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After a fresh panel test of portable vaporizers we’d previously recommended against a slate of new contenders, the Pax 3 is now our top pick.
The AirVape Legacy is a close runner-up to the Pax 3. We continue to recommend the Firefly 2+, and we now also recommend the comparatively less-portable Storz & Bickel Mighty for best-in-class vapor flavor.
We plan to test the forthcoming AirVape Legacy Pro once it’s widely available.
The Pax 3 suits new and seasoned cannabis users alike, offering an easy vaporizing experience from start to finish while allowing for fine-tuning the device settings—if you feel like it. Recommended by employees at cannabis dispensaries across the country and unanimously favored by a diverse panel of testers, a packed Pax 3 lasts several enjoyable sessions, producing pleasing vapors without overheating. Plus, it’s easier than most portable vaporizers to clean.
We looked for clear, intuitive controls and an oven that is easy to load and quick to heat up.
The best models produce vapors that taste good, don’t burn, and feel like drinking from a straw.
A good vaporizer can reliably be returned to near-mint condition with minimal effort.
Most models have adequate, if similar, battery life. We’d prefer that they rely on universal charging cords, but we didn’t require it.
A great choice for both newbies and experienced cannabis users, the Pax 3 can last several sessions, neatly tucks into a purse or pocket, and is relatively simple to clean.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $160.
Budtenders we spoke with unanimously recommended the Pax 3, and our test panel agreed: It’s the portable vaporizer they’d buy for themselves. It’s easy to load and intuitive to use. It heats quickly (in about 20 seconds), pulls well, produces vapors with great flavor, lasts about two of our test sessions on a single charge, and is easy enough to clean without any impossible-to-reach parts. Although this model can connect to the Pax app, which allows you to tinker with the temperature and other device settings, the Pax 3 is fully functional without your ever using the app. We don’t love this model’s proprietary charger, non-replaceable battery, and oddly shaped mouthpiece, though.
The AirVape Legacy is just as easy to load as the Pax 3 but doesn’t last quite as long on a single charge, and its vapors are slightly lacking in flavor.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Apollo’s AirVape Legacy is about as intuitive to use and just as easy to load as the Pax 3. The Legacy lasts about a session on a single charge, compared with the Pax 3’s two. But we much prefer the Legacy’s longer, flatter mouthpiece to that of the Pax model. There’s no app to nerd out on: You adjust the temperature with straightforward up and down arrows on the device itself. It heats up in about 15 seconds, just a hair quicker than Pax 3 does. In our experience, the Legacy’s vapor flavor came off a bit more thin, with more waifish plumage. You can charge the Legacy via USB-C or wirelessly, so you can stress less about possibly losing a proprietary cable.
The Mighty is less portable than all our other picks and takes longer to heat up, but it dependably produces the tastiest vapors.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $350.
The Storz & Bickel Mighty is far bulkier than the Pax 3 and AirVape Legacy, but it produces the best-tasting vapors of any portable vaporizer we’ve tested. Because of its size, this model is likely to appeal to someone who plans to use it mainly at home. The heat-up time hits closer to 90 seconds, which can be a slog in comparison with all our other picks. There’s no app to mess with (you control all temperature and other settings on the device itself). But we dislike this model’s reliance on a proprietary power adapter.
The high-capacity Firefly 2+ quickly produces intense, tasty vapor and—with its visible heating chamber—is super easy to clean.
Unlike the chambers on our other picks, the Firefly 2+’s chamber is visible, so you can see how much viable material is packed and better gauge when it’s time to re-up. In use, it feels similar to the type of bowl you might smoke cannabis with—only no lighter required. The fastest of all our picks to heat up, the Firefly 2+ takes around three to five seconds to be ready for use. Like the Pax 3, the Firefly 2+ can sync to an app for fine-tuning temperature and other settings. Like the Pax 3 and the AirVape Legacy, the Firefly 2+ has a proprietary charger.
A great choice for both newbies and experienced cannabis users, the Pax 3 can last several sessions, neatly tucks into a purse or pocket, and is relatively simple to clean.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $160.
The AirVape Legacy is just as easy to load as the Pax 3 but doesn’t last quite as long on a single charge, and its vapors are slightly lacking in flavor.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
The Mighty is less portable than all our other picks and takes longer to heat up, but it dependably produces the tastiest vapors.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $350.
The high-capacity Firefly 2+ quickly produces intense, tasty vapor and—with its visible heating chamber—is super easy to clean.
We’ve talked to more vaporizer experts, read more editorial and buyer reviews, and tried more models firsthand than most regular vaporizer shoppers ever get the chance to.
The experts we’ve consulted over six years of research and testing include Bud, the reviewer at The Vape Critic, and Buzz, the man behind the curtain at VaporizerWizard.com. (Both sites include affiliate links for some products they recommend, as explained in The Vape Critic’s disclosure page and VaporizerWizard.com’s disclosure page.) We also spoke with staff members at 11 cannabis dispensaries around the country to get an idea of what they sell most at their shops and what they would buy for their family and friends.
Writer Beca Grimm has been a tireless weed-doer for almost 20 years. She has covered cannabis for Rolling Stone, Vox, and others, and she has penned an herb-specific column for Good Beer Hunting. She co-founded and from 2016 to 2021 operated the feminist cannabis culture zine and brand Graze Club (formerly known as Dope Girls), raising funds for nonprofits such as Last Prisoner Project, which promotes clemency for people serving time for cannabis-related offenses.
A note of disclosure: Vaporizer manufacturer Grenco co-sponsored a Dope Girls print issue and release party in October 2019.
If you’re completely new to cannabis or have been a casual pot smoker in the past, know that a vaporizer is a great way to avoid the by-products of combustion and skip the sticky, icky ash mess that’s an inevitable part of smoking joints, pipes, and bongs. A dry herb vaporizer, like all those we reviewed for this guide, heats dried cannabis (or cannabis concentrate) that you pack into the device’s oven and produces inhalable vapors. Dressed in a sleek and discreet housing, a portable vaporizer feels like something you can bring to a dinner party along with a bottle of wine.
If you’re a patient looking to use medical cannabis for symptom relief, portable vaporizers offer additional benefits. A quality vaporizer for ground cannabis flowers can reliably hit a consistent dosage with precision temperature controls, allowing you to control the effects better. That’s not as easy with smoking or edibles.
Note: Portable vaporizers are legal—unless you use them with a substance that federal and/or local law says is illegal. Cannabis is illegal in some places.
Over six years of research, we’ve considered more than 50 portable vaporizers, mostly selected based on input from experts at sites like The Vape Critic and VaporizerWizard.com and from owners in enthusiast forums, including FuckCombustion and the r/vaporents subreddit. We also called 11 dispensaries across the country to see what budtenders have bought for themselves. We’ve panel-tested nearly two dozen models over the years to get an idea of how people with differing levels of cannabis familiarity think about the experience of using different vaporizers.
We didn’t consider vaporizers for oils, extracts, wax, cartridges, or other concentrates for this guide. We also didn’t consider e-cigarettes or other products specifically for tobacco or nicotine use. The devices that use these substances are broadly called vaporizers, which is confusing. What we’re covering here is limited to “flower vaporizers” for old-fashioned buds—we concluded that this product category is the best entry point for most people because it gives you a lot of options in terms of flavors, effects, and potency.
We also focused on portable models only—no offense to fans of tabletop favorites like the Storz & Bickel Volcano Hybrid. We evaluated models for on-the-go use, as well as for longer vaporizing sessions while you’re out on a hike, snuggled up on the couch, or relaxing around a backyard fire.
As we tested and retested portable cannabis vaporizers, we considered several important features:
We looked for clear, intuitive controls to start up the device, see when it is ready, adjust the temperature, and check the battery life. We wanted the device’s oven to be easy to load, quick to heat up, and unlikely to burn material if you forget that it’s on. Some vaporizers transfer heat to packed material via conduction (direct contact), others with convection (air circulation), while still others use some combination of the two.
We wanted vapor that was good enough to never warrant smoking instead. As a result, we dismissed vaporizers that produced unpleasant flavors (like burnt popcorn) or harsh or uncomfortably hot vapor, as well as any that tended to clog or caused us unusual difficulty in inhaling. Truly great models produce vapors that taste good, don’t burn, and feel like drinking from a straw.
Cleaning proves to be an important factor when you’re living with these things long-term, because they all need it, and the best vaporizers can reliably be returned to near-mint condition with minimal effort. The worst models have parts that need frequent replacement, areas you can’t fully clean, or a cumbersome disassembly process. We avoided long, skinny airways that you need to ream out with pipe cleaners—they’re too hard to get truly clean.
It’s most convenient when a vaporizer uses a common charging port like Micro-USB or USB-C, which works with cables you probably have already. A proprietary charger (such as a dock or a unique cable) is not as convenient, but we didn’t dismiss models for that alone. We found that battery life on most good vaporizers lasts about four bowls’ worth, without a ton of differentiation between models. We appreciate vaporizers that have user-replaceable rechargeable batteries, but that feature isn’t crucial.
A good vaporizer looks and feels nice to hold, has a body durable enough to survive a drop (it’s inevitable), and offers a simple and effective mouthpiece that feels natural on your lips—and doesn’t burn them. Subtle additions such as concealed cleaning tools or aligned magnetic oven closures also contribute to a satisfying experience. Many vaporizers put all the necessary info and controls on the body of the unit, while others rely on an app. For simplicity we prefer a vaporizer to be controllable without a smartphone app—but we didn’t dismiss any models based on that factor.
A great choice for both newbies and experienced cannabis users, the Pax 3 can last several sessions, neatly tucks into a purse or pocket, and is relatively simple to clean.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $160.
For a reliably excellent experience, we regularly reach for the Pax 3, which packs easily, heats up quickly (without overheating), and is fairly simple to keep clean. Our test panelists rated it their favorite vaporizer by far in every respect except vapor flavor (on which the Storz & Bickel Mighty won). This conduction vaporizer slam-dunks ease of use with intuitive on-device controls but also allows for precision tinkering via an app. Simply put, it’s comfortable and pretty to pull on.
You just tap the magnetically sealed oven lid to access the bowl for easy loading. The oven itself is pretty big, so you can pack a good amount of dried flower in there (almost a half a gram).
With the Pax 3, Pax moved away from largely leaning on its app, instead providing intuitive, tap-based temperature controls right on the device. The Pax 3’s four-light system illuminates, depending on the intensity of the flavor and effects you select, when you click (more illumination means higher temperatures). The device gently vibrates when it reaches the desired settings and is good to go.
The clandestine silicone mouthpiece lies flush with the device. The Pax 3 also comes with a more traditional, raised mouthpiece that you can easily snap in place.
In our tests the vapor flavor was solid and consistent—unlike some competitors’ more staccato experience. We found it smooth and grassy or gassy, depending on our strain of choice.
The Pax 3 Complete Kit comes with cleaning tools. A snappy wire brush and pipe cleaners root up charred nugs, and an easy, quick isopropyl bath restores its submersible components back to squeaky. It’s a quick, simple routine that doesn’t necessitate a clear mind or a spare toothbrush.
The Pax 3 comes in more colors (five at this writing) than most other vaporizers we’ve considered, though not quite as many as the Firefly 2+.
The lithium-ion batteries in all of our vaporizer picks will degrade over time. But unlike those in our other picks, the Pax 3’s battery is non-replaceable. (A company spokesperson said that battery issues beyond “normal performance degradation” may be covered under warranty.)
Like other vaporizer apps, the Pax app (Android, desktop) is no longer available for iOS. To control the Pax 3 with an iPhone, you need to use the web app.
Although the Pax 3’s flush silicone mouthpiece is great for sipping, it can be a lip-balm thief, making it a less-than-ideal option for sharing.
The Pax 3 also has a proprietary charger, which runs you $25 to replace. And unlike the Storz & Bickel Mighty, the device is not available for use while it’s charging.
The AirVape Legacy is just as easy to load as the Pax 3 but doesn’t last quite as long on a single charge, and its vapors are slightly lacking in flavor.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Apollo’s AirVape Legacy, which our test panel deemed a close second to the Pax 3 overall, is a real weighty piece that feels good in your pocket. Its oven uses convection and heats up a touch faster than the Pax 3’s. The onboard temperature controls are easy to use, and the device is super simple to clean. The Legacy’s digital display is easy to read in any light. In our tests, its vapor tasted clean and great, and our panelists preferred this device’s mouthpiece to the Pax 3’s.
The case snaps open for easy bowl access. (Our panelists found this process simple, even while very stoned, especially in comparison with accessing the bowl on the Storz & Bickel Mighty.) Another chamber contains an easily removed glass straw from which you pull (which is breezy to clean, too). You can remove the mouthpiece so it doesn’t chip or get smashed while in transit, and you can charge the Legacy via USB-C or wirelessly.
This model is available in two colors.
Warranty: limited lifetime with device registration
Replaceable battery: yes, for $15, and you can do it yourself
The Mighty is less portable than all our other picks and takes longer to heat up, but it dependably produces the tastiest vapors.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $350.
The Storz & Bickel Mighty is the largest of all our picks (and looks sort of like a drill battery), but it’s a solid device that produces exceptionally tasty vapor. Less portable and discreet compared with the Pax 3 and the AirVape Legacy, the convection-heating Mighty easily loads dried materials at the top and gives you straightforward up and down buttons to adjust the temperature (as shown on a digital display). Its straw-like mouthpiece makes it great for full-bodied tokes. It does not have an app.
Of all our picks, the Mighty takes the longest to heat up—around 90 seconds—but it’s well worth the wait. Plus, you can still toke on this vape even if the battery is totally drained as long as it’s plugged in to charge and switched on, something our other picks do not allow.
Like the Pax 3, the Mighty comes with a cleaning kit (plus spare screens and other handy accessories like a capsule for precision dosing). The device charges via an AC wall adapter. (At a regular cost of around $50 more, the Mighty+ heats up a bit quicker—the company claims 60 seconds—and charges via USB-C. We haven’t tested it.)
It comes in only one color: a power-tool-esque matte black.
Warranty: three years with device registration
Replaceable battery: yes, as part of a Storz & Bickel service package, for a fee
The high-capacity Firefly 2+ quickly produces intense, tasty vapor and—with its visible heating chamber—is super easy to clean.
The convection Firefly 2+ heats up super fast—four times as quickly as our next-fastest-heating pick—and is fun to use. Unlike our other picks, the Firefly 2+ has an exposed bowl, allowing you to easily see when it’s time to repack.
But setting the temperature on the device itself can be tricky. Once you hold down the right-side sensor while tapping the one on the left three times to activate the oven, this vape is ready to hit almost instantly—the bowl glows orange for extra indication and excitement. You can then tap up to six additional times to raise the (preset) temperature. Our testers found this process somewhat finicky, and we believe that most people would prefer to control the temperature using the Firefly app (Android, desktop).
The Firefly 2+ is arguably the easiest to clean of our picks, as you can effortlessly open the device to expose the oven. From there, just use some of the included alcohol wipes and give it a quick wipe-down.
The mouthpiece, while comfortable, seems like it could snap off if you lazily toss the Firefly 2+ into a tote bag. Learning to pull a reliable, consistent hit with this device can be tricky, too, since you have to hold both the right and left sensors while inhaling. One-handed use is possible, but our panelists were divided on this kind of drag; some found it overly cumbersome compared with pulling on our other picks.
Not unlike a traditional bowl, the Firefly 2+ does get warm (though not aggressively so). It comes with a handy charging dock, or you can use a standard Micro-USB charging cord. It comes in six color options.
Replaceable battery: yes, for $30, and you can do it yourself
If you can’t or don’t want to spend $200-plus: Consider the DaVinci Miqro, an ultra-portable, mostly conduction-heated vaporizer that our test panelists enjoyed using—though not as much as our picks. Load it up just below the mouthpiece, tap the control button five times to turn it on, and use the intuitive up and down arrows to adjust the preset temperature controls (and if you forget any of this, a set of instructions is printed underneath the device). It’s fairly intuitive to use and charges via Micro-USB, but its deep chamber is more difficult to load. Like the Storz & Bickel Mighty (and unlike our other picks), the Miqro is available for use while it’s charging. The Miqro’s components are a bit harder to clean than those of our picks—especially its mouthpiece, which consists of a slightly concave opening lined with ridges that can collect lip gloss. This model comes in five colors.
Replaceable battery: yes, for $11, and you can do it yourself (video)
Regular cleaning helps portable vaporizers work better and for longer. But not all parts of every vaporizer need to be (or can be) cleaned. Always refer to a model’s manual or instructional videos for care and maintenance instructions specific to the device (check out the videos for the Pax 3, AirVape Legacy, Storz & Bickel Mighty, and Firefly 2+). Still, a few general cleaning tips apply to virtually every vape.
Frequent cleaning, including emptying spent material from the heating chamber each time you use a vaporizer, helps prevent the sort of residue buildup that often necessitates a deeper clean. Consider keeping alcohol wipes or isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs near where you store a vaporizer for quick spot-cleaning of the chamber between uses.
For a thorough cleaning, you need to access the chamber, vapor path (or air path), and mouthpiece per the manufacturer’s instructions. Note that moisture can cause substantial damage to a vaporizer’s heating element and other electronics. None of our picks should ever be fully submerged in liquid while assembled. You can easily clean most glass, steel, and silicone components with isopropyl alcohol; for stubborn residue, consider soaking the individual components in alcohol. You can clean most vapor paths using pipe-cleaner-like brushes, such as those included with some of our picks. Be sure to wipe clean each piece and let it dry fully before reassembling your device.
Over time, lithium-ion batteries—like those in all our picks—degrade. They’ll eventually hold less charge overall.
The Pax 3’s battery is non-replaceable (unless you’re okay with potentially damaging the vape and voiding its warranty), and the company doesn’t cover degradation. Storz & Bickel recommends storing the Mighty at a battery capacity of between 20% (one bar) and 80% (four), and occasionally fully draining the battery before recharging it, to “adjust the battery capacity and keep the battery gauge correct.” The company will replace the Mighty’s battery as part of a service package, for a fee. You can buy and install your own replacement batteries for the AirVape Legacy ($15) and Firefly 2+ ($30).
We plan to test the newly announced AirVape Legacy Pro, which promises a chamber 20% bigger than that of the Legacy in addition to improved airflow and higher max temperatures. We’ll update this guide with our findings.
We previously recommended the AirVape X, but we’ve found the newer AirVape Legacy—with its improved design and easier charging—to be a better choice overall.
The Grasshopper Hopper iO, a former pick in this guide, is ultra discreet. Over long-term testing, however, we’ve found that the Hopper iO gets so hot at times that it can feel unsafe to toke. The Hopper Glass Bubbler, a $75 accessory, uses water to cool the vapor and enhance its flavor, but the piece is far from portable. Controlling the Hopper iO’s temperature can be confusing—especially when you’re high—and the device requires a proprietary charger (which costs $40 to replace).
The Tinymight features a cooling unit and offers robust flavor, plus two modes (on-demand and session). Its glass mouthpiece gives us serious pause—you have to be extra careful to keep this unit intact. Compared with other cannabis vaporizers we’ve considered, this one looks more like a tobacco-style vaporizer. Plus, we’ve found it confusing to use and difficult to clean.
The Grenco Science G Pen Elite is a fine vaporizer overall, with simple controls, vapor that our testers enjoyed, convenient charging, decent battery life, and a sleek design that’s portable and functional. The lower price is appropriate, as the G Pen Elite can’t match our picks, including in vapor quality and ease of cleaning.
The Grenco Science G Pen Pro is just one variation on the same device that’s also marketed as the X Pen Pro. It’s the epitome of a generic vaporizer, with none of the nice touches that the Grenco G Pen Elite offers. Shaped like a small flashlight, the G Pro’s plastic body matches its plastic mouthpiece. It also matches the taste: The vapor was thin and plasticky on every setting in our tests. You control the whole device with a single button, and it gives you feedback with just a single light.
In a battle for great vapor flavor, the Storz & Bickel Crafty, the Arizer ArGo, and the DaVinci IQC would rank close to one another. In our testing, all three produced richly flavored vapor that made our taste buds sing. The ArGo created particularly smooth vapor, though the IQC and Crafty weren’t far behind in that respect. But each device has its disadvantages, namely cleaning problems with the Crafty, durability concerns during travel with the ArGo, and a combination of cleaning and interface flaws with the IQC. (We haven’t tested the DaVinci IQ2.)
We wanted to test the beloved Firewood 7, but it is sold out more often than it is available.
The X Max Starry is easy to load and offers intuitive onboard temperature controls, but the DaVinci Miqro is a better overall choice for a similar price.
The Linx Gaia requires a cap to protect its glass stem, and the vapor quality in our tests was just so-so.
Although the now-discontinued Arizer Air produced tasty vapors, we disliked the digital display and DC-input charger. Our testers found its design, with its conspicuous glass stem, polarizing, noting that it wasn’t something most people would want to tote around. We chose not to test the Air II (also discontinued) or the Air Max (which has a design similar to that of previous models but charges via USB-C).
Mark Smirniotis and Jordan McMahon contributed reporting.
This guide was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.
Beca Grimm is a culture writer and editor based in Southwest Atlanta.
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