I bought a CF because of the testimonies on this forum. You all seem like a pretty skeptical bunch, but so far it seems like everybody, even the skeptics, like these things. I figured I owe this forum at least a review. For comparison purposes, I've used a Pax1, V2 Pro Series 3, and a bunch of other box/tower tabletops including the Volcano.
These thoughts are more along the line of first impressions, because I've only had the CF since Saturday. I've run around 15 sessions since getting it.
Out of the box: It looks really cool. In a time when a lot of vaporizers are designed as sleekly as possible, the CF sticks out. The CF is still sleek and elegant, but it's definitely a lot funkier. The contrast between the rubbery-feeling matte black body and the piano black high gloss end caps is cool. The included tools are nice, and the concentrates pod is a welcomed freebie.
Before using it, I ran two empty burn-in cycles at 415*F (first with mouthpiece off, second with mouthpiece on). I then washed all the mouthpiece components with warm water and soap.
What I really liked:
-Heat up time is an honest 15 seconds to 385*F
-Taste is great. After a full 5 minute session of 0.3g at 385*F, I didn't taste any popcorn at all. After my initial burn-in/cleaning the flavor was fantastic right from the first pull. Absolutely no oily/metallic/plasticky/manufacturing taste.
-Convection/Conduction Hybrid: This seems to be a topic of consternation. The oven does get some conductive heat, no doubt, but only when the air in the chamber is stagnant. No portion of the heating element comes in contact with any of the oven. During use, air is heated up by the heating element and passes through the oven (convection). Any residual heat from the heating element will contact the oven when no air is being passed through (conduction). The S&B Mighty did the same thing as the CFX in the “convection test” video earlier in this thread. The CFX yielded earlier results in that test only because it gets to temperature 4-5 times faster. Anyways.....
-It's really easy to use.
-Big chamber: You could fit ~0.8g with a medium pack.
-It looks seriously gnarly.
-Materials feel of quality.
-I like this as a personal piece and as a party piece. On Saturday, one full, very lightly packed bowl got 3 grown men ripped in one session with ease. We were still getting full rips with the same bud in the second consecutive session as well (albeit with the temp turned up a bit).
-It gets me really ripped. My old vaporizers provided a much more body-centric experience. This is a great mixture of heady and body vibes.
-I am
ripped right now. Thanks, Boundless.
-Warranty
-Free shipping
-Price
-Bang for your buck
What I liked:
-Evenly vaped herbs every time
-Stays cool - the design works like heat fins. After back-to-back sessions, the oven/mouthpiece was merely warm to the touch. The fins on the CF are deeper and more significant than on the CFX. I would assume this would better dissipate heat.
-Good Efficiency
-Even for a vaporizer, this deals with smell fairly well. I live in an apartment, and the CF will be fine for indoor use with an open window.
-Water pipe adapter should be available soon. In the promo video, Boundless said that WPA's will be included probably free of charge and sent to anybody who bought a CF or CFX.
-Size: It's roughly the size of 1.5 decks of cards. In a pinch, it will fit into a pocket and not look weird, although I'd say it's more appropriate for a backpack, purse, or golf bag.
-Within an hour of purchasing, my item was in the hands of FedEx.
-Cleaning is easy: Use the included brush in-between sessions. I think this unit's mouthpiece will need a brief iso rinse/cleaning every 15-20 sessions.
-It's very light, but it's heavy enough to feel solid.
Neither good/bad:
-Charging took like 2 hours from dead
-Draw resistance is far from tough and far from free-flowing. It's somewhere in the middle.
-The mouthpiece detents are pretty wimpy. When the lid is closed and the mouthpiece is extended, the mouthpiece rotates around pretty easily. I think a satisfying snap into place would convey higher quality.
-It's not the most discreet unit, but it certainly doesn't call attention to itself.
-Clicking the button five times seems excessive. What's wrong with three? Hell, even four!?
-The "CF" name sounds like I bought a car from an Infinity dealership. How about something cool like the Fighter Jet, or the Neptune, or the.... Idk maybe not lol.
What I didn't love:
-No pass-through charging
-Battery life. I got 10 sessions from a charge (full ovens, between 385-415*F). This is at the minimum of what I consider acceptable. I'm no electronics expert, but I feel like 1x 1300 mAh is small in 2016 for a brand new portable.
-The power button and LED/temp layout seems like an afterthought with this design.
-The power button feels chintzy.
-The power button is the only part of the CF that doesn't sit flush. In theory this could lead to unintended power cycles in a pocket, but it hasn't happened with me yet.
-My mouthpiece has a large section in the middle of the opening where plastic connects the top to the bottom. A non-uniform plastic bridge is connecting the top to the bottom of the mouthpiece. It looks like a manufacturing defect. Draw resistance is not affected, but it will make cleaning more tedious. See photos for details.
Suggestions:
*Even though a replacement mouthpiece set is cheap from the manufacturer, it would have been nice to see a set of replacement o-rings and maybe a chamber or mouthpiece screen included in the box.
Pictures:
http://imgur.com/a/bFBAw
Final thoughts: The Boundless CF is very good, but it isn't perfect. The CF has a lot of great aspects, but I think the most significant quality is its bang for the buck. This thing performs very nicely for a very low price. With a discount code, my final price was $109.99 shipped. For this price, I can easily see beyond its minor shortcomings (although I still would like pass-through charging). Had I paid retail 129.99, I would probably have expected some of those concerns to be addressed (like a longer lasting battery). All-in-all, I am impressed and satisfied. Thanks for a great recommendation, FC. Score: 91/100 at $109.99 shipped. 89/100 at $129.99 shipped.
Disclaimer: I have zero affiliations with any company or website or anything like that. I'm a recreational user who wanted to buy a new vaporizer; that's all.
