VapeNow Vaporizer Blog

To someone who is just beginning to learn about vaporizers, the wide range of heating elements that come with different vaporizer models can be quite overwhelming. There is also a lot of spammy propaganda out there claiming that this or that heating element is the best. We’ve published the article below to aid those looking to learn about vaporizer heating elements from an unbiased source. [At right: the herbalAire's aluminum heating element]

Introduction: Our heating element can beat up your heating element…
Anyone who has taken two seconds to survey the breadth of the vaporizer market quickly notices that various brands tout their heating element as “the best available” while pointing out health risks associated with their competitors’ models. Evaluating all these (sometimes conflicting) statements can be quite a task. The purpose of this article is not to endorse a specific type of heating element, but instead to gather the available information about heating elements in one place to aid people in making informed decisions when buying a vaporizer.

Why Do Heating Elements Matter?
The heating element is the most integral part of any vaporizer. It regulates the temperature of the air that catalyzes the active ingredients as the air passes through it. A note: the air passing through the heating element may be either propelled by a pump in balloon-style models i.e. the Volcano Vaporizer or by one’s own in direct-inhalation style vaporizers i.e. the VaporCannon. Some models, such as the herbalAire, are capable of both balloon and direct-inhale style vaporization. A primary requirement for all heating elements is precision – you want your vaporizer to actually be at the temperature you set – but health considerations may also play when people shop for vaporizers. (more)

Read the entire article: Types of Vaporizer Heating Elements in our Articles Section

It’s been awhile size we’ve had the Vapezilla or Super Vapezilla vaporizers in stock. About a year ago this spring, Wicked Roots (the company that distributes these two models) informed us that the VapeZilla and Super Vapezilla would be unavailable for some time, which is a shame because we have had quite a few inquiries from customers.

When we checked back with Wicked Roots this past fall and were dismayed to learn that their operations had been disrupted by the wildfires that were going on in California at that time.

We had hoped things would be running smoothly by now, but our latest email elicited only this terse reply:

All wholesale orders have been suspended.

WR

When we asked if they had any idea when things would resume they said that they “not have any idea at this time.”

We’re not exactly sure what’s going on with the Super Vapezilla and the Vapezilla Classic, but it sure is annoying. We still have some accessories, including glass whips and tubing, for the Super Vapezilla and the Vapezilla Classic vaporizers, but for the foreseeable future it seems that vaporizer enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere. If you’re already looking in this price range, we recommend the S&B; Volcano Vaporizer. And if anyone knows what’s going on or has heard through the grapevine, please let us know.

It’s recently come to our attention that a company has stolen Storz & Bickel’s design for the Volcano Classic Vaporizer and manufactured some of their own knockoffs, called “Fuji Vaporizers”. Do not buy these imitations. Although they are the same basic design (see picture below), the materials used are far inferior to the ones S&B; uses to make their vapes. The shell on the Fuji Vaporizer is plastic as opposed to metal. Other parts are also made of low quality plastic, which has a tendency to melt during use. This is a huge health risk. Steer clear of the Fuji Vaporizer.

I just got off the phone with our distributor having received the best possible news ever: the S&B; Volcano, the cream of the vaporizer crop, is once again available in the U.S. We have just placed a large order and you may pre-order Volcanoes here. We have both the Digit and Classic models on the way and should be shipping them out to customers within a week. Volcano accessories and bags will become available shortly.
Storz & Bickel seem to have resolved their customs issues and, altough the company was definitely hurt by the situation in the short run, things seem to be back on track. So if you’ve been looking to purchase the best vaporizer currently on the market, congratulations, you finally can!

It’s been awhile since we first announced the shortage of Volcano Digits and Classics and the supply chain problems Storz & Bickel were having. Since then we have had a number of inquiries regarding the availability of Volcanoes.

The good news is that S&B; is planning to have Volcano Vaporizers (both Digits and Classics) available in the U.S. They have not suspended import, they have only run into some supply chain issues, which they are working to correct. In an interview he gave on January 21st, Michael Schwartz, S&B;’s head of marketing, reaffirmed this fact, stating that S&B; Volcanoes would be available within the next two weeks (Feb 5th by our count). We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this is true and will keep updating our blog as things develop. Not being able to purchase the best vaporizer around is a drag. Until then… Stay up!

Box Vaporizers were one of the first styles of vapes to become widely popular. They are relatively cheap ($100-$200), but still very functional. All Box-Style Vaporizers share similar designs: they consist of a box, which houses the cylindrical heating element, and a whip, which is basically a piece of plastic tube with a glass mouthpiece on one end and a glass opening on the other end that fits over the heating element. They are also all direct-inhale. To use, you turn the vape on, let it heat up, fill your vaporizer whip with material, place the whip over the heating element, and inhale the vapor.

Although the operation of box vaporizers is fairly straightforward, there is a degree of technique involve in the inhalation. You must modulate your breath to achieve the proper rate of airflow past the heating element. Try experiment with short puffs and then long, deep, slow inhales to get a sense of what results from different inhalation styles. Once you figure out how to use a box vaporizer, such as the Vaporbrothers Vaporizer, it can be very rewarding; however, there is a learning curve.

Other models of box-style vapes include the VaporCannon Vaporizer, the VaporBox, and the VaporTower Vaporizer. All these modules come with a standard vapor whip and you can upgrade to a hands free whip for $10-$20 depending on the model.

You’ll notice that the all the VaporTower is the only model that stands upright. All other box vaporizers are slightly angled upwards. According to the manufacturer of the VaporTower and the VaporBox:

“There is really no benefit to trying the VaporBox if you are using a VaporTower. The design of all angled boxes, including the VaporBox is flawed and inferior. Reason is gravity, the herbs falls down to the tip of the heater and/or into the box. We came up with the VaporTower idea by simply flipping over a VaporBox and holding it with the heater pointing straight down so herbs would sit flat on the screen instead of on the glass inner handkit. It was so much better that we designed the VaporTower with vertical placement vs. horizontal or some arbitrary angle. Yet the angled boxes are still more popular due to being on the market for 8 years now.”

These claims agree with our experience. The VaporTower is the best box-style vaporizer that we have used to date. The vertical design makes a lot of sense when you take into account that hot air rises, something that other box vapes seem to have overlooked.

We received some good news from Pyro Products today. They notified us that their popular VooDoo Vaporizer model is available again. Version 5.0 of the VooDoo incorporates a better fan and higher quality heating elements. However, there are only a limited number of these available so place your orders now if you want to make sure to get one!

Our most recent video features the herbalAire Vaporizer by herbalAire Ltd. Fine work again by T. Peters.

As we’ve said before, the herbalAire is in our opinion the second best vaporizer on the market right now, after the Volcano. It is very efficient and easy to use. Read our Staff Review on the herbalAire.

This video features the AroMed 4.0 Vaporizer by Research & Experience. Thanks to T. Peters for his expert hand modeling.

The AroMed 4 is a direct inhale vaporizer. However, it is much different than other direct inhale units, such as the VaporTower or VaporCannon. The AroMed uses a halogen bulb instead of a ceramic heating element for a heat sources, which is a kind of cool feature. The whole setup looks more like a chemistry class that ran into a desk lamp than a vaporizer, but it does produce vapor. We haven’t used it enough to decided whether we like it or not. Once we do, we’ll post a full review. -VN