Vaporizer: Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Expert Vapers

New to vaping? Well, you are in the right place. In this article, we will be talking about everything there is to know in vaporizers. From its different types, how to use them, and whether it is the right vaporizer for you. So, sit back, grab a pen, and a paper, because this is going to be your ultimate guide about vaping. But what exactly are vaporizers?

What are Vaporizers

Vapes aka vaporizers, are modern devices used to consume a wide variety of materials including dry herbs, wax concentrates, oils, and e-liquids (often nicotine-based). Vaporizers use electronic heating elements that are powered by your power outlet or from a portable power pack, like batteries. Vaporizers are considered a safer alternative not only because they use a torch-less means of consumption but also because they extract the active ingredients in your materials without reaching the point of combustion. The product is clean vapor that is safe for recreational and medical consumption.

Vaporizers also have a slew of features that separate one variety from the other. Knowing them can help you familiarize with what features to look for and what of these features will best suit your needs. Here are a few.

Vape Heating Technology

Your materials are heated using a heating element which can either use conduction, convection, or induction heating technology. Conduction heating uses the power of a heated surface to vaporize your materials. You will often see this kind of heating technology in wax and oil vaporizers, but there are a few herb vapes that use this heating technology. Conduction heating, on the other hand, uses hot air to vaporize your materials. Hot air best works with herbs because it can effectively permeate the ground plant matter compared to conduction heating. In terms of speed, conduction vapes vaporize your materials faster than convection vaporizers, however, convection vapes produce better flavor and aroma. A select few vaporizers use induction heating, they combine the benefits of both the aforementioned heating technologies by providing fast and contactless vaporization of your materials. However, because this technology is uncommon, you may be hard pressed in finding a vaporizer that uses induction heating.

Convection vapes are perfect for those who are on-the-go while convection and induction vapes are for connoisseurs who are after vapor quality.

Temperature flexibility

Vaporizers also have the capability to provide different levels of temperature that offer many benefits depending on your needs. Basic vaporizers will have a single heat setting that operates at a single temperature level. It does provide some level of consistency, but it does not leave room for personalization. Other vaporizers have preset temperature settings. The manufacturer of the device will have a set of pre-selected temperature profiles based on levels that give off distinct effects, often in low, medium, or high. Last and arguably the best are precision temperature control vaporizers that allow you to select the temperature of your vaporizer in small increments. They provide accurate temperature control for better vapor quality.

Temperature is important because you can extract specific active ingredients with the right temperature levels. The flavonoids and aromatics Pinene and Limonene are extracted at 311° F and 349° F respectively. The psychoactive compound THC is released at 315° F while the curative compound CBD gets extracted at 356° F. Having a vaporizer that can activate these cannabinoid compounds accurately can give you a better experience and a run for your money.

Single heat setting and preset temperature vapes are great for beginners and precision control vaporizers are the stuff of experienced consumers.

Heating Element

A vaporizer uses different kinds of heating elements or heating components to vaporize your materials. These come in the form of ceramic, quartz and titanium. Ceramic is one of the more popular materials used in coils and heating elements because of its unique property. Ceramic is a poor conductor of heat and it does not transfer energy as fast as the other two heating components, quartz and titanium. However, it is that same property that makes it suitable for vaporization because it allows for the slow and progressive vaporization of your materials which prevents the occurrence of combustion. On the other hand, quartz is fast and aggressive in terms of heating your materials. It offers immediate to almost on-demand results and vapor production. Both the aforementioned ceramic and quartz components do wear off in time and this is where titanium shines best. Titanium heating elements can withstand high heat temperatures, and although it may chazz and gunk up, it can last longer than quartz and ceramic. Quartz and titanium can give those who are out and about fast results while those who are chilling back at home can reap the flavorful and aromatic benefits of ceramic.

You will find these features in almost all types of vaporizers as they are the most essential vaping features. Now let us look at the different kinds of vaporizers and how to use them.

Desktop vaporizers

As the name implies, desktop vaporizers are devices that sit atop your desk when you use it. Because they are designed to be used on your desk, they have larger bodies that can house bigger and better vape technologies. These include larger heating elements, chambers for herbs or wax concentrates with better capacities, and the power to deliver more and substantial vapor production. That said, they have been considered the golden standard because they can carry better components than their portable counterparts.

Here’s how you use a desktop vaporizer.

1. Plug in your desktop vaporizer.
2. Fit the balloon bag or the whip.
3. Fill the chamber with your select materials.
4. Turn on the vaporizer and set the right temperature.
5. Wait for the vapor to come out.
6. Inhale.

Desktop vaporizers are typically outfitted with precision temperature settings and the vapor is delivered via a whip that you and your friends can pass around in a group session, or a balloon bag that you can fill if you want to vape alone. Desktop vapes are often used with dry herbs and will often have a convection heater.

E-rigs

E-rigs are electronic dab rigs that are used to consume wax concentrates. Compared to traditional dab rigs, e-rigs allow consumers to enjoy the benefits of their wax concentrates without using and wielding a torch. This makes the e-rig an attractive and appealing device for those who are intimidated by the blow torch. An e-rig will have water attachments that can be filled with water to filter and moisturize the vapor. This takes out the harshness in your dabs making it a more rewarding experience.

Here is how you use an e-rig.

1. Fill the water attachment with water. Connect it to the rig.
2. Load your wax chamber with wax concentrates.
3. Turn your e-rig on and select a temperature profile.
4. Press and hold the button to activate the heating element.

E-rigs are the evolution of e-nails which operate on the same principle. However, e-rigs are outfitted with more modern technology and have better designs that its predecessors. They are usually battery operated and can feel like you are using a dab pen.

Portable vaporizers

Portable vapes are smaller versions of these desktop units. They are portable and lightweight but prove to be as capable as the devices they were derived from. Portable vapes come in many shapes and forms, but here are the most common ones and how to use them.

Dry herb vapes:

1. Open the mouthpiece to access the coil.
2. Fill the portable dry herb vape with herbs. Do not overpack the chamber.
3. Replace the mouthpiece.
4. Turn the vaporizer on.
5. Select a temperature (if available).
6. Press and hold the button when ready to vape.

Dab pens:

1. Open the mouthpiece to access the atomizer.
2. Load the dab pen with wax. You can use a dab tool.
3. Replace the mouthpiece.
4. Turn the vaporizer on.
5. Select a temperature (if available).
6. Press and hold the button when ready to vape.

Electric Nectar collectors:

1. Fill the water bubbler with water.
2. Turn the nectar collector on.
3. Select a temperature (if available).
4. Dab the tip of the nectar collector to your wax jar.
5. Press and hold the button when ready to vape.

Oil vape pens:

1. Screw your preferred 510-threaded cartridge.
2. Turn the oil vape pen on.
3. Select a temperature (if available).
4. Press and hold the button when ready to vape.

Pod vaporizers:

1. Insert your preferred pod on the chamber.
2. Turn the pod vape on.
3. Select a temperature (if available).
4. Press and hold the button when ready to vape.

In some cases, pod vaporizers and oil vapes are equipped with auto draw batteries. These are batteries that do not have buttons but activate when you inhale from the mouthpiece of the pod or of the cart.

Choosing the right vaporizer

Still can’t point your finger on what vaporizer to buy? Here are a few tips in choosing a vaporizer.

Choose a desktop vaporizer if you are:

• A medical or recreational consumer.
• Always at home.
• Usually in group sessions.
• Have a higher demand for vapor quality.
• Consume dry herbs.

Choose an e-rig if you are:

• A medical or recreational consumer.
• Usually at home.
• Participating in group sessions.
• Have a higher demand for clean vapor.
• Consume wax concentrates.

Choose a portable vaporizer if you are:

• A medical or recreational consumer.
• Always out and about.
• Like vaping solo.
• Need fast and quick hits.
• Need a vape that is easy to operate.

Conclusion

Different vaporizers offer different sets of advantages and disadvantages, knowing what you are faced with can help you make a better decision in buying a vaporizer to use. We hope that this guide can give you an idea of what device suits you best.

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