Last Updated on 6th August 2020

Buying A Vaporizer

If you want to buy a vape device, it is important to remember that the so-called “best” vapes may not always be the best value for you. If you buy a vaporizer that costs a lot of money, you could be wasting your money if it is not suitable for you. The number of vaporizers in the UK has increased a lot in recent years, and there are a lot of different styles and functionalities to choose from. If you’re just getting started it can be hard to figure out what kind of vaporizer to buy. Do you understand the different feature sets? Do you know which one is going to be the best vaporizer for your needs?

Let’s take a look at some of the most important features and points that you need to take into account before you buy a vaporizer in the UK.

What Is Your Budget?

While it is true that there is a link between quality and price, that doesn’t mean that lower-cost vaporizers are not a good choice. There are many cheaper vaporizers on the market and if you look on eBay or other similar sites you will find them, however, the ones that are priced at that level are often knock-offs or inexpensive and made from very low-quality parts.

You may be missing out on a guarantee and find that the warranty service is non-existent. Brand name devices, if priced far lower than the manufacturer’s recommended price, maybe being sold by an unauthorized dealer, which could leave you in a difficult spot if anything goes wrong. They could also be counterfeits, which means that you can’t be sure how they will perform.

Reliability Matters

Reliability is something that is vital if you are going to be using your vaporizer therapeutically. Typically, simple designs will be more reliable since there is a lot less that could break down. With more complex vapes you will need them to be made from high-quality materials to ensure that they are dependable and efficient. Be sure to read lots of reviews to learn as much as you can about the vaporizer before you make a purchasing decision. If they seem to have a good track record then there’s a high chance that they are well-made. If you have the budget, then buying a second back-up vape makes sense.

What About Warranty

No matter how reliable the vaporizer you buy is, there is always the chance that at some point it will break, and that’s when the warranty matters. If you need to have a working vaporizer then that means you need a warranty service you can rely on. Make sure that the company is known to live up to their warranty because a good warranty on paper means nothing if they don’t deliver.

The Warmup Time

Vaporizers depend on heat to work, which means that they need to warm up before you use them. Some vapes can get to their working temperature in a matter of seconds, while others can take upwards of half an hour. Direct flame vaporizers work very quickly, and some mobile, battery-powered devices heat up fast too. There are others, however, that use ceramic heaters and that takes longer to warm up, but once they are warm they can be left on all day, which makes them less frustrating to use than that first sounds.

How Portable Are They?

Most vaporizers can be carried around with you at all times, but some are better than others in this respect. If you don’t want to be tied to a specific location, look for a lightweight vaporizer that will fit in your pocket and that has decent battery life.

Portable vaporizers have a reputation for taking time to warm up or being not particularly efficient. Depending on your needs you may or may not agree with this. Portable vaporizers have improved a lot in the last couple of years so it is well worth looking into them.

Getting Started

Getting the best performance and flavor from your dry herb vaporizer is not always easy. Flame-powered devices need both the right flame length and the right use. Balloon vapes, meanwhile, are much easier to use. It can be frustrating having to learn how to use a dry herb vaporizer but it is worth the effort because the best vapes produce amazing results. For your first dry herb vape, consider something that is relatively easy to get started with.

Ease Of Use

If you like to vape on the go then you should look for something that you can operate with just one hand. Some dry herb vapes can be used with one hand but need two-handed preparation. Others are entirely suitable for one-handed use. Some vaporizers require a finely ground aromatherapy blend, and you may need a space to sit and use a grinder. These issues are things that will be covered clearly in reviews.

What About The Design

There are two key kinds of vaporizers: Conduction and Convection vaporizers. A conduction vape will heat the material as it comes into contact with a hot surface, while a convection vape transfers hot air through the device to heat the material

There is usually an element of both types in a vape design, although they will primarily have one feature and not the other. The convection design is the most popular with newer models but you still can find some modern conduction devices on the market.

Most people see the convection model as being superior since it is less likely to cause combustion. Hot air will pass through the aromatherapy blend in a more even way, and it is easier to control the temperature. Conduction models will heat the surface area, and this means that you need to use a very fine grind, and stir or shake the material between uses to ensure that there is more even exposure to heat. The benefits are that they are more compact, simpler, and less expensive. Conduction models have improved a lot with their latest iterations, so don’t dismiss them out of hand.

Delivery Method

Once the vapor is generated it is usually transferred to the user via a whip (tube), or a stem, or is delivered directly from the unit itself. This is called unassisted delivery. There is also indirect delivery, which fills a balloon or a bag via a pump or a fan. This is known as assisted delivery.

Each of these will have a different aroma. The vapor that comes directly from the vaporizer has the best aroma, and vapor that comes through a stem is also good, the next best is whips, and then balloons and bags are next. The issue with the later ones on the list is that the vapor to air ratio is higher, and when vapor is held in a bag it will start to condense. In addition, the longer you own the vaporizer, the more vapor will build upon the surface area of the bag, and that will eventually stat to impact the aroma.

Build Materials & Vapor Path

The heating products are something that you should care about, as well as anything that will be in the path of the air and vapor you inhale. Good manufacturers will highlight that their products are made using RoHS compliant materials, so you know exactly what it is that you are getting.

Temperature Control Features

Temperature control matters for two key reasons. Firstly, it helps to prevent combustion, and secondly, it ensures that you are able to achieve the perfect temperature for vaporization. This means that you will be able to avoid the release of toxins when you use the device.

A lot of dry herb vaporizers have digital displays that will show the temperature of the inside, however, if they are showing the heater temperature and not the vaporization temperature then this is not as useful as you might think. Some dry herb vaporizers have graduated controls that allow you to pick the same setting each time, and others have fixed heat points that you can choose, allowing for a consistent experience. Some simply have one set temperature that they operate at.

A dry herb vaporizer that is not fixed and does not offer any form of control will give an unpredictable experience depending on how well you are able to manage the temperature. This means that you might overheat it or cause combustion by accident. It is possible to get used to using a vaporizer that lacks temperature control, and there are some very good dry herb vaporizers that do lack the feature but be aware that it is a learning curve.

Power Source

Dry herb vaporizers can be powered by flame or by electricity. Flame vaporizers rely on butane gas, typically from a torch lighter or some other external source. Some users will avoid those vaporizers because they want to keep butane out of the air path, although there are some modern vaporizers that are designed to keep the butane well away from the vapor. Sometimes, the butane is used internally, to power a catalytic converter.

Electrical vaporizers are more popular, and these usually have a ceramic heater. Some electrical vaporizers need plugging in while others have batteries, which means they are more portable. Some have detachable batteries, while some have internal batteries that need to be recharged. The problem with internal batteries is that you will find it harder to replace the batteries when they eventually die since they are often not user-serviceable.

Device Efficiency

Some dry herb vaporizers are thought of as being more efficient than others because they keep the vaporization temperature low and the loads small. These can produce a smooth vapor and a nice aroma but the lower temperature may mean that the aroma does not include all the flavors you are looking for.