Suggestions & feedback on best portable vape for me

[vapelover]

Hello FC Members,

Thank you for reading my post! I have been slowing down significantly on my usage lately and I must admit that I have gotten somewhat lazy when it comes to having to plug in a vaporizer get my medicine. I own a Cloud and SSV both of which perform very well but it seems like a pain now to have to plug in, warm up and put up all the set up away once its done. I am looking to possibly get a portable vape that can medicate me well with a short session. I get a dry throat very quickly so I usually just take one or two giant rips from the SSV and I am done. I don't need much to get medicated.

I have been doing a lot of research the past few days and I narrowed it down to a few but also had some questions regarding vape pens. I owned a MFLB and while its a great product, it was tricky to get consistent results, especially with newbies or my GF. I would be using it almost exclusively for dry herbs. The qualities that I would be looking for are:

-Great quality vapor in density and taste (similar to Arizer Solo or Air)
-Low temperature vaping, my herbs usually always look green after I vape then in the SSV, I dont like baking them until they are brown
-Portable, no plug ins
-Easy to use with little learning curve
-No butane, electric only
-Safe materials and build
-Replaceable battery if possible
-Works for at least two people if possible

Based on the preferences listed, I figured that the choices below are good but not perfect:
Arizer Solo (used before, excellent and nice cool tasty vapor). Kind of big.
Arizer Air (have not used yet but if it's as good as the solo it would be worth the price increase but still not super portable or easy to disguise)
The Vapium Summit (only found a couple videos but looks to be good quality and well built). Could not find much info but if there is a thread, videos or additional pics, please send them. The form factor seems smaller than the Arizer Air.

The Firely looks decent but big and cumbersome to use and I was not a fan of the PAX. Ideally, I would like to have the form factor of a pen, that would be awesome! but from my understanding this is not something that has been achieved yet, or am I mistaken? I would like to be able to easily hide it in the car or use it in public and have people think its an one of those ecigs that everyone seems to be using now. The only one that I found based on reviews that seems to accomplish this well is the V2 Pro Series 3. It also very affordable and does wax. I don't do concentrates often but if it also was able to handle wax as well that would be a plus. The V2 Pro Series 3 seems to have the smallest form factor, easy to use, fast warm up time and good for small sessions. Does have some small cons like no temp setting for example but I can overlook that. My question is, am I leaving out any other vapes that fit this description well, more specifically in the pen sized category?

While doing research I keep running into these pens that claim to be for dry herbs but I cant seem to find reviews or videos on people using them. I know the brands might not be as highly trusted but they are also so cheap that I might even buy one just to try it. The pens that I am referring to are made by Grenco Science and are sold under the names of the G Pen "Ground Materials", Micro G "Ground Materials" and G Slim ""Ground Materials". They seem to have made chambers now specifically for dry materials, not just a glass screen that you drop on top. Mostly interested in feedback of the Micro G and Slim since the V2 Pro already is more trusted and has similar form factor to the G Pen. Are there pens this size that can handle low temperature vaping well and don't toast your herbs? If so, I would like some recommendations on what those pens are called. Also if anyone is successfully using those products and can show what kind of results they are getting that would be awesome. Otherwise, I think I might stick with something like an Arizer Air or V2 Pro Series. Looking forward to the responses on whats out there and I wish you all a wonderful day!

 

[hi_there]

Imag+ might work for you, but the vapor taste is nowhere as good as the air or solo. You can get one for around $99, you can always move it to backup status if something better comes a long.

 

[vapelover]

Hello hi_there,

Thanks for your super fast response and feedback. I did see that one, seems like there are a couple companies that private label this product. I think this is one is similar to the one the Vape Critic has on his site called the Cloud V. I checked out a video online of this product and even though they used low heat the herbs looked pretty baked. They also mentioned that it ran a little hot. It is nice that it is more affordable but at that size it would make more sense to move up to the Arizer solo for the vapor quality upgrade or move to the V2 Pro Series 3 for the smaller and thinner frame. The aluminum Series 3 looks really high quality. The Imag+ is still a worthwhile mention to the discussion, it looks like a great deal for what it is.

 

[stickstones]

What did you not like about the Pax? Because I'll bet the Summit uses the same technology, and so does the iMag. So if it's that conduction thing you don't like cross those two off your list. Otherwise I think the iMag is a great value for that type of vape.

Otherwise I would say the Air. It's more stealth than you think. Mine looks like a jacked up ecig. It gives good vapor even on the lowest temp. I can't speak to the V2 series except that it hasn't been out long and it looks cool.

 

[vapelover]

Hello stickstones,

Thanks for your reply. I don't prefer the herbs to bake in between hits but I know that will be hard to avoid in a portable since most heat via conduction. I thought the Air did a good job at not baking away the herbs even though it is a conduction vape. I did not like several things about the PAX, the lube you have to add to the mouthpiece, the cleaning process and the vape flavor was not what I was expecting. I have seen people using the Arizer Air on videos though and I do agree that it does not look that big but say I got pulled over or something and a cop found it, I would have a much easier case telling him the V2 Pro is a regular ecig vs the Air.

 

[Pain]

If you have access to wax or especially shatter then I would steer you to a pen at w9tech.com which would be more portable and give better flavor then anything that would also handle flowers. Uptech pen and small portable flower only vape is more practical and less costly.

I'm pretty happy with the Flowermate, especially for such a low price, but rarely use it anymore since I discovered shatter.

 

[stickstones]

The Air is primarily convection.

If fooling the cops is a priority try the Indica.

 

[vapelover]

Hello Pain,

I do have very easy access to high quality concentrates but unfortunately I medicate pretty easily since I cut back a lot lol so this causes me to not use them often.

I would steer you to a pen at w9tech.com

Which of these were you referring to specifically? I checked on the website and the only one that pulled up for herbs seem to be the Imag Plus Herbal Vaporizer that was recommended earlier, or is there another one?

If fooling the cops is a priority try the Indica.

I have seen reviews for that one from the Vape Critic and it looked ok but I would rather put up with it not being stealthy at that point and go with something of higher quality like the Air. Plus cops here in Houston are total dicks if they are even the slightest bit suspicious and that Indica while stealthy still seems easy to spot out vs a vape pen since those are so popular right now.

Sorry not to be picky or choosy here. There are just soo many new vapes coming out its hard to keep up with them. I am just not sure if I am skipping past any that fit the ecig size type that vaporizer herbs well so I figured I would start a discussion about it.

All the recommendations thus far are really appreciated. I feel like I am almost asking for too much from a vape. I know that the technology will eventually be able to deliver all those qualities in a pen sized vape, just not sure if that happened already and I missed it lol.

 

[stickstones]

How about the Elevape? It's not shaped like a pen but it's very small. You gotta be willing to work through some kinks, though.

 

[hi_there]

Puffit 2 is pretty stealthy but not great clouds.

 

[vapelover]

How about the Elevape?

Hello stickstones, the Elevape looks pretty cool but not really the style I was looking for. I agree, seems like I am going to have to put up with some kinks to get closer to what I am looking for.

Puffit 2 is pretty stealthy but not great clouds.

hi_there, thanks again for your input. I tried the Puffit vape also an I was not a fan of the vapor quality or how hot it got to handle either but thanks for the suggestion.

Just to share my findings and feedback for future viewers of this thread, I have some comments below. The V2 Pro Series 3 looks pretty awesome for the price and it is but it is weird that it ships with the liquid chamber when they market it mostly for its loose leaf capability. I chatted with a company rep today and they told me that they do not sell spare parts and you have to order a whole new retail kit if you want to get just the battery part which was kind of a turn off, plus you cant substitute the liquid chamber for the dry one. I have not use for liquids.

I think the industry is getting very close to offer almost desktop type quality vapor from very small devices in the near future, guess its not there yet. I do see that some of these cheaper pen style devices might work for vaping like the Graco, Pulsar and Atmos but they likely have a much lower life span vs some of the higher end vapes mentioned here and would take some learning curve and slight modding to make them true vaporizers vs combustion pens.

I was surprised to see just how cheap you can get some many versions of some of the popular OEM branded pens and herbal protables for a fraction of the price online. I found a thread here on FC comparing the Atmos Boss which seem to be a oem rebranded product to the V2 Pro Series 3 and they are very similar except the Boss is flowers only. But I found the Boss online for very cheap, so its worth trying it at that point to at least get the small form factor so I went ahead and purchased one. It actually looks pretty cool and while I will have to put up with some kinks, for the price its hard to complain. It does not have the 3 in 1 features the V2 Pro Series 3 does but I really only wanted it for the flowers anyways. http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/atmos-boss.16190/

I think I will end up getting another at home portable later on like one of the Arizer products or the Vapium Summit once more reviews come out. While browsing around online, I did find a few more honorable mentions that look kind of promising but again, I could not find much info on these products:

-The Cloud Phantom Mini (looks pretty awesome, the regular Phantom got good reviews)
-The Vaped FLORA Portable vape ( an affordable portable vape with all glass air path and chamber)
-The Pulsar 7 (seem to have somewhat good reviews and customer service) could not find in depth reviews though but seems nice and very affordable.
-The Evoke Induction Vaporizer. This one is suppose to come out this year and looks pretty awesome. Instant heat, lifetime warranty, made in the US. Looks like this one is going to give some of those higher end vapes some competition.

Just figured I would share my findings. Hopefully in the near future someone will come out with a high quality vapor pen for flowers. Thanks for your feedback and if anyone else has any cool vapes to consider, please add them to the discussion. Thanks!

 

[hi_there]

Right now I use the AA at home and the Imag+ for the road, I figure if the Imag+ craps out I can still use the AA for the road while looking for a new stealthy on the road vape. The puffit 2 is actually a major improvement over the original puffit but it still needs some work. Personally I just think the chamber temp settings are not high enough and extra 5 or 10 Celsius might do the trick and get better clouds.

I am keeping a close eye on the Grasshopper because it looks like it is ready and this is super stealthy.

I guess the trick for portables of the future is getting a decent battery life while offering clouds and a decent taste (because of short vapor paths). IMO I would love to see a portable with a 30-45 minute batter life, swappable batteries and maybe for them to incorporate a small water chamber to smooth out the short vapor paths. I did see they have one like this being sold on the chineese stores but I am not confident in the quality.

The great thing about the Arizer Air is the flexibility you have, it gives quality clouds, good taste (especially with longer glass) and has some really nice water tool adaption options. And it truly is portable, just not super stealthy.

 

[stickstones]

It looks to me like your first priority is form factor. Unfortunately, the form factor you prefer is dominated by Chinese Pax tech clones with very little potential for finding reviews right now. It seems like there are five new ones coming out every day. I think that, out of the current offerings with this technology, the iMag is the best value and fits your form factor. But a reliable convection pen in this style isn't there yet. The Grasshopper might get there...we will see.

 

[hi_there]

I was surprised to see just how cheap you can get some many versions of some of the popular OEM branded pens and herbal protables for a fraction of the price online.

I forgot to mention that many of these are probably clones, might not have the quality of the originals but hard to say. Like stickstones says it is hard to find trusting reviews of these.

 

[vapelover]

the form factor you prefer is dominated by Chinese Pax tech clones with very little potential for finding reviews right now

Hello stickstones, your statement appears to be true. I also like the warm up time of the V2 Pro and the Atmos Boss at only a few seconds.

I am keeping a close eye on the Grasshopper because it looks like it is ready and this is super stealthy.

Now that things looks amazing hi_there, cant wait for that to come out. It does seem to fit all the descriptions that I mentioned, plus long battery life and look super nice. I wonder when they will start shipping it out?

I guess the trick for portables of the future is getting a decent battery life while offering clouds and a decent taste (because of short vapor paths). IMO I would love to see a portable with a 30-45 minute batter life, swappable batteries and maybe for them to incorporate a small water chamber to smooth out the short vapor paths. I did see they have one like this being sold on the chineese stores but I am not confident in the quality.

That would be a sight to see, sounds almost like the perfect vape. I am all for supporting US companies but the way I see it right now, at least for the portable side of the industry it is very similar to the cell phone/laptop industry. Most highly trusted household name brands don't actually design or build anything, they just show up to the factories, pick from the most innovative devices and brand them with their name. So most of those high end brands here are made in China mostly. They have more manufacturing power and designers on their end working on new products all the time. It is only a matter of time before they catch up with the right mix to bring something really advanced to the table just like they do with cell phones/laptops. Sure they make crappy vapes like they do with cell phones/laptops also but some that they make seems to be of pretty good quality as well. hi_there, would you mind sharing a link to that vape you were describing? I would not buying one just to test it out, seems like its pretty advanced compared to most others currently released products out now. Thanks!

 

[hi_there]

You mean the puffit 2? This is where I got it http://www.gotvape.com/puffit-2-portable-vaporizer.html it was 20% off a couple of weeks ago.

 

[vapelover]

Hello hi_there:

You mean the puffit 2?

No I was referring to the one you saw being sold at the chinese stores, I though that the text below was describing it:

I guess the trick for portables of the future is getting a decent battery life while offering clouds and a decent taste (because of short vapor paths). IMO I would love to see a portable with a 30-45 minute batter life, swappable batteries and maybe for them to incorporate a small water chamber to smooth out the short vapor paths. I did see they have one like this being sold on the chineese stores but I am not confident in the quality.

Or is that still a dream vape of the future that nobody has made yet lol? Thanks!

 

[hi_there]

I am pretty sure I saw it on DHGate, I just took a quick look and did not find it. I will see if I can locate it again.

 

[vapelover]

Hey guys I want to thank you both again for your feedback. They guy that I purchased the Boss from cancelled the order with no reason apparently. Then I got to thinking and my buddy actually still has his Pax just sitting in a drawer collecting dust and he is nice enough to let me have it.

After looking at some videos online I learned more about the Pax vape and it seems pretty nice. I think he added way too much lube to the mouthpiece when we used it and maybe did not pack the herb enough so it made it get too hot and made for a bad combo. I will give it a second shot and see. This was a while back when we were somewhat new to portable and that buddy of mine was just eager to use it, did not do a lot of research. Def seems like a high maintenance vape with a lot of instructions to learn as well but its free and it looks to be of pretty good quality if you learn how to use it properly. I vape at really low temps anyways so the maintenance should be less hopefully.

The Pax with some headphones around it just looks like an MP3 player so its really stealthy. I really like the V2 Products and it seems like they manufacture or design their own products for the most part. The V2 Pro Series 3 and 7 both look like really solid products. I guess since they are mostly an ecig company, they might not be 100% caught up on what vapor enthusiast might want in a portable vape yet but they look really promising.

That Grasshopper looks pretty much like my dream vape as it fits almost 100% of the qualities that I was looking for besides that it can't do wax but that is not a big deal. I emailed the company and they said that most likely pre-order units will start shipping around May and regular production units will not go out until around July timeframe. I don't typically like to pre-order in case it might have any kinks or updates, they will be ironed out in the next round. But this is def a vape that I am going to buy in the future! I remember seeing this product on Youtube a while back but I forgot all about it. They came out with some new videos showing it in action and it looks nothing short of awesome!

I really did not want to have two portables but I dont think I seem myself using the pax at home, especially with all the maintenance it has so I will likely combine it with either a Solo or an Air for a portable home unit. The only thing I don't like about those units is you cant have then 100% ready to go all the time as you still have to load the wand but the cool thing is that you can take the wand out so it does not just bake your herbs while you are waiting between hits, that is a huge plus. I want to get all of them but it would just cost too much lol. I think if I had to rate them in the order I would buy them based on the description I stated as standalone portable vape and only buy one the order would go something like:

-Grasshopper (only con, no wax but otherwise perfect!) Lifetime warranty is incredible but not out yet.
-Vapium Summit (pretty small, multiple heat settings, easy to use, hard to tell what it is) major con is that it does not have the removable battery and only one year warranty.
-V2 Pro Series 3 (major con is no removable battery and no variable heat settings, 6 month warranty)
-V2 Pro Series 7 (bigger than the Air and no removable battery but looks more like an ecig and 3 in 1)
-Pax (looks awesome but seems kind of a pain to maintain) 10 year warranty, pretty amazing.
-Arizer products (only con on these is having to carry a glass stem as well) Good warranty.

I was about to purchase either the Summit or the V2 Pro Series 3 before my buddy offered to let me have his Pax, they are both excellent products with some pros and cons each so I was kind of torn on which one to pick. For a portable at home I don't think there is anything easier and better quality than the Arizer products, at least from what I have tried so far, I will have to try that Grasshopper when it comes out to see if its a good replacement. I am very much looking forward to trying out the Pax again! Thanks again for your all your input and feedback!