If you're trying to figure out how to choose a vape for the first time (especially a dry herb vape), we understand if you feel overwhelmed. There are literally hundreds of choices to choose from, and the range of features and prices is enormous.
We understand that you don't want to buy several vapes only to be disappointed with several, so we've made a guide to help make your first purchase a homerun.
Inside, we'll talk about qualities in a vape that you need to consider, as well as kinds of vapes that are good for veterans, beginners, and everything in between!
How To Choose A Vape For Beginners
If you're a beginner at using dry herb vaporizers, there will be characteristics that you want to look for and avoid. Whether you plan on vaping weed or hemp, you should take a look at some of the things you should be looking for in a beginner vape:
Easy to Use
Beginners need a vape that isn't going to overwhelm them when they first use it. This means avoiding complicated, feature-rich devices that are geared towards experienced vapers who know the exact kind of customization they want. This is why beginners should start with a dedicated dry herb vape, as opposed to a box mod with a dry herb attachment.
Dedicated dry herb vapes (like the Firefly 2+), are designed specifically to vape weed and hemp. You may see some crossover in features (for example, the Firefly 2+ and the Pax 3 are designed for weed but can also handle concentrates), but your focus should be a device that was designed primarily for dry herbs.
Heating Variability
Beginners will need to take time to discover what temperatures they enjoy using weed vaporizers, which means it's important for beginners to get a device that can heat at a wide range of temperatures. Some devices support precision heating options, allowing users to adjust the heat by degree, while others have a handful of preset heating choices programmed into the device.
Many devices have both features available since beginners tend to enjoy cycling through the preset heating options while they discover their ideal vapor temperature.
A High-Quality Device at a Comfortable Price
Beginners face the temptations of buying budget dry herb vapes when they first start. While this makes sense, especially if you're vaping weed for the first time, it won't do much good if it provides a terrible vaping experience. You won't know what you like and what you don't if your experience with a low-quality device is poor regardless of settings.
The best option is to choose a high-quality device that is comfortably in your price range. Beginners shouldn't be prepared to drop $500 on a vape but being comfortable with spending around $100-$250 is a nice range to balance quality and price.
What To Look Out For When Buying A Vape
When you are deciding how to choose a vape, it's helpful to know what kinds of vapes you could come across. Here are the most common devices you'll see when you start shopping for a vape:
Vaporizer
A vaporizer is a device that can produce vapor, and the term is a bit of a catch-all for a large swathe of devices. This term is often used for dry herb vaporizers, since most weed vapes aren't true "vape pens" but they aren't really box mods or pod mods, either. The Firefly 2+ is a vaporizer, as are the majority of high-quality weed vapes.
Vape Pen
A vape pen is a cylindrical device, close to the shape and size of a ballpoint pen, that is capable of creating vapor. True vape pens are usually travel-friendly and discreet, but they often lack the power and features that bulkier vape devices may have. There are dry herb and wax vapes that are true vape pens, though you'll need to consider the lack of power or features when shopping.
If you're curious how to use a vape pen, you'll be happy to hear that they are very beginner-friendly.
Box Mods
Box mods are powerful vape batteries that are loaded with extra features. They are also compatible with a wide range of attachments, which makes them ideal choices for vapers who want to regularly change between weed, wax, or oil vaping. Box mods are usually expensive and not beginner-friendly, though veterans may appreciate the features offered.
Pod Mods
Pod mods are vapes that have proprietary, pre-filled pods that fit into specific devices. Unlike most vape pens and box mods, which are usually designed with universal 510 threading, pod mods lock you into a specific kind of vape, substance, and overall vaping experience. These are a great choice if you are nervous about learning how to vape.
Pod mods are almost always THC oil exclusive, so they won't be a good choice if you want to vape dry herbs or wax concentrates.
What Is the Best Vape Pen For Me?
You have to take the time to consider what you want out of a vape to find the best device for your needs. Thinking about the following points can help you narrow down on how to choose a vape:
Vape Substance Compatibility
Do you plan on exclusively vaping weed, or do you want some flexibility to branch out into concentrates? As we mentioned, many devices are capable of handling both, while others are designed exclusively for one substance or the other. For example, the Ares Honey Straw is made exclusively for concentrates, while the Firefly 2+ can handle both weed and wax.
Portability
Not all vaporizers are travel-friendly. If you want to easily vape on the go, you may want a device that is discreet and can easily be packed. If you plan to vape at home, you could consider a desktop vape that is featured-filled and powerful but not at all portable.
Portability doesn't just mean a slender design, either. You'll need to think about how easy it is to load the vape with your preferred substance. Pod mods that use prefilled THC pods will be much easier to load and use than standard vape pens or vapes, but you'll trade that portability for power, features, and options in what you can vape.
Features
Features are key to creating a customized vaping experience, though you'll need to take time to find the vape that has the features you're looking for. If you want precision heating, where you can change the heat degree by degree, then most high-end dry herb vapes (including the Firefly 2+), will be a great choice.
However, you may not want extra features and would prefer a simplified vaping experience. If that's the case, a pen like the Yocan Evolve Plus, a powerful wax pen that does not offer heating options, may be a possible choice for your vaping needs.
How To Find The Safest Vape Device
We really believe that the Firefly 2+ is one of the safest weed vapes available on the market. The vapor path is completely glass, so you don't have to worry about chemicals leaching into your vapor. It also uses dynamic convection heating, so you'll always get vapor, and you'll never get smoke.
That dynamic convection heating is also on-demand, which means you won't need to let the device warm up in order to produce vapor. It'll take around 5 seconds and you can start taking puffs, and that fast heat-up time eliminates the danger of leaving a heated device unattended.
The Firefly 2+ is extremely safe to use, not to mention it also creates great-tasting vapor in seconds.
Vape For a Heavy Smoker, How Do I Choose?
If you're used to large, heavy bong hits when you smoke weed, transitioning to a vape can be challenging. Small vape pens just don't deliver the punch that large smoking pipes do, so heavy smokers need to make sure to choose a vape that can create a large amount of vapor in a short amount of time.
For heavy smokers, the best option is a desktop vape. These devices are stationary, but they have enormous dry herb capacity and can create huge amounts of vapor. Since most desktop vapes plug into an outlet instead of running off of a battery, heavy vapers won't have to worry about the battery dying in the middle of an extended vaping session.
The Stors and Bickel Volcano desktop vape is a classic example of a high-end, high-quality device for heavy vapers. It can plug into a wall outlet, has a large capacity for dry herbs or concentrates, and can create enormous plumes of vapor quickly.
Conclusion
How to choose a vape will be impacted by a number of personal factors that need to be considered. Take the time to consider your vaping needs and match that with potential devices on the market. It's the best way to choose a vape you love on the first purchase.
