zephyr ion
- Thread starter sam urai
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So just to give a little update before I do a full review - we received it today, Chip and Nick at Zephyr are good guys and really believe in this vaporizer; and so do the head shops in the way they sold all of their inventory at Champs to head shop buyers. The vaporizer itself works really well and heats up to 400 degrees F in less than 90 seconds - thats fast. Vapor taste and quality is on par with the bigger guys too.
Im going to put together a full review in a day or two and Ill post it up on here. Lets just say it could be a contender on your holiday shopping list if your in the market for a new vaporizer.
Im going to put together a full review in a day or two and Ill post it up on here. Lets just say it could be a contender on your holiday shopping list if your in the market for a new vaporizer.
Okay the review is done. I'm going to paste it in here (its long) and then create a new thread for it too.
Here is a link to it on our site too: http://www.vapeworld.com/zephyr-ion-review I have a couple more exact pictures on the site.
Zephyr Ion Review
I always start my reviews off with some information about the company and where the product is made. The company is Zephyr Vaporizer out of Tarzana, CA.
Durability/Claims
The Zephyr Ion vaporizer comes with a 2 year warranty, but in reality I feel the way Zephyr believes in its product and the way it works that if you did have an issue down the road they would quickly solve the problem even if its after the warranty date.
The only downfall which is just a bad "stereotype", is that the vaporizer is made in China. Vaporizers are manufactured in China to save on labor costs and costs of circuitry and other small parts. When I found out the Zephyr was made in China with a price tag of $360 I was a little perturbed, but Zephyr explained the manufacturing plant is ran by Zephyr not out-sourced, to help insure quality control, safety and by the look of things on the Zephyr digital vaporizer itself it was designed with quality in mind. If it was made in the USA the cost of the herbal vaporizer would be closer to $500 MSRP instead of $360.
Since its soo new we are even on a waiting list for them to come in; there is no actual experience about handling warranty claims but I have talked to the guys of Zephyr a bunch and they really are good with replying to emails and returning voice mails something many other already established named companies are not good at it.
Automatic shut off will help save the life of the heating element... No more going to bed to find out that the next morning you left your vaporizer on all night at 360+ degrees.
Design/Ease of Use
The solid construction of the vaporizer gives the Zephyr a sturdy feel and will make you feel better about spending $360 on a vaporizer. If it weighed nothing you would think it wasnt made well, with the added tough construction it won't tip over easily and risk breaking the straw. The actual visual appeal of the Zephyr is a mix between a digital appliance from your kitchen and something Craftsman tools would design both because of its shape and texture. It reminds me of shoulders and half a face of a robot.
The buttons on the control panel are super easy to see, read and use; great job on Zephyr's part on the ease of use when it comes to working the vaporizer. There is no heat indicator light but instead you get a night-light style LED screen, when its at its desired temperature it will turn green Green; means go vape and Red means wait another 30 seconds, because it heats up soo fast you probably only have 30 seconds left of waiting at any temperature point. The Zephyr's screen will stay red whether it's on or not something that would be a little annoying if it was in your bedroom at night. The Zephyr heats up lightning fast if you keep the lid closed though they suggest you open it between sessions and when not in use. Even then its still one of the fastest heat up times on the market.
The filling chamber basket works well and is efficient but it's kind of big. But I also feel the same way about the Volcano's filling chambers they are both tough vaporizers for single use for one or two persons. A normal amount of your herb just looks ineffective maybe forcing you to using more herb than need to be efficiency is key when it comes to choosing a top rated vaporizer.
The valve and mouthpiece are both one unit ie: Easy Valve style for the Volcano except for the mouthpiece tip with the Easy Valve. The Valve clamp opens by squeezing the valve and to be honest its a tough, it might get easier with more use but I think it's so when you secure the valve onto the straw [see pic below] to help seal it better. If youre an older aged person or have arthritis in your hands it might be a two hand open and close valve. There is a noticeable amount of leakage from the top of the valve where the balloon attaches only when you're filling up the bag and especially when its the first bag and the vapor is thick and visual. The leakage is not coming from the valve, stem, or lid but the way the actual bag is fastened onto the valve with a zip tie.
The balloon the Zephyr vaporizer uses is the standard oven hose material you would find with the Volcano and Extreme vaporizers. Figure a life span of 1-2 months maybe even less depending on how often you use it now here's the issue we were having about the leaking. Changing the balloon is a tad on the un-easy side due to the tiny push pin [see pic below] that you would find on an electronic sensor on your car. Push in the "pen tip sized" tab and lift the top part up. Thats the cover that keeps the valve clean looking compared to just seeing the end of the balloon zip tied [see pic below] to the valve and then trimmed around the edges. We have used other vaporizers that try to use a zip tie to hold vapor and it will never be completely air tight. Is it a major problem? No, but maybe a better o-ring or something will eventually come out.
Aromatherapy
For those of you who enjoy herbal aromatherapy; lavender, chamomile, damiana etc, then your in a for a treat. The unit works well through both inhalation methods but also if you leave the straw into the atmosphere you can make any room "aroma-tized" in few a seconds. We have been leaving it on here at the office with Damiana (a relaxing herb) and the Zephyr works really well like this as well, a selling point for massage therapist, yoga and Pilates instructors and anyone else in the business of relaxing yourself or your clientele.
Taste
The taste and effectiveness of your vapor is exactly the same as the Volcano vaporizer. Super clean tasting what your herb smells like is what you taste. Every time you fill a bag its the same consistency and same effectiveness. Be prepared of the strength it will extract from your herb just another great quality factor in this vaporizer.
USB Device
As shown at Champs show there is a USB cable included and plug on the Zephyr Vaporizer. As of right now the software only works with Windows XP so I couldnt set it up and use it but for demonstration purposes I'm told that you can set a time for it to turn on and to what temperature. Very cool if it works with different operating systems but I feel the unit heats up soo fast that there is no need to worry about it turning on 15 minutes before you get home. But a cool feature on an overall cool vape.
Direct Inhalation Method with Whip
Per request from many members we wanted to use it with a whip Zephyr Ion says they are coming out with a nice whip with valve and mouthpiece but for now I used a SSV quality silicon whip and an SSV mouthpiece (something we will include with your order until Zephyr produces there own). Because the herb basket is completely air sealed under the lid you could use it with or without the fan. Without the fan the whip works really well and is great for single use compared to having to fill up a full bag. With the fan it works just as well and takes the inhale method out of the whip style but probably is more wasteful than direct inhalation without the fan. It also gives the Zephyr extra value compared to being a balloon vaporizer.
Summary
In Summary, the Zephyr vaporizer is a digital balloon style vaporizer with a retail price of $360. It comes with a 2 year warranty and a crew of people at Zephyr who really believe in their vaporizer. The Zephyr is a solid feeling sturdy vaporizer with a super easy valve design though it comes with a kung fu grip valve clamp. The vapor taste is on par with much more expensive vaporizers with a great consistency and true to herbal blend flavor. The few cons it has, made in China, tough to open valve and small leak are not enough to change your mind compared to the amount of pros it provides for its price point in the growing vaporizer market.
Here is a link to it on our site too: http://www.vapeworld.com/zephyr-ion-review I have a couple more exact pictures on the site.
Zephyr Ion Review
I always start my reviews off with some information about the company and where the product is made. The company is Zephyr Vaporizer out of Tarzana, CA.
Durability/Claims
The Zephyr Ion vaporizer comes with a 2 year warranty, but in reality I feel the way Zephyr believes in its product and the way it works that if you did have an issue down the road they would quickly solve the problem even if its after the warranty date.
The only downfall which is just a bad "stereotype", is that the vaporizer is made in China. Vaporizers are manufactured in China to save on labor costs and costs of circuitry and other small parts. When I found out the Zephyr was made in China with a price tag of $360 I was a little perturbed, but Zephyr explained the manufacturing plant is ran by Zephyr not out-sourced, to help insure quality control, safety and by the look of things on the Zephyr digital vaporizer itself it was designed with quality in mind. If it was made in the USA the cost of the herbal vaporizer would be closer to $500 MSRP instead of $360.
Since its soo new we are even on a waiting list for them to come in; there is no actual experience about handling warranty claims but I have talked to the guys of Zephyr a bunch and they really are good with replying to emails and returning voice mails something many other already established named companies are not good at it.
Automatic shut off will help save the life of the heating element... No more going to bed to find out that the next morning you left your vaporizer on all night at 360+ degrees.
Design/Ease of Use
The solid construction of the vaporizer gives the Zephyr a sturdy feel and will make you feel better about spending $360 on a vaporizer. If it weighed nothing you would think it wasnt made well, with the added tough construction it won't tip over easily and risk breaking the straw. The actual visual appeal of the Zephyr is a mix between a digital appliance from your kitchen and something Craftsman tools would design both because of its shape and texture. It reminds me of shoulders and half a face of a robot.
The buttons on the control panel are super easy to see, read and use; great job on Zephyr's part on the ease of use when it comes to working the vaporizer. There is no heat indicator light but instead you get a night-light style LED screen, when its at its desired temperature it will turn green Green; means go vape and Red means wait another 30 seconds, because it heats up soo fast you probably only have 30 seconds left of waiting at any temperature point. The Zephyr's screen will stay red whether it's on or not something that would be a little annoying if it was in your bedroom at night. The Zephyr heats up lightning fast if you keep the lid closed though they suggest you open it between sessions and when not in use. Even then its still one of the fastest heat up times on the market.
The filling chamber basket works well and is efficient but it's kind of big. But I also feel the same way about the Volcano's filling chambers they are both tough vaporizers for single use for one or two persons. A normal amount of your herb just looks ineffective maybe forcing you to using more herb than need to be efficiency is key when it comes to choosing a top rated vaporizer.
The valve and mouthpiece are both one unit ie: Easy Valve style for the Volcano except for the mouthpiece tip with the Easy Valve. The Valve clamp opens by squeezing the valve and to be honest its a tough, it might get easier with more use but I think it's so when you secure the valve onto the straw [see pic below] to help seal it better. If youre an older aged person or have arthritis in your hands it might be a two hand open and close valve. There is a noticeable amount of leakage from the top of the valve where the balloon attaches only when you're filling up the bag and especially when its the first bag and the vapor is thick and visual. The leakage is not coming from the valve, stem, or lid but the way the actual bag is fastened onto the valve with a zip tie.
The balloon the Zephyr vaporizer uses is the standard oven hose material you would find with the Volcano and Extreme vaporizers. Figure a life span of 1-2 months maybe even less depending on how often you use it now here's the issue we were having about the leaking. Changing the balloon is a tad on the un-easy side due to the tiny push pin [see pic below] that you would find on an electronic sensor on your car. Push in the "pen tip sized" tab and lift the top part up. Thats the cover that keeps the valve clean looking compared to just seeing the end of the balloon zip tied [see pic below] to the valve and then trimmed around the edges. We have used other vaporizers that try to use a zip tie to hold vapor and it will never be completely air tight. Is it a major problem? No, but maybe a better o-ring or something will eventually come out.
Aromatherapy
For those of you who enjoy herbal aromatherapy; lavender, chamomile, damiana etc, then your in a for a treat. The unit works well through both inhalation methods but also if you leave the straw into the atmosphere you can make any room "aroma-tized" in few a seconds. We have been leaving it on here at the office with Damiana (a relaxing herb) and the Zephyr works really well like this as well, a selling point for massage therapist, yoga and Pilates instructors and anyone else in the business of relaxing yourself or your clientele.
Taste
The taste and effectiveness of your vapor is exactly the same as the Volcano vaporizer. Super clean tasting what your herb smells like is what you taste. Every time you fill a bag its the same consistency and same effectiveness. Be prepared of the strength it will extract from your herb just another great quality factor in this vaporizer.
USB Device
As shown at Champs show there is a USB cable included and plug on the Zephyr Vaporizer. As of right now the software only works with Windows XP so I couldnt set it up and use it but for demonstration purposes I'm told that you can set a time for it to turn on and to what temperature. Very cool if it works with different operating systems but I feel the unit heats up soo fast that there is no need to worry about it turning on 15 minutes before you get home. But a cool feature on an overall cool vape.
Direct Inhalation Method with Whip
Per request from many members we wanted to use it with a whip Zephyr Ion says they are coming out with a nice whip with valve and mouthpiece but for now I used a SSV quality silicon whip and an SSV mouthpiece (something we will include with your order until Zephyr produces there own). Because the herb basket is completely air sealed under the lid you could use it with or without the fan. Without the fan the whip works really well and is great for single use compared to having to fill up a full bag. With the fan it works just as well and takes the inhale method out of the whip style but probably is more wasteful than direct inhalation without the fan. It also gives the Zephyr extra value compared to being a balloon vaporizer.
Summary
In Summary, the Zephyr vaporizer is a digital balloon style vaporizer with a retail price of $360. It comes with a 2 year warranty and a crew of people at Zephyr who really believe in their vaporizer. The Zephyr is a solid feeling sturdy vaporizer with a super easy valve design though it comes with a kung fu grip valve clamp. The vapor taste is on par with much more expensive vaporizers with a great consistency and true to herbal blend flavor. The few cons it has, made in China, tough to open valve and small leak are not enough to change your mind compared to the amount of pros it provides for its price point in the growing vaporizer market.
woaw great review chris !
To me the Zephyr is a great choice. Great taste+great design+great usability !
We have put a Youtube Video of the Zephyr Ion here : http://www.docvape.com/vaporizer/27-zephyr.html
In "Great" mood hehe
To me the Zephyr is a great choice. Great taste+great design+great usability !
We have put a Youtube Video of the Zephyr Ion here : http://www.docvape.com/vaporizer/27-zephyr.html
In "Great" mood hehe
We wanted to let everyone know that we are also now carrying the Zephyr Ion for $359.99. From our tests we've concluded that it's a very good model, high quality components, pure vapor, easy to use. It's nice to see some new, more advanced bag fill vaporizers hit the market:
http://vapenow.com/index.php/Zephyr-Ion-Vaporizer-p-343/
If anyone has any questions about the Ion, just let us know and we'll be happy to answer them.
http://vapenow.com/index.php/Zephyr-Ion-Vaporizer-p-343/
If anyone has any questions about the Ion, just let us know and we'll be happy to answer them.
Hudsonrulez
Well-Known Member
Wow propaganda. That's a good one considering I gave the Extreme vape a favorable review on dopecast 114.macbill said:
http://dopecast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=312615
The fact of the matter is, is that the dopefiend owns a volcano and hasn't really experienced the herbal aire or the extreme. However he does not hesitate to recommend these vapes because of my recommendations and the recommendations of the listeners. So naturally he would have a bias towards the volcano because he has yet to personally experience the power of these vapes.
And before you start typing away about how inexperienced am with this stuff you should know that I hang around North America's largest vapor lounge. I have tried so many makes and models of vaporizers I can't really count off the top of my head. From Vancouver to Amsterdam I've tried pretty much every popular vaporizer out on the market.
Except the Zephyr. However one of my members on my vapor board (www.thegrowreport.com http://thegrowreport.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=63) gave a brief review of it. The review was generally favorable however they did mentioned that this product is made in china. This causes me grave concern as several products that come from china have been known to cause lead poisining.
However this was made by a new and unestablished member of my forum. However this community seems to know it's shit when it comes to this industry. Is there any way someone within the company or a distributor clarify this issue please?
Thank you.
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
Calm down fella, you are getting worked up over a comment that was posted in September, this is a happy place, lol.Hudsonrulez said:
Hudsonrulez
Well-Known Member
yea I know but I just really had to set the record strait on that. Oh yea I do have confirmation that this vape is made in china.
This is a big turn off for me.
This is a big turn off for me.
It all comes down to quality control. We had concerns too and spoke with Zephyr about them. They manufacture in their own facilities in China so they have direct observation for quality control and testing, which they say they do a lot of. They are also going forward with ROHS, CE, and UL compliance which speaks well of the Zephyr Ion's quality. We've taken apart an Ion too and the build is good. Heavy duty pump, separate vapor pathway, all ceramic element with separate airflow and heating coil chambers, and the only plastic in the vapor pathway is teflon and medical silicon. Considering all these, we decided it was a quality unit that we are comfortable selling. As we said before, it's all about quality control and testing and Zephyr seems to be doing a good job.Hudsonrulez said:
tophfisher
Well-Known Member
I've had the Zephyr Ion for about three weeks, really love the unit!
-Chris
-Chris
The Zephyr Ion is now available for sale on Amazon.com, Vapenow.com; and as distribution increases, you will be able to find them in local shops as demand and requests for inventory grows.
We stand behind our product and believe every person who gives the Ion a try will find themselves convinced there is an alternative to spending $500+ for a high quality Vaporizer unit that is incredibly easy to use.
We stand behind our product and believe every person who gives the Ion a try will find themselves convinced there is an alternative to spending $500+ for a high quality Vaporizer unit that is incredibly easy to use.
Zephyr is up to take on any challenge and all new comers.
We invite you the readers and customers of Vaporizers to put us to the test.
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who own a Zephyr, put it up against any of our competition and post the video of the side by side dual. (people should not be visible in the video)
We believe that the Zephyr Ion will set the new standard in the industry for ease of use, functionality, and overall appeal.
The individual who submits the best video review will receive a cool kit of accessories and souvenirs from Zephyr
Stay Tuned, the Zephyr is coming...
We invite you the readers and customers of Vaporizers to put us to the test.
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who own a Zephyr, put it up against any of our competition and post the video of the side by side dual. (people should not be visible in the video)
We believe that the Zephyr Ion will set the new standard in the industry for ease of use, functionality, and overall appeal.
The individual who submits the best video review will receive a cool kit of accessories and souvenirs from Zephyr
Stay Tuned, the Zephyr is coming...
the electrician
Well-Known Member
can owners post videos and competition owners post separately and battle it out to the death too? just for interests sake i suppose
Absolutely, this is an open competition, Best Zephyr Video Wins, and no promises, but if the winner does something truly SICK!!! We will reward you with a free Ion... Good Luck
stickstones
Vapor concierge
Let's keep this thread spam free, too.
1 -- Vape MANUFACTURERS are encouraged to come to the forum to start an offical thread for their vapes. They benefit from exposure as well as vapor community feedback, while the community benefits from a better understanding of vaporizers and vaporization.
2 -- Vape DISTRUBUTORS or RESELLERS are welcome to post specials and promotions here: http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=171. They are also encouraged to mingle with the community and post and comment as a normal vaporizer user. However, tread lightly. Resellers have been called out for only talking up vapes that they sell and bashing those they don't, and it ain't pretty. Behaviour like that could result in a ban.
1 -- Vape MANUFACTURERS are encouraged to come to the forum to start an offical thread for their vapes. They benefit from exposure as well as vapor community feedback, while the community benefits from a better understanding of vaporizers and vaporization.
2 -- Vape DISTRUBUTORS or RESELLERS are welcome to post specials and promotions here: http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=171. They are also encouraged to mingle with the community and post and comment as a normal vaporizer user. However, tread lightly. Resellers have been called out for only talking up vapes that they sell and bashing those they don't, and it ain't pretty. Behaviour like that could result in a ban.
- Status