When it comes to vaping and vaporizer safety…
The number ONE question that’s on the mind of us health-conscious cannabis-connoisseurs, is the following:
Are vaporizers safe?
The answer to this question, might shock you…
…NO!
Vaporizers are not always safe!
Even though vaporizing in and of itself is a much better option health-wise than smoking, this only holds true IF you use the right vaporizer.
It is possible to not only negate all the positive effects if you (accidentally) combust with your vaporizer…
But it gets worse:
You can completely wreck your health with heavy metal poisoning and other types of poisoning, if you get the wrong vaporizer.
I hear you thinking:
What the F…, in the name of the vaping gods…how is this possible…?!
Unfortunately not every manufacturer has your health as a top priority…
Sadly, short term profits sometimes trump ethics, also in the vaporizer industry.
But after reading today’s post, worries about wrecking your health with a dangerous vaporizer will be something of the past.
I’m going to exactly show which parts of a vaporizer have the potential to put you in a hospital bed and how you can avoid the dangerous and get the safest vaporizers.
Starting with the most important part of your vaporizer when it comes to safety….
Or browse by paragraph. Click any of the links below to jump to each paragraph:
How to Be Sure You Have a Safe Heating Element
How to Be Sure You Have a Safe Air Path
Does My Vapor Pass Over the Electronics of My Vaporizer?
The Top 5 Safest Vaporizers in the World
1. How to Be Sure You Have a Safe Heating Element
Being the most essential part of your vaporizer, the heating element has the most impact on the safety of your vaporizer. This part of your vaporizer gets the hottest and has the biggest potential to give off unwanted fumes when low quality materials are in it.
Trust me…you really don’t want to be inhaling fumes with lead or mercury particles.
The most important piece of advice I can give you with regards to heating elements is the following:
AVOID no-name and imitation vaporizers (a lot of these are manufactured in China and sold on websites like aliexpress.com, alibaba.com, ebay.com and other action-/wholesale-type of websites).
These vaporizers can have extremely low quality metals or lead soldering in or directly around their heating elements…
…and you are vaporizing to save your health, not to inhale toxic fumes created by a sub-par heating element.
The most simple way to avoid issues like this, is to only buy from reputable brands and their authorized dealers (if you have any doubts, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help you assess whether you’re making a responsible choice).
You can rest assured any vaporizer that you will find on Vaponaut has a good and safe enough heating element for anyone but the paranoid (in a good sense!) among us.
Now:
If you are a little paranoid read below for the most up-to-date facts about materials used for heating elements and their safety implications.
Aluminum Heating Element
Aluminum heating elements are extremely precise in their temperature control. Some of the best vaporizers like the well respected Volcano make use of an aluminum heating element.
Although studies have pointed out health risks associated with exposure to aluminum (it’s linked to Alzheimer for example)…
The temperatures reached by vaporizers are well below the boiling point of aluminum (660°C / 1220°F). This means the element shouldn’t be off-gassing any fumes…
Storz and Bickel actually proofed this in an independent techincal test with their Volcano Vaporizer.
But here’s the kicker:
There have been studies which have shown cookware made of low quality aluminum does leach off at least some aluminum when it comes in contact with acidic products, even though it stays under the boiling point.
Now…is this translatable to vaporizers?
A better question to ask is:
Why would it not be?
Resin (the left-overs of your herb that clog the vapor path of your vaporizer) is acidic after all.
That’s not all…
Just because the aluminum heating element of the Volcano is safe, does not the mean aluminum heating elements of other vaporizers are safe as well.
So be very careful and make sure when the vaporizer of your needs makes use of an aluminum heating element, it comes from a reputable and transparent company to ensure its quality.
Ceramic Heating Element
Ceramic heating elements are often advocated by manufacturers who use them, as the safest…
And while it’s true that pure ceramic can withstand temperatures up to 1648°C / 3000°F, vaporizers rarely reach a temperature higher than 240°C / 464°F (the combustion point of cannabis).
The following logic:
A ceramic heating element has a higher temperature before chemical erosion occurs than aluminum and therefore is safer!
Does not hold much ground when the maximum temperature reached is well below the critical melting point/boiling point of the material anyway.
Besides a lot of ceramic heating elements are made of Alumina (Aluminum oxide). Although having a much higher boiling point, Alumina has the same potential to leech off unwanted substances as regular Aluminum…when of a low enough quality.
In other words: ceramic isn’t necessarily safer.
Also be very careful of manufacturer’s and sellers who advertise the heating element of their vaporizer as ceramic when there’s only a very small ceramic part in the element!
Again…I can’t emphasize this enough:
To avoid issues like this, only buy from reputable brands and their authorized dealers.
What’s the bottom line?
Pure ceramic is safe as a heating element.
Classic example:
Borosilicate glass heating element
Borosilicate glass heating elements are rare and usually are aluminum or ceramic heating elements covered in a glass shell.
Glass is actually the most inert material used in vaporizers (this is evident by the fact that in any study where they compare different sorts of cookware for example, glass is always the material which gets compared with the potential hazardous material)…
So glass does offer an extra layer of protection.
Besides it is the best material to preserve the taste of your herb and is totally eco-friendly.
Classic Example:
2. How to Be Sure You Have a Safe Air Path
Besides having a big impact on the taste of your vapor, the air path is another part when designed poorly, has the potential to wreck your health…
If you didn’t know already…
The air path is the path the air travels from the moment it starts getting used in the vapor production process (this is even before its heated) to the moment it starts filling your airways.
The vapor path is something slightly different: it’s the path your vapor travels from the moment it starts getting produced to the moment it starts filling your airways.
So what exactly is the difference?
The air path is longer, since your vaporizer has to pull in air and heat it before it can send it to your bowl / herb chamber. The path the air travels before it starts heating your herbs, is what makes the air path slighlty longer than the vapor path.
Why does this matter?
The path the air travels before it starts heating your herbs is important for your safety as well.
Although it’s just cold air, particle pollution CAN occur during this stage as well (small toxic particles CAN mix with the air, even though it’s cold).
And what happens when these small toxic particles are part of the vapor you inhale?
This all depends on what exactly you’re inhaling…but it porbably won’t be good for your health.
Realize the following though:
Particle pollution occurring in the air path before it reaches your heating element is less likely…
Here’s why:
Heated air is more reactive than cold air.
There are only four (4) materials of which your air path can be made up:
- Borosilicate glass;
- Stainless steel;
- Plastic;
- Silicone.
Now:
Each of these materials have their own pros and cons…but when talking about vaporizer safety, it is of paramount importance that:
- These materials are of an high enough quality that no chemical reaction occurs, when they come in contact with the hot air that gets directed through the vapor path.
Onto the safety implications of each of these materials…
Glass
A glass air-path would be your best option from a safety standpoint…but also from a vapor quality standpoint!
Glass is the most inert material of these 4 (check out this study for example) and any chemical reaction occurring from the hot air that passes through it is zero (0).
Glass doesn’t absorb anything either…it’s no coincidence that the pharmaceutical sector puts full faith into glass to protect products from contamination.
On top of these qualites, borosilicate glass is extremely heat- and thermo-shock resistant…
Really, an all glass air-path is what every vaporizer SHOULD have.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel, when of the right type (type 304 and 316) is highly resistant to corrosion and is food-safe. What this means is these types of stainless steel are perfectly safe to have in your vapor path (even though stainless steel is less inert than glass).
Some studies have shown stainless steel cookware can give off nickel and chromium when it comes in contact with acidic foods…however the quantities were way below the daily maximum intake.
To be completely safe, just make sure you regularly clean your stainless steel parts…don’t let resin build up and give acid room to do its corrosive work.
Plastic
I don’t know about you…
But to me plastic pieces in my vapor path does sound fishy.
Here’s why:
Plastic does have a bad name in general and some types of plastics are definitely not suitable in a vaporizer.
We personally at Vaponaut don’t like Vinyl whip tubing for example…because it’s made from PVC plastic. Even though any PVC/Vinyl whip that comes with vaporizers like the Da Buddha Vaporizer or Silver Surfer Vaporizer does get advertised as food safe, PVC is actually one of the most toxic plastics.
Not only can it leach toxic substances when storing food/drinks, but also the plasticizer material DEHP that’s being used to soften PVC has adverse effects on the male reproductive system of rats! What I recommend instead, is get a food/medical grade silicone tubing like this one.
Now:
There are some plastic types which are safe to be used in vaporizers, here’s a list of food-safe plastics:
- Natural grade Nylon 6 & 6.6 (without additives);
- Acetal;
- Polyethylene in grade 300 – 500;
- UHMWPE;
- Polypropylene;
- Polyester (PET);
- PVDF;
- PEEK;
If there’s any plastic around the heating element, make sure it’s heat resistant up to regular vaporization temperatures (up to 240°C / 464°F).
Essentially, the only types of plastics which qualify as this are high-performance thermoplastics:
(keep in mind there are many proprietary high-performance thermoplastics which are not in this pyramid)
Also make sure you regularly clean it and give acidic resin build-up no chance to corrode anything.
Silicone
Silicone pieces in your vapor path will mostly be present if you’re using a whip.
Again…a silicone whip is perfectly fine, as long as you have medical/food grade silicone (like this one) and don’t let any herb resin build up by regularly cleaning it.
Also keep in mind:
High quality silicone is heat-resistant already, so there really is no need to look for especially heat-resistant silicone.
3. Does My Vapor Pass Over the Electronics of My Vaporizer?
There have been concerns about air passing over the electronics used in vaporizers…
One example is the Arizer Extreme Q, it has been shown cold air passes through the electronics before it gets heated by the heating element and directed through the vapor path.
Currently there are no documented issues with such an air path…
But we do know one (1) thing:
A lot of electronic products contain heavy metals and other unsafe materials. You definitely don’t want to be inhaling particles of any of these.
Now:
I’m not saying you are inhaling dangerous particles when you use a vaporizer like the Arizer Extreme Q.
But just keep in mind:
You could be inhaling unwanted materials…and just because there are no known issues yet, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
If you want to take maximum pre-cautions avoid the Arizer desktop models like the Extreme Q and V-Tower. The Arizer portables are perfectly fine in that sense.
4. The Top 4 Safest Vaporizers in the World
If safety is a top priority for you, it is fully advisable to learn everything there is to know about it…
But maybe you just don’t have the time for it right now and you just want a list of vaporizers that score high on the vaporizer safety scale. There are two (2) ways you can look at this:
- Look for the vaporizers which have official (medical) certifications and/or are refunded by insurance companies as a ‘medical device’.
- The other way is to simply use common sense and look for vaporizers with a lot of glass in their air paths, high quality stainless steel or glass encapsulated heating elements and water-filter integration or at least a good possibility to add one. And last but not least…are fully transparent about the materials they used in their design.
Personally, I trust my own intuition and judgement based on sound knowledge.
However…
If a vaporizer has any official (medical) certifications, it definitely puts a lot of weight into the scale. It’s by no means easy to get such certifications… and when a team of health experts concludes a particular vaporizer can be classified as a medical device, it most probably is very safe to use. That’s why I rate these vaporizers the highest on the safety scale.
Portable
1. MIGHTY (full review)
A plastic vaporizer as the number 1 safe portable vaporizer?
Yes, it’s possible.
The MIGHTY is using extremely high quality medical-grade and heat-resistant plastic.
And actually is the ONLY portable vaporizer which is officialy licensed as a medical device (in Canada).
What this means is a governmental body decided that the MIGHTY is perfectly safe to use as a medical device.
Now:
I don’t know the exact process how they came to this conclusion, but Canada is by no means a corrupt third world country and I can only assume they must have extensively tested the MIGHTY to come to such a conclusion.
I do trust the Canadian government on this and I do feel the MIGHTY is currently one of the, if not the safest portable vaporizers you can get.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – USA.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – Europe.
2. Firefly 2 (full review)
The Firefly 2 is the only portable vaporizer that I know of which (except for the plastic mouthpiece) truly has an all glass air-path.
A lot of manufacturers claim their vaporizer has an all glass air-path…but usually it’s just 1 part of the air-path which is made from glass (again…the FF2 has a plastic mouthpiece, but this is the least crucial part in the air-path in terms of safety).
Here’s the deal with the FF2:
- Except for the plastic mouthpiece, an all-glass air-path;
- A glass encapsulated heating element;
- A glass bowl;
- There seems to be no (heated) air passing through the electronics.
So although it has no medical certifications, the Firefly 2 by its core design is a very safe vaporizer to use.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – USA.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – Europe.
Desktop
1. Volcano Vaporizer (full review)
The Volcano is the only vaporizer which is officially certified as class 2 medical device (keep in mind this is the Volcano Medic, which is exactly the same as the Volcano Classic or Digit except for a slightly different Valve):
On top of this in 2006 an independent study at the Dutch University in Leiden tested the Volcano and came to the conclusion that it is a ‘safe and effective cannabinoids delivery system’.
One downside of this vaporizer is you can’t really attach it to a water-bong if you would like to add an extra layer of filtration.
But can’t really argue with medical certifications so if you’re looking for the safest desktop vapoizer get the Volcano.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – USA.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – Europe.
2. VapeXhale Cloud Evo (full review)
Although this beast of a vaporizer doesn’t have any official certifications, the design and materials used speak for themselves from a safety standpoint:
- An all borosilicate glass air path… as you know by now, glass is the safest and most inert material that can be used in a vaporizer.
- A ceramic heating element which is completely separated from the glass air path (well…actually it’s wrapped around it, but not part of it). Any potential of an old or rusty heating element polluting your vapor is virtually non-existent.
- Integrated water-filtration to filter out any fine dusts which might have accumulated over time, if you get a HydraTube with your Cloud EVO (which I absolutely recommend!)
The VapeXhale Cloud EVO is the safest direct-draw vaporizer you can get, and material-wise probably the safest desktop vaporizer.
- Click here to see current price and reviews – USA.
IMPORTANT: use coupon code VAPONAUT10 to get 10% off your purchase! - Click here to see current price and reviews – Europe.
A Word About the Safety of E-Cigarettes and E-Liquids…
Since electronic cigarettes with e-liquids hit the market many years ago…
The whole vaporizer- and quit-smoking-industry jumped on the bandwagon and started advocating that vaping with electronic cigarettes was THE way to quit smoking, because supposedly it was 95% healthier than smoking.
And all this was based off of 1 study!
Over the years, more and more research has poured into determining ALL the effects of electronic cigarettes…
And read very carefully now…
There are several studies which point to to the fact that e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes can be unhealthy for your oral health.
If you want the full story, click here.
The bottom line is:
Electronic cigarettes and e-liquids are not always safe and I don’t recommend just using any type of e-cigarette or e-liquid!
Do yourself a favor…
And get yourself a vape pen specifically designed to be vaped with e-liquids or oils and some high-quality e-liquid PLUS vape at low voltage/low temperatures to avoid dangerous toxins.
Final Words
You learned vaporizing is only healthier than smoking if you use a proper vaporizer.
What is a proper vaporizer?
Any vaporizer from a reputable brand and authorized dealer qualifies as proper…
But some of you need extra assurance and want to absolutely minimize health risks. To understand how you can get this extra assurance, you learned what type of heating elements and air paths are the safest.
And for the most paranoid among us, the top 5 safest vaporizers that you can buy got revealed.
If you enjoyed this post and want more, follow us on Instagram or become a fan on Facebook and click share to look like the most intelligent guy/girl in your social circle.