HerbalAire vs SSV vs Other?

[BalloonAnimals]

I've had a chance to use a mate's HerbalAire and I thought it was quite good but I had a few issues with it. The unit will mainly be used for whip draws. The bag fill option of the HerbalAire is a bonus but not a must. My mate had upgraded to an aquarium pump

What I am looking for in priority order is:
1) Smooth vapor (I've got asthmatic lungs and will be used with an iced water chamber to cool and moisten the draw)
2) Good efficiency of herb usage
3) A vape primarily to be used in whip mode with satisfying whip draws (the bag fill on the HerbalAire is a bonus but not required)
4) Easy to use
5) Taste

Some specific questions I have:
a) I found some older information that said HerbalAire was among the best in terms of efficiency and maximum draw from a given amount of herb. Is this still accurate? How does the SSV rate?
b) How easy is to handle the SSV wand in one hand and an ice chamber in the other? A lot of smoking sessions happen with a couple of people so this apparatus will have to be passed back and forth frequently. I liked how with the HerbalAire you only had to place the herb in the bowl and you could smoke all of it evenly but I had some problems with the top white whip attachment coming off the top of the unit. It looks like SSV is more of a PITA having to rotate it and stir and poke it (which seems like it more effort to share, I'd prefer set and forget). It also looks like there is a major chance of herb spillage if you are passing the wand back and forth. The hands free unit for the SSV looks flimsy and useless and I wouldn't trust the ground glass hands free wand. Are these fears reasonable?
c) will the 220V SSV work on 240V Australian power without a transformer? Any aussies tried it?
d) how hard it is to find the sweet spot with the SSV without a labelled temperature dial? Especially in relation to smooth vs. harsh vapour from priority 1

Basically most of the information I'm looking at says I should go for the HerbalAire but I'm attracted to the SSV because it's shinier and it's got the novelty factor which are definitely the wrong reasons.

Are there any other vapes I should consider? Would the DBV suit my needs more than the SSV?

Any answers, comments, or suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[max]

A vape primarily to be used in whip mode with satisfying whip draws

IMO this requirement eliminates the herbalAire. Whip hits are effective, yes. But satisfying? Not for me. I've used the herbalAire for years, but rarely with direct draw, and not at all in the last year or so. The tiny inlet holes that are great for herb penetration work against thick hits.

I own the SSV and have used the DBV. IMO, if you have lung issues (and I do), you'll find the DBV to be smoother. The SSV, with it's narrow airstream, can provide a little more vapor rich hits, but they can also sneak up on you in that you don't realize how much vapor you've got until your lungs are overflowing. The DBV, with its wider air channel, gives more predictable hits.

Good efficiency can be obtained with most vapes. It's a matter of controlling the temp, loading small amounts, and taking efficient hits. None of the models you're considering really promote efficiency, compared to a small bowl model like the PD. The herbalAire is very efficient in penetrating the chunks of herb that it prefers (over ground herb), but I've always found that I load quite a bit, as I do in my SSV.

Yes, a 220V version is what you need.

A lot of smoking sessions happen with a couple of people so this apparatus will have to be passed back and forth frequently. I liked how with the HerbalAire you only had to place the herb in the bowl and you could smoke all of it evenly but I had some problems with the top white whip attachment coming off the top of the unit. It looks like SSV is more of a PITA having to rotate it and stir and poke it (which seems like it more effort to share, I'd prefer set and forget). It also looks like there is a major chance of herb spillage if you are passing the wand back and forth. The hands free unit for the SSV looks flimsy and useless and I wouldn't trust the ground glass hands free wand.

There is no 'best of all worlds' vape model. Decide whether your priority is a vape for you, or one that's foolproof for those who are careless or just new to vaping. Bag models are popular for groups, since filling and sucking from a bag is easy. If you want a dual mode vape why not consider the Extreme? It hits better than the herbie in whip mode, especially if you pack the elbow.

 

[bluntfaced]

The herbalaire doesn't provide as rich of hits but it is durable as fuck. It is perfect for passing around, no extra whip just passing the little unit back and forth, this works great in a car. The casing on the herbalaire is solid as fuck and there is no exposed heating element/glass/whip fragile part that fools can break.

I have an extreme and it does operat much better than the herbalaire I think but it is also much less durable.