KandyPens K-Vape Review

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by James Bickford

Updated: December 21, 2020

KandyPens K-Vape desktop

Review Score: 93/100

Price range:
$74.98-$99.97
Color:
Black
Battery Capacity:
1100 mAh
Material of Mouthpiece:
Glass
Works with:
  • Herbs icon

Pros

  • Aluminum Body
  • Wide temperature range
  • Good vapor production

Cons

  • Glass mouthpiece

Starting Price: $ 99.97

The KandyPens K-Vape pen is a dry herb vaporizer with a ceramic-lined heating chamber. The K-Vape pen has a simple, matte black or matte white finish and uses a single operating button. Along the front of the aluminum alloy chassis are four LEDs. These LEDs show the device’s current temperature settings and battery life.

Users have a choice of four different heat settings on the K-Vape. The range of temperatures runs from 350F, 375F, 400F to 428F. The device uses a hybrid-heating style, using both convection and conduction. Users can also make use of the vape’s pass-through charging feature, whenever they need to recharge the battery.

Close-up With the K-Vape Pen

The KandyPens K-Vape pen features an all-ceramic heating chamber with a glass mouthpiece. The glass mouthpiece also features two different styles of filters. The first one sits right over the chamber and has a showerhead design. There is a second filter with a honeycomb design further behind the first one. The two screens both come off as users would have to clean them occasionally.

The mouthpiece sits atop the chamber, but it is press-fitted into place. Unlike other devices, K-Vape pen has no magnets or threads to keep the piece in place. Users need only pull off the mouthpiece to access the oven. And those are the only two pieces of the K-Pen vaporizer. The battery section has curved sides and makes for an ergonomic shape when holding it in hand. The outer shell of the K-Vape pen is anodized aluminum. KandyPens offers the unit in two matte colors: all-black or all-white.

KandyPens K-Vape desktop

The entire KandyPens K-Vape measures a shade over four inches and weighs under three grams. With these dimensions, the K-Pen vaporizer is very comfortable to carry around in a pocket. Along the front of the device are four LEDs that show heating level and battery life.

There is a single, almost-flush power button right above the LEDs. The one-button controls the device and lets users select their preferred heat setting. There is a K-shaped logo under the LEDs and a USB charging port at the very base. The internal cell has a capacity of 1100mAh and can run for a full hour before needing to recharge. The KandyPens battery supports pass-through charging, so users can vape while the battery is recharging.

What’s in the KandyPens K-Vape Vaporizer Box

The KandyPens K-Vape pen vaporizer comes with all the tools and accessories that most dry herb vaporizers come with these days. The device comes in a long, rectangular box with a slip-off cover.

kandypens-k-vape-in-box-image

The kit includes the following:

  • 1x KandyPens K-Vape Pro Battery
  • 2x Glass Mouthpiece
  • 1x Micro-USB Charging Cord
  • 1x Wire Brush
  • 1x Instruction Card

Build and Design Quality of the K-Pen Vape

The KandyPens K-Vape has a similar design structure to many other dry herb devices. The heating chamber is top-loading, so users need to remove the glass mouthpiece to access it. There are two thin slits on either side of the oven, which is to let air in to produce vapor when a user inhales.

The glass mouthpiece itself has a unique configuration. It has flattened sides with a single airflow in the center. The mouthpiece has an anodized aluminum base, so the glass does not get heated as well.

The base also offers some protection if the mouthpiece were to fall, but the glass itself is sturdy and durable. The K Vaporizer is a two-piece device, but one of them is the solidly-built battery, and the other is the mouthpiece, so there’s little danger that either of them could break.

Battery and Temperature Settings

The K-Pen vape has four separate heat settings. Each temperature is color-coded, and the temperature range is the following:

  • Yellow = 350F
  • Green = 375F
  • Red = 400F
  • Blue = 428F

The heat settings run the range of other comparable devices. Heat settings for dry herb devices offer either high-quality flavor (low-temperatures) or large cloud size (high-temperatures), so K-Vape pen having two levels at either spectrum gives users a lot of versatility.

Of course, four preset temperatures are not the same as having precision temperature control. It would be ideal for users to input their preferred setting, but those devices cost a lot more than the KandyPens dry herb device. For a mid-range, budget vape like the K-Vape pen, though, four preset temperatures is an advantage over other similar units.

Getting the K-Vape to Work

The design and configuration of the KandyPens K-Pen vaporizer make it very user-friendly. There are no separate chambers or pieces that have to be added or attached. Users need only charge the battery until it’s full and then add their material to the chamber.

kandypens-k-vape-vaporizer-image

The KandyPens K-Vape pen uses a hybrid of convection and conduction heating. It offers the benefits of both, which is high cloud and flavor production. The heat-up time runs between 30-40 seconds. There is no haptic feedback or notification that the device is ready. Instead, the four LEDs will turn a solid color to show the K-Vape pen is ready.

Users need to do the following to get the unit vaping:

  1. Grind their material to a semi-coarse consistency, neither too fine nor too coarse
  2. Take off the glass mouthpiece to access the chamber
  3. Load the material without fully packing the crucible
  4. Replace the glass mouthpiece and turn on the device with five clicks of the power button
  5. The device will start to heat to last temperature setting, or vapers can hold down the power button to select from the four preset settings

Cleaning the Device

Cleaning a heating chamber is a regular part of owning a dry herb vaporizer. The leftover material, aka duff, ABV (already-been-vaped), whatever you want to call it needs to be removed after every session. Taking out the ABV is vital to keep the ceramic walls of the crucible gleaming white (in the case of the KandyPens dry herb device).

Cleaning the all-ceramic chamber on the KandyPens K-Vape pen is very easy. After the session has finished, users can remove the mouthpiece and use the wire brush included in the kit to remove the vaped material from the oven. This might not be necessary after every session, but users will also have to clean the filters beneath the mouthpiece when necessary.

When users notice the draw getting much harder, it might be because the filters have clogged. There are two extra screens, along with two extra mouthpieces in the kit, so users can replace them instead of cleaning them when needed. If they want to clean the filters, users can drop them in some isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes then let them dry off for another five minutes.

The KandyPens K-Vape in Action

The K-Vape pen performed on a level consistent with its features and capabilities. Loading and getting the vape ready was very straightforward. The chamber opening has a sloping rim around it, so any material that gets stuck there tumbles down into the oven instead of staying there.

KandyPens says the chamber can hold about 0.5g of material, but it would be wise to leave a little room at the top for the air to flow. The K-Vape pen uses a hybrid heating style. This combination is why the heat-up time for the K-Vape is long.

The device first heats-up (conduction), then convection is added when a user starts to inhale, pulling air into the chamber through the side airflow vents. The air in the chamber gets hot and then passes through the material to activate all the ingredients in the dry herb.

Despite the long heat-up time, the KandyPens K-Vape pen delivers quality vapor. When starting with the lowest heating settings, vapor production is not so high. Users will begin to get more bountiful clouds after their first few pulls, and after the device has reached its temperature. Switching between the four temperature levels is easy, as well. One way to take advantage of all the temperatures in one session is by starting at one heat setting and then finishing off the session at the highest setting. This way, all the material inside the chamber gets thoroughly vaped.

The Vape-Off: the KandyPens K-Vape vs. the Pax 2 vs. the Mig Vapor Khan

The Pax 2

The Pax 2 features an all-aluminum outer shell and has four pre-set temperature settings like the KandyPens K-Vape. The device uses a stainless steel material chamber that is bottom-loaded, as opposed to the all-ceramic, top-loading chamber of the K-Vape.

Pax 2 Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer image

The Pax 2 has two styles of mouthpiece: one that sits flush on top of the unit and the other that extends out. The Pax 2 also has a battery capacity of 2600mAh, which is much higher than the 1100mAh of KandyPens the K-Vape. The Pax 2 has a similar heat-up time of 45 seconds that the K-Vape also has, but the Pax 2 vibrates when ready. The Pax 2 is also at a higher price point than the K-Vape, but not by a lot.

The Mig Vapor Khan

The Mig Vapor Khan is a dry herb device with an internal battery capacity of 2200mAh, which is much higher than either the Pax or K-Vape. The Khan has a small LED display to enable precise temperature control.

Khan dry herb vaporizer by migvapor

Unlike either the Pax 2 or the K-Vape, users can set their temperature on the Khan rather than using preset temperatures. The temperature range for the Khan is between 302F and 464F, which is, again, much higher than either the Pax 2 (420F) and the K-Vape (428F). The heating oven on the Khan is all-ceramic, and there is a glass carb cap/mouthpiece that covers the oven, which is from where the vapor exits.

KandyPens K-Vape Vaporizer Specification

KandyPens K-Vape Vaporizer
4 Temperature Settings: 350 °F, 375 °F, 400 °F, & 428 °F
Oven Capacity: 0.2g
Operating Interface: One-button control
Battery Capacity: 1100 mAh
Material of Mouthpiece: Glass

Pros & Cons

The Positives

  • Aluminum Body
  • Pass-Through Charging
  • Wide temperature range
  • Good vapor production
  • Convection and Conduction Heating

The Negatives

  • Glass mouthpiece
  • Long charge

The Final Word on the KandyPens K-Vape Vaporizer

The KandyPens K-Vape Pro – there is a special edition 24K-Vape with three temperature settings and a different exterior – is a mid-range, dry herb vaporizer that has better-than-average performance and functions. The K-Vape pen has four preset temperatures that offer a good range of variety. It has a simple, straightforward design that makes it very user-friendly while also producing quality vapor.

Published: November 30, 2017Updated: December 21, 2020
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James Bickford

My way of understanding the significance of vaping came not only through the disruption of smoking but its effects on society as a whole. Now I bring people to vaping and bring vaping to people. I love using new gear, writing in-depth reviews and generally nerding out about vaping to like-minded people.


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