Are you the outgoing and adventurous type?
Or are do you like to vape mostly at home?
Different vaporizers suit different lifestyles.
While the decision to go for a:
may seem easy on the surface…the choice gets harder when:
- You’re on a tight budget;
- You want to vape outside but big clouds of potent vapor are your top priority;
- You usually vape in a home environment but want the possibility to vape outdoors as well.
If any of the above applies to you, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s post, you’ll learn the most important differences between vape pens, desktop, and portable vaporizers.
Or browse by paragraph: Click any of the links below to jump to each paragraph:
1. Desktop Vaporizers Come With The Most Advanced Technologies
2. The Bigger They Are… The Harder They Hit
3. Why Desktops Are Better for Long Sessions & Easier to Share
4. Give Yourself Options with Advanced Inhalation Methods
5. One KEY Advantage of Portable Vaporizers
Summarized The Portable vs. Desktop Debate
Exceptions to The Rule
1. Desktop Vaporizers Come With The Most Advanced Technologies
Just like with a computer, the bigger a vaporizer is and the more power it has access to, the more advanced and the more sophisticated the technologies used in it can be.
From halogen bulb heating elements heating your herb in a matter of seconds to advanced heat-retention algorithms keeping the temperature in your herb chamber consistent at all times…
Desktop vaporizers are the cream of the crop when it comes to vaporization technology.
On a frequent basis vaporizer manufacturers hit the market with freshly baked and patented vaporization technologies and it’s hard to keep track.Bbut some of the most noteworthy technologies specific to desktop vaporizers are the following:
- Precise & especially reliable temperature control in 1-2 degree increments;
- Extremely powerful heating elements with 100% convection-style heating;
- Advanced inhalation methods (balloon/whip);
- Forced-air vapor delivery, for if you want the vapor delivered straight to your mouth;
- Integrated water- and air-filters for moist and extra clean vapor.
Now:
All of these technologies lead to many advantages, but three of these advantages, you, as the user will benefit the most from.
Continue below to find out what the main benefits of desktop vaporizers are. But realize there’s ONE thing portable vaporizers and vape pens can’t be outclassed in (not needing a socket to power up your device).
2. The Bigger They Are…The Harder They Hit
If there’s one thing desktop vaporizers outclass portable units in…
It has to be producing massive clouds of vapor that are significantly more potent than what comes out of an average portable vaporizer.
While some desktop vaporizers hit harder than others, ALL desktop vaporizers hit hard. And most of them produce much bigger and potent clouds than 99% of portable vaporizers and vape pens.
What makes desktop vaporizers so powerful compared to their portable little brothers and the even smaller vape pens?
It’s the fact that they are powered through a standard A/C power plug. Compare this to a 2000-3000 mAh battery and it’s no contest really…
Desktop units operate on far higher power levels than their portable brothers.
What does this mean for you?
Powerful and advanced convection-based heating systems, that have no issues whatsoever to produce colossal clouds of thick and milky vapor, filled with cannabinoids like THC and CBD.
3. Why Desktops Are More Efficient and Easier to Share
Everyone’s got a different vaping pattern:
- Maybe you like to vape on-demand, just quickly get in a couple of hits and get out;
- Or maybe you really like to take your time, sit back and puff it up slowly in an extended vaping session.
Of course, this is also fully dependant on the situation you’re in while vaping…
If you’re at a concert you’re not going to pull out your luxury sofa, pull out your big-ass desktop vaporizer, sit back and enjoy a 3-hour vaping-session.
But for those of you who do like long sessions, a desktop vaporizer will be the most efficient choice.
Here’s why:
Desktop vaporizers usually make 100% use of convection style heating.
Convection heating means that your herb heats and decarboxylates through heated air. A conduction heating element heats and decarboxylates your herb by cooking it in direct contact with a heated surface. This heated surface is always the bowl where the herb is situated.
While a conduction heating element continuously cooks your herb, whether you’re using your vaporizer or not…
A 100% convection heating system only cooks your herb when you draw hot air over your herb.
What this means for you is that your herb will only get exposed to heat and turn into vapor when you’re drawing, conserving your herb between draws.
Compared to a conduction heating system, where your herb is continuously being cooked by the heated surface, a true convection heating system is much better in preserving herb when you’re vaporizer is not being used.
Now:
Since portable vaporizers are so compact, even when they’re made with a convection-style heating system, there’s always some conduction heating present. The heating element of a portable vaporizer is always close to the herb chamber.
If you don’t want to waste any herb with a portable vaporizer, you have to finish up your bowl quickly.
This may be you:
But I don’t care about efficiency, I just want a vaporizer that’s easy to share with my buddies. And a small cordless vaporizer just seems way easier to share…
If you like long sessions, you know…those sessions with more than just a few draws per person…
You’ll soon come to realize, that that small portable vaporizer of yours just doesn’t cut it with more than two people.
Desktop vaporizers create much bigger clouds and come with much bigger herb chambers.
A few hits of a powerful desktop vaporizer can produce strong effects. And the best part:
You won’t be refilling your bowl constantly (like you would’ve with a portable vaporizer).
If you want to vape with multiple people, you need something that produces big and tasty clouds, and does it fast, so sharing becomes EASY:
Desktop vaporizers have large bowls/herb chambers and more powerful heating elements.
If group-vaping is your thing, of all desktop vaporizers, balloon-style vaporizers are your best option.
Here’s why:
- Balloon-style vaporizers are foolproof in their use, and can easily be shared with people who never vaped before;
- Balloons are super easy to pass. There’s no risk in breaking delicate glass parts, for example;
- Balloons are large enough to serve multiple people before they run out of vapor, and;
- Are quickly ready for use with a powerful desktop vaporizer producing vapor like nobody’s business.
4. Give Yourself Options with Advanced Inhalation Methods
With a portable vaporizer or vape pen you directly inhale from the mouthpiece, nothing fancy just straightforward direct-draw inhalation, which definitely has benefits in terms of efficiency and flavor:
You stay very close to the source (your herb chamber) and therefore there’s a smaller chance of volatile cannabinoids and terpenes, which are the responsible compounds for the flavor and effects of your vapor, to dissipate or condense on the materials that make up your vapor path.
But efficiency and flavor may not be as important for you, as for me, for example.
With a desktop vaporizer, you can use more inhalation methods. And while these inhalation methods score worse on flavor and efficiency, they score better on other metrics.
So what are these mystical inhalation methods I’m talking about?
Here they are:
- Detachable balloons (bags) for cool and huge clouds of vapor while staying mobile. Balloon-style vaporizers are the easiest vaporizers to use and simply the best for group-vaping;
- A whip for massive and intense draws, while keeping a comfortable distance between you and your vaporizer. Imagine yourself lying on the couch, while puffing away from a powerful desktop vaporizer. A lengthy whip will enable you to do exactly this.
- Integrated water cooling for even bigger and more intense draws. Integrated water-cooling makes your vapor more smooth and highly reduces the harshness that comes with vaping at high temperatures. Seriously if you want to get close to a bong-like experience you should check out vaporizers like the VapeXhale Cloud EVO or Life Saber Vaporizer.
Keep in mind that you can attach a bubbler to most portable vaporizers. It just takes extra work and may not work as well as a desktop vaporizer that comes with integrated water-cooling.
5. One KEY Advantage of Portable Vaporizers and Vape Pens
After reading all these benefits of Desktop Vaporizers you might be wondering:
Why would I ever get a portable vaporizer or vape pen?
Well, if you only vape at home, I highly recommend getting a quality desktop vaporizer. The average desktop vaporizer provides better value for your money than the average portable vaporizer or vape pen.
When it comes to the comparison between portable vaporizers and vape pens, you should know:
Most vape pens for dry herb don’t perform as well as an average portable vaporizer.
That being said, there’s of course one big reason to get a portable vaporizer or vape pen.
Because:
- You want to be able to vaporize while you’re outside or on the move;
- You just want your vaping companion with you anywhere you go, while not having to carry a suitcase;
- Not being tied to an AC cord is kind of liberating, even when you’re home and you just swear by this convenience.
Even if you could carry a practical handheld desktop vaporizer like the Plenty or Life Saber Vaporizer quite easily with you, you would need an electrical plug around, plus it’s hard to be discreet with a machine that’s bigger than your head…
…and this obviously can be a deal-breaker for many.
Portable vaporizers and vape pens provide you the flexibility and mobility to vaporize discreetly, anywhere your heart desires at any time your mind chooses to.
Portable Vaporizers vs Vape Pens
Although vape pens have an attractive form-factor, most true vape pens for dry herb are a waste of money.
There are portable vaporizers that don’t exactly look like a pen but are just as small and compact as a vape pen.
And the best part?
They outclass vape pens on almost every metric a vaporizer can be rated on like:
- Vapor quality;
- Potency;
- Reliability, and;
- Safety.
There’s only one portable vaporizer that looks like a pen that has such a good performance and reliability that I have an easy time recommending it to you.
But here’s the kicker:
It’s a butane-powered vaporizer. Not everyone wants to be tied to using a butane torch lighter every time they decide to take a few hits of vapor.
Now, if you’re ok with it, however, I highly recommend checking out the VapCap M.
Summarized The Portable vs. Desktop Debate:
Why you should go for a portable vaporizer (or vape pen):
- Useable anywhere at any time;
- No cords or wires;
- Discreet;
- Small;
- Easier to get a quick solo session in.
Why you should go for a desktop vaporizer:
- The most advanced vaporization technologies.
- More powerful (higher potency, better taste, and bigger clouds of vapor);
- Way more convenient in group-settings;
- Made to facilitate and more efficient with long sessions;
- Advanced inhalation methods.
Exceptions to The Rule
Now that we’ve discussed the 5 most important differences between portable and desktop vaporizers, we can mention the vaporizers that are exceptional and don’t conform to these differences. There are a few portable vaporizers like the:
These vaporizers easily produce vapor quality that rivals that of the average desktop vaporizer (although you might wonder how ‘portable’ the relatively large MIGHTY is).
Then there are desktop vaporizers like the E-Nano Log Vaporizer:
Which are actually as small as a bigger sized portable and can be carried around quite conveniently and used as long as you have an electrical outlet to plug it in.
When making your ultimate decision, just remember:
Portability and powerful performance don’t always have to rule each other out.
And Finally…
Now that you’ve learned the 5 key differences between desktop, portable vaporizers, and vape pens you’ve got a solid foundation to make the right choice.
But more importantly…
You now know there are portable vaporizers with desktop qualities and desktop vaporizers with ‘almost’ portable qualities…
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