Portable Dry Herb Vaporizers: The Must-Have On-the-Go Devices

Best Overall Dry Herb Vaporizers

The best vaporizers of 2019 are a mix of compact, on-the-go units to hefty, desktop vape devices. Top choices and vape reviews predicted the rating below. Every best herbal vaporizer has capabilities important to cope with weed and concentrates. They feature either preset or adjustable temperatures. Some of these vape devices use removable dry herb tanks or have internal ovens.

The heating materials in vapes range from either ceramic, stainless steel or quartz. The smaller vape units have uncomplicated user interfaces that require only a single touch. Battery capacity is less than the stationary vape units, but some offer pass-through charging. The larger, higher-performing units have LED displays and wider ranges

Here are 10 top-rated vaporizers for dry herb:

All the Dry Herb Vaporizers Voted the Best by Vapers

Choosing the Best Vaporizer for You

Battery capacity and the heating element material are not the only things to consider when choosing the right dry herb vaporizer. Besides being able to set a precise temperature or using presets, the heating style also plays an important role.

The more advanced models have LED or LCD screens where users input their ideal temperature directly. The screens feature up/down adjustment buttons, like with box mod vaporizers for e-liquid. Most units have quick heat-up times from anywhere between 5-40 seconds. Heat-up times take longer with conduction devices, as convection ovens heat up faster.

High-end models feature vibrating feedback that lets users know the device is ready. Portable vaporizers have many of the same build materials and heating styles that desktop varieties have. Both use convection or conduction heating to vape their materials. Conduction heating is most common with handheld units, although some premium models use a hybrid-style of heating.

The Best Temperature for Vaping Weed

The temperature range of portable and desktop vaporizers starts near 325F and goes all the way to 430F. There are some variations with that range, but they usually fall within those two figures. User-adjusted temperature settings are standard, but many devices also use preset temperatures that the user can also select.

Choosing the right temperature is important as heat determines the kind of vapor the device produces. Low to mid-range temperatures (325F to 400F) for example, create a thinner, lighter stream of vapor. The flavor is also more notable at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures. Vaping at a temperature higher than 400F ensures bigger, hotter, more intense clouds.

Conduction vs. Convection

The heating style is vital to note as they each have their pros and cons, as well as producing a different type of vapor. Conduction is the main style for portable vaporizers; the reasons being conduction heating elements take up less space, use fewer moving parts, and do not need so much upkeep.

Conduction heating elements also heat-up fast, so users do not have to wait so long for vapor production. As a result, the vapor clouds are more significant, more intense, and more like smoke.
Another plus of conduction units is that they cost less than convection vaporizers.

Convection uses a fan to blow hot air through herbs to make the vapor, which is why it is more common in desktop units. Hot-air units also take longer to heat-up and use more intricate mechanics, so they tend to cost a little more than direct contact vaporizers.

What Makes Marijuana Vaporizers the Best

The best weed vaporizers are for people who want to try something different. Smoking weed still has its fans, but vaping materials puts a new spin on things. The best weed vaporizer can apply the right amount of heat to extract all the active substance from herbs. The vapor the device creates is pure. It is not smoke. The vapor does not have the same harmful chemicals that combustion produces. Temperature is crucial to dry herb vaping. Too much heat causes burning. Too little heat does not vape at all.

The best devices allow users to control heat settings. This control can come in two ways:

• Preset settings
• User-controlled settings

Mid-range vaporizers have preset settings with one-button controls. The range is usually between 220F and 420F, some might go above even 420F. The settings number between three to four/five distinct temperatures. A vaporizer with presets settings is easier to use still, many users prefer having control over their heat. Despite a little higher cost, they are popular as they allow users to set their favorite temperature down to a degree. Temperature affects the vapor, which is why temp control is such an important feature. Low to mid-range heat gives off smoother, less harsh vapor. More heat gives off bigger vapor clouds that might be too much for some vapers.

Vaping marijuana at temperatures between 350°F and 420°F are below the temperature that begins the combustion process which avoids the toxins present in marijuana smoke. No smoke means no carbon monoxide or benzene, and besides, as I just mentioned it tastes a whole lot better.

The way the best weed vaporizers vape is one more thing to think about. Vape devices either use a heating element that comes in contact with the material and heats it that way. It is a conduction vaporizing style. In convection style hot-air is used to create vapor. With a hot-air oven, all the material gets heated. There is no waste. The vapor is thicker and tastes better, and material lasts longer with hot-air heating.

The two vaporizing styles have their good and bad sides. A heating element device uses less power. Which prolongs battery life. One bad thing about this style of heating is that not all the material gets vaped. If the heating element is at the bottom, the material at the top does not heat up. What most users do to prevent this waste is stop mid-session, open the chamber and stir the material.

A good dry herb vaporizer uses one of two materials in its heating chamber:

• Stainless steel
• Ceramic

Neither of these two materials reacts to heat. So they do not melt, or burn, at least at the temperatures that most vapes can reach. This is important since no chemicals or toxins get inhaled by the user. All-steel chambers are usually heavy, they cost a little more, but they heat-up fast and are easy to clean. All-ceramic ovens are lighter, less expensive, but they take time to heat up and are hard to clean.

Loose-leaf vaporizing devices started as desktop units first. These big machines cost a lot, but their tech was cutting-edge and opened a path to the compact units we see today.

Discreet vaporizers use a lot of the same elements as their big brothers. Elements like convection/conduction heating, clear vapor paths, and temperature control. Before, if someone wanted to vape marijuana they had to use a special rig, use fire and butane torches. These rigs were also not portable. Current vaporizes are small, discrete and compact.

Buying a Vaporizer

Users can buy a good cheap vaporizer fast online. Online vendors have great selection, lowest prices, and they offer daily deals. Local vape shops usually focus more on e-cigs and box mods. They may have some herb gear, but the price may differ from the manufacturers’ a lot.

The vaporizers listed in this review are the best. Vapers on a budget should check out our list of Best Vape Pens. This way they can save some money and buy a cheap, portable dry herb device.

Brick-and-mortar vape shops are excellent sources of info. They may skew more toward e-cigs and vape mods. So they may not have the same amount of know-how about portable units for weed. Head shops have both a great selection and helpful staff. Their prices might be steep though as they usually are at physical locations. Online vendors offer better rates and a wide range of portable models and brands. They also provide speedy delivery right to your front door.

Head shops are stuck in old ways. They will have tons of bongs, pipes and other smoking accessories, but little to do with vaping.

Where Will You Be Doing Most of Your Vaping?

Deciding on what vaporizer to get should also involve whether you want to vape on-the-go or vape exclusively at home. The great thing about portable vaporizers is that they can function both at home or out in public, although, if recreational marijuana is not legal in your area, vaping weed should probably be done in the privacy of the home.

Devices like the Mig Vapor Matrix, Pax 3 or Firefly 2, for example, works as both a home and a portable unit. While, on the other hand, the Herbalizer or Volcano are solely for home use, either alone with a group. Again, the portable devices work just as well for multiple users, as well as for individual use.

Best Portable Vaporizers

The best portable vaporizers can appear and disappear without much effort, while still producing quality vapor. There is a lot that goes into making a device portable. It not only has to be lightweight and compact, but it must also have good battery life (so you don’t have to charge it all the time), easy operation (so you are not constantly trying to figure out how it works) and adjustable settings (so you can have different experiences). The devices listed here hit all those marks, plus, they are all well-made, and reasonably priced.

Weed Vaporizer vs. Concentrate Vaporizer

Dry herb vaporizers differ from wax and concentrate devices in many ways. The nature of aromatic material means that any device that vapes it is larger, compared solid or liquid concentrates pens.

Weed vaporizers are fully integrated. They combine all their elements – heating oven, battery – into one unit. Concentrates pen are similar but smaller. They usually have coil/rod atomizers that do not take up too much space and tinier batteries.

A separate tank and battery set-up are more common for e-liquid devices. There are also 510 tanks for dry herbs, as well as concentrates that connect to 510 mods. Dry herb devices, the more advanced ones, at least, sometimes have LEDs for precision temperature control, like box mods for e-juice.

Screens are not a regular feature for concentrates pens, as their size makes it harder to install one. Pens for oil and wax concentrates tend to be more compact and discreet.

Dry Herb Vaporizers FAQ

WHY USE VAPORIZERS FOR WEED?

Burning anything creates harmful by-products, and the same goes for marijuana. Vaping weed instead of smoking it can give users the same high, but with fewer chemicals and toxins.

WHY ARE VAPORIZERS SO EXPENSIVE?

Vaporizers do a lot. They produce vapor, but they use batteries, heating elements, and LED screens to do that. What is more, a safe vaping experience needs high-quality materials. This means using ceramic, quartz and glass instead of cheap plastics and glues. It has to do all that AND fit in a pocket (compact devices at least).

Better also means safer. There are far fewer vape explosions happening lately since there are better circuitry and the materials used are more rigorously tested. Lately, most of the problems are caused by mechanical mods. So, you get what you pay for and these days you are paying for a safer product.

Discrete ones do cost a lot, but good units under $50 do exist. Desktop units can be an investment. For all that a device like the Herbalizer can do, though, a high price point is justified. It produces medicinal and recreational vapor. Ex-NASA scientists designed it. It has touchscreen controls.

These kinds of features do not come cheap. Think of desktop vaporizers as home appliances like a fridge or stove that also cost a lot. The initial investment is high but paying it means the investment will last a very long time and perform very well.

WHAT VAPORIZERS ARE THE BEST?

Reading dry herb vaporizer reviews, one can see what things a unit needs to be the best. If we are talking about compact models, it should have at least three things:

• Quality build materials
• Adjustable heat settings
• Reasonable price

Preset heat levels are good too. The best vapes though give the user the freedom to set whatever temperature they want. Desktop vaporizers are different as they can already do so much. They have all the features listed above and then some. Desktop models should be, above-all, easy-to-use. There are learning curves with desktops, no doubt. The best desktop vapes though are the ones that a user can start using right away.

What It Takes To Be the Best

All the vaporizers here deserve the title, “the best.” They may be different shapes and sizes. They might have different settings, and features or can be made from unique materials. It is their performance that unites them though. They all deliver the best they can do to the user. They all produce great vapor. Most of them are all compact (except for the desktop one) light and easy-to-use. But one stands out due to the innovative control: the Pax has Bluetooth so even a smartphone can control it.

Despite the Pax 3’s advanced features, users should not believe that only the most expensive, most high-tech devices are the best. Great vapor production is possible with many different types of vaporizers. Users should find out for themselves the qualities and attributes they want their device to have. The qualities and attributes of the best vaporizers that were laid out in this article should be a good guide. What are the most important qualities for you for a herb or concentrates vaporizer? Do you care more about heating-style, build material or temperature settings? Or does brand, price and design matter more to you? Let us know when you want to pick up a new device by leaving a comment in the section below, so we can give you some helpful hints.