Finding The Best Dry Herb Vaporizer

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

by Zakk Reece

The evolution of dry herb vaporizers has seen the devices go from vape-pen style units to more hefty-but-portable vaporizers to deliver efficient heating and allow for the deeper exploration of your material’s flavor. As advancements in growing and cultivating dry herb have made for more potent strains, advancements in vaporizer technology have let us experience that new potency in more meaningful ways. Dry herb users looking for a more satisfying way to enjoy their next session should look to advanced dry herb vaporizers for the extra boost they need.

Knowing your “vape vibe” is key when finding the best dry herb vaporizer for you. If you just need a classic pen-style dry herb vape the Atmos Jump is a fantastic affordable option, but for those that need more control over things like temperature and heating style an advanced portable dry herb vape is the way to go.

Firefly 2+ portable dry herb vaporizer

There are new heating chamber options, the “gadget factor”, and temperature control methods that are being added to portable dry herb vapes every day, so let’s dive in and see what you should be looking for in your next portable dry herb vape!

Convection vs Conduction Heating

How your dry herb vape heats material can greatly affect your sessions. You’ll be choosing from either a conduction, convection, or hybrid heated dry herb vaporizer. What kind of vapor you want will dictate which heating system you should look for as each option provides different profiles.

How Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer Conduction Heating Works

Conduction heating creates vapor by having the dry herb come in direct contact with the heating element, reaching just below the point of combustion. This heating method gets to temperature the fastest of the 3 options and produces the thickest clouds of vapor, but has the highest risk of combustion.

Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer Convection Heating Explained

On the other end of the vapor spectrum is convection heating. Warm air will cover your material, which is housed in a chamber completely separate from the heating element. This is the best way to experience your dry herb’s flavor, however it does take longer to heat up and the vapor will not be as substantial upon exhale.

Hybrid heating systems, take the best of both above mentioned worlds. These devices will have a similar heating system to a convection unit, but will have the heating method closer to the chamber.

This has the chamber heated up a little bit, to help speed up the heat up process. Your material's flavor is still preserved despite the fast heat up time, and you'll get substantial vapor with each pull from the beginning of the session to the end.

Heating Chambers

The best dry herb vaporizers will have a heating chamber that is easy to load and clean, protects the integrity of your material’s flavor, and is durable. Ceramic and glass are good options for either a convection or conduction heated device. Ceramic doesn’t allow any outside flavors or smells to sully your material’s profile when heated up; glass is also non-reactive and and easier to clean compared to a ceramic tank.

Finding the Right Temperature Control

If you’re just starting out vaping, picking a device with pre-set temperatures is a great way to learn what your preferred cloud profile is and how best you taste your dry herb. Seasoned vape users tend to opt for total temperature control, as you can pinpoint the exact degree you want your material vaped at. There is no “right” answer when it comes to picking a temperature control, just a manner of the user’s preferences.

The DaVinci IQ2 is a portable dry herb vaporizer that has both preset and customizable temperature options, plus a slew of other session enhancing features.

DaVinci IQ2 portable dry herb vaporizer

DaVinci gave the IQ2 “Smart Paths” to take you through different temperature ranges during your session so you can experience more of your material in one sitting, and allows for totally custom temperature control so you can stay at your preferred temperature throughout. On-device dosage is a plus for medicinal users as well.

Enjoying The Best Dry Herb Vaporizers

Hopefully you’ve been able to identify some things to looks for when shopping for a new portable dry herb vaporizer, and don’t forget it’s also important to maintain your device as regularly as possible.