First Impressions / Unboxing the Pax3 Vaporizer

Unboxing the Pax 3 Vaporizer packaging

Typical of PAX packaging the PAX 3 came in a nice white box with a single image of the Pax3 vaporizer on the front of the box.  The PAX 3 box was quite a bit bigger than the previous PAX 2 or the Original because of all of the included accessories with this kit.  The box includes;  (1) Pax3 device, (2) Oven Lids, (2) Mouthpieces, (3) Screens, Charging cable and dock, Multi-tool, a maintenance kit, and the all-new Concentrate Insert.  Pax also offers a “device only” kit that includes; (1)Pax3 device, (2) Mouthpieces, Charging cable and dock, and a maintenance kit.

Like all of the PAX vaporizers before it, the device is fully assembled and constructed of premium materials giving it a very exclusive feel.  Every accessory is a form fit in its own specific place inside the box and the box even includes a small compartment to store some herbs should you choose to keep all of your PAX items and accessories neatly organized and stored right in the box.  Personally I think I’ll be using it too often to be worried about keeping it organized in a box.

First Bowl

At face value, the PAX 3 doesn’t seem that different than the PAX 2 besides the new chrome paint job. For our first sesh, we’re going to stick with the old-fashioned dry herb and see how the PAX 3 compares to the PAX 2 predecessor. Automatically we notice how fast this little vape heated up. On setting 2 in under 20secs the oven light switched from green to purple and we were ready to vape. Right away you taste a great terp-filled hit with a light vapor cloud. This was quite a surprise compared to the PAX 2 which heated up slower and while still having the good flavor, it seemed like most of the good terps were heated up and boiled off before the oven was ready. The speedy heat of the PAX 3 seems to save some of the lighter cannabinoids and terps.

As expected the flavor did taper off after 4-5 hits but the vapor production held steady through the session. To this day one of my favorite features of the PAX products is the herb saving feature, when you’re vaping and you get distracted and set down your vape to deal with whatever has you off your game, the PAX has your back and has both a lip sensor and motion accelerometer that detects if you have forgotten about your little buddy. The vape will automatically cut the heat to the bowl and begin cooling and preserving terpenes and cannabinoids in your bowl until you come back to keep the sesh rolling. The bowl did need a stir to keep even but the newly included pax tool made the job quite easy. I was able to stir it with the metal pick and tamp it back down with the silicone tamper.

Concentrates & Oils

The Pax3 concentrate insert or “oil can”

The PAX 3 concentrate insert or “oil can” time for real fun! For our Second sesh, we’re going to check out this new concentrate insert! I’ve seen a lot of vaporizers try to claim dual concentrate and dry herb functionality and not deliver in one way or another, so I’m going into this kind of skeptically. The insert is made of steel and will be very hot when you remove it from the oven after use and will take a while between bowls to cool down and refill. It’s important to note that you need to load your oven with enough concentrates to satisfy you but not overfill the insert. To load the concentrate insert you will need to remove the lid and place your concentrate in the middle of the insert between the two airflow vents; remember don’t overfill the insert or it WILL leak. Replace the lid and place the concentrate insert into the PAX oven. For concentrates, I set the PAX 3 to setting 4 the highest setting for max heat to heat up my concentrate to a proper temperature. After the first draw, I already knew I was going to eat my words about vaporizers not being about to be “dual use”. The vapor was cool, smooth, and delicious. Not only that but it continued to give large thick clouds hit after hit. Albeit the vape was getting very hot on the highest setting but such is expected with such a compact aluminum shell vaporizer like the PAX 3. You will immediately know when your insert is empty of concentrate when the hits you take begin to taste like burning fats. This usually indicates all of the terpenes, cannabinoids, and THC has been vaped away and all that remains are the lipids and wax residues. From there you will need to turn the PAX 3 off and allow that insert to cool before removing it or you can risk burning your fingers.

The PAX 3 also cam integrated with Bluetooth to be paired with the Official PAX App. The app brings new features that we have never seen from PAX before and some old favorites with an easier more user-friendly access point. From the app you can; Set precision temperature, Change your color theme, access 3 different games, and the heating profile of your oven. PAX traditionally has been more of the beginner or straight-to-the-point kind of vaporizer but the PAX 3 now gives its users the freedom to customize their device and more experienced users an avenue to explore unique buzz crafting.

The Pax 3 also cam integrated with Bluetooth to be paired with the Official Pax App. The app brings new features that we have never seen from Pax before and some old favorites with an easier mouser-friendly access point. From the app you can; Set precision temperature, Change your color theme, access 3 different games, and the heating profile of your oven. Pax traditionally has been more of the beginner or straight-to-the-point kind of vaporizer but the Pax3 now gives its users the freedom to customize their device and more experienced users an avenue to explore unique buzz crafting.

First Week

After the first week, we’ve found that it is quite a bit smarter and turbocharged to boot. We spoke on the heat-up time of the PAX 3 earlier. It was something I got quite used to finding myself reaching for the PAX 3 in quick snapper situations where I needed a few quick hits before changing pace and moving on to what I was doing. The battery life is also nothing to snicker at pulling in a full hour of use on a full charge with the built-in 3500mAh 18650 battery.

Bluetooth App

[wds id=”3″]Ahhhhh the app. I know what some of you are thinking “I hate apps!’. Brotha me too ok it sucks when companies try to get fancy with apps when you feel like your product doesn’t need it. Some companies have almost crippled their products by depending on app integration. Not the case I feel with the PAX 3. The product line from PAX Vapor has been traditionally simple with a few fun extras along the way, with their app they were able to add new features to enrich your vape experience without taking away from the traditional simplicity of the PAX lineage. If you don’t want to use the app you will NEVER have to with this vape.

One new feature that the app brings is the ability to switch between flavor modes. So far there are 5 unique flavor modes; Standard, Boost, Efficiency, Flavor, and Stealth.  

• Boost mode keeps the oven hotter for longer with less auto cooling.
• Efficiency mode ramps up the oven temperature throughout your session so this is an enjoyable setting to use.
• Stealth mode cools quicker and allows for stealthy light quick hits.
• Flavor Mode is all about preservation and only heating your herbs when you are drawing, flavor is favored over vapor in this setting.
• Standard mode temp boost when you draw and auto-cools when you don’t.

First Cleaning of the Pax 3

Cleaning the PAX 3 is simple and is exactly the same cleaning procedure as the PAX 2 in almost every way. It comes with a cleaning kit with both a thin brush and a pipe cleaner for cleaning the internal air path of the vape. The mouthpieces, oven lids, and oven chamber can all easily be wiped clean with alcohol wipes or q-tips dipped in alcohol. There is just one new tiny little inconvenience………Oil reclaim build-up. Oh did I say tiny? I meant giant pain in the a$$.

Cleaning concentrate residue can be one of the easiest things to do if you can directly apply and/or soak the piece in alcohol or cleaner to remove all of the reclaim build-up. Scrubbing or wiping only makes things worse with concentrates. The mix of concentrate resin and dry herb particles is also a nightmare to deal with as it creates a paste-like substance. The dual function of concentrate and the dry herb is a flaw period. If you are going to use concentrates in your PAX 3 I recommend only using concentrate and cleaning after each use.

The Verdict

After looking at the PAX 3 carefully it’s still kind of hard to tell you how I feel about it. On one hand, I don’t feel like there is too significant of a lead forward from the PAX 2 to current owners need not run to upgrade. On the other hand, if you are new to vaporizers or are on the lower end of things and you’re looking for a sleek, sexy, simple, yet versatile little vaporizer then the PAX 3 is a great option to consider.

Ultimately the 10-year warranty and the overall quality of the PAX 3 make it well worth the new lower price tag of $249.99.  It comes included with several fun little accessories to customize your vaporizer experience. In addition, its Bluetooth app brings you the freedom to be able to tune your PAX 3 to the beat of your own drum making it truly one-of-a-kind addition to any vaporizer collection. If all the extra lids and oil features don’t interest you the good people at Pax Labs have their “device only” kit that comes in at a stunning $199.99 which is a steal for a vaporizer of this quality.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the PAX 3 yourself in the sidebar.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

The post Pax 3 appeared first on Vaporizer Critics.

First Impressions

Arizer Solo 2 Review – First Impressions

The long-awaited release of the Arizer Solo 2. The third portable release for the Canadian manufacturer Arizer behind the Air and the Original Solo vaporizer. It appears with this vape Arizer really listened to the long history of feedback from their very loyal fans and following. The Solo is an all-glass conduction vaporizer that is heralded as one of the best vaporizers ever made. This gives Solo 2 quite a bit to live up to. The Solo II still features an all-glass vapor experience, now with increased airflow, precision temperature control, and an LCD display to navigate a slew of other features. Precision temp control is something new for Arizer’s portables and a welcome addition at that. For years many would hope that Arizer would release a temp-controlled vape and now those prayers have been answered, Arizer fans rejoice.

Also worth noting is the new retail packaging from Arizer for the Solo 2. For those who already own an Arizer product you likely received it in either a brown or white cardboard box. Nothing fancy just a sticker on the front indicating the color of the vape inside. For those who were lucky when buying the Arizer Air, you might have gotten a not-so-fancy sleeve that said: “Arizer Air” on the front. While the new box is not the flashiest it is still at least a product that I could see being sold in a retail store. The glossy box had a solo image of the Solo 2 on the front cover so nothing too crazy. What was inside the box has always counted more so let’s take a peek at what we have.

Inside The Box of the Arizer Solo 2

Arizer Solo 2 Review – Inside the box

Inside the box we find; the Arizer Solo 2, Charger / Power Adapter, 90 mm Glass Aroma Tube, 110 mm Glass Aroma Tube, Glass Aroma Dish, Belt-Clip Carry Case, Silicone Stem Caps, Stainless Steel Stirring Tool, Stainless Steel Filter Screens, a Sample of Aromatic Botanicals, and a User Manual. The Glass tubes have noticeably better quality than those of the past with the original Arizer. They feel durable and clean-cut. I can also say the same about the Solo2 unit itself. The shape and size are very similar to the original but they were able to even out some of the sharp corners and thin out the frame a bit. It comes in 2 colors a dark almost charcoal grey, and a deep navy blue. Overall I’m very excited and impressed by the presentation and the new features to explore with this old favorite and I can’t wait to try it out.

First Bowl

Before we start with our first bowl I think it’s important to talk about how to pack the glass tubes of the Solo 2.  The Glass tubes of the Arizer portables are much like glass one-hitters. In that, they’re made up of a straight glass tube with a filtered end to hold your herbs. So naturally, you can pack your Solo 2 tubes much like a one-hitter and take the tube and plunge the end into your herbs using force to pack your bowl. Ground herbs tend to float up to the straw as you inhale, so whole herb with this method works best. After you have your herbs loaded it’s important to tamp down the herbs so that they sit just below the rim of the glass. This will prevent your herbs closest to the steel heating element from over-vaping. Now before you insert the tube into the Solo 2 oven draw from the tube to test airflow. If the airflow is tight, remove some herb and repack. Now I find the best results when I insert the tube into the oven as it heats. Now with the Solo 2’s 30sec heat-up time I have no problem letting my herbs preheat a little before I take my first hit.

Using the new fancy LCD screen on the Solo 2 I am able to set a precision temperature. I’m excited for the flavor of this all-glass experience that the Solo 2 gives me so I decided to set a low temp of 355°F for the beginning of my session. Like lightning the Solo 2 oven is ready and it gives a little beep. The first hit is a little wispy as is typical with the Arizer portables but the flavor that is coming off the herb is incredible. As the herbs inside the tube begin to heat up the hits get thicker and more flavorful as you go. As with any vape, you’ll want to increase the temperature as you go along which is made very easy with the new display and buttons on the Solo 2. Two clicks up on the display and I increase the temperature to 375°F. With the Solo 2, you can now change the temperature by both 10 degrees and 1-degree increments. Making it easy to skip to your temp and dial it in for precision. At 375°F, the Solo 2 is pumping out vapor like a machine. Which is good because it is a little vape machine lol. What I always thought would be nice with the Arizer portables would be the addition of a carb hole along the stem so you could clear out the stem of your residual vapor as the stem of the glass tube usually stays milky with the cloud of vapor from the bowl.  

First Week

Arizer Solo 2 Review – LED Screen

In a week’s time and daily use, we only had to charge the Arizer Solo 2 Once. The large capacity battery of the Original Solo was something that helped its popularity. The Solo 2 now doubles that vape time to almost 3 hours or 18 10-min sessions. That is a ton of vape time folks honestly you could charge up the Solo 2 and go camping in without any electricity and be fine for almost a week, I don’t know how many other vapes I can say that about. The battery life made it very easy to explore the many new features and capabilities of the Solo 2 made possible by the LCD screen.

The Solo 2 once was a plain jane 7 light vape. It now has a bit more character and personalization to make it feel like your own. You can now control your temperature, the length of your vape session, and your startup timer. There are also settings adjustments for your volume and screen brightness. Adjusting the session timer is very interesting because there has often been a debate about how long a vaporizer session should be. Personally I usually am kicking back and having a relaxing time when I vape so, I vape at lower temperatures for longer sessions of 15-20mins. Others like to get straight to the point and vape very high in a short burst of 2-5 minutes. The Solo 2 gives you the freedom to set your session length to 5, 10, or 15 minutes making it hospitable for most vaporizer users. The Volume is in increments of low, medium, and high to which I have set too low. The very audible beep of the Solo 2 is noticeable enough it doesn’t really need to be loud. It would honestly have been nice to change the beep to a different chime, or tone, or just to turn it off honestly. It was good to see Arizer add some of the technology and features they incorporate into their desktops into their portable lineup for a change.

Overall I really enjoyed vaping with the Solo 2 after a week. It brought back a lot of memories of when I first got into vaporizers and the Original Solo was secretly the best vape on the market. It always delivers, you know what you’re getting every time you turn it on. No second guessing with the pack or different weird parts. I filled a MedTainer with some loosely broken up herb and used the glass tube just like a dugout. I would plunge the tube into the MedTainer a few times and plug it right into the oven of the Solo 2 and with my set 4-second press we power on and we’re ready to go. Now, these are quite a few big and bulk parts I’m talking about here. The Solo 2 itself is still quite large being about the size of a soda can. Then there are the glass tubes, which are both pretty long even the shorter 90mm and the diameter of the tubes is larger than any milkshake straw you’ll ever drink from. Coupled with a MedTainer or whatever your chosen herb storage maybe it doesn’t make the Solo 2 the most discrete vaporizer out there. It’s bulky in the pocket and the glass tubes are fragile and need to be carried either in a case or the pouch that comes with the Solo 2 kit. However, if you are more of an in-home vaper and you use your vaporizer either in and around your home, or a friend’s house then the Solo 2 has everything you’d need to be the life of the party.

Some cool Tips and Tricks  

Arizer Solo 2 Review – Heat Oven and Glass Tubes

The Solo 2 like I mentioned before can be used as an old-school dugout and one-hitter. Just plunge the glass tube in some herb and then plug it into the oven to heat. There are also a few other tricks you can do to make the most of your Solo 2 experience.

Your Solo 2 kit also comes with 2 Silicone caps for the glass tubes. These protect the edge of the glass tubes from chipping but you can also use them to pack a bowl for the road. You can preload both of your glass tubes and cover them with the silicone caps keeping the herb from falling out both tubes will travel with the Solo 2 in the provided carry pouch.

Having multiple tubes available also makes it easy to share with friends. You can either enjoy 2 short solo sessions each packing your own bowl and enjoying it individually. Or you can share one bowl and then preload the next glass tube with another bowl or a different strain. With this technique, you could swap a fresh bowl into an already hot oven and start vaping right away.               

First Cleaning

    The Arizer portables might take home the gold medal when it comes to cleaning. Solo 2 is no different. As with the others, the only part that really needs cleaning on the Solo 2 is the glass tubes. The Oven is usually dry and clean after every session. The most it needs it s a quick swab with a q-tip and some alcohol.

   The Glass tubes of the Solo 2 after a week aren’t too dirty, but after a couple of weeks, they can get really sappy with vape resin. The Solo, Air, and all Arizer products have become popular for “Honey Harvesting” or “Sap Collecting”. This is where users will take care not to let too many herb particles get through the screen and let the tubes get nice and sticky. Then they find ways to extract the resin to be consumed by coating on more herbs, dabbing it straight, or even making edible by-products.

My favorite way that I have seen the stems of the Arizer products cleaned has been by soaking the stems in simmering milk. You heat the milk to a light simmer, then you place in your dirty stem. The heat loosens the oils and they begin to melt off and mix in with the milk. Now what you do with it from here is your choice. Honestly, you can use it however you would use regular milk. Pour it in your coffee and make a cappuccino. You can pour a bowl of cereal and have a whole new kind of wake and bake. My favorite would be to continue the slow simmer and add in some chocolate or cocoa powder and make a nice hot chocolate. Alas, to each his own….

The Verdict

  If you liked the Original Solo from Arizer, then you should LOVE the Solo 2. Same great flavor, the same easy operation, same great vape. The new LCD screen brings you a handful of new smart features without the hassle and complication of a smartphone app. The extra battery life also makes the Solo 2 a Heavyweight champ when it comes to cutting the cable and taking your vaporizer with you outside of the house.

If the Solo 2 were a car I would say it was a Jeep Unlimited. An old tried and true favorite with a little extra room and a bigger gas tank. Simple in its design, it’s not made to be flashy or to win any beauty contests. It’s designed to get the job done and get you from “A to B” or in this case from “Sober to Stoned”, and that is exactly what it does. But it’s also a little bulky and hard to fit into tight spaces when you’re tight to be discrete and not draw attention.

Overall the Solo 2 is a great vaporizer that gets the job done. If you’re a fan of the Arizer products you’ll be a fan of this. Now if you’re looking for your first vaporizer and you find that you’ll only be using the vape inside the house anyway, then the Solo 2 is also a good vape for you. The Solo 2 is a perfect in-home portable vape that will allow you to use it freely throughout your home or in the privacy of wherever you might take it, just don’t plan on sneaking this guy into any concerts or ballgames.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the Arizer Solo 2 yourself.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

The post Arizer Solo 2 Review appeared first on Vaporizer Critics.

Boundless CF Review – First Impressions

The CF Vape is the second vaporizer to be released under the brand Boundless. Designed to be simpler more on the go version of their Flagship release the CFX the CF is much the Crafty to the CFX’s Mighty. The packaging like with most Boundless packaging features a nice weighted black and blue branded box with a picture of the vape on the front. Inside you’ll find your Boundless CF unit and the following accessories; USB cable, pick tool, brush, and an oil/concentrate can. The design is very similar to the CFX with the sweeping black ridges on the exterior shell. What is different is the missing digital screen and dual charging capabilities making the unit smaller overall than the CFX. The device feels solid in the hands, not at all like a plastic vape feel. In place of the digital screen, you’ll find 5 led lights that indicate which of the 5 preset temperature settings that setting you select. The lights also indicate your battery level, to check the battery you give the power button a triple click and the LED lights will Illuminate the battery level. 1 LED light denotes a low battery reading while a 5 LED light reading is a full battery. Sitting at $129 retail it is $40 cheaper than their larger CFX. If the precision temperature and “dual charging” isn’t that big of a deal to you then it’s worth saving the bit of extra cash and getting a nice big bag of weed to vape with this device instead.

First Bowl

Boundless CF Review – Temp Settings

As we sit down with the Boundless CF for the first time it’s worth noting a few things. It is much smaller than the CFX before it so it sits better in your hand, although it’s probably still a little too large for your average pocket. We also notice the 5 LED light display which indicated your temperature setting. The CF has 5 temperature settings that are pre-set on the device (355°, 370°, 385°, 400°, 415°). For our first session, we are going to be using the second and third settings of 370° and 385°. To load the CF vape you need to remove the top chamber and mouthpiece, to remove the cap turn it counterclockwise from the vape then lift it up. Load your herbs directly into the ceramic oven of the CF, you’ll see a small metal screen at the bottom of the oven to prevent herbs from clogging your airpath. Load enough herb until the oven is full up to the edge of the white ceramic then replace the top cap simply & we’re ready to vape.

Like many vaporizers, 5 clicks powers on the device which heats up very quickly less than 1min on average. To toggle and change between the 5 different temperature settings on the CF you simply double-click the power button and the lights will cycle between the different settings. The first few minutes we spent on setting 2 370°, like with most conduction vaporizers the CF tasted great however at such a low temperature it gave little visible vapor for the first two or so hits. By the third hit, the vape was warm and starting to give larger vapor clouds however the terpy freshness of the bowl had gone and was now a steady herb vapor taste not bad but just something I noticed. About 5 minutes into my first bowl I decided to switch to setting 3 385° to finish up this bowl. Right away the vapor clouds became thick and dense giving a good throat hit and a heavy feeling in the lungs which is expected when vaping at these higher temperatures. Chooo Chooo this vape is blowing clouds like a train in this setting. The wide slit on the mouthpiece of the CF vapes has always delivered a concentrated amount of vapor directly onto your pallet to give you a full body vapor pull. On this third setting, each hit fills and fills my lungs to their capacity with rich herb vapor. Making the latter half of the session hard to tough out all by myself.

After our first sesh let’s inspect the ABV that remains. At first glance, the herb looks a light brown but slightly green color almost akin to a convection style of vaporization where the herbs are evenly vaped. After dumping out however you see the presence of the conduction heating method of the CF with a darker richer brown color. Such is typical with conduction vapes nothing to be concerned about. I kind of wish I had given the bowl a stir halfway through the session to have had a more even vape.

First Week

After a week’s use with the CF, it is clear that this vape is designed for a beginner user with sparring usage habits or an at-home-only user. The vape is large and bulky so it’s not the most portable for open public use, however perfect for tossing in your bag for a day hike or a private outdoor event. The simple UI and operating system doesn’t leave much to talk about 5 settings the temps are written on the side short and simple if you want more buy the CFX I suppose.

The main shortcoming of this vape and why I said it is good for an at-home beginner user is the battery life.  When fully charged I could only get about 2 and a half sessions out of the vape 35-45 minutes of usage time. This might be enough for your average user but for a heavy medical user, you would be struggling to use this vaporizer without reaching for the charger. The charging of the battery is also on the slower end with USB the CF takes about 3-4 hours to charge fully it would have been really nice to have the 9v charging capability of the CFX on this little guy also. If you think you will need to vape for longer than 45 minutes in a day the CF might be that vape you leave plugged in at the house waiting to be used.

Boundless CF Review

Vaping with the CF for a week was actually quite nice despite the minor inconveniences that I mentioned. It was very easy to load and unload whenever I would need to use it. Also, its simple interface makes it easy to operate without to much mental effort. 5 clicks and you’re good to go. I also like the mouthpiece of the CF more and more that I use it. At first, I thought the wide mouth of the straw was awkward to inhale from but I find that it helps you draw in the vapor at a slow and steady rate ensuring that you not only get a good mix of fresh air and herb vapor with every hit. It also makes you do a deep inhale rather than a quick little hoot that may not be as effective. Another thing with the CF is that it seemed to always give the same result regardless of how you packed the bowl.

A lot of vaporizers are very particular with how you load the oven. Whether you load in ground herb or little chunks, or even full nugs can make a huge difference in your vapor production with some other vaporizers. With the CF I found consistent results no matter what the pack was which is very nice when you’re in a hurry and aren’t really focused on how you’re packing your vape. Using ground herbs or coarse chunks did give the best results from all of the various packing methods that I tried. Also making sure to pack the bowl tight and full is very important. This is a conduction-style vaporizer, what that means is that your herbs are heated via conduction heat or the heat that the herbs gain from the walls of the ceramic oven. See what happens is that your oven heats your herbs which causes them to sweat and steam the different cannabinoids that are present in your herbs to make vapor. The most popular Cannabinoid is THC. To have the CF and other conduction style vaporizers work properly you will need to have the vape packed full so there is maximum contact with the walls of the oven. The more contact that there is the more even the heat will distribute and the more vapor you should get.  

First Cleaning

If you are trying to keep your CF day one clean I have to recommend one thing right off the bat. EMPTY THE CHAMBER AFTER EVERY USE. The CF vaporizer has a white ceramic oven with these ovens if you leave your herbs inside your vaporizer to cool and sit for long periods of time they will stain your bowl walls over time and look really nasty. While it won’t affect function or taste it will make your vape look kind of funky. To clean the bowl simply empty the herbs and scrub the walls of the oven with the provided brush. You can use a small piece of tissue with alcohol to swab out any dirt or residue.

The other piece you need to clean is the mouthpiece and top chamber. The top chamber pulls apart into 6 pieces. The straw is removable and can be soaked in alcohol to clean. The top and bottom of the top chamber also pull apart to expose the air path which will need to be soaked and wiped clean. The bottom part of the top chamber has a small metal fitting that holds a small screen in place. You only need to disassemble this piece when changing out that little screen.  For regular cleaning leave, this part is assembled as it is a little tricky to put back together.

Wrap up/ The Verdict

Overall, the vape is found wanting in only a few minor aspects. It could do with a better UI of sorts the 5 lights and writing on the side are a little lame and the battery could definitely be better for such a large vape.

However aside from those little nitpicking details, this is still a solid vape perfect for a  beginner looking to get their feet wet with. It’s affordable and very simple to use for anyone who has never used a dry herb vaporizer before it is an easy leap into a new way of consuming your cannabis. The vape is quick to heat and delivers flavorful vapor with every session that you will assuredly enjoy.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the Boundless CF yourself.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

The post Boundless CF appeared first on Vaporizer Critics.

The DAVINCI IQ is the 3rd and latest release from Davinci Vaporizer makers of the Ascent and Davinci Vaporizers. The Davinci IQ is a portable battery-operated dry herb vaporizer with precision temperature control. Davinci prides itself on designing its products with 3 things in mind. Purity, Innovation, and Control. Let’s see if that shows in their brand-new vaporizer!     

First Impressions/ Unboxing

Unboxing the DaVinci IQ Vaporizer

When you first see the Davinci IQ packaging you notice that it’s not quite like any other vaporizer on the Shelf. The piercing bright orange sleeve of the box helps protect the deep purple box underneath. The box is sturdy with a light texture giving it a quality feel and the magnet lid gives a nice snap to the open and close of the package.

The reveal of the Davinci IQ gives me a sense of gratification in my purchase as I get my first look at the IQ. The 51-light grid and the logo stand out to me and just makes me want to reach out and grab it. The device feels solid, with no loose parts or little clicks when you shake it around. It gives you the impression of a quality device that is carefully designed. When you remove the IQ from its resting foam you’ll notice a sticker and a pull tab for the battery on the back. The sticker gives you a 1,2,3 set of instructions on how to vape your very first bowl. As much as I want to give it the 5 clicks to get started – I reluctantly set it aside to charge while I inspect the remaining contents of the package.

What goodies lie inside this treasure chest? The first thing that I come across is an orange square user manual and a round sticker, a little boring. Next, I find 3 little boxes; one says “Carry Can”, the other “Water Adapter/Extended Mouthpiece” and the final “Accessories”. The Carry Can is pretty straightforward – it is a small keychain-sized can for you to carry extra herbs around with you for your adventures. Each carry can comes color matched to your IQ. Pretty neat little giveaway. The Water Adapter/ Extended mouthpiece, is for all you old Ascent users out there. Not only does this piece give you an actual straw to sip your vapor from making the inhale a lot easier for some, but the extended mouthpiece is also a 10mm ceramic male joint so it fits into your favorite water pipes and rigs. The last box marked “Accessories” was exactly that, this contained our USB charging cord, another Davinci keychain that doubles as a tool and tamper, a cleaning brush, and an industry-leading 9 alcohol wipes for cleaning.

New / Favorite Features

DaVinci IQ Precision Temperature mode

Like the Ascent before it, the Davinci IQ is a precision-controlled vaporizer that gives you the ability to vaporize your herbs at different temperatures in order to achieve different healing effects. When vaping cannabis you will find lighter more cerebral and euphoric sensations at lower temperatures. At higher temperatures past 385°F, you will notice a deeper more full-body sedating feeling. Think couch lock and captain crunch. For medical patients or the cannabis connoisseur, precision temperature allows the user to craft their vape experience. Medical patients will be able to vape at higher temperatures to release more sedating effects for pain management. The recreational user can change flavors by vaping at low temperatures releasing the terpene flavors slowly.

Smart Paths

DaVinci IQ Smart Path #4

In addition to precision temperature control, the Davinci IQ has a new feature called “Smart Paths”. These Smart Paths are preset vaporizer sessions that take you through a range of temperatures throughout the duration of your session. You will select one of the four preset Smart Paths which will begin at a starting temperature and as you vape it will slowly boost, boost, and boost up the temp so you continue to get a steady flow of vapor.  So for those of you who are either not sure how to adjust your temperature when vaping or just simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of it, the Smart Path gives you an easy route to enjoy a full-body vape session to enjoy alone or with friends.

Davinci’s Preset Smart Path Temperatures    

• Smart Path 1 (350°F- 370°F)
• Smart Path 2 (370°F- 390°F)
• Smart Path 3 (390°F- 410°F)
• Smart Path 4 (410°F- 430°F)

Bluetooth App

[wds id=”2″]Like most consumer electronics it was only a matter of time before the world of apps found its way to portable vaporizers. Davinci brings innovation to its product line with the introduction of its Davinci App. It’s worth noting that my favorite feature of the Davinci App is that the Davinci IQ is not dependent on the app at all. What I mean by that is you don’t actually need the app to use the product. There are several vaporizers on the market that I feel have limited the features of their product and added an app to make up for that make of functionality. With the IQ you can change your temperature, select a smart path, dim and brighten your display, engage boost mode, and check your battery life all using the 3 buttons on the IQ itself.

Now that being said, what the heck does this App do? The app has a dashboard that allows you to view your vaporizer statistics in real time. Kind of like an EKG for your vape keep an eye on that draw and pulse. It also allows you to quickly toggle your brightness on/off, as well as your vibration feature. There is also a fantastic information hub that Davinci has made available. Here you will find tutorial videos on how to use and clean your vape as well as temperature guides on how to vape your favorite buds.

The most interesting feature to me would undoubtedly be the ability to adjust your Smart Path settings. This is really interesting because what it does is make a very simple feature a little more complicated. For you vape enthusiasts that are always messing with your temperatures, trying to turn into the perfect settings to match your favorite strains, this is the feature for you. You will be able to set your paths as steep or even a path that you like. You simply pick a starting temperature, a middle temperature, and an end, and the app will take care of the math for you and run your custom path. After that, your new Path will be saved onto your IQ’s hardware. So next time you want that path it is already on your IQ ready and waiting, no app needed.  

First Bowl

Enough with the fancy stuff let’s get down to business and start vaping. Loading the bowl was very easy. To load the Davinci IQ stand it on its head with the oven end facing up. The oven lid opens to reveal a metallic loading hopper and the white ceramic oven. Load your herbs onto the herb hopper and push them down into the ceramic oven. Make sure to load enough herb that the bowl is full and tamp down but not so much that you cannot draw air through the vaporizer.

To turn the IQ on give the “Control” button 5 clicks and you’re ready to go. Right out of the box the IQ comes preset to Smart Path 3, one would assume the makers at Davinci wanted you to use this setting first to get a good feel of what you can expect from the IQ. So let’s get to it, shall we? The IQ took about 30secs to reach temp at Smart Path 3 which begins at 390°F and slowly increases to 410°F through the vape session. First draw, cool vapor, full flavor, and a huge cloud. The IQ really gives you all it’s got in this setting, hit after hit you get flavor like you’ve never had out of a conduction portable and the vapor production is something to be admired. The IQ has an automatic shut-off of 10 minutes and so runs the duration of the Smart Path.

I empty out the oven to take a look at my buds. I found a tiny bit of green herb at the top where the “pearl” is but the remainder of the bowl was an even coffee brown color indicating that all of the terpenes and cannabinoids available had been vaped out. When using dry herb vaporizers this is what you are looking for at the end of your session. If you see black burnt herbs or even worse ash. You are not actually using a vaporizer but rather an electric smoking device. The Davinci IQ is a true portable dry herb vaporizer.   

First Week with DaVinci IQ

After putting in some real time with the Davinci IQ it becomes clear that this is a vape built for a heavy daily user. The oven is decently large allowing you to vape up to a half gram of ground buds. Davinci does have glass spacers that you can buy that cut the oven size down by 25% and 50% but that is a personal preference. The USB charging makes it easy to plug in anywhere and get some juice going. A lot of vapes come with fancy chargers that only work for their product, so it can kind of limit the “portability” of your portable vaporizer if you’re low on battery and don’t happen to have that charger. Aside from having USB charging but the battery is also removable. For anyone who really is on the road with their vape a lot or if you’re heading out for a weekend camp you can carry an extra battery or two and swap them out as you go. The IQ is powered by a 20A 18650 battery. These batteries are super common in the vaporizer world with the largest box mod style e-cigs, portable dry herb vaporizers like the Ascent, Pax, and others, and they are even used in electric cars such as a Prius or Tesla. If you are going to be using the IQ often and switching out the batteries it’s worth getting an external charger for your batteries as USB chargers can only charge so quickly. In fact, I never once could not use the IQ during this first week as a cause of the battery because I happen to have spares from other vapes available to use already.

I’ve used a plethora of vapes that have precision temp. They are all hit and miss in different ways and give you a different experience depending on how good their manufacturers’ settings are and the bowl material. The compact cylinder-shaped bowl of the IQ and the even heating ceramic make controlling temp very effective. That being said Smart Paths are essentially the only temperature feature I use with the IQ. Having the temperature swing already calibrated in the Path just makes things so easy. Like a nerd, I played with all of the different settings for vaping full bowls only using 1 setting at a time to understand the differences in the paths and even messing with the custom settings. After playing with it all week I found my Ideal settings for vaping top-shelf buds.  I have it set to start at 360°F so the vape releases all of the light citrus tone terpenes first giving you an incredible flavor. From there it will slowly rise to 380°F over 6 full minutes, each hit is only 2 or 3 degrees warmer than the last but the vapor flows fuller and fuller with each hit. Finally, the Vape jumps from 380°F to a Roasting 395°F  at this point I’m usually coughing and reaching for a glass of ice water, but if you can hang with it you will have the best full body high that you ever had from a dry herb vape.

The Davinci IQ has a hidden little feature that is kind of interesting. They call it a flavor chamber. First and foremost it is the air path of the IQ where your vapor travels from your oven up to your mouthpiece to be inhaled. It is easily removable for cleaning but that is not all. You can actually store extra herbs in the flavor chamber to enhance both the flavor of your vapor and the potency of your buds. When you vape your vapor travels over the buds in the chamber pulling flavor from the fresh buds. In addition, the vapor leaves a gooey resin on the buds rather than all over your air path. You can then take the bud from the chamber and put it in your oven for a more potent bowl!

First Cleaning

Cleaning the Davinci IQ is a little bit of a production. There are a couple of little accessories that you will need to remove for cleaning and a couple of nooks and crannies that will need a swab. The mouthpiece, the flavor chamber, and their gaskets are all removable to be cleaned with a quick wipe down or a soak in a small dish of alcohol. The oven to avoid staining should be emptied after every session while the herbs and the bowl are still hot. While your mouthpiece and flavor chamber are soaking you can take a q-tip dipped in alcohol and swab out the oven cleaning out excess residue or junk left behind. The one tricky area of the IQ to clean is the area under the flavor chamber. There is a small gasket that needs to be cleaned both on top and underneath. The best way I found was to take the provided alcohol wipes and brush and wrap the wipe around the brush to push down into the area and scrub it clean. After a good scrub, rinse and replace the mouthpiece and flavor chamber and you are good to go for another week of vaping fun.

The Verdict

Backed by a 10-year warranty and a replaceable battery it’s easy to see how you could have this vape for a long time. With most vaporizers, it is the battery that fails, causing the warranty process with the replaceable battery you won’t have that issue and you will only need a warranty to maintain your oven.  

The Davinci IQ is an innovative product that gives great vapor to the user. It is a smart little device that is full of features and surprises that can make it very unique to the individual using it. Will all of its flash, bells, and whistles it is also as easy to use as 5 clicks on and 5 clicks off with the addition of Smart Paths that take out the guesswork work of the experience. Whether you are a seasoned vaporizer user or someone who is looking to find a discreet and sophisticated way to consume your cannabis the Davinci IQ is the vape for you.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the Davinci IQ yourself.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

The post DaVinci IQ appeared first on Vaporizer Critics.

And then there were 2. With the second release from the 500 lbs gorilla of the vaporizer industry, Pax Labs comes the long-awaited Pax2. The Pax2 is smaller, lighter, smarter, and more durable than its predecessor the Pax making it one of the most reliable vaporizers on the market. Right away with the Pax2, we notice the difference in size from the original Pax. It is both shorter and a little thinner than its big brother making it 25% smaller overall making this portable vaporizer even more discrete. Another change that we notice right away is the new mouthpiece. The original Pax has a retractable mouthpiece that was also the on/off button. Which was a very cool feature, except for the eventual shortcomings. The mouthpiece would often become sticky with resin from several uses of the vape, it also would sometimes shoot out from the top of the vape and if you weren’t careful it could pop you in the face. Pax has done away with that which helped get the device down to its shorter size and height. This shorter size also makes it hide in your hand a lot better than the original. Now the mouthpiece is a flat silicone surface with a small slit near the edge of the vape that you sip your vapor through. The device is still activated by pushing down on the top where a small button is concealed beneath the mouthpiece.   

The Pax2 also has some new technical features that are very exciting. First, we will start with the Oven.  The Oven is now deeper allowing for easier packing and more even heat across your herbs. The Oven is also smarter with the help of what Pax calls “Lip Sensing Technology”. The folks over at Pax Labs have incorporated this new feature along with an accelerometer in the device that helps save your battery and your herbs in your oven. The Lip sensor knows when you are hitting the vape and boosts the heat of the oven while you are hitting the vape. It does this because when you draw from the vaporizer you are bringing in the cool air that passes over your warm herbs pulling in the vapor to your mouth and lungs. What also happens here is that cool air also cools down your herbs. The brains at Pax Labs figured out that with their lip sensor they could program the oven to boost up in temp to mitigate that drop in temp then you are drawing in cool air to make sure that your full hit stays warm and consistent. The Pax also has a built-in accelerometer that tracks the motions and movements of your Pax2. Why is this important you might ask? Well, have you ever been vaping and gotten distracted by something maybe a phone call or a crying child? Well, then you know that most vapes just keep on heating while you are away from it and thus rotating all of your herbs and wasting all of your vapor. The accelerometer of the Pax2 knows when you have left your little buddy behind after it detects no movement after 30secs. The Pax2 then enters a “cool down” mode and the LED lights on the front of the Pax2 turn blue. The oven will cool down 10 degrees at a time for 90secs. After that, 2 minute period of idle and cool down the Pax2 will automatically turn itself off saving both your battery and your weed.

The Pax2 like the original also gives you that high-end consumer electronic feel that you get with a new tablet or smartphone. Its Apple-Esque packaging and presentation stick out from the pack when you see this beauty on the shelf of your local head shop. The package includes your Pax2 unit, a maintenance kit for cleaning (pipe cleaners and a bottle of alcohol), the USB charging dock, a USB cable, an extra screen for the bowl, and the Pax standard 10-year warranty. Overall a quality product from a reliable manufacturer at a reasonable price now at only $179.99. You also have the option of purchasing the Pax2 with a 2-year warranty for as low as $149.99 an all-time low price for the Pax2. Making it one of the best luxury portable vaporizer brands in its price range. 

First Bowl

Having enjoyed the original Pax quite a bit to say that I’m excited for the Pax2 would be a huge understatement. As with the Pax before it, the Pax2 is incredibly easy to load. Simply stand the Pax2 on its head and it will stand upright leaving the bowl open to being filled. I always had the best success loading the Pax with a fine to a coarse grind of weed which lets the oven heat the herbs evenly with minimal stirring needed. After the bowl is loaded I replace the magnetic oven lid and flip the device over. To turn the Pax2 on just give the center of the mouthpiece a single click. The four LED lights in the signature Pax “X” light up a vibrant purple color indicating the oven is heating. There are now 4 heat settings pre-programmed on the Pax2 instead of the 3 on the Original. The Heat settings are 360ºF (182ºC) – Low, 380ºF (193ºC) – Medium, 400ºF (204ºC) – Medium-High, 420ºF (216ºC) – High. The heat-up time on the Pax2 is incredible at a lightning 45secs to reach temp it is much improved over the Pax and other vaporizers in the market. For our first bowl, we are going to start with the Low and Medium-high settings to get a feel for this bad boy.

The first hit on this setting was absolutely beautiful. So much flavor that I really didn’t expect from a vaporizer with a steel oven but holy cow am I pleasantly surprised. The vapor is cool and flavorful, some might remember the original pax gave vapor that was quite warm. That is something that I say is much improved with the Pax2, I think in part to the new mouthpiece design. The Vapor travels up an air path along the side of the device and then hits a 2 tunnel pathway that directs the vapor around the edge of the mouthpiece to help cool the vapor before inhalation. Hit after hit, I get constant vapor clouds which is probably a nod to the Lip sensing technology that they had built into the device. After a few minutes, we decide to kick up the heat on Pax and push it up to the Medium High setting. To toggle between the different heat settings on the Pax2 you need to enter the “heat selection” mode. To do this press and hold the top button, the LED lights will then turn red and light up the pedals indicating your heat setting. Click the top button to cycle through the 4 heat settings, when you have reached your desired heat setting press and hold the button again to return to heating. Hit after hit we got more and more vapor. The room we are testing in begins to look like something out of a Cheech and Chong movie it was amazing. Such a small little aluminum tube creating such a big impact in the testing room, is incredible.

After the first bowl we were left quite pleased, surprised, and honestly stoned. So much so, in fact, I found myself playing with the “Lip Sensing Technology” to see what it was all about. The front LED display of the Pax illuminates in Purple when it is heating up and turns green when it is at temperature. When your lips come into contact with the mouthpiece the lip sensor sends a signal to the oven to bump up the heat. You can actually see the Pax2 engage the extra heat in the light animations. When your lips touch the mouthpiece the lights begin to pulse upward indicating the heat is rising. Pretty cool when you’re already medicated and looking at it. The pax also has a similar animation when the oven enters the “cool down” mode, the lights turn blue, and the animation motions downward indicating a decrease in temp.

First Week

The first week with the Pax2 was much like being reunited with an old friend. It was a very familiar feeling that I had when journeying around with Original Pax but with all of its new improvements. Again it gives you a similar feel to when you get the latest Smartphone. The iPhone 6 isn’t that much different than the iPhone 7 however it has subtle features and quirks that make it new and exciting to you the user. Also at the same time, the bit of familiarity and uniformity gives you a sense of comfort. You know that you got what you paid for and that it will be a reliable piece of hardware for the years to come.  

With the first weeks of use with the Pax2, it’s easy to take notice of the improved battery life. The original Pax and Pax2 are both powered by a built-in 18650 battery, a common power source for portable vaporizers.  The Pax2, however, features a newer more powerful 18650 that gives you an extra 800mah of vape time. In total, you should get about 4-5 full bowls and vape sessions of 10-15 minutes with the Pax2 or 50-60 minutes of total vape time. This is awesome because that means that the Pax2 is a vape that one can take out for a full day of usage and not have to worry about looking for a power brick to get a quick charge. The “cool down” feature also helps with this improved battery life by turning off the oven when forgetful vapers leave their vape behind with the oven on such as myself.

The Shorter stature of the Pax2 makes it more discrete than that of the original Pax. It’s short enough that it almost completely hides in the clench of my fist and I don’t consider myself to have huge baseball glove-size hands either. It makes it very easy to go on nice walks with the Pax2 in even populated areas and just kind of walk along and vape as you go. I never found a reason or situation to use the High setting on the Pax2. The medium-high setting was more than enough to fully vape a whole bowl down to a nice brown ABV color but I know there are some out there that try to make their vaporizer like a portable smoking device rather than a vaporizer. Typically I found that the Medium and Medium-High settings were my go-to for the Pax2. The medium was a nice mix of flavor and vapor that gives you full flavorful hits with plenty of plume to fill the lungs and give you a good cloud on exhale. The Medium-high was mostly heat and vapor, not that the vapor was hot on inhale but it was more about the vapor production on this setting than flavor chasing.

Hidden Features and Easter Eggs

Also, this vape is full of little tricks and hidden gems that are activated using motion and the accelerometer. To check the battery on the Pax2 simply shake the vape back and forth and the LED lights will display the battery life on 1-4 scale. The Pax also has a stealth mode that dims the LED lights to activate stealth mode.  Shake the Pax2 until the LED X shows the battery then press the button on the top while it is still being shaken. In addition to these features, the Pax still has a few Easter Eggs. Using the “spin technique” you can access these different features. To do so you hold or lay the Pax2 horizontally and spin it away or toward you 3 times which will cycle and activate the feature. The features are listed here in order and to toggle between each you will need to repeat the spin technique. So to reach the 5th feature “Simon” you would need to do this 5 times for a total of 15 spins.

• Party Mode: All four lights are different and cycle through different colors. There appears to be a rhythm/pattern to the color cycle. Lip sensor activation increases the speed of color change. The oven is on. Standby timer extended to one minute between sensing movement or lip.
• Party Timer: All four lights are stationary. When the Pax 2 is moved the lights jump into a random light configuration, occasionally one or more of the lights are very dim or off. If the Pax 2 is held face down the lights flicker and change rapidly. Lip sensor activation makes the lights flicker and change rapidly for up to 10 seconds. At 10 consecutive seconds of lip sensor activation the lights freeze. Removing your lips and replacing them starts another 10-second flicker display. The oven is on. Standby disabled.
• Light Painting: In this mode, all four lights show the same color and cycle through colors while the Pax 2 is being moved, when still, the lights are off. Waving the Pax 2 through the air yields a color-changing stream of light. The heater can be turned off in this mode by selecting a fifth available temperature, all four light blue.
• Color Carousel: The lights react to the movement and position of the Pax 2. When laid flat the Pax 2 shows blue. When face down, an orangish-yellow. When I hold the Pax 2 upright and give it a little circular flick, the colors begin to cycle with a noticeable pattern. The colors can be seen transitioning from one light to the next as if there is a big globe of colors inside and the lights reflect whichever colors face forward. The heater can be turned off in this mode by selecting a fifth available temperature, all four light blue.
• Simon: Spin the Pax 2 until all four lights flash white three times. The Simon game will begin. Hold the Pax 2 face up, horizontally in front of you. Observe the pattern displayed on the lights, then repeat the sequence by leaning the Pax 2 towards the appropriate light. The heater can be turned off in this mode by selecting a fifth available temperature, all four light blue.

Simon and Funky Town!

Playing the included Simon game isn’t just for mindless fun. It also unlocks, even more, features than before. If you can manage to play Simon with enough agility and whit to get to level 20 you will unlock the tune of “Funky Town” by Lipps, Inc. From here on every time you power on your Pax2 you will hear the subtle tune of “Funky Town” that is played using the vapes circuit board.

If you can keep your composure and reach level 40 you unlock a new set of colors for the game Simon itself. The colors switch from the standard, Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green to a more sophisticated Magenta, Azul, Amber, and Forest Green Hue. Personally, I haven’t had the patience to get to level 60 so if anyone reaches that and finds something please let me know what it is.

First Cleaning:

Cleaning the Pax2 is almost as simple as the device is to use. Redesigning the mouthpiece to not be a pop-up retractable piece has proven to be a huge improvement. Not only with the day-to-day operation but also with cleaning. To clean the Pax2 you only really need to snake out the air path with one of the included pipe cleaners. The Maintenance kit of the Pax2 comes with several pipe cleaners and a small bottle of alcohol. Dip the pipe cleaner in the alcohol and start to swab out the airpath until it’s clean.

Other parts to be aware of are the oven and the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece cleans really easily with a quick wipe with a paper towel or napkin. You should also make sure to wipe out the cavity where the mouthpiece sits. The last area that needs maintenance is the oven. The steel oven is just as easy as the mouthpiece with a quick wipe of the oven and the lid. You should also make sure to clear out any gunk that might be in the seal of the oven lid as well.

The Verdict

The Pax2 is everything you wish had been designed into the original Pax and more. The reduction in size and the increase in battery life make it more discrete and more portable than almost any other vaporizer on the market. It has a 10-year warranty to take care of any hiccups that might come along during its lifespan and with a well-established company such as Pax Labs I can imagine them keeping good on that 10-year warranty. If it’s not what you are looking for then the cheaper option of a 2-year warranty is even more enticing. 

The Pax 2 is a perfect vaporizer for almost anyone. Whether you are a seasoned vaporizer enthusiast that is looking for a simple discrete on-the-go option. Or if you are a beginner to vaporizers and want something that is both simple and that you won’t immediately grow out of. The Pax2 should satisfy whatever your need or lifestyle. The hidden features and games show the care and quality that Pax put into the design and production of the Pax2 and I personally can’t wait to see what they come with next.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the PAX2 yourself.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

The post Pax 2 appeared first on Vaporizer Critics.

“We’ve heard your voices and we listened”. This is the claim that the folks over at FireFly have made in regards to their greatest and latest vaporizer the FireFly 2. The FireFly 2 is the second release from the self-titled brand FireFly. For those who remember the Original FireFly came on the scene as the first “on demand” style convection vaporizer. The original FireFly was a bulky and heavy vaporizer with bright hot rod style finishes that really stood out from the competition. The problem, however, was that it also sticks out in public when you were using it. Its bulk in size also meant that it stuck out like a brick in your pocket when traveling. The FireFly 2 is drastically smaller and lighter than its predecessor. For those that had the Original,  the new FireFly2 weighs about as much as just the lid of the original. They have also changed the finish of the exterior from that bright candy hot rod to a series of cool matte aluminum in a variety of colors.

While the device is lighter than the original it is by no means cheap. You can see and feel the quality when you first open the packaging which has a high-tech electronic feel like a Samsung smartphone or tablet. Under the lid is made up of a magnesium alloy on the top to help protect from wear and tear and borosilicate glass on the bottom for amazing flavor and is finished off with a quartz window so you can watch your herbs cook. Another shortcoming of the Original FireFly was they’re less than optimal battery life with only 740mah. The new Firefly 2 comes with a spare battery which is a welcome addition to the box for switching out a fresh battery when your battery inevitably runs out of juice. Along with the FireFly 2 and its 2 batteries inside the box you will also find, a cleaning kit complete with alcohol wipes and pick tools, a USB charging cable, and a charging dock.

App and New Features

The latest trend in portable vaporizers is Bluetooth app integration. You know that the makers of the FireFly being based in the San Francisco Bay area were not going to get left behind on this tech aspect. The FireFly app brings a new level of control the FireFly 2 that was not imaginable in the original. The app allows you to do a few things the first and most welcome is being able to check your battery life. On neither the Original FireFly nor the new FireFly2 will you find an indicator of the battery level left in your FireFly. The app gives a simple readout so you know if you need to swap a battery or find a USB charger.

The Original FireFly came under some scrutiny with its lack of temperature control or adjustment. Some referred to it as a glorified and fancy Magic Flight Launch Box as it seemed to only have one temp setting “GO”. The app now brings 6 heat settings, 5 of which are for dry herbs and the last being for concentrates. Using the App you are able to select from one of these presets. Personally, I find these are not so much pre-set temps but rather temperature cutoffs. The way the FireFly works is that you press the power button to fire the coil heater, then you inhale drawing the hot air that passes from the coil over your herbs to heat them and give vapor. There is still a heat-up time with the coil so rather than feeling like I have a set temp I feel more as though the max heat is increased instead.  

The last feature included in the FireFly app is the ability to change the sequence in which you hit the buttons to fire the heater. The FireFly 2 has 2 capacitive sensors for buttons. This means that they are soft touch heat sensitive buttons that just need to sense your finger rather than a full press. There is one button on the left and right sides of the device. Using the app you can change whether the oven will fire using the Left, Right, Both, or Either button to activate the heater for vaping.  

First Bowl

The FireFly 2 like the Original before is an “On Demand” convection vaporizer. This means that at the push of a button a heater begins to heat the incoming air to a temperature that will cause your herbs to give off vapor as the hot air passes over the dry herbs. With convection-style vaporizers you will need to load your vaporizer with finely ground herbs, this allows the maximum amount of air to travel through the leaves of your weed to heat evenly and give off vapor. To load the bowl remove the magnetic top lid and set it aside. Take a pinch of your fine ground herb and place it in the quartz oven. Make sure not to pack too tightly as you need good airflow to get good vapor flow. Brush away any stray leaves that may have gotten on the mirrored surface of the base and replace the lid.

Now that we are all loaded up we are ready to select our heat setting and start vaping. I decided to link up the FireFly 2 to my iPhone and the FireFly app to use this new temp selection that they have built-in. I decided to start with the Medium setting just to see where things are as we get started here. I also quite like the button selection feature that was built in. The buttons are quite sensitive and can be pressed accidentally, I set my FireFly 2 to fire when both buttons were pushed together.      

The First draw is cool to the lips and tongue with only a little tickle of terpene in the back of the throat. You can draw on the FireFly 2 for as long as you can inhale no cut off so I take my full and hold. On exhale, I’m surprised to see no visible vapor but plenty of flavor of the lighter terps and cannabinoids that were lifted off and vaped with the herb. While the air passing over the herbs might be warm the herbs themselves are still cold so they are not giving off as much vapor as you might see from a conduction vape. Hitting the FireFly 2 a few times back to back makes for better results. I begin to take a puff, puff style hits before the long draw similar to how you would hit a cigar that you are trying to light and cherry. This helps warm the herbs up before the long draw and inhale of vapor. Finally, I start getting some visible vapor although it’s important to note that despite the lack of visible vapor I’m still feeling the effects of the cannabis inside. More testing through the week will be the final judge and jury on this vape. Initial impressions are that it takes a little finesse to get going properly.

First Week

The folks over at FireFly should change the name of this vape to a short FF2 which should stand for Flavor and Finesse because that is what you get with the FireFly 2. I made 2 separate trips to the dispensary to get a new strain of cannabis for this vape just to taste the unique flavor profiles of each of the strains because of the ability of the FireFly to gently pull heat the herbs to deliver just the terpenes and light cannabinoids that come with it. It also takes a little finesse to operate the vape if you are looking for larger clouds but if that’s not what you’re chasing then the FireFly 2 is for you. Cannabis enthusiasts that enjoy the raw flavor of the unique strains understand the different terpenes (flavor profiles) and Cannabinoids that make up each strain and their effects and want to isolate them without taking in too much vapor produced from the raw plant matter.

Now that being said, for those vape enthusiasts that are used to your vaporizer giving you a decent bit of vapor with each session listen close. I’ll give you the secrets to get the FireFly 2 to blow some clouds, believe me, you’ll need them. Like I mentioned with the first session it took a little while to figure out how to hit the FireFly 2 to get a good hit with both flavor and plume, and that was on the Medium setting. Going back into the app to try a different heat setting I didn’t even bother using the medium-low or low settings. I just felt I would have just frustrated myself and wasted a good portion of the battery on the vape. Instead, I used the higher temps of Medium High, High, and Concentrate.  Medium High as you can imagine was marginally better than Medium which led me to wonder. How high is the “High” setting exactly? So naturally, I packed a fresh bowl and tried to get high on “High”. Surprisingly enough it was again marginally better than Medium-High. It gave the same great flavor as with Medium and Medium-high however it was a lot easier to get a good plume of vapor with less effort. I sat back thinking about my experience with Medium, Medium-High, and now High I began to wonder again. (Just in case if you were wondering, I wonder a lot when I’m stoned). Anyhow, I begin to wonder why FireFly felt compelled to have these 5 temperature settings in the first place. It really seemed as though they could have done with just 3 a Low, Medium, and High as the in-between settings really have no significant difference in results. This is also coming from someone who prefers precision temp control so I can fine-tune my temperature.

Only the concentrate setting remains. Of course, I had to try and put some dry herb in there before I tried it with concentrates. In my opinion, this was the best setting for the vape. Direct flavor delivery and a vapor plume from the first hit. It was amazing, honestly.  I take back what I said before about them only needing the 3 temps, they need this one also for vapers like me who are used to a larger plume of vapor. Now before I get to how the Concentrate setting worked with actual wax concentrate I want to start off by saying this. You should not use the same device for your dry herb as you do for your wax concentrate. I really wish vaporizer companies would stop trying to make this a thing because honestly, no one can do it properly. What happens is the company will either make a Dry Herb vape that you “can” vape concentrates with. Or they make a concentrates device that you “can” vape dry herb with. You truly can’t make a device for both because both substances have different properties and boiling points to vape properly.

Ok, let’s get this over with. Using Wax concentrates in the FireFly 2…..did I mention you shouldn’t you wax in your dry herb vape? Anyways, the FireFly 2 comes with a concentrate pad that must be used in the bowl when vaping your wax concentrate. The concentrate pad is a steel mesh that is pressed into a puck which has become common among many vaporizers as a concentrate solution. First place the concentrate pad in the oven then put your wax concentrate onto the pad. Using the Concentrate setting we take a few puffs. I have a strong sense of deja vu from the first bowl with the FireFly 2 and the dry herb on Medium. There is intense flavor and the euphoric head high is there however there is a distinct absence of a plume and overall not a very satisfying experience.    

First Cleaning

After a week of testing and also a little bit of concentrate usage it is time to clean the FireFly 2. From my disclaimers from before about not using your wax concentrate in your dry herb vaporizer, it’s impossible to keep them clean when you do. There are too many tight spaces in dry herb vaporizers for you to use wax. Just pulling the lid off the FireFly 2 was difficult because of the wax residue from just a couple of uses. This residue was also mixed with the little bits of dry herb resin that were already coating the vape making it quite a mess.

Luckily there isn’t much to clean on the FireFly 2, unlike some other vapes. You simply remove the lid and with a paper towel or microfiber cloth damp with alcohol you can wipe away any mess or stickiness. Use cotton swabs to clean out the bowl area and get the creases at the bottom. Wipe or let air dry and you are good to go.    

The Verdict

The FireFly 2 is a large improvement over the original FireFly. It is smaller, lighter, and more versatile than its older brother. It comes with adjustable temperature with the help of their Bluetooth app. The kit also includes a spare battery to increase your usage time and improve the practicality of the vape overall.  

All in all given the $329 price tag the FireFly 2 is a vape for the true connoisseur. Anyone else would be disappointed in my opinion. Beginners and people completely new to vaporizers would be left with a very expensive and inefficient way for them to get high. Intermediate users could have some fun learning to use this vape if they were truly into chasing flavors and crafting their buzz. However, I feel that the FireFly 2 is more of a vaporizer for a vape expert and cannabis connoisseur.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment below, and/or rate the Firefly 2 yourself.  We’d love to know what you think and hear your comments!

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