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The Best Desktop Vaporizers:
My Top 5 Favorite Desktops
Tired of researching and spending countless hours online to find your next desktop vaporizing adventure? Want a straight forward brief description of the best out there?
If the answer is yes, then you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve spent countless enjoyable hours testing the best vaporizers the market has to offer and put our top picks for you here. Whether you are just starting out vaping or you've already gotten started, this list will provide valuable info that is needed for your next purchase.
Unfortunately, there are way too many good and bad options out there when it comes to desktop vaporizers, and it would cost a fortune to test them all out.
That’s where we come in!
We've been lucky enough to test out most of the top desktop vaporizers on the market. The Volcano has long been the Superman of desktop vapes that all lesser vapes hope to be one day when they grow up, but as time goes on, there are more and more serious contenders for the position of desktop vape king.
This article will walk you through our top picks for the year, we will discuss all relevant aspects of each product that our readers ask about, such as the design, quality of vapor, price range, and performance. We conclude each discussion of a product with a summarized list of pros and cons to bring it all together. Hope you find this list helpful. Enjoy!
Top Desktop Vaporizers of 2018
Vaporizer | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
The Volcano  | Mother of All Desktop Vaporizers | |
Arizer Extreme Q  | Most Affordable Desktop | |
Vapir Rise 2.0  | Best Overall Desktop Vaporizer | |
Silver Surfer  | Best Looking Desktop Vaporizer | |
Super Surfer  | Silver Surfer's Older Brother |
The Volcano: The Mother of All Desktop Vaporizers
Despite being on the market for years and it's hefty price tag, the Volcano is still a star. It is widely known by the stoners of the world and many pot lovers see it as the mother of all desktop vaporizers. It's also worth mentioning that the price has come down substantially, and continues to fall over time. (I bought mine for around $600, and now they cost WAY less)
Trust me when I tell you that it's fame and price are more than well-deserved and this review will walk you through why that is so. I have no regrets paying as much as I did for this vaporizer. To this day I consider it more of an appliance than a smoking piece.
The company that has been making this beauty, Storz and Bickel, has established itself over the years as a true artist of the craft and became known for its high quality products such as the Crafty and the Mighty. The Volcano was the trailblazer and is one of the main pillars supporting this company’s reputation and presence in the market. Every young stoner has heard legends of the Volcano on the wind, but few have been lucky enough to ever set foot in the same room as one.
It's true that this vaporizer might not be within an acceptable price range for many, however it does deliver one of the highest quality out there coupled with a long lifespan. The Volcano can fill huge balloons of vapor back to back indefinitely without ever stopping to catch it's breath. It is known for delivering it's high quality consistently over the years which makes it a extremely sound investment. I've never heard of anyone ever having to get theirs replaced and I've never heard of anyone who hasn't been completely satisfied by the experience. If you factor in that this vaporizer can easily last you an entire decade, the price is actually quite fair. It's also worth consistently checking on the price, because it's been going down a lot over the years and there are occasionally sales around Christmas or Stoner Christmas a.k.a 420.
The Volcano’s classic look is well known and if you have been around the stoner's world for a while you are quite likely to be familiar with it. Long seen as the white whale for marijuana enthusiasts, it is hard to miss or forget its sleek silver volcano look. It's design makes it ideal for sharing with friends and it really is a must have in a group smoking session for it is reliable throughout the night no matter the usage. The feeling of passing around a huge balloon full of delicious vapor with your closest friends simply cannot be replicated any other way. What makes it so shareable is its powerful fan system which fills a huge bag with vapor, which is more than enough to go around.
The Volcano is known for its ease of use. After you have set it up it, it's use is quite straightforward. First, turn the Volcano on and wait for it to get to the proper temperature. Then, simply pack the herb chamber and press the green button for the fan so heated air will begin to pass over your bud. In under 30 seconds the bag will be full of vapor that is ready for you to enjoy. Don't get too greedy with the bags, as tempting as it is to have a huge hot air balloon full of amazing vapor, you don't want to pop your bag and have to get more. It'd also be like a weed grenade going off, but I'm unsure whether or not to mark that as a pro or a con.
Going back to how shareable it is with friends, the bags are super easy to pass around. In addition extended bags are available for you to purchase and they are bigger which makes it perfect for use with a big group of friends. There's also nothing stopping you from filling bag after bag and handing them out like greatest balloon man to have ever graced the earth.
When it comes to vapor taste and quality, you can rest assured that the large quantity of vapor produced doesn’t compromise aroma, taste, or fullness of said vapor. It's vapor quality is unmatched by most competitors. It constantly delivers tasty thick vapor that is enjoyable no matter the size of the group and I always find myself sucking every last molecule out of the bag before I go at it again.
Pros
Cons
Arizer Extreme Q: The Most Affordable Desktop Vaporizer
For those seeking a desktop vaporizer that comes with a whip as well as a bag attachment, look no further than the Extreme Q.
The Arizer Extreme Q has a lifetime warranty and is one of the best desktop vaporizers out there, rivalling the Volcano which is double to triple the price depending on retailer. It even compares to other desktop vaporizers that come with much higher price tags. The Extreme Q hits the sweet spot of delivering high quality and tasty vapor while also being sold at a reasonable price. The Extreme Q is also very intuitive and has temperature control down to the degree.
The Extreme Q’s design is quite unique with an extra benefit of being quite discreet in comparison to other desktop vaporizers. It kind of looks like your average home appliance with a metallic exterior. I've told people to slap an Apple sticker on it or place it where you'd normally find an alarm clock since it blends in so easily as a non-weed product.
Due to its metallic outer shell and ceramic heating element, it gains extra points for not leaving a bad aftertaste when you draw like other vaporizers that are made of entirely metal construction or other materials that don't have taste in mind. Therefore one of it's biggest advantages that sets it apart is the quality of the vapor by eliminating the possibility for an unpleasant aftertaste. It's also fairly mobile due to it's light weight design so while it is a desktop vaporizer, it can find it's way to desktops all around your hometown or country and it isn't difficult to get it ready to go in it's new temporary home. It's mobility is maximized since you can purchase the portable power pack for times when a power outlet is much farther than extension cords will allow. The battery can provide you with 4 hours to 5 hours of usage before it will need recharging. Just be aware that the lithium ion battery pack is sold separately.
It's heat resistant body allows the outside of the unit to stay within reasonable temperatures no matter the duration of usage, you are never going to burn yourself using the Extreme Q. It encases the ceramic heating component which enables the vaporizer to remain cool on the outside no matter how hot you set it on the inside. The heating components are quite efficient and allow the Extreme Q to heat up in less than a few minutes.
You do not need to be a rocket scientist to use the Extreme Q, even novice vaporizer owners are able to handle it with ease. The buttons on the front are all labeled and setting up the Extreme Q to suit your specific needs never takes more than a few moments. The setting up process is extremely straightforward and it's very user friendly. The Extreme Q also comes with a remote thus enabling you to remain comfortably seated throughout your smoking session. Last but not least, the Extreme Q is extremely quiet with hardly any noise at all.
Not only is the Extreme Q remarkably handy since it is usable with balloons and whips, both systems provide consistently high quality tasting vapor. Whips are much better suited for those who would like to leisurely draw from their vaporizer in the same way one would use a hookah and balloons are much better suited for sharing between large groups or if you want to fill a balloon and move around the house.
Pros
Cons
Vapir Rise 2.0 - The Best Overall Desktop Vaporizer
The Vapir Rise 2.0 is a dream come true. Despite being significantly cheaper than its competitors, it performs with a quality that nearly matches them.
If you're on a strict budget, this is the vaporizer for you. It can be used with either a whip or a balloon style bag and is quite good with sharing within a group. No matter how you use it the quality of vapor is top notch and its one of the best desktops out there.
Despite it's simple sleek design, the Vapir Rise 2.0 is very effective. You can easily adjust the temperature to your liking to reach your optimum degree and the temperature controls are very accurate.
Like the Volcano, it heats up quite quickly. A major downfall of the previous model was that the built-in fan could not be turned off independently from the heater. However this has been modified for the Rise 2.0.
The temperature controls are easy to get the hang of and I find the temperature stays very consistent which can be an issue with desktop vaporizers. My only gripe with the temperature system is that the Vapir Rise does not get any hotter than 420°F but that's approaching combustion temperature so maybe its for the best.
At the end of the day, the Vapir Rise 2.0 is in my opinion the best all around vaporizer when all aspects like vapor quality, durability, and price are factored in. They probably could tack on an extra $50 to the price tag and it'd still be a fair price for what you get.
Pros
Cons
Silver Surfer: The Best Whip-Style Vaporizer
The Silver Surfer is a stunningly beautiful desktop vaporizer that was designed by 7th Floor.
In comparison to the majority of desktop vaporizers, the Silver Surfer heats up rather quickly and provides great tasting vapor due to it's ceramic heating unit.
It produces huge clouds of tasty and enjoyable vapor with it being extremely difficult to not be satisfied by the end of a twenty minute session. The experience of using it is made even greater by the fact that it's price won't break the bank.
The price has been going down over the years, and I'm ashamed to say its much cheaper now than when I bought it. Being ahead of the pack comes at a premium, I suppose.
This wonderful vaporizer came with a standard whip, a bag, a glass tipped stir tool, an instruction manual, and multiple replacement screens.
The heating chamber is made entirely of ceramic, in my experience this is what is responsible for the Silver Surfer's top notch vapor quality as ceramic is very unlikely to impart any poor taste to the vapor. I enjoy vaping different kinds of marijuana in the Silver Surfer because I'm able to pick out different flavors that usually would go unnoticed in other devices.
The Silver Surfer is one good looking and aesthetically pleasing vaporizer. It has a sleek aluminum exterior and is equipped with a ceramic heating chamber. It looks very modern and stylish with its slanted shape and its unique but simple glass temperature knob, it is very minimalist in this regard because it doesn't need to complicate what's already perfect. The glass knobs are different for each Silver Surfer as they are hand-blown. It has a bulb mounted at its base which shines brighter as the temperature inside becomes higher. I only wish I could figure out how to attach a timer to it and use that gradual increase in light as an alarm clock for a truly no-nonsense wake and bake session.
Pros
Cons
Super Surfer: The Silver Surfer's Big Brother
The Super Surfer was brought into this world to be everything its younger brother wasn't, which has proven to be a significant step up. It is larger, made of stainless steel and is surprisingly even more stylish than the Silver Surfer.
It come with food grade plastic bags, a 3 feet long whip which includes a mouthpiece, a glass bag sleeve, ground glass wand, sit clip, replacement filter screens, and many other functional accessories and the variety offered is quite impressive. It has two knobs; one to select the temperature and the other controls the integrated fan which determines the rate of flow for the produced vapor.
It is also equipped with LED mood lights which creates a nice ambiance for your smoking experience. The producer, 7th Floor Vapes, has also added an air filtration system that prevents particulate matter from escaping the chamber. Gone are the days where you're spitting out flecks of weed after a particularly strong hoot.
The Super Surfer can be enjoyed using a bag and has a filling mechanism that is quite similar to that of the Volcano. Attach the bag, turn on the fan and marvel as it fills with vapor. It can also be enjoyed by it's included three foot whip just as well.
Another important feature is its lighted base equipped with several lighting modes that can be adjusted depending on your mood. Red is best for that Amsterdam style smoke sesh and blue fits nicely for a laid-back Sunday night before you go back to work for the week.
If you're into that sort of thing, the Super Surfer, besides being compatible with both a whip and bags, can be used as an aromatherapy device by placing your essential oils on the aromatherapy attachment.
When it comes to vapor quality, the Super Surfer performance is far superior than most of its competitors. It delivers rich and tasty smoke and you can easily adjust the temperature to meet your preferences perfectly.
Pros
Cons
Well, there you go guys. Our top five picks for desktop vaporizers of 2018.
We hope this has been all we’ve promised, because we’ve definitely had a blast trying them out! Happy Vaping!
About the Author Taylor
A marijuana enthusiast, vaporizer connoisseur, a frequent user of CBD and he's also the founder of iMarijuanit.com.