So I have had the Milaana almost 2 weeks now and I wanted to post my impressions so far. Since my daily driver for the past few months has been the Firewood 3.0. I thought it might be helpful to compare the two for other people considering the Milaana who own a firewood. I just used the firewood yesterday for the first time since getting my Milaana.
Vapor Quality: I prefer the vapor from the Milaana. It just seems a little smoother and more free, however I honestly would never complain about either of these two vapes. They both have top quality vapor quality and many people will find them as equal. I use the short stem only with the Milaana. They both have semi warm vapor with short airpaths, but neither bothers me at all. Through water I find them very similar quality vapor. The Milaana could use stirring more than the firewood, but I don’t stir either because they are both good enough for me.
Ease of use: For me, this has to go to the Milaana. They both have some technique, and when I hand them to a first time user, they get better hits from Milaana. The Milaana is a much more open draw, and with proper preheating it requires less technique. The milaana vapor does remind me of an underdog/log vape that has manual heat. Speaking of the manual heat, I think this is a big reason why people find it easier to use than the firewood. Some friends using my firewood have trouble activating the breath sensor the correct way and using their breath to control the heater. I usually get the firewood started and hot for people before handing it off, with the Milaana this isnt necessary, “just hold the button”. For most people with multiple vapes, i think the ease of use is close to the same though.
My personal Milaana technique: hold button preheat for 5-7 seconds. Take a long draw for 7-10 seconds while holding the button. Release and continue to inhale for 5 seconds. Total time around 20-25 seconds. I have moved my screen very close to the end which i find gives the battery a longer life, and it gives denser vapor more easily.
Combustion: I have had multiple people use both vapes and no one has combusted in either. I think the Milaana is MUCH harder to combust in than some people made it seem.
Longevity: I can’t really answer this accurately because neither vape has broken on me, however the Milaana is simpler so I would imagine that less parts would mean less potential for breaking. I would guess the breath sensor on the firewood would be one of those parts that could get fidgety after a year of use. I would think the Milaana would be cheaper to repair, but who knows.
Battery life: I think the firewood has a longer battery life, but carrying 2 or 3 batteries with the Milaana makes swapping out easy. I actually haven’t had a problem with either battery life, but usually partake with 1-3 people only.
Portability/stealth: This is where I think the Firewood wins for me. With the Milaana, Carrying the battery and stem separately means that anytime I want to vape, I need to take a couple seconds to put the battery in and load the stem. Loading any vape in public is annoying, so being able to have 2 prepacked firewood capsules is a big deal for me personally. I like that I can finish one capsule and then have another one in place in literally 3 seconds. I also like that the capsules allow me to take 1 hit and then put it away. Sometimes with the Milaana I don’t want to finish a stem, but it isn’t finished after 1 or 2 draws, meaning I need to empty into an ABV bag, throw it away unused, or try to save it to use it again later. For this reason, when I go out to the bars, a concert, or just around town I bring the firewood. Also the firewood looks less like a herb vape because the Milaana has a glass stem sticking out which is more obvious.
TLDR:: I prefer the Milaana to in private situations, at my house or at a friends house. When stealth is a factor in most public situations, I bring my firewood. They are both awesome.
Milaana 2.0 just needs a way to leave the battery in ( I like
@Vape Dr. ‘s Idea a couple pages back) and a way to leave a prepack inside it, or capsules, so that it doesn’t need to be packed on the go and can be always ready. With these two things it would be the only vape i need in all situation. Either way the Milaana is still an amazing vape.