree mouthpiece that can be used in any direction as the CFX. Rather than an OLED screen, the CF uses discrete LEDs to indicate battery charge and temp setting.

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Performance Champion

The palm-sized CF Vaporizer from Los Angeles-based Boundless Technology packs a lot of power and offers great taste for a very modest price.

The Boundless CF Vaporizer and its big brother the CFX bear a physical resemblance to the Storz & Bickel (S&B) portables, in the CF’s case the small Crafty.

Similar in size, shell and mouthpieces perhaps, but the Boundless vapes actually improve on heat up time, plus the vapor quality from their patent hybrid heating technology, while not quite as smooth as the Crafty’s convection-only, is pretty close. And all for less than half the cost of the S&B units!

Out of the Box

The CF Vaporizer black plastic shell is contoured for easy grip and heat dissipation, and the device feels solid, if a little light. It’s around 4 inches when stood up, by 1.24” deep and 2.4” wide (10.3 x 3.1 x 6.1 cm).

It has the same flip-out, 360-degree mouthpiece that can be used in any direction as the CFX.

It’s wider and flatter than the similar flip-out but more ‘straw-like’ S&B models. A red LED above the charge port turns green when the battery is fully charged.

Charge time

The CF Vaporizer uses a non-replaceable 1300 mAh capacity lithium battery, charged via a microUSB cable, initially for about 3 hours (you can’t use the device while charging).

When in use you can check the battery level by pressing the power button 3 times within 1.5 seconds and the LED light flashes to indicate level.

Easy to Use

The Boundless CF Vaporizer is really easy to use. The mouthpiece cap twists off to reveal a good-sized ceramic chamber, good for at least 0.3 grams of herb.

Pack your herbs – the oven can happily deal with ground or un-ground, packed or loose – tamp them down lightly, and twist the mouthpiece shut.

Turning On

Pressing the side ON button 5 times in 2 seconds wakes up the CF and the blue LEDs start to flash to indicate heat up.

You need to press the ON button twice in 1.5 seconds to advance through the 5 temperature bands, which range from 1 LED (355 F/179 C) to 5 LEDs (415 F/213 C).

Simply twist open the mouthpiece and vape for a 5-minute auto-shut-off session. The unit will become warm but the ridged plastic shell does a good job of dissipating that heat.

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Hybrid Heating

The ceramic bowl is the same size as the one used in the CFX, and the CF Vaporizer uses the same Boundless patented Cooling-Airflow-System (CAS) technology to create hybrid convection-conduction heating.

A stainless steel heat exchanger below the bowl warms the air before it gets to the herbs and convection heating kicks in, and the taste as a result is pretty good for a vape this size.

Closed Air Path

Contributing to this quality vapor is an air path completely sealed from the electronics. Air enters at the bottom of the plastic outer shell and up through a stainless steel intake tube.

The heated part of the air path is stainless steel and ceramic. The air path after the heating chamber is ceramic, silicone, stainless steel and plastic (all rated food/medical grade).

Easy Draw

The broad mouthpiece makes for an easy draw. The lid and mouthpiece do a great job of cooling down the vapor to a comfortable level even at the highest temperatures.

This hybrid heating means you can achieve very substantial draws at high temperatures with a full packed chamber.

Bear in mind that huge clouds mean the flavor is more ‘cooked’ and a little harsher. With a more reasonable 190 – 200 degrees C. you can still pull a satisfying lungful while maintaining decent flavor throughout the session.

Concentrate-Friendly

Like the CFX, the CF Vaporizer comes with a metal canister filled with organic cotton wadding for using concentrates (oil or wax). It’s not the greatest solution (the draw is slow and forced), but it does the job at a pinch if you don’t want separate devices.

Smaller, Stealthier

Though smaller than the CFX, the CF Vaporizer is still not small enough to be concealed in your hand, and still puts a bulge in your back pocket.

It’s certainly stealthier than the CFX but not what you’d call concealable, if this is important to you.

Easy Cleaning

Cleaning the CF Vaporizer is simple by using the supplied brush to wipe out the oven after every session while it is still warm.

Less frequently, using an isopropyl alcohol-dipped Q-tip to get at the inside walls of the empty chamber (holding it upside down so the iso doesn’t leak down into the unit).

Wipe down with a damp cloth followed by a dry one.

If you find the draw becoming more restricted, or if the unit smells, it’s probably time to clean the mouthpiece.

Disassemble with the aid of the opener tool (included), wash parts with warm water and air dry. You’ll probably need the diagram in the manual for reference, first time at least.

You’ll also need to use a pin to unclog the holes in the ceramic filter (the metal piece under the mouthpiece).

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Conclusion – X or Not?

The Flowermate vaporizers have been the go-to entry-level vapes in terms of quality and price in recent years. The Boundless CF series perform better and quicker while keeping the price very reasonable. The question then becomes: which one, the CF or the CFX?

Mouthpiece, oven size and heat up times are more or less the same in both devices.

The CF Vaporizer is a good buy if you value portability over stylish interface. Its discrete 5 LED, one button operation and five-band heating are fine.

But if you want single-degree precision and a cool OLED screen for temp, battery and session timing and don’t mind a more bulky device, the CFX will probably grab you more.

The palm-sized CF from Boundless Technology packs a lot of power and offers great taste for a very modest price. Like its big brother the CFX, the CF bears a physical resemblance to a Storz & Bickel portable, in the this case the Crafty.

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