I've been a smoker for about three years now and I'm constantly paranoid about the future of my respiratory system. I have been battling anxiety for as long as I can remember and smoking just makes me nervous now a days. I've read that vaporizing provides a cleaner, clearer effect which also benefits health. I just want to prevent the hacking cough before I get it and comfortably enjoy my herb without fear. So i'm looking for some guidance on which vaporizer to buy because I'd really prefer if my first would remain functional and enjoyable for a long time.
Assistance on choosing my first vaporizer
- Thread starter OutH2O
- Start date
- Status
nopartofme
Over the falls, in a barrel
Are you looking for something portable, or would something that plugs in to the wall be fine?
How much are you willing to spend?
How much are you willing to spend?
Quetzalcoatl
DEADY GUERRERO/DIRT COBAIN/GEORGE KUSH
Still, a price range is a nice thing to know. There are a few vapes that'll cost you 7 bills...
When you say "I think I'd prefer portable" what exactly do you mean? Do you plan on vaporizing on-the-go or is it just going to be around the house? Stationary gives you more options, do you want a desktop vaporizer that uses a whip, can blow up bags of vapor, or both? Have you looked into log-style vaporizers?
You say money isn't much of an issue, and you think you want a portable, but if you end up with a desktop unit and end up loving vaporizing (like basically everyone here lol) then I think at some point you'd want to get something portable.
Flower? Hash? Oil?
nat3r
VaPeLoRd
as Quetz said, what you're going to use in it matters, it sounds like you're using flower.
imo just spring for a Solo, its really a great all-purpose vape that gets the job done, really well at that.
I went with the Pax because i really didnt want to have to mess around with the stem and stuff, but imo just do it.
A lot of people that come here really get deep into the research to find the absolute best one, but it will drive you crazy, because they all have their benefits. In the end i always recommend the MFLB for the cost, Solo for efficacy, and Pax for portability and sexiness
in the end, they all get the job done
imo just spring for a Solo, its really a great all-purpose vape that gets the job done, really well at that.
I went with the Pax because i really didnt want to have to mess around with the stem and stuff, but imo just do it.
A lot of people that come here really get deep into the research to find the absolute best one, but it will drive you crazy, because they all have their benefits. In the end i always recommend the MFLB for the cost, Solo for efficacy, and Pax for portability and sexiness
in the end, they all get the job done
norealmonsters
Well-Known Member
Okay, so all vapes require a compromise of some sort or another. If you prefer portables there are a few big options that kinda define the market these days that I'd look into.
The MFLB is an old standby, super stealthy and fast. The biggest advantage other than size are the wonderful warranty (Life: even if your dog chews it up.) and the fact that it heats up instantly. If you have a high tolerance this may not be the best choice.
That's a big distinction. Most vapes are either "session" or "On Demand". A session vape takes anywhere from thirty seconds to 10 minutes to heat up, you vape a whole bowl, and then it cools back down.
Another "On Demand" vape that's gaining steam is The Lotus. This one works more or less like a pipe so it's a pretty easy transition for a lot of people. I don't own one but it's supposed to be great.
The elephant in the session vape room is the Solo. Big, strong hits. If you are okay with it not being very stealthy, taking about a minute and a half to heat up, and having a kindof restricted draw (Think a thick milkshake) this is a great choice.
The PAX is also supposed to be a great session vape. It's sexy as hell and looks like it fell out of apples ass. It's supposed to require a lot of cleaning though so I haven't looked into it in depth.
Another thing to google is the difference between Convection vs. Conduction. This is already getting long so I won't get into it here.
The MFLB is an old standby, super stealthy and fast. The biggest advantage other than size are the wonderful warranty (Life: even if your dog chews it up.) and the fact that it heats up instantly. If you have a high tolerance this may not be the best choice.
That's a big distinction. Most vapes are either "session" or "On Demand". A session vape takes anywhere from thirty seconds to 10 minutes to heat up, you vape a whole bowl, and then it cools back down.
Another "On Demand" vape that's gaining steam is The Lotus. This one works more or less like a pipe so it's a pretty easy transition for a lot of people. I don't own one but it's supposed to be great.
The elephant in the session vape room is the Solo. Big, strong hits. If you are okay with it not being very stealthy, taking about a minute and a half to heat up, and having a kindof restricted draw (Think a thick milkshake) this is a great choice.
The PAX is also supposed to be a great session vape. It's sexy as hell and looks like it fell out of apples ass. It's supposed to require a lot of cleaning though so I haven't looked into it in depth.
Another thing to google is the difference between Convection vs. Conduction. This is already getting long so I won't get into it here.
Quetzalcoatl
DEADY GUERRERO/DIRT COBAIN/GEORGE KUSH
Log-style refers to the wooden-body vaporizers that utilize a stem to vape. Some big names are Underdog, HI, E-Nano. They take longer to warm up from a cold start but can be left on 24-7 if you want. The max bowl size is generally smaller than other vaporizers but they're quite efficient at vaping. Also most don't have a temperature setting (excluding E-Nano), when they're turned on they're running. If you want differing temperatures, you can buy a VVPS (variable voltage power supply I think?) which lets you regulate how much power goes to your log. They're also incredibly aesthetically pleasing, at least in my opinion. So many different kinds of woods to pick from, so many different unique grains
next level
Well-Known Member
Home = Cloud(water), SSV(whip), Volcano(bag), Underdog or Hi(24/7 Log), Sublimator(cause I want one)
Portable = Solo, Cera, MFLB, Pax
Log:
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/underdog-vaporizer.4214/
If you have a nice water pipe collection check out the Cloud Evo.
Portable = Solo, Cera, MFLB, Pax
Log:
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/underdog-vaporizer.4214/
If you have a nice water pipe collection check out the Cloud Evo.
norealmonsters
Well-Known Member
If you are going to be mostly home bound I advise getting a plug in unit. There are just less trade offs.
Do you think you would rather hit from a bag that gets inflated or a direct tube to the unit? The bag will be cooler, and easier to pass. However, it will take longer to get vapor since it has to fill. A whip will be hotter than the bag but most unit will put out denser vapor. Less passable. You can also usually send it into a bong, I'm sure you've got one of those.
The inbetween option is Log vapes like Quetzalcoatl mentioned.
If direct draw sound interesting I recommend the Da Buddha or the Silver Surfer. Both are direct draw and are vary simple. The heater is exactly the same but the Da Buddha has a glass joint like a bong so you can use it hands free. And it's cheaper. The Silver Surfer you have to hold it up to the vape but the airstream is more focused and you can move it around to make sure it gets evenly vaped. Can't go wrong with 7th floor, they last forever and the company stands behind what it puts out.
nopartofme
Over the falls, in a barrel
I'd look at the HerbalAire for a bag vape. The Volcano is solid but the HerbalAire is also great and much cheaper. For the price difference you could look at getting yourself a portable complement, or more bud.
norealmonsters
Well-Known Member
For clarity, the whips themselves don't get hot where you touch them at all. The vapor however will still be relativly hot. The risk is less "OH GOD BURNING" then "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH". We are jaded vapists. Coming from combustion both will be like breathing in fucking rainbows.
If you have money burning a hole in your pocket the volcano is the OG as far as Bags go. I'm not as much of an expert at bags but I don't really see that disputed.
Speaking of compromise though, a cheaper alternative is the arizer extreme Q that can do both bags and whips but isn't exactly best in class at either. You could bust out the bags with company and rip of the whip when you're alone. It also has digital temp control like the volcano.
next level
Well-Known Member
The Vaporfection viVap is another nice vape that does bags and whips. Under $275 from certain retailers.
You can also connect the viVape and the other whip vapes to water pipes with an adapter.
You can also connect the viVape and the other whip vapes to water pipes with an adapter.
If you are mainly interested in health issues i guess you will not be able to overlook the volcano.
To my knowledge only a few vaporizers have been tested from a medical perspective. The Volcano is fully medically approved. Of course that comes at a price tag. With the volcano its impossible to burn your herb, with most other vaporizers its quite easy. If you want to make sure that you are as "clean" as possible i do not see many other options.
I started vaping out of similar reasons. All my friends already knew i was coming because they heard me coughing in the stairway. So i started to do some research on this topic. There is no other device that was tested as the volcano was. Due to its forced air nature it can guarantee a pretty stable temperature.
Here are some links for your reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16637053
http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/...-Drastically-Reduce-Toxins-in-Marijuana-Smoke
http://www.vapormed.com/volcano-medic-vaporizer/en/study-research.php
The solo is a very nice vape indeed. I really enjoy it, but its also pretty easy to burn your bowl there if you "fade" away during usage. Same goes for my other vapes. A MFLB will for sure "toast" your bud if to not pay close attention. With the LSV it is the same thing. If you fail to use it properly you will burn your herb.
Now that i am two years into vaping i see things a little different. I am not so concerned anymore, mainly because all my respiratory problems dissipated completely. So i happily use all my vapes without worrying too much. Two years ago i was in your spot, wanting to quit smoking all together and looking for a healthy alternative. So i dived into e-cigs and vaporizers. I forgot about the e-cigs after 3 month, but the vaporizer is still my darling.
Now back to your original question. You will for sure end up with multiple vapes. Mainly because there is no single all purpose wonder machine out there. There are currently so many nice vapes out there so its very hard to pick one nowdays.
Try to analyse your usage-pattern and life style to find the device that suits you best.
Think about the following questions:
Do you need to hide your vaping, and vaping equipment?
Do you need portability?
Do you want to pay full attention to vaping or do you want to vape while doing something else (like gaming)
Do you mind handling glass pieces?
Based on the answers you can try to narrow down your choices.
For me its like this.
I have a volcano sitting on my pc i use while gaming. its perfect for that because once the balloon is full you need to pay zero attention, no chance to burn anything.
But its a very bad device if you want to watch movies. The unit is rather loud on filling the balloons and the balloons itself are like a bag of chips. So there i use my solo. I really enjoy it, no power cord you can just sit and relax without any noise.
When i party with friends we use the LSV + water pipe adapter to have some fun. Its more work + cleaning but its worth it.
Finally when i am outside and stealth is an issue my MFLB comes into play. Each one of my vapes serves a purpose and i would not want to give one away. It would be also hard to pick one as the single "best" one since they are so different. It all comes down to what you want to do with it.
To my knowledge only a few vaporizers have been tested from a medical perspective. The Volcano is fully medically approved. Of course that comes at a price tag. With the volcano its impossible to burn your herb, with most other vaporizers its quite easy. If you want to make sure that you are as "clean" as possible i do not see many other options.
I started vaping out of similar reasons. All my friends already knew i was coming because they heard me coughing in the stairway. So i started to do some research on this topic. There is no other device that was tested as the volcano was. Due to its forced air nature it can guarantee a pretty stable temperature.
Here are some links for your reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16637053
http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/...-Drastically-Reduce-Toxins-in-Marijuana-Smoke
http://www.vapormed.com/volcano-medic-vaporizer/en/study-research.php
The solo is a very nice vape indeed. I really enjoy it, but its also pretty easy to burn your bowl there if you "fade" away during usage. Same goes for my other vapes. A MFLB will for sure "toast" your bud if to not pay close attention. With the LSV it is the same thing. If you fail to use it properly you will burn your herb.
Now that i am two years into vaping i see things a little different. I am not so concerned anymore, mainly because all my respiratory problems dissipated completely. So i happily use all my vapes without worrying too much. Two years ago i was in your spot, wanting to quit smoking all together and looking for a healthy alternative. So i dived into e-cigs and vaporizers. I forgot about the e-cigs after 3 month, but the vaporizer is still my darling.
Now back to your original question. You will for sure end up with multiple vapes. Mainly because there is no single all purpose wonder machine out there. There are currently so many nice vapes out there so its very hard to pick one nowdays.
Try to analyse your usage-pattern and life style to find the device that suits you best.
Think about the following questions:
Do you need to hide your vaping, and vaping equipment?
Do you need portability?
Do you want to pay full attention to vaping or do you want to vape while doing something else (like gaming)
Do you mind handling glass pieces?
Based on the answers you can try to narrow down your choices.
For me its like this.
I have a volcano sitting on my pc i use while gaming. its perfect for that because once the balloon is full you need to pay zero attention, no chance to burn anything.
But its a very bad device if you want to watch movies. The unit is rather loud on filling the balloons and the balloons itself are like a bag of chips. So there i use my solo. I really enjoy it, no power cord you can just sit and relax without any noise.
When i party with friends we use the LSV + water pipe adapter to have some fun. Its more work + cleaning but its worth it.
Finally when i am outside and stealth is an issue my MFLB comes into play. Each one of my vapes serves a purpose and i would not want to give one away. It would be also hard to pick one as the single "best" one since they are so different. It all comes down to what you want to do with it.
stickstones
Vapor concierge
Look into the solo. It's a great vape for a first time user but still works well enough that I still reach for it regularly.
zymos
Well-Known Member
Not to derail all the helpful suggestions, but if smoking is making you anxious, switching to vaping is unlikely to change that. Unless all your anxiety stems from worrying about the health effects of smoke and not from the effects of your herb.
Do you have access to some different strains that are less anxiety inducing? Are there other things going on in your life and your thoughts, that are just coming to the surface more when you are stoned?
But, by all means, make the switch!!
Do you have access to some different strains that are less anxiety inducing? Are there other things going on in your life and your thoughts, that are just coming to the surface more when you are stoned?
But, by all means, make the switch!!
norealmonsters
Well-Known Member
No problem, you should stick around and pop on over to the pax thread and let everyone know how a brand new vaporent feels about it. They'll love to help you out if you have any questions.
- Status