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High Times 2014 Vapor Pen Buyer’S Guide


trix

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HIGH TIMES 2014 Vapor Pen Buyer’s Guide

Most of the products reviewed are for wax or shatter-style concentrates only, but a few canaccommodate flowers or even oil. Some standard and short pens boast a new development -- a glass globe that attaches to the battery, rather than a standard tank.

 

These globes seem to allow more smoke to collect, allowing for bigger hits, with the added cool effect of getting to watch the vape process. The downside, of course, is that they’re less stealthy.
The pros and cons listed are taken directly from testers’ comments; the ratings are on a scale from 0 to 20, with 20 being perfect (none were). Rather than award first, second and third places, we decided to bestow several honors based on different criteria. This way, you can choose the best pen for you depending on what you value most. For instance, while stealth may be paramount to you at a concert, or in a region with strict cannabis laws, medical cardholders or those in a legal state might care less about hiding their usage and more about getting the biggest, smoothest hit they can.

 

Standard


We define a “standard” pen as the battery/base unit with screw-on tank attachments that has been the predominant style in the industry. Many of these are even interchangeable with other standard units from different brands.

 

1. The Dabbler by Vapor Brothers
vb_dabbler.jpg
Kit includes: Battery unit, metal heating unit, metal tank, plastic mouthpiece, glass dabber, folding USB charger, cigarette-style carrying case, user guide
Options: Black and silver; filigree
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Unique animal-print design; no plastics or toxins in or around the heater—no toxic off-gassing of chromium; Vapor Brothers’ warranty and customer service: replacement at no cost, no registration required
Pros: Stylish leopard-print base; nice design; really easy to pack; nice material -- feels super reliable; pulls well, overall nice to use; delivers a solid hit; you can barely even tell you’re smoking it; doesn’t get really hot
Cons: A little big and flashy, heavy, conspicuous; not great for stealth
Rating: 16.38
Price: $119 (see website for other pricing)
Website: vape-pen.com; vaporbrothers.com

 

2. Budy Pen 3-in-1 by Vaporite
vaporite_budy.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, metal flower tank with metal screen chamber, rubber mouthpiece with ceramic filter, glass oil tank with plastic mouthpiece, glass wax tank with rubber lid, metal sheath, plastic mouthpiece, USB charger, small metal dabber, cleaning brush, user guide
Options: Pro (flowers only, glass screens); 3-in-1 (flowers, wax, liquid)
Use with: Flowers, wax, liquid
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Good flower smoke; sturdy, feels like it would be difficult to break
Cons: A bit too big, bulky; stopper inside is a pain to get out of chamber; have to hold down for a second or two before you can get a hit
Rating: 13.25
Price: $54.99 (Pro-$79.99, 3-in-1-$139.99)
Website: vaporitevapes.com

 

3. V.I.P. P-Dab
vip_pdab.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, metal tank with plastic mouthpiece, replacement tank with metal mouthpiece, small metal dabber, USB charger, user guide
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: One-year warranty on batteries and charger; new Essence Atomizer replaceable heating element
Pros: Target-style design; hits well, hard; feels durable
Cons: Kind of difficult to load -- chamber is too deep, heating mechanism is too far away from opening of pen; hard to get material onto the atomizer; not great for stealth
Rating: 13.62
Price: $110 (two-battery kit: $140)
Website: vipvape.com

 

4. Trippy Stix 2.0
trippy_stix.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, metal tank, plastic “trippy tip” mouthpiece (option: metal mouthpiece), USB charger, optional glass liquid tank, user guide
Use with: Wax, liquid (additional option)
Distinguishing characteristics: Unique, patented glass chamber; huge variety of custom and limited edition designs (see website for various styles)
Pros: Colors are cool; works well with shatter; hits really well Cons: Not the easiest to load -- deep chamber, hard to fill; can’t get wax onto the heat source easily
Rating: 15.33
Price: $120
Website: trippystix.com

 

5. Cannastick
cannastick.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, atomizer, USB charger, rubber mouthpiece, standard tank, tank tip with screen, metal dabber with cleaning brush, user guide
Options: Disposable, oil, original, mini, glass, dry herb Vari-Volt Use with: Flowers
Distinguishing characteristics: Machine-coiled atomizers (vs. hand-wrapped coils)
Pros: N/A
Cons: Bulky, heavy; felt cheap; hard to hit; have to hold down the button a substantially long time before you hit it; didn’t pull well; needs improving
Rating: 10.62
Price: Dry Herb Vari-Volt starter Kit - $65
Website: cannastick.com

 

6. Daborizer Vapor Wand
daborizer.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, steel chamber with ceramic bowl; glass globe and nail chamber, USB charger, steel double-sided dabber, replacement heating element, solar charger
Options: Regular unit; longer unit with digital hit counter
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Feels durable; massive hits; cool hit counter; solar charger
Cons: Not practical -- too big, long, heavy; far from stealthy -- can’t fit it in a small purse or your pocket, when you hold it in your hand there’s a few inches of the pen sticking out; could only use this pen in a private place; looks like a magic wand Rating: Rating: 15.38
Price: N/A
Website: daborizer.com

 

7. Hippy Trips
hippytrips.jpg
Kit includes: User manual, battery unit, standard tank, heating element, two magnetic atomizers, USB charger, custom glass mouthpiece
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Magnetic atomizer; tie-dye box; interesting color schemes Pros: Cool tie-dye packaging; funky designs; well constructed; easy to use; interchangeable magnetic atomizer super easy to replace Cons: Magnetic atomizer comes loose easily, breaks connection, unreliable; too long and flashy; mouthpiece gets stuck
Rating: 15.6
Price: $120
Website: hippytrips.com

 

8. Pulsar 7 by AFG Distribution
pulsar7.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, metal flower tank, metal sheath with screen, two rubber mouth tips, USB char- ger with wall adapter, two cleaning brushes, metal 3-in-1 tool, user guide
Options: Pulsar 7 (flowers), Vortex (wax); Stylus (oil); Ninja (wax)
Use with: Flowers (See above for other options) Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Sleek design; hits well once it’s hot; burns clean Cons: Takes a while to heat up; have to hold forever; somewhat hard to hit; outside metal gets super-hot to the touch—can burn yourself; looks like rectal thermometer
Rating: 13.29
Price: Pulsar 7 - $79.99 (see website for other models)
Website: pulsarvapes.com

 

9. STAG by Vapor Co.
stag.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, atomizer, metal tank, metal mouthpiece, small metal dabber, USB charger, globe, atomizer, plastic mouthpiece
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Solid pen -- feels very durable; element heats up fast; hits pretty well
Cons: A bit heavy, chamber is too deep, hard to load; the way it loads makes the type of wax you can use limited, not versatile
Rating: 15.54
Price: $55
Website: stagvapor.com

 

Short

A “short” pen has the same width as a standard pen but with a shorter battery unit and/or shorter screw-on tank attachments. Usually interchangeable with other standard units.

 

10. W-Pen by White Rhino
wpen.jpg
Kit includes: Battery unit, glass tank with metal funnel/ drain, metal tank sheath, plastic mouthpiece, metal cap, USB charger with wall adapter, small metal dabber Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Unique metal funnel shape inside chamber
Pros: Interesting loading mechanism; funnel shape inside the chamber collects concentrate and drips it down onto atomizer, ensuring all material gets heated; hits strong
Cons: Not great for stealth; have to really make sure it’s packed in there
Rating: 15.65
Price: $89.99
Website: whiterhinoproducts.com

 

11. V.I.P. Mini
vipmini.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, metal tank with plastic mouthpiece, replacement tank with metal mouthpiece, small metal dabber, USB charger, user guide
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Great heat/hit, fast, solid; stylish psychedelic pattern
Cons: Tough to load -- hard to get material onto the heat source; chamber is too big -- not really a mini; felt cheap; pretty much the same thing as the regular V.I.P. model Rating: 14.88
Price: $85 ($110 for two-pen kit)
Website: vipvape.com

 

12. G-Box / G-Coil by Grenco Science
Gpen.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, small metal tank, plastic mouthpiece with two metal screens, two concentrate jars, two USB chargers with wall adapter, “G-Tips” cleaning cotton swabs, small metal “G” dabber, user guide Options: G-Coil, Herbal Vaporizer, Essential Oil Tank
Use with: Wax (see above for other options) Distinguishing characteristics: Artist Series -- collaborations with Action Bronson, The Game, Snoop Dogg, HUF Worldwide; Charity Series -- portion of net proceeds donated to nonprofit organizations; one-year warranty
Pros: Hits well and is durable; nice solid pen
Cons: Slow to heat; kind of big; filling process could be improved -- refill spot is too deep; outer case moves too much -- didn’t feel secure when closed after refill Rating: 15.62
Price: $69.95 - $99.99
Website: grencoscience.com; gpen.com

 

13. Micro Vaped V2
microvaped_v2.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, metal tank, metal mouthpiece, two atomizers, info card, slip-on clip with lanyard, plastic mouthpiece, USB charger with wall adapter
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Cannabis Cup winner -- 3rd place best product
Pros: Cool titanium mouthpiece and coil mechanism; charge slot right in bottom; great hit; durable; performed admirably; overall solid pen Cons: Needs to be easier to refill; hole is too deep Rating: 16.08
Price: $79.99-$99.99
Website: ruvaped.com

 

14. Dabz

 

dabz2.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, standard metal tank, metal mouthpiece, short metal tank, slip on clip with lan- yard, USB charger, metal dabber, instruction card Options: Teapot globe (sold separately)
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Teapot globe
Pros: Great package, carrying case; nothing too flashy; small design -- decently stealthy; easy to load; solid hits; nice tools, accessories; overall solid pen; teapot globe is cool and delivers big hit
Cons: A little heavy; bad packing/filling mechanism Rating: 17.12
Price: $89.99 (Large kit-$139.99)
Website: dabzpv.com

 

15. Dabstix
dabstix.jpg
Kit includes
: Vape unit, USB charger, standard tank/atomizer, globe with nail atomizer (with op- tional colored LED lights inside), slide-on clip with lanyard, plastic mouthpiece, metal mouthpiece, (colored glass mouthpieces also available)
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Colored lights inside globe
Pros: Nice attachments for stealth use and small configurations; rave pen -- lanyard, colored lights, easy to fill up, hits well; overall nice pen; stylish, customizable mouthpieces; lights are cool, has some pretty cool alternative mix and match pieces Cons: Too many lights; draws attention, not stealthy; didn’t like the screen over the atomizer; not as big a hit as similar pens, took longer for the dome to fill
Rating: 16.54
Price: $45 (Herb Pen-$55)
Website: dabstix.com

 

16. Dab OTG
dabotg.jpg

Kit includes: Battery unit, atomizer, two screw-in atomizers, glass dome, USB charger,
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Unique slim globe, four heat settings
Pros: Easy to use, refill; unique design; awesome, monster hit; you get to see how much smoke you’re inhaling; four levels of heat -- ability to change temperatures is useful; you can pack it with fat dabs and it has a really good pull; replace- able ceramic heating element/bowl makes it easy to fly with; very solid
Cons: Only real downside is the lack of stealth Rating: 18.46
Price: $60
Website: dabotg.com

 

17. Baby Trippy Stix
baby_trippystix.jpg
Kit includes: Battery unit, small atomizer, small metal sheath, two metal mouthpieces, USB charger, user guide
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Small and discreet -- can be easily hidden and hit in public; easy pull, produces a solid hit; easier to pack than the standard Trippy Stix
Cons: Isn’t very small for a mini -- not much smaller than the standard Trippy Stix; mouthpiece is too wide; chamber could be easier to pack Rating: 16.08
Price: $100
Website: trippystix.com

 

18. Vape Ape

vapeape.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, glass globe, atomizer with ceramic bowl, plastic mouthpiece, USB charger, small metal dabber
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Custom globes available
Pros: Cool design; stealthy, smallest “micro- dome”; great rips, great pen
Cons: N/A
Rating: 18.08
Price: $79
Website: vapeapeusa.com

 

Mini
We define “minis” as the flatter, shorter style pens that are characteristic of the second generation of pens. Most pens in this class are nearly indistinguishable from one another except for color and a few small details.


19. Escape Vape from Kindstack

escapevape.jpg
Kit includes
: two battery units, two tanks, five rubber mouthpiece tips, USB charger with wall adapter, sticker
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Nice and small; good stealth; delivers huge hit; reliable
Cons: Cap was a bit hard to get off -- casing gets stuck; takes a minute to get going
Rating: 17.15
Price: $79.99
Website: kindstack.com/shop/escapevape

 

20. Sleek from White Rhino

wr_sleek.jpg
Kit includes
: Vape unit, small metal dabber, retractable cord charger and wall adapter
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: N/A
Pros: Easy to hide; great hit; unique funnel-style heating mechanism
Cons: Rubber stopper in the chamber is annoying; chamber is too deep
Rating: 15.71
Price: $59.99
Website: whiterhinoproducts.com

 

21. Power Pen

powerpen.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, USB charger with wall adapter, tank, user guide
Options: Power Pen, Power Pen Package, Super Pen Package
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Two-part atomizer allows for interchangeable tips; 24-7 customer support; gold funnel tip
Pros: Loved the atomizer design -- cool gold chamber, titanium tank; good heating element; easy to refill; nice pull -- really strong hits
Cons: Wish the top would pop off easier; kind of difficult to separate the cap from the bottom to refill
Rating: 17.17
Price: Basic Kit - $50 (see website for other pricing)
Website: power-pen.com

 

22. Cloud Pen 2.0

cloud_2.0.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, tank, USB charger with wall adapter, SkilletTool, rubber mouthpiece, designer carrying case, instruction card, sticker
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: 24 unique patterns and colors (some limited-edition); gold band, 1-year warranty, titanium-grade coil in atomizer
Pros: Very stylish print; gold metal accents and band; funky packaging and carrying case; light, stealthy; easy to use and refill; good hit, works well; sturdy, reliable product
Cons: N/A
Rating: 18.5
Price: Basic kit -- $79.99, Custom patterns -- $99.99
Website: cloudpenz.com

 

23. Cloud V

cloudv.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, retractable cord charger with wall adapter, tank (with optional window) plastic mouthpiece, user guide
Distinguishing characteristics: Lifetime warranty, three High Times Cannabis Cup awards for Best Product, 17 colors available
Pros: Easy to use; nice pull -- hits super hard
Cons: Kind of hard to fill -- pulling top off to refill was more difficult than other minis
Rating: 18.12
Price: $69.99 (Platinum: $79.99)
Website: cloudvapes.com

 

24. Happy Cig by OG Distribution

happycig.jpg
Kit includes
: Two battery units, flower tank with
metal sheath, concentrate tank with metal sheath, clear plastic liquid tank with plastic mouthpiece, USB charger with wall adapter, cleaning brush, five rubber mouthpiece tips, user guide
Use with: Flowers, wax, liquid
Distinguishing characteristics: Three different types of chambers including unique clear tank; one-year warranty on battery
Pros: New, different type of clear tank
Cons: Didn’t pull well; not very easy to fill (annoying that the top is in two sections); really hard to pull -- couldn’t get a hit; sheaths are too tight against atomizer
Rating: 13.38
Price: $79.99 ($24.99 for extra chambers)
Website: thehappycig.com

 

25. Micro G by Grenco Science

gpen_microg.jpg
Kit includes
: Two battery units, two tanks, two concentrate jars, charger with wall adapter, pack of “G-Tip” cotton cleaning swabs, “G” keychain dabber, five rubber mouthpiece tips, user guide
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: one-year warranty
Pros: Lock-on button; nice small size; pretty easy to refill; great for stealth, awesome feature of leaving it on when you press the vape button; can get really good rips
Cons: N/A
Rating: 17.71
Price: $69.95 - $99.99
Website: grencoscience.com, gpen.com

 

26. Pocket Vape from Aardvark NYC

aardvark_nyc.jpg
Kit includes
: battery unit, tank, USB charger
Use with: Wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Black-on-black design with “NYC” on button
Pros: Very cool style; super-stealthy; easy to use and refill; tokes very smooth; the lightest version of the mini
Cons: Hole a bit deep, hard to get wax onto element, doesn’t come with many accessories
Rating: 18.3
Price: $80
Website: aardvarknyc.com

 

Slim
These units are much thinner than the mini  or standard vapor pens—and closer to the width of a cigarette. While more discreet, they are often harder to load.


27. Bullet 2 Go by Atmos

atmos_bullet.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, slim metal tank, plastic mouthpiece with spring disc, USB charger, user guide
Use with: Flowers or wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Gold metal design
Pros: Nice sleek look; compact, stealthy, slim design -- cigarette-sized; hits great; unique heating mechanism
Cons: Hard to clean, chamber is too deep (works well for shatter but would be difficult to pack with gooey material); heating chamber got very hot to the touch; pull was a little difficult, took some effort; you can basically only use shatter or fine grind/dry flowers; good for 3-5 hits only
Rating: 16.33
Price:  $39.99
Website: atmosrx.com

 

28. O.pen Vape

openvape.jpg
Kit includes
: User manual, slim battery unit, USB charger (cartridges sold separately)
Use with: CO2 oil cartridges (flavors: Sour Diesel, Chemdawg, White Widow)
Distinguishing characteristics: Proprietary cartridges
Pros: Slim, solid design; durable; stealthy
Cons: Have to buy cartridges from a medical marijuana dispensary -- must be in a legal/medical state to buy them;  can fill on your own with the right tools, but difficult and messy
Rating: 9.86
Price: $59.99
Website: o-penvape.com

 

29. Dube by White Rhino

wr_dube.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, slim tank, USB charger with wall adapter, cleaning brush, plastic tweezers, small metal dabber
Use with: Flowers or wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Emergency shutoff
Pros: Very nice kit -- good packaging; sleek, pretty stealthy (looks like an e-cig); hits pretty well; easy for shatters or fine grind/dry flowers
Cons: Not good for wetter concentrates -- sticks to plate; messy to load -- can’t really pack it with gooey wax; refill area is too skinny and deep; can get clogged; a bit long; gets very hot; good for 3-5 hits only
Rating: 14.71
Price: $49.99
Website: whiterhinoproducts.com

 

Cigar


30. T-Vape

t-vape.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, tank, two rubber nipple mouthpieces, USB charger with wall adapter, rubber-tipped metal rod for packing and clearing chamber; bristle brush for cleaning chamber, user guide
Options: Short or long e-tube
Used for: Flowers
Distinguishing characteristics: Bigger than all other pens, light and heat stay on
Pros: Cool charger port under screw bottom; easy to fill
Cons: Too large and heavy; hard to hide -- wouldn’t fit in a pocket; hard to figure out how to hit; light stays on -- confusing if it is working or not; too much waiting; takes too long to heat up, then stays really hot until you turn off
Rating: 8.96
Price: $159.99
Website: t-vape.com

 

31. Trifecta by White Rhino

wr_trifecta.jpg
Kit includes
: Battery unit, oil tank with plastic mouthpiece, herb tank, sheath with screen, wax tank, metal filling funnel, small metal dabber, small cleaning brush, plastic tweezers, USB charger with wall adapter, two alcohol wipes, user guide
Used with: Flowers, oil or wax
Distinguishing characteristics: Larger than other pens
Pros: Decent hit; feels durable; multiple smoking attachments -- major points for versatility
Cons: Slightly fatter than standard pens -- too big for stealth; a little bulky; takes a minute to unscrew Rating: 16.21
Price: $159.99
Website: whiterhinoproducts.com

 

Honors:
Best Standard: The Dabbler


Best Short: Vape Ape


Best Mini: Cloud 2.0


Best Slim: Bullet 2 Go


Best Stealth: Aardvark NYC


Best Accessory: Daborizer - solar charger


Best Feature: Source Globe - battery meter


Best Hit: Dab OTG


Most Affordable: Dabstix


Most for the Money: Micro-G


Most Stylish: Trippy Stix


Most Unique: Dabz - Teapot globe


Most Versatile: Trifecta


Best Overall: Dab OTG

 

http://www.hightimes.com/read/high-times-2014-vapor-pen-buyer%E2%80%99s-guide

 

Trix

:bong2:

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