Hey guys, Max here from Australian Vaporizers and today I’m here to talk about my picks
for top portable vapes in the year 2017. This year’s only just started but throughout
last year there were some really big releases that’ve made their way into my list of go-to
units. Just like last year there’s a number of different factors that’ve been brought
into consideration. Vapour production, battery life, ease of maintenance and price. They’re
probably the biggest ones but there are a few others that I’ll explain as we go along.
So, enough stuffing around. Here’s the top 5.
At number 5, we have the Boundless CF
Boundless are relative newcomers to the vape scene but I tell you what, they’ve really
managed to hit a spot in the market that was in dire need of some more options. It was
released along with its bigger brother, the CFX which is very similar but, overall, I
think the CF is a more balanced unit. It’s significantly smaller than the CFX, the difference
in battery life is negligible, while it lacks the full temperature control, it does have
5 temp presets which I think is enough. Technically, the CFX is “better” but it’s also a
bit more expensive which places it in direct competition with top performers in the mid
–range price bracket. Having a look at the unit itself...
The filling chamber is huge which is usually bad for efficiency but not in this case. You
can fill it right up for big sessions but it also works really well with smaller loads
(0.02 – 0.1). If you watched last year’s best portables video, you might remember that
number 5 was taken by the Flowermate V5 Pro. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still a big
fan of that unit, especially for the price, but the CF provides much better vapour production
and a longer warranty for a similar price.
Maintenance for the CF is fairly simple. Most of the debris just builds up inside the filling
chamber which can just be wiped out with isopropyl alcohol. The mouthpiece assembly will also
need regular cleaning but it can be disassembled for easy access to those tough spots. Obviously
this assembly isn’t as easy to maintain as an all-glass mouthpiece but it is a heck
of a lot more durable.
Vape manufacturers are definitely getting a lot better at packing decent battery life
into small packages and the CF is no exception. 5-6 10 minute sessions, for me, is plenty.
It can’t be used while charging but it does charge via micro USB so it’s nice and convenient
to top up.
The main issue I have with the CF is the taste but, as long as you run the unit at the maximum
temp for as long as possible when you first get it, this should dissipate quickly.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for an inexpensive, entry-level vape or an experienced
user looking for a reliable portable companion, the CF is the perfect solution. With performance
rivalling that of much more expensive units, you won’t be disappointed.
Next up at number 4, we have the Arizer Air.
It’s been more than 2 years now since the release of the Air and I still find myself
recommending it on a daily basis. Last year I had it at number 3 so it has been knocked
down a peg since then but only because of some recent high-end releases that were hard
to ignore. In case you’re unfamiliar with Arizer as a manufacturer, they have a long-standing
reputation for reliable, practical vaporizers that just work well. The Air is Arizer’s
second portable and is essentially a smaller version of the Solo with slightly better airflow
and a more easily replaceable battery.
The main thing I love about the Air is the layout. Loading herb into the glass mouthpiece
as opposed to the unit itself keeps it so much cleaner than just about any vaporizer
I’ve used. I’m surprised more companies haven’t adopted this layout as the norm.
The Air uses 5 preset temperature profiles ranging from 180 degrees to 210 degrees Celsius
so its temperature control isn’t excellent but it is very consistent and good enough
for most users.
Vapour quality and efficiency are definitely strong points for the Air too. It’s easy
to get great results regardless of how you’re packing it. The ceramic, stainless and glass
construction keeps every draw tasting as pure as possible.
Moving on to battery life, you can expect between 4 and 5x 12 minute cycles which, compared
to some other portables, isn’t outstanding but it definitely isn’t bad considering
the size. You also have to keep in mind that the battery is easily replaceable and fairly
compact so it’s nice and easy to carry spares if need be.
The mouthpiece / filling chamber layout, as I mentioned before, makes the Air so easy
to maintain. Obviously glass is fragile but, to me, this is a small price to pay for how
convenient the cleaning process is. It’s also worth a mention that there are wooden/steel
alternatives available these days.
All you’ll need is a jar of Isopropyl alcohol, unscrew the plastic tip (if you’re using
that particular mouthpiece) and drop it in. Arizer include two mouthpieces with the kit
so this means you’ll basically never have any maintenance down-time. As soon as the
mouthpiece you’re using starts to get blocked up, pull the mouthpiece you had soaking, out
of the Isopropyl, rinse it with water and leave it to dry. Once it’s dry, drop the
dirty mouthpiece into the same jar of Iso and continue vaping. Simple!
The Air’s one of those portable vapes that’s hard not to love. Great vapour production,
replaceable battery, easy to take care of and it’s covered against faults for 2 years.
If you’re after a no-fuss unit with expandable battery life without paying an arm and a leg,
the Air is definitely a great pick.
Coming in at number 3, quite fittingly, we have the Pax 3
Pax labs as a company have been a huge success over the past few years. Despite its flaws,
the original Pax was a game-changer for portable vapes. The concept of a tiny, perfectly discrete
unit that actually provides great performance seemed like nothing more than a utopian dream.
Okay so maybe it did turn out to be just that for the original Pax but the Pax 2 was awesome.
Now, with the release of the Pax 3, they’ve managed to jam even more features into the
same sized package. Let’s have a look.
To the naked eye there really isn’t much difference between the Pax 2 and 3. In terms
of aesthetic appeal, they’re hands-down my favourite vaporizers at the moment. Okay
so they’ve changed the finish to a high gloss and no, I’m not big fan of that but
under the hood is a different story. First of all, it now has haptic feedback so it will vibrate when switched on and heated up. Secondly,
heat up time. 20 seconds from ambient to first draw. Very impressive.
Vapour quality; no notable improvements over the Pax 2 but I was already pretty satisfied so I’m
not too fussed about that. I’ve mentioned it in the past but I’ll say it again, it’s
great for the size but don’t be expecting it to outperform bigger units like the CFX
or the Mighty. In saying that, the taste is purer than just about any other full-conduction
unit on the market, especially seeing as the vapour path is mainly stainless steel.
As with the Pax 2, the Pax 3 works best with a fully packed oven but they now include an
alternative lid with a built in spacer. They call this the half pack oven lid and to say
it’s handy would be an understatement.
The Pax 3 uses the same 4 stage preset system as the 2 did but you can now use and alter
a 5th preset using the smartphone app. Since the release of the Crafty by Storz and Bickel,
we’re seeing more and more units with Bluetooth connectivity. It might seem gimmicky but apps
like these help to provide extensive customisation options while keeping the unit’s physical
layout as simple as possible. The Pax Vapor app also offers a range of “heating profiles”
like “boost”, “efficiency” and “flavour”. Essentially these profiles just change how
quickly the vape heats and cools in response to your draws. The app also lets you monitor
battery life and the current temperature in real time.
The Pax 3 provides roughly 7 x 10 minute sessions per charge. It goes without saying that this
is super impressive considering how small it is. It can’t be used while charging but
the included magnetic dock is compact and can be connected to any laptop or PC via micro
USB.
As far as discrete portables go, the Pax 3 is amazing. Great battery life, easy to use
and it’s covered by Paxlabs’ 10 year warranty. If you’re after something tiny without sacrificing
a huge amount of vapour production then the Pax 3 is one of, if not the best option available
at the moment.
Number 2 is the DaVinci IQ
DaVinci are definitely one of the most iconic names in the world of vaping. The original
DaVinci was released way back in 2012 and since then it’s been a staple for a huge
amount of vape enthusiasts. It was small, had full digital temperature control and decent
battery life. The Ascent was released a few years later and the hype for that unit was
crazy. On paper, it seemed like the perfect vape but in practise, it just didn’t cut
the mustard. It wasn’t necessarily a bad unit, it had unbelievable battery life and
a removable vapour path but the vapour production and taste, in my opinion weren’t exactly
up to scratch.
This time though, they’ve really taken customer feedback on board and have come up with a
winner, or, for the purposes of this video, a “runner up”. The IQ is DaVinci’s smallest
portable to date and the feature list is amazing.
This thing is tiny. It’s roughly the same size as the Pax 3 and while it’s a little
heavier, it’s still just as portable, if not more so.
Just like the Ascent, the IQ has a removable vapour path but this one is a single piece
(thank God) and can actually be filled with herb so it can act as a flavour infuser. Loving
this little addition.
The Mouthpiece and the vapour path are made from a weird material called Ceramic zirconia
which has the durability of steel but the taste of ceramic or glass. It also has a really
low level of heat retention so it cools down really quickly. This is a first for vaporizers
and hopefully we’ll see more of it in the future.
The IQ has one of the most interesting and practical temperature control systems that
I’ve seen. By default, the unit starts out using 4 presets called “smart paths”.
These are essentially just heating profiles but, unlike the Pax 3, the IQ gradually increases
in temperature over the duration of your session. So for example, smart path number two starts
off at 188c and increases to 199c over a period of 10 minutes.
If these presets aren’t quite right for you, they can be programmed manually using
the app or you can just tap the power button while the unit’s on to switch to a standard
specific temp or “precision mode” as DaVinci call it. This is another benefit of the IQ
over the Pax 3 which relies purely on the app to make these fine adjustments.
Nice quick heat up at roughly 50 seconds from ambient to draw.
Vapour production and overall quality is really nice, especially for a conduction unit like
this. It’s got a pure taste and is reasonably efficient with small loads. The airflow is
also noticeably better than most other portables of this size so that’s a big plus for most
people. Cooling capacity is also surprisingly good for the size.
Let’s talk about the battery. For starters, it’s user-replaceable, hallelujah! Why more
portables don’t incorporate replaceable batteries is beyond me. There must be a decent
reason though because it’s just so handy. You’ll get about 4 or 5 x 10 minute sessions
from a full charge and it can be topped up using a regular micro usb cable. Oh, and it
can be used while charging. Nice one DaVinci.
Maintenance for the IQ is nice and easy due to the removable vaporpath I mentioned earlier.
It can be soaked in Isopropyl alcohol and the filling chamber can just be wiped out.
So I’ve probably rambled about this unit enough for now but long story short, it’s
a great pocket-friendly vape with awesome temperature control, vapour production and
a replaceable battery. The gravy? A 10 year warranty. What more could you ask for. Well,
we’re about to find out…
At number 1, we have the Mighty by Storz & Bickel
I was really thinking that something could’ve knocked the Mighty off its throne for me within
the past year, and the IQ was a close one. Honestly though, there’s still a few things
that make me reach for this unit over anything else.
To give you a quick history, Storz and Bickel released the Mighty in 2014 along with the
Crafty, a smaller version with no temperature display and less battery life. It’s now
widely considered to be one of the best vaporizers in existence. Temperature control, ease of
use, vapour production, efficiency, taste, cooling capacity, battery life. The Mighty’s
got it all.
Okay so “got it all” isn’t exactly a literal statement and I must admit, it does
have a couple of weaknesses. For starters, it’s pretty big. It’s easier to carry
around than an Arizer Solo but, just to give you an idea, here’s a quick size comparison
with the rest of the top 5. Obviously, it’s not very discrete but, in my eyes, that’s
not what it’s been designed for.
Operation is as simple as simple as they come. Power button, two temp control buttons. Full
temp control to the degree. Easy as.
The 2 minute automatic shut off is relatively short but it can be reset by tapping the power
button which is handy.
No special loading instructions whatsoever. Whether you’re grinding coarse or fine and
packing small or large amounts of material, you’re going to get great results. Simple
as that. It’s a ridiculously efficient vape.
Vapour production, taste, airflow and cooling capacity are all A-grade and second to none
in my opinion as far as portables go. If you hooked up a length of tubing to the mouthpiece,
you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a high quality desktop unit.
So we know it’s got brute-force performance but the Mighty’s also really precise in
terms of general temperature control and heat distribution inside the chamber. You’ll
never see any inconsistencies in the colour of your material after a session, even if
you’ve ground fairly coarsely and used a higher than average temperature. This is especially
impressive considering how many grinding and packing guidelines portable vaporizers like
this usually carry.
Another thing that makes the Mighty stand out for me is the fact that you can use it
several times in a row without it becoming too hot to hold. IQ is super tiny, and yes
this is great, but if you have 2-3 sessions in a row, don’t be expecting to put that
thing straight in your pocket. Believe me, I’ve tried…
5-7x 10 minute uses per charge and while the batteries aren’t user-replaceable they do
charge really quickly with the standard wall charger. It can be used while charging, even
if it’s completely drained.
If you’re using the new dosing capsules which are basically external loading canisters
or the included liquid pad which can act as a spacer, maintenance won’t be required
too often. Just wipe out the filling chamber with some Isopropyl alcohol and, when the
cooling unit gets blocked up it can be disassembled and soaked for a short time. Not exactly as
easily taken care of as the Arizer portables, but it’s far from a hassle and even further
from a deal-breaker.
Lastly, the Mighty’s covered by a 2 year warranty.
In summary, this is a performance-driven unit. It’s not going to be for everyone, a lot
of people these days are after discretion, but, once you try something like the Mighty
it’s a struggle using anything else. If you want the best vapour quality possible
with almost no draw resistance, if you want great battery life and precise temperature
control then this is the unit for you.
Once again guys, there we have it. My 5 favourite portables at the moment. Let us know what
you think. Which portable vape or vapes do you use and why? Anyways, hope you enjoyed
the video; if you liked it don’t forget to subscribe to our channel. Really appreciate
your support. This is Max from Australian Vaporizers, have a good one.