Neither solution is very portable and both involve fragile glass systems.
But you knew this so lets move on to my
VHW
-If you already have a glass piece, buying a stem + heating element is considerably cheaper.
-Has an adjustable temperature control.
-Will pull nice clouds but significantly less punch than the verdamper.
-The product is USA made, but they ship on a schedule which is just silly IMO. (Ordered something on Monday for example and they didnt ship it out till Thursday or something along those lines).
-Their customer service is helpful and they are responsive to emails.
-Take considerable effort to pull nice clouds. (About a day and you will be a pro) Forewarning if you want to enjoy this with some friends there is a learning curve.
Verdamper
-Costly as hell
-Challenge your pessimist friends who insist vaporizers dont work.
-Looks like a science experiment, when the folk saw it and asked WTH is was they laughed.
-Can hold enough herbs to for a massive session.
-Pulls considerably dense and thick clouds while not diminishing flavor.
-Novice and Expert alike will pull amazing clouds with a steady pull flow.
-Ships overseas and takes forever for replacement parts.
The final Verdict:
Price - VHW
Flavor - Verdamper
Density of Hits - Verdamper
Space Use (portability) - VHW (may be used on a bubbler or smaller glass)
Effectiveness - Tie
(So you may need to take 1 more round of the VHW than the verdamper)
If I were you: Buy the VHW.... While the Verdamper can easily be claimed by some as the best, vaporizing in itself is a preference you must make. If you are still at the point where you combust and vaporize, why not choose a solution that allows you to use the glass for both? The VHW allowed me to do this whereas I can only vaporize with the verdamper system. At this point in my life I prefer the convenience of the verdamper + it was a present.