Best of the Arizer Air thread

[pakalolo]

mod note: To comment on the Arizer Air, go to the full Arizer Air thread. To add posts to this thread, read the sticky at the top of this forum.

Guess what popped up on my radar today:

The Arizer Air - Portable Diffuser

$259 $199 Limited time special
​

Features:

• Ceramic heating element
• Glass aroma tube
• Replaceable Li-ion battery (exclusive 18650 battery)
• Use while charging
• 1-2 minute warmup
• 10 minute automatic shutoff
• 122 mm (4.8 in.) height, 29 mm (1.14 in.) diameter

Temperatures:

Level 1 (Blue) - 180°C / 356°F
Level 2 (White) - 190°C / 374°F
Level 3 (Green) - 200°C / 392°F
Level 4 (Orange) - 205°C / 401°F
Level 5 (Red) - 210°C / 410°F​

 

[Been Vapin]

http://arizer.com/store/en/hand-held/94-arizer-air-portable-diffuser.html

http://arizer.com/store/en/19-arizer-air-parts-accessories

Introducing the All New Arizer Air

Ultra-compact & lightweight, easy to operate & maintain, and completely portable, the ArizerAir features a high quality ceramic heating element, high quality glass dishes, and high quality rechargeable, interchangeable lithium batteries. Offering an hour of continuous use per charge, plus the ability to use the unit while charging the battery, and the option to have spare batteries fully charged, the ArizerAir is ideal for day to day use at home and on the go!

Utilizing a sleek and compact design concept, the ArizerAir measures 122mm in Height and 29mm in Diameter, conveniently fitting inside the palm of your hand, pockets, or purse. A solid shell protects the ArizerAir from general wear and tear and a vented top keeps the surface temperature of the body cool. Internally, a solid foundation surrounds the ceramic heating element adding an extra layer of durability.

The ArizerAir portable diffuser is equipped with a 1-2 minute warm up time, an advanced temperature control system with 5 settings, and a built-in automatic shut off safety setting after 10 minutes of operation. An optimized heating system gives you the ability to enjoy the flavor and aroma profiles of your favorite botanicals to the fullest extent possible.

A wide range of parts and accessories lets you customize and protect your ArizerAir so you can be prepared for any situation! Dual Battery Chargers, Skins, Carrying Cases, and more! (coming soon to

 

[CentiZen]

Alright! Look like it's finally my turn to be the first on the bus.

Look what came in the mail today! Sorry for the iPad photos and messy workspace, but honestly would you want me to waste any time in getting these images to you? This is an unboxing/picture post, I'll be going into more detail on the operation and engineering after I have had some time to spend with it.

Looks like they have plans for a Titanium coloured unit in the future:

The air comes with 2 mouthpieces, a potpourri dish, 1 charger, the Air unit, a silicone sleeve and this awesome little belt holster! It holds the Air, as well as has two little pouches on the side for mouthpieces or vials of ground bud. A nice touch that really improves the portability factor.

Comparison shot between the brothers:

Heater looks pretty much exactly the same as later Solo models:

The underside of the unit screws off to expose the removable battery:

The battery on the left (green) is one of my high capacity 18650 cells. The red one on the right is the stock battery that came with the Air. From what I can tell (need to do some testing on it) these are standard 2600mAh LiCo cells.

Got a kick out of this, I guess someone forgot to update the reminder slip!

And oh my - it stands up while charging?! Our prayers have been answered!!

And here it is wearing the "coloured case" as the instruction book calls it. I'm going to call it what it is, a vape-condom. Toke safely kids!

My first impressions of this device are extremely favorable. The unit is made out of high quality materials and feels very solid. It's heavy enough to not feel cheap, but is light enough it could comfortably ride along in a decent sized pocket. I'm not usually the best judge of this sort of thing, but I don't smell any robot fart or strange odors coming off of it either. I am preparing to use it for the first time right now, so I will report back with the stuff you really want to know about shortly.

 

[CentiZen]

They look like they are designed to limit air flow with those tiny little holes.

They are indeed removable, they screw off like this. They aren't rubber, but rather a hard plastic.

@CentiZen so it's an 18650 after all?
also, pro keyboard spotted.

i dunno if i'll be seen with the belt clip on my pants but that's definitely a welcome addition that will be nice when i travel

Yep, seems to be a fairly standard, albeit fairly new 18650 cell. I've already tracked down the manufacturer. I see myself using the belt clip when I'm snowboarding more than anything although I'll probably just keep that in a pocket too.

And I love this keyboard! Kinesis makes some serious hardware.

Wow I gotta say that DOES look more pocket friendly!

So I don't understand the ceramic/chipping problem that I have seen mentioned before since the heater part does look the same...

Yeah I'm not sure where that's coming from, it's all metal in there save for the teflon ring.

I too believe that arizer is ahead of the learning curve. I mean, nobody even leaked any info about this until arizer actually put it up for sale (no preorders, no manufacturing/logistics updates, no pushing back release dates, plus they come out the gates with a discount on a brand new product) - that's either the confidence of a veteran team or crazy stupid arrogance.

God bless the ups guy who delivers on Sunday (I didn't even know that was physically possible except for santa)

It was actually Canada Post, believe it or not. I didn't even know they did service on the weekends!

The upper layer of Arizer is made up a team of very smart, very dedicated people who have spent the last few years coming to understand exactly how this market works. As well, they are all extremely paranoid (with good reason) to the point that it took some serious effort (eg, knocking on the door of employees) getting in contact with them. They are all very smart, savvy businesspeople and they know exactly what they are doing.

 

[CentiZen]

Okay, the moment you've all been waiting for. I just had the chance to enjoy half a gram of blue dream using my new toy. I loaded the short stem with around 0.15 of finely ground bud, set the temp to blue and let it heat up. It took about a minute to get from cold to 180C. I put the empty stem in and took a dry pull. I didn't detect any traces of oils or plastics; just hot, dry air.

I'd say the unit probably has about 20% more resistance in the airpath than the latest model of Solo does. It's to be expected, the unit is smaller and won't be able to keep up with a super fast draw. Even with this restriction, the Air has more airflow than most other portables I own, and is kind of ideal for the speed I like to inhale at.

So far, the stems/mouthpieces have been pretty tight. The new mouthpieces have slightly smaller holes than the solo stems do, so that's probably where some of the resistance comes from. The plastic tip screws off easily for cleaning, and I'm hoping to see some 14mm adapter pieces that could screw on to what seems to be the traditional glass vial threading. The plastic is probably Delrin, as it is very hard and has absolutely no taste. The instructions say that it can be soaked in ISO for up to 30 minutes without issue.

Like I said though, they are tight. Getting it in the first time was a bit difficult, even after letting the unit heat up. Once it was in, it sat snug and secure, I could hold the unit upside down and shake it without fear of it falling out. I don't like how tight it is, but if it is in exchange for that kind of security I would prefer it to the alternative. Traditional Solo stems do fit, with pretty much the same amount of resistance.

So I popped in my first pack and gave it a whirl. The vapor that came out of the Air was tasty and satisfying. The cloud production was surprising considering it was at a low temperature and was the first draw. It is extremely similar to the latest models of the Solo. I thoroughly enjoyed my session, and the vapor never really felt too hot or harsh even at the top setting. It's just like using one of the shorty stems for the Solo.

I ran the Air for two full 12 minute sessions, ending at the top temperature setting each time. The first session I had the sleeve on the unit, and the second one I had it off. I think the sleeve is mostly for aesthetic reasons - the top of the unit gets warm but it never got too warm to be held. It seems that the unit is managing its heater in a very efficient manner, and you can almost feel it getting warmer as you draw. There may well be more of a convection effect happening here than in the Solo.

I haven't had enough time to judge the battery life, but it looks like it's going to be a little on the short side, especially coming from the Solo. I think it would be reasonable to expect 5 - 6 sessions out of a charge; but this is a rough estimate that is based off of very little data. I'll update once I've had a chance to run the unit down from fully charged to drained.

All in all, the Air is fucking wonderful. Seriously, even two years ago if you had asked me what I wanted in a vape, I would have drawn you a picture of this. It's the Solo - but smaller, sexier, and with a removable battery. To me, the Air is proof that Arizer has been watching us the past few years, silently taking all of our criticism and advice to heart while using it to perfect the vaporizer we've been waiting for.

 

[CentiZen]

How easy is it to remove mouthpiece and the silicone skin from the unit? Pretty tight fit or easy? Also, I wondering if the Solo travel and wall charger will work with the Air?

The skin is really easy to get on and off, the slick outside of the unit makes it slide. Arizer has pinched the ends a little, so it holds itself in place once its on but it's not easy to take off. The mouthpieces were a little hard to get out at first, not sure about as time progresses.

So I guess it's a good idea to get a spare battery. Not familiar with the 18650 battery type; should I purchase it from Arizer with the vape or order elsewhere? Arizer doesn't really give any exact specs on the battery, but it's priced higher than lots of the ones I see on Amazon.

I'd go with Arizer for now, I haven't had a chance to try other batteries

Thanks for the great review CentiZen. Now for the $64,000 question: Based on performance alone, is it worth getting an AA if you already have a recent model Solo?

Do you want your solo to fit in your pocket? If so, then yes!

@CentiZen Is the unit pocketable (i.e. jeans pocket) with the stem in? It looks like it might be, and there isn't too much exposed glass with the new design. However, if the stems get loose over time like with the Solo, it's probably still a no-go.

Yes, it is very comforable in the pocket. The new mouthpieces sit snug and don't have much exposed glass. As well, the glass is pretty thick. I'd have no qualms even snowboarding with it in my pocket, loaded.

So it has mor draw resistance than the original ? That's what put me of the original.

The original original or the current originals? Because I'm only talking about the very latest model of the Solo. The early Solos had less airflow than the Air does.

 

[CentiZen]

@CentiZen can you post any videos of you using it? You would get a ton of hits ;-!

I might be able to get one made in the next little while, otherwise I'm sure we will see some other users posting videos soon enough. There are some members here who have much better video setups than I do.

@CentiZen
Have you tried putting the mouthpiece into a 14mm joint?

I hadn't tried it and I hadn't even really intended to, but I just tried and it was a perfect fit! Awesome!

Thanks @CentiZen
But now that the temps changed again I have mixed feelings. I love the lower temp like the Indica has, but am disappointed by the exclusion of 383 now. Does it seem like missing setting 4 on the Solo would be tough on the Air?

I haven't really missed it to be honest.

Does this unit actually use regualr AA batteries that u can buy at the store? Guys plz help lol

No, these use rechargeable batteries that are larger than AA's. You might find these at stores that sell heavy duty flashlights or vape equipment, but they aren't usually available in stores.

 

[sasNW]

Sent a couple questions to arizer about the Chargers and just got a response

"The official Arizer Air Dual Battery Charger to charge your batteries externally and an Arizer Air Car Charger will be available in the coming weeks. Charging the battery takes 3-3.5 hours from empty to full, and there is no battery memory effect.
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask."

 

[CentiZen]

can anyone do a comparison of the AIR vs SOLO?

is the main con the battery life and thats it? if you guys knew what you knew and didn't have either device, which one would you buy and why?

thanks!

Here's the way I see it:

Solo:
- Large battery life, especially with high capacity batteries
- Option to eliminate battery using PA
- Slightly faster draw speed in later models
- Similar, if not same vapor production as the air, maybe a little more "cloud factor" at highest temp.

Air:
- Super light and pocketable, discreet
- Option to hot swap batteries with ease
- Stands while charging!

If I lost all my vapes and had to start over again, I would have a hard time deciding between the two. I do most of my vaping at home; but I think that is because I was never able to find a truly portable vape that checked all the boxes. If you vape at home primarily, I'd go Solo. If you ever want to go anywhere with your vape, get the Air. It's pretty much as simple as that.

The Air uses a high-drain 18650 cell that has been made specificallyfor use with the Arizer Air. The use of counterfeit and/or inferior-quality lithium batteries can cause internal shorts leading to fires and/or explosions which can result in property damage and/or personal injury. The use of third partybatteries could greatly reduce run time/output performance, damage your Arizer Air, constitute a safety hazard and voids all warranties.If you have any

If you have any further questions please feel free to ask!Best Regards,
Amy
Arizer Tech
service@arizer.com

I respect Arizer but I'm not going to let them feed us a line. This is not true, and if it was it would be the fault of Arizer for failing to implement an industry standard protection circuit into their vape. The battery that was sent to me is not specifically made for the Air - it is made by BAK battery Co, is a commodity cell and I could make a purchase for 1000 of them quite literally right now.

Now I can understand why they are discouraging this. If they publicly okay third party batteries they would have to deal with situations where uninformed people get bad cells or try to use the wrong kinds of batteries in the unit. They have the right to recommend that users do not use Third Party batteries in the Air. But it would be nice if they didn't insult our intelligence while they did it. The vape has a protection circuit, and a quick google search was all I needed to find the source of the cell. The cell, by the way is 2250mAh, 3.3 - 4.2v and has a discharge current of ~5A.

 

[CentiZen]

@OF so what your saying is it may not work as proficiently if the restriction at the stem end was lessened? Makes sense.

I'm going to try using my PVHES in the Air tonight, I think that's the best test of high airflow I have the means to do at the moment. I'll be home from work around 6:00, will update shortly after that.

Hmm this and the dragonfly are both $200 for black friday... does anyone have both to comment on vapor flavor?

I don't own a FF but I have used one. It probably has a leg up on the flavor, even if only because of the extra convection effect. Not by much though.

That sure sounds like a step backwards from Solo. Longer recharge times to get fewer sessions per recharge? I suspect serious users are going to migrate to external charging and several batteries?

Part of the compromises, of course.

OF

I'm not too caught up about it since I imagine the times given are for a dead to 100% charged battery. Li-ion battery chargers will taper the charge current as it gets closer and closer to capacity. This means that charging from 0 to ~80% will be relatively fast, and then that last 10 - 20% will take a disproportional amount of time longer as the charge current tapers down.

Still, I've already found myself wanting to swap batteries instead of charging, I think that is going to be the way I end up using it most often.

one question:

does it has any battery indication, blinking/colored led ....etc?

I'll get back to you on that

And now onto the Air - I share the community's excitement about his product. I almost pulled the trigger on it, but I can't decide - Silver or Black?

All the cool kids have silver!!

Hey @Belgianvapor
I placed my order yesterday and just got an email from Canada Post(<onotreply@canadapost.postescanada.ca)with a tracking number so I would expect this to be the case for all international orders, maybe this went to your spamfolder?

Tracking and international parcels with CP is strange. Some places the Xpresspost charges are normal and you'll get tracking, other places the shipping with tracking is prohibitively expensive.

1) Does the short glass stem on the AA still get very hot to the touch?
2)How easy is it to dump and refill?
3) Do you have to wait for the stem to cool off? (Imagine putting it away right after a hit)

You wouldn't want to touch the end that just came out, but the mouthpiece does not seem to get very hot past the part that's in the heater. It's as easy to dump and fill as normal Arizer stems, really - maybe a little more difficult if you use the herb sucking method since there is less airflow. I put the mouthpiece right in my pocket after taking it out no problems.

Any further comparisons between Dv Ascent and AA would be most welcome, thank you!

I think it's night and day to compare the two. What I will say is that the Air is the one I would actually pay money for.

@CentiZen any specific type charger you would suggest since it's not some special battery? I'm not really wanting to wait a couple weeks to be able to externally charge my 3 batteries. TIA

Edit- have you had a chance to try it with a pvhes?? Interested to hear about the airflow difference and cloud production To see if the new heater can keep up

The nitecore chargers that were recommended above are great options. I don't think you'll find anything better in that price range. PVHES update coming once home from work.

lookhigh- I'm not sure what you mean; did I do something wrong?

Don't sweat it man, I'm sure he was just joking around.

 

[CentiZen]

PVHES performance is great with the Air. The draw speed is increased, but there really isn't any noticeable drop in vapor production. I imagine we may see a little less runtime with them, but hey - no such thing as a free lunch.

Also, sorry guys but a video is going to have to wait until the end of the day if I am lucky and tomorrow at the very worst. And it's going to be a pretty crappy video. So sorry in advance, I'm an engineer - not a videographer.

Seriously? While it's nice to see it's a protected cell and all that current is a problem? Solo draws about 2 Amps when heating, but at twice the voltage. Meaning Solo is producing twice the power (heat) at t he same current. To match Solo at 3.7 Volts you'd need to draw 4 Amps, not two, right????

OF

You are correct, of course. I was looking at the datasheet for a different cell from the same manufacturer, one letter off. I guess I need to slow down a bit, I should have caught that. I've updated my original post with the real information, which is:

2250mAh, 3.3 - 4.2, 5A discharge

The cell itself does not have a protection circuit.

 

[thesoloman]

 

[thesoloman]

It lasted 5 or 6 bowls, i was very nicely medicated. I will be ordering more batteries for sure, I can see myself having about 4 or so batteries fully charged at all times. maybe more.
I am satisfied with my Air.

 

[OF]

I find the led color signals and patterns convoluted but I will figure it out eventually?

That's not very encouraging. It sure doesn't leave much room for hope for those of us who can't distinguish the colors to start with, does it?

can you chime in on this:

what is the best way to handle batteries?

do we use them until they are completely dead or close to it before we charge

or

should we use a bit, charge up, use a bit, charge up...keep topping it off?

and also i have heard that these new batteries these days are sophisticated enough to handle whatever the owner chooses to do...

I've also heard keep them in between full and low...

Actually, the 'smart money' says to keep them between 20 and 80% and store about 60%. Constant 'topping up' is probably the second worse thing you can do, second only to running it to zero and leaving it.

Hopefully, as guys get meters on the Air, a better recommendation (based on the as yet not understood colors?) can be developed, but for now I'd advise avoiding complete discharge and stopping charge before it reaches full......and never leaving it plugged in when no being use so it's always 'fully charged and ready to go'. That is 'run it down (but not until it locks out) before charging. It's recharge cycles that count, the more sessions per cycle, the more sessions per cycle (and therefore before replacement is needed).

IMO useful information on such things here:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

It shows pretty clearly that the top of the charge is a critical factor in battery life. Typically it dominates the others.

I'm sure we all know of cell phones, laptops and the like that use this same battery technology which have been 'left charging' and now have extremely limited battery life? Same for vapes.

OF

 

[exit]

Ok, so my biggest problem with the LEDs is that orange looks too much like white and white looks more like almost pink. And as long as the white blinking on the top light when it's plugged in post-session means it's still charging I think I have the lights figured out.

Sometime while charging and heating simultaneously the bottom one will blink light blue but nothing else. It goes solid blue to let you know it's hitting time though.

If you are really colorblind and all the colors kind of blur together, you would be able to tell what's going on by the tempo of the bottom light anyway. The biggest trick might be figuring how to remember which was white and which was orange.

I found it was kind of difficult to put a solo stem in but my joda pieces fit great. One of them takes a little coaxing because the ridge on the end of the bowl is a bit big but they both fit and hit great @VaPeD&CoNfUsEd

I will probably end up using this more and more with my bent stem just for the extra cooling it does for the hits.

I still want to make some video but with this I no longer have a need for multiple solos. I still think the airflow is amazing. I had one of the latest model solos briefly but gave it away. My favorite solo was always a m107, a really old model but not a ceramic bowl one. It was the perfect mix of airflow and hit density. The air hits like that one but hits easier.

Will it replace my solo completely? No. I just bought a new battery pack for my ceramic solo. The solo definitely provides thicker, denser clouds but in smaller quantity because of airflow resistance.

The air i will still pick most times over the solo because it is easy to use, airflow is significantly improved from the solo, and it is generally a delight to use and pushes huge clouds on any temp. One of my issues with the solo was low temps is sometimes hard to get adequate vapor production.

I will still take the solo out with me once in a while, maybe use it around the house more, but I am definitely glad I bought the air and anyone who knows me knows it's a big deal that I only have one solo in my possession now that I also own the air!

Cloud production is great. Passed it around with 4 friends the other night and it held up damn well. Then I took it to another friends house where we did 2 bowls on every temp and didn't even touch his Evo.

Thanks again Arizer for releasing this right as I was about to buy the new model inhalater and hope for the best, but the air did not disappoint one bit. In fact it's exactly what I hoped it was.

Edit: did anyone get a black sleeve and want to trade for a white one?

 

[thesoloman]

i got mine raw (no condoms). with the whole temp/light situation (for the colorblind, or when its tough to distinguish), i think maybe the best thing to do is just count how many times you press the up or down button...thats what i plan on doing, but obviously i don't have mine yet so i don't know how much of a pain it is gonna be in real life.

I also count the button presses, old solo habits die hard.

Great vids, @thesoloman ! I love how you kept it time period specific by wearing the viking hat and rocking the blackberry...I felt like I was being transported back to the 800's!

In the second one I kept wanting to turn on the shower. But seriously, good stuff...I'm a fan!

Couple of quick thoughts...

- Does it have a notch on it to keep it from rolling around when the cover is in place without the mouthpiece inserted?
- Do you think the mouthpiece is there more for restriction or to be cool on the lips?

If the glass doesn't get too hot, can you rip it without the black mouthpiece and really huff on it (and still get clouds)? Arizer usually tries to regulate the draw speed for maximum vapor production through restrictions, while other manufacturers like to give us the option of hitting it too hard and fucking up the experience.

I figure if the mouthpiece is there for restriction, then we can't huff on it and get thick results. If it's there for keeping the lips cool, we ought to be able to open it up and hit it hard with thick results. If it serves a dual purpose then Arizer probably got it right and I won't need to fuck with it.

1, It does not have a notch to prevent rolling, it rolls like a wheel.
2, I think it serves both, mainly cooling, inside the mouthpiece is a flat silicone washer with a small hole in it, i think the washer adds some restriction, it is also easily removable. I removed the mouthpiece, and it was defiantly warm when using the vial threads as a mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece does make everything cooler.
I am usually anti-plastic, but i feel like the design of this mouthpiece is good enough that the plastic would not be over heated, and become a concern.
I know that we could easily design other mouthpiece options, without plastic. MAYBE a wood mouthpiece, or gong?

Has anyone tried the old solo stems with the air yet?

Edit: more specifically a gong?

OLD turbo stem yes, i liked it, good airflow, and i think it looked cool with such a large stem on a small vape.

@Soloman- Can I come over and use the bathroom?!

MAYBEE;P

I still think we need to organize a community FC meetup, soon.


EDIT: also no need for any o-rings here.

 

[Nytron]

Just got mine in the mail. The tracking details were not updated in time (still doesn't even say delivered yet), so make sure you are home for the delivery confirmation. It beat the ETA by two days.

The top grill does not seem to want to unscrew. There is resistance and a clicking feel when you turn it. Not gonna try to take it apart right now, I will leave that for someone else.

First impressions while I wait for the unit to warm up from freezing temps:
- Super super small. Way small than I thought. It seems impossible that it is taller than a solo.
- All aluminum exterior except maybe for the very top near bowl (glossier paint, looks like plastic?).
- Heater & bowl design is nearly identical to Solo, so operation will be the same as a Solo.
- The mouthpieces are threaded on with a vial thread. This will make cleaning harder, but easy to remove mouthpieces.
- Screen might be truly optional. The size of the 4 holes in the stem is much smaller than the 4 holes of an Arizer solo stem (M107). Add that to the restrictor hole on mouthpiece and one may not need to deal with screens.
- The diameter of the charger plug seems to be a bit smaller with the Air vs. Solo, so no hope of Solo wall/travel charger working with Air.

My unit did not include a sticker with the color options (Black, silver, titanium). My unit included: a first time use warning, instruction manual, metal stir tool, two different length stems, potpourri dish, wall charger, wild flowers, white silicone protective skin, and carrying case.

 

[stickstones]

@CentiZen -- can this be used plugged in while vaping? and, if so, is it a true pass through or just using the battery as it charges? I'm wondering how good it would be as a desktop vape if it works well while plugged in.

 

[CentiZen]

It's simultaneous charge/discharge. You can set the temperature while it is plugged in but it refuses to heat until you put in a battery. Really, there was no hope of a passthru without a much larger charger, this one is rated at 1.2A.

As well, the only battery indicators are that the charge light will go red to tell you the battery is getting low.

 

[vapekid]

Mine came in the mail today! Quick unboxing for you guys!

 

[Nytron]

Okay, doing first bowl as I speak. Started it on 5/5 temp and kept it there for two cycles.

Awesome amount of heat, equivalent to Solo for sure. I allowed the unit to heatsoak for ~10 mins like the instruction manual encourages. Without letting it cool down, I loaded a half bowl. Excellent clouds right away, the thing motherfucking rips. The stem is almost too hot to remove, a problem I never had with Solo. (edit: nvm, found easy workaround. You just have to grab the glass as close to the mouthpiece end as possible. If they used the heat tape from the Extreme cyclone bowl, this would be a non-issue.)

So yeah, best vape I've ever used. It is debadged and stealthy as any vape I've seen. It is way smaller than I thought. The fit with the stem on mine is PERFECT. Not too tight, not too loose. When you go to insert the stem into the heating chamber, allow the glass to just make contact for a moment to heat up. You can then gently push and barely turn the stem to glide it into the heating chamber. My old M107 had a fit like this, just utterly perfect. Not too tight, but tight enough to support weight of unit if I were to try.

Only a couple minor negatives:

For me, the mouthpiece will probably have to go. The mouthpiece is great for noobies because it is like a speed limiter on a car. You cannot go too fast which will cause the heater to be overwhelmed and cooled down. I am a control freak and want complete control of my draw rate. I also use the vacuum method after stirring the bowl, which isn't possible with the restrictive mouthpiece. This method of course allows you to instantly and evenly load your bowl in 2 seconds by just sucking through the stem super hard. All in all though, for most people and especially those new to vaping, the mouthpiece is fine and actually a good thing. I love how it is threaded on with vial threads. The stir tool fits perfectly in the mouthpiece hole, cleaning it in one poke. Expect many different style mouthpieces; i.e. ones with no restrictior, ones with bigger holes, ones with multiple holes, ...

I am still getting a lot of herb passing through the 4 holes just like my Solos. I am using a 1.75" mendo vape grinder and I always stir my bowls once which pulverizes the herb for full extraction. The new Air stem and it's mouthpiece will catch most of the loose particles, unlike the Solo. PV "Turbo" style bowl (one big opening vs. 4 holes) with a screen is still the best possible setup, giving you complete control and less loose particles in stem. If you stir, you will want the screen. If not, you are fine.

The entire exterior of unit appears to be aluminum, except maybe the top of the unit near the heating element which appears to be a glossy finish. I hope it isn't plastic. Mine had microscratches in it, only noticeable if you zoom in using computer, hardly visible to human eye.

Cliffnotes: New daily driver. This vaporizer is as efficient as any vaporizer I've used. It gets herb darker than a HI on stock wall charger in less time. Heater seems to be just as effective as a Solo. This is the main test I wanted it to pass and it does with flying colors.

 

[vapekid]

its so funny...i remember before i got the solo, i didn't really know the size (despite the hundreds of pics i already saw)...i knew that everyone compared it to a redbull can, but when i saw it, i was SHOCKED by how tiny it was!

then i sure I'm going to have that same feeling again when i see how truly small this AIR is in real life!

i ordered on cyber monday and i haven't paid any attention to any shipping/tracking details...i already know its on its way and want to be surprised when it actually gets here...if its not here in 1.5 weeks, then ill have to do some sherlock homes-ing

so do those white condoms come by default or did you guys pay the extra $10 for them?

The white condoms come standard. I kinda regret not ordering one of the coloured ones though.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea of how big the Air is. That's my old iPhone 4. The unit with the shortest tube on it is only about an inch taller than my iPhone 6 Plus.

 

[Nytron]

Those skins cover the top vents of the air so the top gets very hot. I am only gonna use it in cool weather. Does the skin affect airflow? Can someone verify

The skins do not cover the small top vents, which can be barely seen in the above picture. The sleeve does cover the side grill, obviously. The side grill does afford some airflow, you can test this by blocking the grill with your fingers and then unblocking it (the sound of the air moving changes). So blocking the sidegrill lessens airflow, but not that much since the top vents will stay unblocked.

The clear protective silicone sleeve that is included with the unit is more white than clear. I too regret not buying a black sleeve.

The grill is probably there to prevent the unit from heatsoaking and being uncomfortably warm to the touch when doing 2 or more sessions in a row. With the sleeve installed which is made of silicone, it won't matter how hot the unit gets it will still be comfortable to hold. I will use the sleeve when out ice fishing.

 

[Nytron]

You can take mouthpiece off, it is threaded so it takes literally one second. After removing mouthpiece, you are left with smaller diameter glass threads. Doing a bowl on temperature 5/5 without mouthpiece and it works. The glass definitely gets very warm though, too warm once the unit has been on for a while. So hopefully some aftermarket mouthpieces become available. Even just a super short section of silicone tube would be enough. Down the road, imagine being able to thread on aftermarket Gong mouthpieces, screened mouthpiece, etc. Possibilities are endless.

Any differences in airflow restriction between a Solo and the Air are due to differences in the stem design. Namely, the mouthpiece and the reduced diameter glass section at the mouthpiece threads. Both of which can and will be addressed with aftermarket mouthpieces and stems. I am able to blacken my herbs faster than a Solo for some reason. That mouthpiece forces you to move less air, which in turn prevents the heater from cooling down giving you a better hotter denser hit.

I wanted to hate the mouthpiece and remove it and never use it again, but it's actually quite effective. I think I will keep it on for now and maybe bore one of them out until aftermarket ones become available.

 

[CentiZen]

Centizen mentioned that the wall wart was rated at 1.2A above, why would you need 2 USB connectors?
Even most battery packs have a 2.1a USB port on them for tablets nowadays

If it is indeed 5V 1.2a I imagine any USB car adapter over 1.2a would work? Excessive amperage shouldn't be a problem as far as I'm aware

I wonder if a dedicated 18650 charger would be quicker than charging the battery in the device though

A high quality dedicated charger is going to be quicker than using the built in charger in the air. A battery capable of powering the air should at least be able to support a 2A charge current.

And @exit is sort of right about the two USB connectors thing. Straight charging ports like on batteries and wall plugs will have no problem powering the Air from a single connector; but the USB standard for computers has a maximum draw current of 500mA. You would need at least two connectors to power the Air from a computer.

Has anyone tried the air with an @Ed's TnT stem or wong? Interested to hear about the fit and the hit.

I just tested out my WonG, it works great! Fit is tight, but it might be my favorite mouthpiece yet.