What Is A Vaporizer

Posted on May 04 in Smokewareby Frater OzPrint

With an array of models boasting a wide range of features at vastly differing prices, the current vaporizer market can be confusing-but it doesn’t have to be. Selecting the “best” vaporizer for you is about matching the available units with your personal toking preferences.

For at least ten thousand years, humans have been smoking and eating cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes. Vaporization, a relatively new technology (at least in modern form), is a relatively new way for people consume the kind herb. While many old-school tokers prefer an earthy joint or the sex appeal of a finely crafted glass pipe, vaporization is a decidedly efficient method of consuming marijuana, healthier than smoking (especially for chronic consumers) and gaining thousands of converts each month.

Even if you don’t give a damn about the health benefits, consider that a good vaporizer, properly used, can stretch your pot supply roughly twice as far. With good herb selling for more than $400 an ounce in many areas, vaporization’s purse-string appeal-resulting from THC-extraction rates that are clearly superior those generated by smoking-can’t be ignored.

Depending on consumption levels, many vaporizer models actually pay for themselves in only a few months. Vaporizers allow you to get more “high” per gram of ganja, through more efficient extraction of THC from the
sample, while leaving behind the nasty tars and other by-products resulting from the combustion of vegetable matter.

Today’s vaporizer market has erupted, with dozens of models now available within a wide range of prices and categories. But choosing a vaporizer isn’t as simple as deciding what’s good and what’s bad or declaring the “best” model.

A wide variety of designs and technologies, each offering its own pros and cons, make up the current vaporizer landscape. The best model for a dorm-dwelling student in Denver isn’t necessarily the wisest choice for a suburban soccer mom in Memphis.

Heat Type: Conduction vs. Convection
While there are a number of mechanisms and form factors employed in today’s vaporizer market, two primary technologies are utilized by nearly all vaporizers: Conduction and convection.

Conduction, or “hot-plate,” models work like this: A cannabis sample (or any resinous herb) is placed on an electrified hot plate. The physical contact between the herb and the heated plate results in vaporization of the resin. While not as efficient as most convection models, conduction vaporizers are generally less expensive and more portable than convection models and offer better resin extraction rates than the ultra-portable glass and metal devices that require a manually applied flame.

Convection, a superior-but generally more expensive-vaporization technology, involves passing a stream of hot air (360F-430F) over the herb sample. This causes the resinous glands (trichomes) containing the psychoactive ingredients (cannabinoids) to literally “evaporate,” releasing their feel-good chemicals in the form of vapor. Convection is superior to other technologies because it delivers only resinous materials to the user.

Popular convection models include the Vapolution, VooDoo, Mystifire, Vapezilla (and its digital sibling, Super Vapezilla) and Volatizer VM3 (the most portable convection model available). While convection units can be expensive, good models can be purchased for under $200 (such as the $125 Vapolution, the $149 Vape and the $199 VooDoo).

Efficiency
Efficiency is a measure of the thoroughness with which a particular vaporizer model extracts THC and other active cannabinoids from a sample of herb. Inefficient models result in wasted pot, leaving you with partially consumed buds to cook or smoke (and making you wonder why the hell you paid for a vaporizer in the first place). Among the most efficient models are the Vapezilla and Super Vapezilla, Volcano, Mystifire and Vapolution.

Portability
Some vaporizer models-such as the VooDoo, Vape, Volatizer VM3 and the Dominizer-have begun to focus on portability and stealth. Currently, however, you’ll have to trade portability for efficiency, or vice versa, depending on which attribute you give priority. The most portable models are typically the least efficient (with the exception of the Volatizer VM3 and the Erbo). But keep in mind, this inefficiency is relative to top-shelf models such as the Mystifire, Vapezilla and Volcano. With slick portable models such as the Erbo and Volatizer VM3 beginning to appear, the future is bright for high-end portable vaporization.

Standouts
There’s no such thing as the “best” vaporizer. For example, although they’re certainly top of the line, the Mystifire and Volcano are poor choices for a weekend campout. If your campsite has power, better choices are the VooDoo, Vapolution and Vape. No power? Consider the Erbo or the Solarizer, or buy the optional two-hour battery pack for the Vapolution. Of course, if you have the $500, the lithium-battery-powered Volatizer VM3 is a sweet unit that’s sure to satisfy the most discerning stoner’s geeky gadget lust.

If you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive conduction-based model, the $99 BC Vaporizer is a good choice. If you want a superior convection-based machine, there are many choices in a wide range of prices. Recommended models include the Vapolution, VooDoo, Mystifire, Vapezilla, Volcano and Volatizer VM3.

If bang for your buck in a convection model is what you’re after, check out the VooDoo and Vapolution. Both are great units offering good portability, moderate stealth and good extraction rates.

Summary
The vaporizer market shows no signs of slowing. In the coming year, a plethora of more efficient and less expensive models will appear. A focus of the industry will be portability. Models will begin to appear that combine small form factors designed for travel with high-quality convection-heating technologies (resulting in greater efficiency). As the best convection-based models decrease in price, conduction models will slowly disappear from the market.

Many smoking cafes and compassion clubs are beginning to offer group vapor lounges where “party” models-such as the VooDoo, Volcano, Mystifire and herbalAire-offer the convenience of a passable vapor bag. These models are basically the joints of the vaporization world, allowing for fellowship and interaction with a passable THC source.

In the end, the decision as to which is the “best” vaporizer is a highly subjective one, based entirely on one’s personal preferences, reasons for vaporizing and budget. You can spend as little as $40 for a Solarizer or $99 for a BC Vaporizer or the unique, shotgunning Erbo, or as much as $400 for the wicked Vapezilla or $550 on the Volcano. The top portable choices are the $500 Volatizer VM3 and the surprisingly effective $99 Erbo. Regardless of which model you choose, smokeless vaporization is a decidedly healthy choice for the modern toker.