Magnificent 7 Dry Herb Vape Review

If you’re one of the many people still under the mistaken impression that combustion (that’s “smoking,” Spicoli) is the only way to enjoy cannabis, we’d like to welcome you to 2016.

The modern marketplace is home to a wide variety of personal vaporizers which offer so many advantages over traditional usage methods, you’ll regret the time you’ve already wasted in your life licking leaves and cleaning ash from various fabrics.

That’s right, vaping is the future of cannabis consumption as well as a much healthier alternative to tobacco smoking, and it’s only a matter of time before the secret gets out.

How Does Convection Work?

To understand why this type of dry herb vape is so objectively superior to other common ingestion methods, it can be helpful to understand how convection vaporizers work.

Unlike conduction, which relies on direct contact with the material to generate heat, convection ovens raise the ambient air temperature to elevate the temperature of dry herbs, guaranteeing an even vape with zero combustion.

With convection, as much material as possible is slowly heated to the target temperature, allowing precise control on the intensity and flavor of the vapor generated.

Vapor from premium convection vapes is thick and flavorful, providing a very familiar throat hit at temperatures over 400F.

While vape pens can often achieve true convection with the addition of a glass or ceramic screen and some can even perform the task standard, only a dedicated convection vaporizer can deliver this quality and consistency of vaporization.

The fact is that the space age tech that powers these vapes is just too bulky for a pen-style profile, and that’s why convection vapes are typically about 1.5-3 times the price of their pen-type alternatives.

That said, the tangible benefits they deliver can make them well worth the investment.

Benefits

A quality handheld convection vape will never—eeeever—combust your material as long as it’s used properly.

This small distinction over conduction vapes makes a world of difference, as convection vapor is guaranteed to be free of all the toxins that populate all kinds of smoke.

You may be surprised at how quickly your full pre-smoking lung capacity returns (or at least most of it).

A few BC staffers have discussed their switch to vaporization for their recreational pursuits, and we’ve noticed they don’t keel over after the 3 story walk up to our offices anywhere near as much.

Another benefit to vaporizing cannabis is the reuse potential of the processed material.

Yes, reuse. Please don’t just throw it out like most people do when they first make the transition.

Cannabis used in a vaporizer retains many of its active compounds and potency, and can usually be vaporized again at a higher temperature…you’ll know when it’s spent for that purpose.

Vaporized cannabis also has been made directly fat-soluble through a process known as decarboxylation (friends call it “decarb”), so the active compounds absorb much more easily into a substance like butter or coconut oil.

You’ll really start feeling like your convection vaporizer has paid for itself when you find yourself with enhanced treats made with material you used a month ago.

Convection vaporizers are more efficient, more discreet and more versatile than conduction models as well as analog smoking.

If you don’t see by now why you need one, this article may not be for you.

Top Dry Herb Models

Grenco G Pro

Grenco, the team that turned Snoop Dogg’s simple yet ambitious sketch of an electric-powered blunt into a modern standard for pen-style portable vapes, also brings the community the G Pro Personal Dry Herb Vaporizer.

The G Pro has a huge 0.6 gram capacity and three available temperature settings as well as a stainless steel heating oven for high performance and massive vapor production in a handheld vape.

For its combination of stealth and style, the G Pro is one of the absolute top picks for convection type dry herb vapes.

Vapir NO2

The Vapir NO2 is an outstanding value option for vapers on a budget, bringing good performance and build quality to the table for around $100 less than most of the other vapes on this list.

It also features tight temperature controls that allow users to adjust the heat by as little as 1 degree.

The heating chamber is relatively small, but provides a solid vaping session for an individual or a small group and is a miracle worker with limited amounts of material.

Is it smooth and sexy like some of the others? Not so much.

Will you lose the tiny scoop that you’re “supposed” to use to load it?

Indubitably. But for a first time buyer or someone who just needs the basics, the Vapir NO2 will give you everything you need.

DaVinci Ascent

The DaVinci Ascent is known as the BMW of dry herb vapes in some circles, and with its electric-shaverish form factor, it certainly looks like something the old master may have drawn up some inspired evening.

The Ascent features a ceramic heating chamber and a four-button control interface that makes ascending with the DaVinci easy.

Just finely grind your plant material, place it in the chamber, count 90 Mississippis, then be sure to inhale, Mr. President.

The Ascent has a temperature range of 380 to 430 degrees so you control the nature of your vapor, and comes in a few handsome finishes such as carbon fiber, croc skin and wood grain as well as classic black and graphic prints.

Kandy Pens K-Vape

From the California-based Kandy Pens comes the K-Vape, a dry herb vaporizer that closely mirrors the G Pro in form, function, accessories, build quality and performance, but with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.

The K-Vape has one of the deepest ovens of any vape on the market, and its long-lasting battery will help keep your flight smooth all day.

Puffit 2

No, this tricky little device is not an inhaler—or at least, not an asthma inhaler.

The Puffit 2 is a personal dry herb vaporizer which takes stealth to the next level not by masking its intent with a generic, all-purpose form factor, but by outright disguising itself as an ordinary asthma inhaler.

You might have seen a cheap device like this in a local brick and mortar, but this is no gag gift.

The Puffit 2 has serious dry herb vape credibility, featuring extraordinary battery life, changeable batteries, and a high-conduction thermal alloy in the oven to provide even heating and dense vapor with every puff.

Firefly

The Firefly is the perfect vape for those who prize small size and stealthiness above all, combining a barely-there form factor with a 45 second heating time to create the perfect solo sessioning instrument.

The Firefly has an easy-loading magnetic top to keep the material securely in the oven, borosilicate glass heating chamber for easy cleaning and a swappable battery that charges in about 45 minutes.

Everything about the Firefly is about being light, quick and effective, and although this entire paragraph could describe the Magic Flight Launch Box fairly accurately as well, the lifetime warranty of the Firefly gives it the nod over its distant steampunky cousin.

Pax 2

We saved it for last because we’re not sure anyone can follow it.

The original Pax might have been a contender for the best personal dry herb vape in this article, but the Pax 2 blows it right out of the water with everything else.

The oven of the Pax 2 has 4 separate settings that are controlled through an intuitive clicking system, and heats up to max temperature in under 2 minutes.

Smooth, flavorful vapor is the specialty of the Pax 2, and its large capacity heating chamber means plenty for a group or even more for you.

Its lip sensing technology optimizes the temperature of the oven while in use to conserve plant material as well as battery life, and it’s that level of energy awareness that gives the Pax 2 an outstanding battery life of nearly 3 hours.

As we’ve mentioned, stealth is an important element of design in devices like this, and we’re not sure anyone has quite nailed it like the Pax 2.

Its minimalist, yet strikingly beautiful profile is pleasing to the eye and confusing to the casual observer. Is it a portable charger?

An old-school MP3 player? An electric hand warmer? Yes, now mind your own business.

Another cool little feature of the Pax 2 is the dynamic indicator light, which is how it talks to you. Purple means it’s heating, green means go.

Shake it to see the current battery charge level flashed cleverly. Spin the Pax 2 a few times to get cool light effects. It even has a secret game of Simon you can access to kill a bit of time.

Overall, the Pax 2 is the best personal dry herb vaporizer we’ve tested so far, and what’s funny about that is there’s not a whole lot to improve on.

It’s $280 retail, but after a week you’ll forget the price tag and start concentrating on how you own the single most awesome piece of dry herb vaping equipment on the market.

Let’s see your buddy top that with his fancy grinder or rolling machine.

Overview

Personal dry herb vaporizers are the newest trend in vaping, and these convection driven models offer the best combination of performance and options.

There’s sure to be a dry herb portable vaporizer for you out there, and while the initial investment might be a bit more than a pack of papers, we can pretty much guarantee you’ll get your money’s worth with the right unit.