Best Vape Pens of 2018

Smokers and others who are looking for a vape with a kick are probably on the market for the best e-liquid vape pen. These devices are easy and convenient to use – perfect for beginner vapers. In this section, we will talk about the best 510 thread vaporizer pens (meaning that you can use them with different tanks), as well as vape pens that use proprietary or built-in tanks.

Vape pens for dry herbs are the smallest form of a vaporizer. The battery capacity tends to be limited because of the size, and sessions have to be short. But what you do get are stealth and privacy. Dry herb vape pens are portable and convenient.

They are also a much better alternative over smoking a joint. Since the temperature used in a vape pen doesn’t combust the marijuana, it isn’t smoked. With no smoke, there are none of the toxins found in marijuana smoke.

Weed vape pens are tiny and inconspicuous. They are not as powerful or efficient larger portable vaporizers nor do they produce the same quality vapor, but again the purpose of a dry herb vape pen is size and convenience. We understand that there are times when you need a more compact, more portable and more concealable device for vaping your flowers, so let’s talk about some of the best vape pens for dry herbs.

If you’re looking for more options or want to learn more about the best dry herb vape pens for 2018, visit our “Best Dry Herb Vape Pens” page.

Finally, we will take a look at the best vape pens for dabs and waxes. This class of vape pen will vaporize dabs, waxes, concentrates, and often oils. Dabs, waxes, and concentrates all refer to a condensed form of marijuana or botanical extract that takes on a waxy composition. The composition is almost entirely comprised of the active ingredients. Vaping dabs is a very intense experience!

There are close to 20 different marijuana concentrates that can be vaped on, from shatter and budder, all the way to oils and waxes of varying consistencies. Picking the best concentrate vape pen is obviously difficult but not to worry – we have shortlisted the current stars on the market. Whether it is the best wax vape pen or the best oil pen you’re after, here are our 2018 top picks.

For our full guide to best dab pens, visit our “Best Dab/Wax Pens Guide“ page.

There are three main types of vape pens. They are:

• Vape Pens For E-Liquids
• Vape Pens For Dry Herbs
• Vape Pens For Waxes And Concentrates

Vape pens can vaporize e-liquids, dry herbs, or concentrates. Each style of vape pen will require a different heating chamber or atomizer to vaporize your chosen material. It’s good to have some basic knowledge of each type, as it can go a long way in selecting the best pen vaporizer.

Vape Pens for E-liquids

E-liquid vape pens, or e-cigarettes, are the most common and basic type of vape pens. They consist of a battery, an e-liquid tank, and atomizer coil. The atomizer coils will need to be replaced every week to three weeks depending on how much you vape. You manually fill the e-liquid tank with e-juice.

The vaping experience depends on the vapor pen as well as the e-liquid. E-liquids come in a wide variety of flavors, from fruit flavors to bacon flavors to flavorless and everything in between. They usually consist of PG (propylene glycol) VG (vegetable glycerin), artificial flavors, and nicotine.

When choosing e-liquids, you have the option of different levels of nicotine strength, i.e., 0% up to 2.4% or even more. The freedom to choose nicotine level, a variety of flavors and ease of use are the factors that make e-liquid vape pens very popular.

Vape pens for e-liquid are usually much easier to use than more complex box mods. Many new vapers decide to opt for a vape pen for their first e-cigarette.

Vape Pens for Dry Herbs

Vape pens for dry herbs use heat to extract the active ingredients of herbs and botanicals. Very popular for medical marijuana patients, dry herb vaporizers allow for accessing active ingredients without combustion.

The ideal temperature for getting the most out of the THC in marijuana, while also avoiding the toxins from the smoke is around 350°F up to 420°F. After 420°, combustion begins so in effect the marijuana gets smoked rather than vaped, which should be avoided.

Flowers and dry herbs have been used for relaxation as well as medicinal purposes for thousands of years. The popularity of vaping dry herbs is still on the rise, and that’s where dry herb vape pens come in handy. Dried and ground flowers and herbs are put into the chamber of a vape pen. Then the chamber is heated to anywhere between 300 F and 450 F, which vaporizes the ingredients of the material. The vapor is then inhaled.

Marijuana is more potent when vaped, so be mindful.

The best thing about dry herb vape pens is that they are very concealable, can fit into your pocket, and fits easily in your hand. These devices allow you to vape on dry herbs for therapy, medical marijuana prescribed by a doctor, and even dry leaf tobacco. You can also find multi-purpose vape pens that, in addition to dry herbs, also allow you to vape e-juices and waxy concentrates (Like V2 Pro Series 3 ). These vape pens, however, are more expensive, so don’t buy a pen with features that you’ll never use.

Vape Pens for Waxes Concentrates or Oils

Waxy concentrates are usually extracted from particular substances and are very potent. All you need is a small amount. However, loading the waxes can be a little messy if you don’t have much experience. Most importantly, you need a special vape pen that is capable of vaping waxy concentrates such as hash oil – which isn’t legal in most states.

Wax vape pens have a special chamber, where you need to dab the material. This is why they are sometimes also called dab pens. You can find a multi-function wax pen that also allows you to vape e-liquids and even dry herbs, or just a standalone wax pen that’s more affordable, but can be used only for waxy concentrates.

The rule of thumb is that if you know what type of materials you’ll vape, then get the best vape pen for those materials. Getting the best vape pen for your specific needs will offer the best experience and might also save you a few bucks. However, if you vape different types of materials, or you’re unsure about what types of materials you want to vape on, then multipurpose vaporizer pen is the way to go.

Vape pens for waxes and oils are the type of device that will vaporize CBD oil. Vaping CBD has become incredibly popular of late. CBD is a non-psychoactive ingredient extracted from cannabis. CBD vape pens allow you to enjoy the relaxing properties of cannabis without worrying about intoxication.

There are even some health benefits to CBD, besides its relaxing properties. Studies have shown it can reduce the symptoms of depression, is an anti-inflammatory and even can reduce seizures from epilepsy.

Five Tips for Choosing the Best Vape Pen

There is a tradeoff between size and battery life. If you want a more portable pen, you’ll have to compromise on battery. If you want to enjoy extended vaping sessions without having to recharge frequently, you’ll have to settle for bigger, less portable vape pens.

Look For Vape Pens With Internal, Built-In Batteries

Most of the latest and best vape pens are charged with micro-USB, but some may have external batteries. The best quality devices use high-quality built-in batteries. Cheap, low-quality vaporizers use lower grade lithium that has more impurities and causes bad vaping and even safety concerns. The best vape pens on our list all have the best quality internal battery systems that can be quickly and easily recharged.

Airflow

One important thing that many vapers, and especially beginners, don’t pay attention to is the airflow. The amount of airflow has a significant impact on the overall vaping experience of any pen. For a mouth-to-lung pen, you’ll want a pen that has a tight draw; and for more vapor but slightly less flavor, a pen with a lot of airflow is better.

The airflow in a vape pen also helps evenly distribute heating in the chamber. One of the criteria that we considered in determining the best vape pens is airflow.

Heating Chamber Size

If you enjoy extended vaping sessions, make sure that the pen has a large cartridge and chamber, so you don’t run out of material too quickly. Vape pens do not have heating chambers as large as portable vaporizers or desktop vaporizers. What you are getting with a vape pen is compact size. The vape pens on our list all have heating chambers large enough for multiple, fulfilling sessions.

Best Vape Pen Values

The most important factor, but also most difficult to figure out, is whether or not the pen is worth the price. Read the reviews to make sure that any vape pen is worth the investment you’re putting in. You want to make sure that it will have the effect you want and last for a long time. Look for companies that stand behind their product with a warranty.

One thing you need to remember when investing in a vape pen is not to be afraid to spend a bit more for quality. A quality vape pen will pay for itself in getting more mileage out of your materials.

What to Look For in a Good Vape Pen?

Just like with any other product, you need to consider and compare a few of the top vape pens measuring quality, durability, ease of use, and value for money. Vape pens are a unique product, and you should keep some guidelines in mind when buying one:

Legitimacy

Unfortunately, vape pens are very easy to clone. For new vapers, it’s tough to distinguish a copy from a genuine pen. A clone might cost as much as a real product but will perform very poorly. Clones can even be dangerous. A little common sense, however, can save you the hassle. One thing you can do to make sure you’re getting a legit vape pen is to buy from reputable retailers and avoid fishy retailers who offer cheap vape pens.

Another thing you can do to avoid clones is to buy a vape pen directly from an American vape brand like V2 or Mig Vapor. You will be buying directly from the company that makes your pen. On top of that, you will have warranty protection and US-based customer service.

Compatibility

We discussed the three different types of vape pens in the previous section. It goes without saying that when shopping for a vape pen, you need to buy one that supports the type of material you prefer. If you want to get a multipurpose vaporizer pen, make sure it best performs with the material that you most often vape. Doing a little research and reading vapor pen reviews will give you a good idea of the pen’s compatibility.

Performance

If you get an authentic vapor pen, rest assured that you will get decent performance. But some vaporizer pens are very cheap, and you get what you pay for. Cheaper vape pens take too long to heat up, are fragile and can even burn the material. When using cheap vapor pen, you get a burnt taste. That’s why we recommend investing in a decent vaporizer, made by a reputable manufacturer. The best vaporizer pens will give you great flavor and nice throat hits.

Some of the vaporizer pens can allow you to vape multiple materials, which we have already discussed. Multiple functions are always a bonus.

Depending on how they function, there are two major types of vape pens: conduction style and convection style. The performance of the pen greatly depends on its type. In conduction vape pens, the material comes in direct contact with the heating chamber. This can sometimes result in a burnt taste, when the heating element gets too hot or when there is very little material in the chamber.

On the flip, the convection vape pens blow extremely hot air through the material that turns it into vapor. A mesh screen, usually made of glass or metal is used to contain the vaping material. The convection style vape pens usually offer better flavor and taste. However, they can be more expensive and take longer to heat up.

Appearance

Vape pens come in all shapes, designs, and colors, from simple pens to extremely stylish ones like the Series 3X. While appearance doesn’t have anything to do with the performance of the pen, and some obnoxious looking pens might outperform their much better-looking counterparts. However, some people want to own only elegant gadgets, even vape pens.

You will find some outsized pens, but usually, the smaller ones look better, are more elegant and are also concealable. Appearance usually is a matter of personal preference, and it’s up to you what you want. But at least don’t buy a pen that you will feel embarrassed to vape in front of your friends! Likewise, buying a pen that looks extremely stylish but performs poorly is nothing but a waste of your hard-earned money.

Battery Life

Battery life is a major factor in choosing any electronic device these days. Since you’ll use the vape pen as a portable device, you don’t want the battery to die when you need a vape. Vape pens that support bigger batteries are also bigger in size, so there’s a tradeoff.

Vape pens that can be charged via USB are obviously a better choice than the ones that require a unique adapter. Some vape pens also come with a car charger in addition to the wall adapter, which is an added convenience.

Vape Pen Heating Chambers

Vape pen heating chambers are usually steel or ceramic. The heating comes from metal coils. Ideally, you do not want metal vape coils coming into direct contact with dry herb material.

Ceramic coils are known to deliver a pure flavor although you may have to compromise somewhat on vapor quantity. The best ceramic heating chambers, such as those Mig Vapor uses, feature heating coils built into the ceramic material ensuring that there are no exposed metal coils.

Warranty

The top-notch manufacturers back their products with exceptionally long warranties. In fact, a long warranty one of the biggest indicators of high quality.

Warranty and quality are a big part of the reason why companies like V2 and Mig Vapor figure prominently on the list of the best vape pens. Some of the imported products don’t have warranty protection and may, in fact, be counterfeit products. When you buy directly from an American company you know you will get authentic quality.

How does a vape pen work?

Every vape pen consists of two parts: a battery and a heating chamber (a tank or a bowl, depending on the material that you use). The battery supplies the power to the coil in the chamber, which, in turn, heats up the material, creating vapor which is then inhaled through the mouthpiece. Best-rated vape pens don’t burn the vaping material; instead, they slowly cook it until it reaches its evaporation point.

Manufacturers didn’t want users questioning how to turn on a vape pen, so they have kept it simple. Most pens are switched on by pressing the fire button (three or five consecutive clicks will do the trick). However, some are draw-activated, which means they don’t have a fire button and light up on inhale.

How To Use A Vape Pen For the First Time?

A lot of beginners struggle with getting their vape pens operational for the first time. The important thing to remember is that these devices are designed to be easy to use – no more than five minutes should pass from the moment a pen is unpacked until it’s already creating thick vapor. If you’re having problems getting your pen started, follow these guidelines.

How to use a vape pen:

• Connect the battery to the charger until it’s fully charged.
• Add the material to the pen (vape juice inside the tank, dry herb in the chamber, depending on what you’re using).
• Connect the battery to the tank or insert the chamber into the device – screw everything on tightly.
• Screw on the mouth piece.
• Turn the pen on – click the fire button three or five times quickly.
• Press and hold the fire button while inhaling (don’t hold it for more than 10 seconds).
• Release the fire button.

How to use a vape pen varies by device, of course. For example, when using a dry herb vapor pen, finely ground material vapes better. Heating chamber should be fully packed, but not too tight.

This is a general guideline. It would be a good idea to read the instruction manual that comes with your device so there are no surprises.

Are there any 3 in 1 vape pens?

Yes, there are some vape pens on the market that can be used for e-liquids, dry herbs, and concentrates. V2’s Series 3 is one such pen. The important thing to note here is that 3 in 1 vape pens need to have three different heating chambers, one for each of the materials used. Be careful when buying these types of devices; while the performance of Series 3 is solid regardless of the material used, there are many devices on the market that are sub-par and don’t deliver good vaping results. A 3 in 1 vape pen is perfect for beginners who are vaping on all materials but do not want to spend too much money buying a dedicated device for every one of them.

How To Fill a Vape Pen?

A lot of beginners get confused when they try to fill their vape pen for the first time. That’s understandable because the question isn’t really HOW to put juice in a vape pen – it’s WHAT pen are you using. A number of manufacturers have switched to a top-fill system in the recent years. This means that their tanks have a tiny hole at the top that can be opened and e-liquid poured in that way. Others still use the bottom-fill system – the whole tank needs to be unscrewed, tipped over, and then filled.

Best concentrate vape pens are filled in much the same way. When it comes to dry herb pens, however, the procedure is a bit different. First, the mouthpiece needs to be unscrewed and the chamber taken out. After grinding your loose leaf, fill the chamber gently (don’t overfill) and re-assemble the pen.

How To Clean a Vape Pen?

The procedure for cleaning a vape pen will differ depending on the type that is in question. For batteries, it’s often more than enough to wipe them down a clean cloth occasionally, making sure that the connection is free of dirt, caked-in vaping material, or vape juice.

Dry herb pens need to be taken apart every couple of uses and the chamber cleaned with a brush. E-juice and concentrate vape pens require the same treatment but since we are talking about liquids, the process is a bit different. Take the tank apart but place the atomizer (the bit with the coil and the cotton) to the side – you don’t want to get that wet. Take the other parts (mouthpiece, tank glass, the base, airflow control ring) and place them in a bowl. Fill the bowl with warm water and rubbing alcohol, and let the parts soak for a couple of hours. Afterward, clean them with a Q-tip, soak up the excess water with a paper towel, and let sit until they are completely dry.

Can you fly with a vape pen?

In 2016, the US Travel Security Administration added some limitations to flying with vape pens. Vapers are now allowed to have them in their carry on bags, but not in their checked luggage (actually, devices with built-in batteries are not permitted in checked luggage, which automatically applies to most vape pens). As for vape juice, it’s allowed on the plane, but in 3-ounce bottles packed neatly into a one-quart plastic see-through bag per person. It’s possible to carry more vape juice in your checked luggage, but make sure to declare that at the check-in and ask if there are any limitations. Outside of the US, the same rules apply, although the wisest decision is to check the airline conditions before the flight.

Vape pens for e-liquids can potentially leak when they are taken on a plane. To avoid a mess, make sure that they are wrapped in cloth or paper towels, and leave the tank half full. Also, don’t overfill vape juice bottles because e-liquid expands when at high altitudes.

Remember, using vape pens in the air is treated the same as smoking, which means that it should never be done. If you do and are caught, you can expect to be detained and fined upon landing – your best vape pen might even be confiscated!

It may be tempting to bring your weed packed vape pen on a plane, especially if it is legal at the destination. Keep in mind that marijuana, even medical, is against Federal law. Though TSA is not required to look specifically for it if they do find it while searching bags, they have to report it to the authorities which could get unpleasant.

Can you put water in a vape pen?

While it is theoretically possible to water, or even alcohol, in a vape pen, it’s not recommended. Water quickly reaches its boiling point inside a powered up tank, and getting hit in the face by scalding hot droplets is incredibly dangerous. In addition to that, even the best vape pens can’t function properly when filled with water; their atomizers will quickly burn out, producing a sickening burnt taste, and will then need to be replaced.

So, what liquids CAN you put in a vape pen (provided we are talking about an e-juice pen)? It would be best to stick to vape juices from reputable manufacturers. If you’re having problems vaping with a particular vape juice brand, switch to another – keep in mind that high PG e-liquids are easier to vape on since they are not as viscous as high VG juices.

Why is my vape pen blinking?

Depending on the manufacturer, the LED light on a vape pen may blink three times or blink red continuously to indicate that the battery is low or empty. Connect the pen to a charger to see if that solves the problem. If the LED indicator is still blinking and the battery is full, one or more protections might have been triggered (best vape pens on the market have a number of built-in protections). Check whether the tank is screwed on correctly or screwed too tightly (loosen it up a bit) and make sure that there is no liquid on the threads (this can short the battery).

How long to charge a vape pen until it is fully charged?

Depending on the size of its battery, it may take anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours to fully charge a vape pen. Some older pens will charge longer regardless of their size. Best-rated vape pens usually come equipped with fast-charge technology, which significantly speeds up the charging process.

As for how to charge a vape pen, that’s easy – most pens use a regular micro USB charging cable. Simply plug it into the USB connection (should be at the base of the pen) and that’s it. Some manufacturers use proprietary cables (screw-on instead of USB), but the principle will be the same.

Why does my vape pen taste burnt?

If the vapor produced by a vape pen tastes burnt, the most likely problem is the temperature setting. If the temperature is too high, it will burn the vaping material (and cotton, in the case of an e-juice vape pen), producing a foul-tasting flavor. Lower the temperature on your vape pen and test it again. If the problem persists, check the heating chamber.

In the case of concentrate and dry herb vape pens, a simple cleaning of the heating chamber might do the trick (as it removes the old, caked-in material). As for e-juice vape pens, the problem might be in the vape juice that’s used – try low VG juices (they are less viscous high VG juices). If the problem doesn’t go away, remember that this just happens sometimes, even with the best vape pen on the market. In order to get completely rid of the burnt taste, it’s advisable to change the atomizer completely.

Is a vape pen bad for you – vape pen health issues?

There’s no sense in insisting on the fact that vaping is healthy – inhaling anything other than pure air into the lungs definitely isn’t. However, research (Cochrane Review) has shown that vaping doesn’t seem to have any negative short-term health consequences.

Further studies on how vaping affects our overall health are underway (and are still much needed) but, for now, scientists mostly agree that vaping is not as dangerous as smoking. In fact, Public Health England has concluded that ‘vaping is unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco’.

The biggest vape pen danger comes from the fact that these devices are battery-operated. Every battery-operated device needs to be handled carefully (even smartphones, laptops, and tablets) because there’s a (small) risk that the battery will malfunction and explode. Treat your pen style vapes with care and respect (making sure that they don’t get wet or similar) and everything should be ok.

Time to Pick Out the Best Vape Pen for Yourself

We made sure to include the best starter vape pens in this list so that even beginners can pick one up confidently and run with it. That’s because there’s no steep learning curve and all that’s necessary is to load up the material, press the fire button, and inhale. Piece of cake, really.

The important thing to keep in mind is the vaping material. Only the select 3 in 1 vape pens can deal with vape juices, loose leaf, and concentrates. Opt for that when working with a tight budget, but still want to get the most out of your purchase.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. We’ll do our best to answer everything and help you get the best pen style vape on the market!