Vaporizers
Whips
Hydrators
Glassware
Herb Grinders
Storage
Herbal Blends
Essential Oils
Soy Candles
Oil Diffusers
Clothing
Screens
Accessories
Customer Service
[ Background | Vaporizer Types | Review Factors | The Lineup ]
[ The Tests | Score Summary ]
The Vapor Brothers vaporizer has been fully redesigned! It is now the most reliable vaporizer of it's kind!
This review is intended to provide information to individuals interested in trying vaporization for the first time or those returning to vaporization to try out the latest technology.
Background
I have been searching for a healthier way than smoking to ingest my favorite herbs for some time now. I have found that cooking them is an excellent way to ingest them without smoking, however the effects are different and much longer lasting, in addition it is much harder to control the dose. In an attempt to find an alternative I purchased my first vaporizer almost 4 years ago, a Cloud 9. This was essentially a dome vaporizer and the only difference between it and the dome vaporizers of today is the addition of a carb hole (and it was cooler looking than most of the domes of today). I continued my search and discovered the new generation of remote heating and hot air convection vaporizers, I knew as soon as I tried them that I had to set up this site and get these in the hands of smokers everywhere. The time of vaporization has arrived!
Vaporizer Types [Picture]
There are three main types of vaporizers at this point. The first generation vaporizers use a (usually metal) heating element that contacts the herbs directly and heats them to coerce them into releasing their essential elements. The second generation vaporizers that we are seeing now do not heat the herbs directly, they fall into two categories; remote heating and hot air convection. The remote heating vaporizers use a remote heating element, metal or ceramic, and heat the herbs without touching them to coerce them into releasing their essential elements. The hot air convection vaporizers do not heat the herbs directly but heat air that is then drawn over the herbs to coerce them into releasing their essential elements. We are reviewing one of each type.
Review Factors
There are a few factors that are important to me in any device that facilitates ingestion of my herbs. It is along these factors that I will rate each of the vaporizers up for review on a scale of 1-10.
Flavor - though it may be an acquired taste I have found that the flavor of good quality herbs is one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience. The flavor score will be based on how well you can taste the flavor of the herbs compared to smoking.
Efficiency - this rating pertains to how well the vaporizer extracts the essential elements of an herb without waste.
Wait/Session Time - this rating pertains to the wait time involved between deciding you want to ingest some herbs and completing the ingestion.
Vapor/Smoke Ratio - this rating pertains to how well the vaporizer produces only vapor instead of smoke which we are trying to avoid.
Sessionablilty - this rating pertains to how well you can use this vaporizer with a group of friends, ie how easy is it to reload and prepare for the next person.
Style - this rating is obviously subjective so it will vary from person to person, but it is basically a rating of how much you would like to leave this vaporizer sitting out on your end table.
Portability - this rating pertains to how well you can take this vaporizer with you on the go, to friends houses or even to locations without power.
Versatility - how versatile is this vaporizer, can it be used with multiple herbs easily, does it have any other uses.
Value - this references the price of the vaporizer and what you are getting for the value.
Satisfaction - beyond value, how satisfied will you be with this unit if you replace your other methods with it.
The Lineup
The Lineup: Vapor Brothers (left wood box), Vapir (middle blueberry), BC Vaporizer (right dome)
We selected the 3 vaporizers out there that we feel represent what is available.
The first in the lineup is the Vapor Brothers vaporizer. This is a second generation vaporizer that uses hot air convection to heat the herbs and coerce them into releasing their essential elements. This vaporizer uses a metal heating element wrapped in glass. Unlike the dome vaporizers the herbs never touch the metal or hot glass even. Hot air is drawn over the herbs that are held in the external 'Whip' which provides many benefits as you will see.
The second unit in the lineup is the Vapir. This is an advanced digital vaporizer that users far infrared technology to heat the herbs from a distance and coerce them into releasing their essential elements. This vaporizer uses a ceramic heating element which is long lasting. All materials used in the Vapir are FDA approved for aromatherapy and the unit itself is undergoing FDA approval. The digital controls allow super accurate temperature control and the timer feature makes sure you won't leave your Vapir on unattended.
The final unit in the lineup is the BC Vaporizer. This is a vaporizer modeled after the original 'dome style' that all the first generation vaporizers adhered to. They claim to be the inventor of the vaporizer so they were a good choice for the dome model. This is a basic dome, with a metal heating element that holds the herbs and heats them through direct contact, it includes a carb hole to clear the chamber.
The Tests
Flavor Test - how well does it allow you to enjoy the flavor of your herbs
| BC Flavor Score - 0.00 |
| The BC Vaporizer as with the domes I had tried in the past produce a nutty flavor when the herbs are vaporized. Though it is not unpleasant it does not convey the aroma or flavor of the original herbs in any way. Long term smokers who enjoy the flavor of their herbs will find this very annoying. |
| Vapor Brothers Flavor Score - 9.50 |
| After a side by side comparison I personally have found that the Vapor Brothers taste captures even more of the flavor than smoking. It is a clean flavor that embodies all of the aroma of the herb without the burnt taste produce through combustion. First time users may still think smoking tastes better but after continued use I have found that the smoking tastes burnt in comparison. |
| Vapir Flavor Score - 9.00 |
| The Vapir produces the flavor in a different way than the Vapor Brothers and it is much more mild. It still has the freshness but is not as strong and can start to tend towards the nutty side. |
Efficiency Test - will it waste herbs
| BC Efficiency Score - 8.00 |
| The BC was hard to judge in this category. The vapor is all captured in the dome and no waste appears to occur. However it does seem to take a little bit more product to achieve the same results. |
| Vapor Brothers Efficiency Score - 9.00 |
| As noted in the MAPS study the hot air gun (same hot air convection technology) was marginally superior to the hot plate. The Vapor Brothers is the same hot air convection without the water component the study says had a negative effect on the hot air gun vaporizer. Additionally the Vapor Brothers whip design assures you that no vapor is wasted. You actually create the vapor with your draw so you get as much or as little as you would like. The only thing that kept it from getting a 10 was the fact that it can be difficult to judge when the herbs are spent and to avoid vaporizing bad tasting spent herbs I probably cut the session a little shorter than I could have, possibly wasting a small amount of useable herb. |
| Vapir Efficiency Score - 6.00 |
| If the Vapir has one major flaw it is the vents at the top the allow the vapor to escape. When used at lower temperatures this is not as much of an issue, however when you push the temperature higher in order to get the vapor faster it often ends up coming out of the vents, wasting valuable vapor. |
Wait Test - how long will it take to use the unit
| BC Wait Score - 7.00 |
| The BC takes a little time to heat up and start producing vapor. Also during the session after you have utilized all of the herbs in the metal tray you have to again wait the same amount of time for heating. Overall from start to fully enjoying the herbs takes around 10-20 minutes. |
| Vapor Brothers Wait Score - 8.75 |
| This little guy heats up fast and is ready to go in about 1-2 minutes. Also refilling the whip for the next session doesn't take more than a minute and it allows the vaporizer to get hot again while you wait. The only drawback is if multiple people want to session the device there can be a waiting period for each person, this kept it out of the 9 range. However unlike both the BC and the Vapir a single big draw off the VB can give you the full experience of your herbs and often times it only takes one big draw. This vaporizer can produce the big lung filling vapor hits like a smoker is used to, and provides the most smoke like experience of all the vaporizers. |
| Vapir Wait Score - 8.00 |
| The Vapir with the supercharger is ready to go in about 1-2 minutes and depending on temperature you can be inhaling vapor within 2-3 minutes. The thing that lowered the Vapir score was that at the recommended temperature the session time to get the full effect of your herbs was about 10-20 minutes. For someone who is looking to enjoy their herbs quickly this "time to effect" can be a drawback. The thing that kept it in the 8 range was the herb disk design. You can have multiple herb disks ready and waiting thus avoiding the cool down during refill that is experienced with the BC vaporizer. |
Vapor/Smoke Test - can it produce vapor with no smoke
| BC Vapor/Smoke Score - 9.50 |
| The BC Vaporizer produces no smoke as far as we could tell except if you leave the herbs in the tray to long. |
| Vapor Brothers Vapor/Smoke Score - 8.00 |
| If you run this vaporizer too hot then you can easily get smoke. This caused the point loss. Beginners using this unit will often try to draw when the heating element is too hot and draw too slow. This will cause the herbs to get burned instead of vaporized. Though this is a problem, once you begin to get to know your unit you can easily vary the speed at which you draw your hit to avoid any smoke and produce only vapor. |
| Vapir Vapor/Smoke Score - 10.00 |
| Though you can produce smoke if you turn this unit up too high, you will always know when it is up that high because you set the exact temperature with the digital controls. Because of the ability to set the temperature to +/- 2 degrees this unit receives a 10 on this score. At lower temps this unit produces some of the finest vapor you can get, without any hint of smoke. If you are in more of a hurry you can still turn up the temp. The temperature control on this unit along with it's ceramic heating element are among it's most prized attributes. |
Session-ability Test - how well can a group utilize the device
| BC Session-ability Score - 4.00 |
| While the BC can provide vapor for multiple people it seems that each time we could only get one or two good hits off it before we would have to refill it and start over, waiting for the herbs to heat and fill the dome. |
| Vapor Brothers Session-ability Score - 8.00 |
| The Whip design makes setting up the unit for the next person a piece of cake. The only drawback is if someone has just had a nice big rip the next person may have to wait 30 seconds to a minute before the unit is ready for another draw. Vapor Brothers produces a "party" unit with two heating elements to address this issue but if you really can't wait 30 seconds to a minute for your hit you might want to see someone about your problem. :) |
| Vapir Session-ability Score - 7.00 |
| The herb disk design provides a nice solution to allow multiple people to session the unit. The drawback here is that each session may take 10-20 minutes and the most people I found I could put on the unit in that time was about 5. In the same 10-20 minutes the Vapor Brothers could easily service 10 people or more. |
Style Test - would you leave it sitting out?
| BC Style Score - 6.00 |
| This thing looks like a bong you made in high school with whatever was laying around. |
| Vapor Brothers Style Score - 8.00 |
| Because of the whip design the part that holds the herbs is hidden away and this little guy can sit on your end table or desk (mine sits next to my monitor). When people ask what it is "a space heater" is an acceptable answer. The wood grain finish looks nice and it is small and inconspicuous. |
| Vapir Style Score - 8.00 |
| This unit gets an 8 just because it is a well designed piece of machinery. I wouldn't really leave it sitting out but if you like gadgets then this is a winner. I really like the looks of it and so will people who are into new school looking stuff. It stands about a foot tall so it's not low profile but questions about it's use can easily be answered with "aromatherapy" |
Portability Test - how well can you take it on the road
| BC Portability Score - 6.00 |
| The BC is small and can be ported around relatively easy despite the tube sticking out of the top. It requires an outlet to use as does the VB. The thing that cost this unit the extra points was the fact that the unit itself touches the herbs and the dome collects resin. This means that any time you want to take it somewhere a full cleaning is required. |
| Vapor Brothers Portability Score - 7.50 |
| This unit is very small and can easily be ported around. Of course it needs an outlet and that's what cost it a couple points. The reason it came out ahead of the BC is because the only part of the unit that ever touches the herbs is the whip. The whip is easy to clean and hence you can pot this around with little effort and smell. |
| Vapir Portability Score - 9.00 |
| The cordless vapir comes with it's own carrying case and an internal battery that provides 20-25 minutes of vapor time. The thing that is nice about the vapir is that it won't stink and most people have no idea what it is. I have used this unit in the middle of a group of people with no one the wiser of what was going on. The addition of the car adapter allows you to recharge it on the go and the only thing keeping it from getting a 10 was the fact that the 20-25 minutes of vapor time is only good for about 1-2 sessions. |
Versatility Test - are there multiple uses for this vaporizer
| BC Versatility Score - 7.50 |
| You can use multiple herbs in this unit but because of limited temperature control it may be hard to find the correct temp for each herb. Also because of the dome after each use you might have to clean the unit to avoid getting the flavor of the last set of herbs in the next. |
| Vapor Brothers Versatility Score - 8.00 |
| This unit is only slightly more versatile than the BC. Because of the whip it is much easier to switch between different herbs without cross-taste contamination and also it is easier to control the vaporization temperature because you control it with the speed at which you draw the air. |
| Vapir Versatility Score - 10.00 |
| Not only can you use multiple herbs because of the herb disk design, the accurate digital temperature allows you to vaporizer any substance at it's preferred temperature. This unit also has a smoking cessation kit that is available allowing you to utilize the device in an effort to quit nicotine. There are also e-herb disks available that are pre-loaded with particular herbs for different purposes. The Vapir is by far the most versatile vaporizer available. |
Value Test - price vs benefits
| BC Value Score - 6.00 |
| The BC Vaporizer is the cheapest of the 3 vaporizers running about $75-100. However what you get for that money is a home made looking device that produces more waiting than vapor. |
| Vapor Brothers Value Score - 9.00 |
| At $175.00 the Vapor Brothers is not cheap, however it produces large hits without the smoke creating by combustion. |
| Vapir Value Score - 8.50 |
| The vapir is very expensive but when you think about what you are getting for the money it is a good value. Digital controls with an auto-off timer and battery supplied portability are not cheap and the Vapir provides both. |
Satisfaction Test - if you replace your current method with this unit how happy will you be
| BC Satisfaction Score - 3.00 |
| If you replaced your current method with this vaporizer you may not be satisfied. |
| Vapor Brothers Satisfaction Score - 9.00 |
| This vaporizer produces the hits I am used to from a smoking without the smoke of combustion. By far the most satisfying of all the vaporizers I have used. |
| Vapir Satisfaction Score - 7.00 |
| If you like digital controls and gadgets then you will be satisfied. If you are just looking to extract the essence of your herbs without smoke then the 10-20 minute session time will leave you a bit unhappy. It's saving grace is the battery that allows you to take it anywhere, it's versatility, and of course the auto-off timer. Too many times have I left my Vapor Brothers unit on all night or worse while I went away for the weekend. |
Score Summary
Vapor Brothers Score 84.75/100 - as I have said throughout this article the Vapor Brothers provides the most "smoke like" hits of any of the vaporizers. You control your hit size and create the vapor as you draw. Though it can create smoke when used incorrectly, it's price and functionality make this the suggested vaporizer for home users looking to try vaporizing on a budget.
Vapir Score 82.5/100 - The Vapir is by far the most advanced vaporizer available today. It's battery powered portability is a feature to be desired. Also the accuracy of it's digital controls allow you to use it however you see fit and customize your session to your liking. The only drawbacks on the unit are the vents that allow vapor to be wasted and the price. It does have a session time of 10-20 minutes when used at the recommended temperature but by turning it up to around 320 degrees I found that I could cut that down considerably. If you are looking for a Vaporizer that you can take with you on the go and control the temperature down to the degree, to prevent any possibility of smoke, this is the unit for you.
BC Vaporizer Score 57/100 - The dome style vaporization technique is far from what a smoker is looking for.
