Portable Vaporizers vs Desktop Vaporizers: Which is Better?

Portable Vaporizers vs Desktop Vaporizers: Which is Better?

As if selecting between wax concentrates and dry herb strains cannot be hard enough, choosing between desktop vaporizers and portable vaporizers can be just as challenging. If you are new to vaping and are on the fence about investing in a portable dry herb vaporizer or a desktop vaporizer, you are in the right place. It is no coincidence that Google led you to our page. Here, we will talk about portable vapes and desktop rigs and which among these platforms make for a better choice.

Let us start by looking at how much they differ from one another.

smiley face happy about portable and desktop vapes

Vape Pen Size

For obvious reasons, desktop vaporizers are larger than portable vaporizers. They are bulkier and are heavier than their portable counterparts which makes them a device best suited for home use. On the other hand, portable vaporizers are typically smaller than desktop rigs. Some can be as large as a brick while others can be as small as a pen. That said, their size plays a significant role on how each of these vaporizers function. Because desktop vaporizers have a larger body than portable devices, they can house more capable components that can maximize their efficacy and efficiency in vaporizing ground botanical plant matter and its waxy derivatives. Desktop vaporizers also offer better quality parts and more hard-wearing components that ensure better durability and improved longevity. That said, portable vaporizers do try to replicate what desktop rigs have to offer but because of their small size, they are limited to the kind of parts and the technology they can use.

Vaporizer Ease of Use

While both types of vaporizers are designed and engineered to vaporize your select materials, they do differ in how each is used and operated. That said, most of those who are shopping for vaporizer take their experience level into account.

Desktop vaporizers are made with several components with advanced features that can make beginners take the extra effort working with a learning curve. Things like setting up a whip or connecting a balloon bag may seem complicated to someone transitioning to smoking rolled spliffs and packing hand pipes. Furthermore, manually setting and working precision temperature controls can be overwhelming to most beginners. On the other hand, portable vaporizers are designed to be more user friendly and will sport significantly fewer buttons than its bulkier brethren. Whips, balloons, and other delivery systems are replaced with more straightforward mouthpieces. Precision temperature controls are substituted with presets with reduced icons and information on the display screen which makes them easier to understand. That said, portable vaporizers like dry herb vape pens and dab pens are those that are considered as entry-level devices while desktop vaporizers like dab rigs and dry herb desktop vapes are generally seen as advanced units.

smoking at the house with your friends on a desktop vaporizer

Vaping Temperature Flexibility

As we’ve briefly covered above, you’ll typically find precision temperature controls on desktop vaporizers and preset temperature settings on portable vaporizers and they offer great benefits. Furthermore, the accuracy of these temperature settings are more detailed and specific when using desktop devices. The temperature range is also wider allowing you to enjoy more effects and extract more active ingredients compared to using a smaller device. An average desktop vaporizer will have a temperature range of about 230° F to 446° F. This temperature range is perfect for extracting active ingredients including the terpenes Pinene (emits a strong pine odor) which activates at around 311° F and Limonene (gives off a fresh citrusy scent) which is extracted at around 349° F. Then you have the main meat, THC is released at 315° F while CBD takes exactly 356° F to be extracted. Using a vaporizer with precision temperature controls, like a desktop vaporizer, lets you achieve targeted results so you can maximize your sessions whether you’re using your vaporizer for recreational or for medical purposes. Portable vaporizers that use preset temperature settings and offer variable voltage of high, medium, and low, only give you a loose approximation of temperature control.

Heating Technology

Most desktop vaporizers that vaporize herbs are outfitted with convection ovens. They are known for their ability to produce superior vapors by using hot air to heat the ground botanicals which effectively permeates the ground herbs. Because the herbs do not get into direct contact with the heating element, convection heating reduces the instances of combustion and helps in faithfully preserving the overall quality of your materials. Thanks to the larger body of desktop vaporizers, they can house large fans that direct and force the hot air onto the herb chamber increasing its efficacy. That’s why desktop devices with convection ovens are considered to be top vaporizers. And while some portable vaporizers have convection heating, you really don’t get the best convection because it still uses heat coming from the walls of the chamber as the heating element sits close to the oven because of the restriction due to its size. This causes convection portable vaporizers to have conduction heating on the side. Conduction heating happens when the herbs or wax concentrates are heated by directly coming into contact with the heating element.

Titan 2 black smoke in the background

Sharing Vapes

Vaping has always been a social affair. Unless you’re medicating to help you cope with your medical condition, it’s always better to huff and puff with a friend beside you. Both desktop vaporizers and portable vaporizers are great devices you can share with friends who like to partake in a group session. It kind of boils down on your personal preference. Because most desktop vaporizers require you to be tethered to a power outlet, it makes for a social experience where you and your friends gather round your living room comfortably seated on the couch. A portable vaporizer, on the other hand, is ideal for passing it around when you’re with your friends at a party or any similar event for a quick hit.

Portable Vaporizers in front of Imacs

Final Vaporizing Thoughts

Both desktop vaporizers and portable vaporizers offer advantages and disadvantages with desktop vaporizers leaning towards home use while portable vaporizers towards on-the-go consumption. For the best collection of portable vaporizers and desktop vaporizers, check us out at Vapevetstore.com.

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