Vape pens may seem like futuristic devices whose mechanisms are impossible to comprehend or account for when purchasing one. You don’t need to be a scientist or an electrical engineer, however, to know the features that are most important to you as a consumer and how to gauge a vape pen’s price-to-value ratio as it relates to you.
Here are a few features to consider before buying a vape pen.
Design
It may seem trivial, but a design that’s incompatible with your needs and lifestyle can be a deal breaker, regardless of the device’s actual quality. You need to ask yourself if you want something small, discrete, and easily portable, or if this aspect can take a back seat to other features. Of course, vape pens by default are quite portable, lightweight, and convenient, but there are levels to this practicality.
Heating Coils
Heating coils are responsible for melting the concentrate and the vapor that comes out as a result. To a large extent, they shape the vaping experience from a connoisseur’s standpoint, rather than the surrounding technicalities.
Heating coils today generally come in ceramic or quartz varieties. Ceramic ones require more time to heat up, but, in return, produce vapor that’s richer in aroma and flavor. They are also easier to clean, which, for some people, is another major factor. Quartz coils, on the other hand, generate more vapor without long draws and heat up faster. Basically, they are suitable for those looking for instant accessibility.
Overall, quartz coils are easier to use, and in that sense, they are good for people dabbling in the world of concentrates. However, they are notoriously difficult to clean because the coils can move during clean up and the connectors they are soldered to can snap, rendering the coil ineffective from an electrical standpoint. It’s been recommended by word of mouth to simply replace dirty ones rather than try. We’ve also been told anecdotally by a vendor of different vaporizers that keeping the coil upright, especially in the minute immediately after you use it, helps with increasing the coil’s life.
Battery Life and Charging
This is another practical aspect that you need to look into. If you’re planning to use your vape pen on the go and for longer periods of time, or in social situations that might entail sharing it, a long battery life and/or ease of charging is very important. A vape pen you can easily take anywhere isn’t of much use if its battery is always running out.
On the other hand, if you’re getting a vape pen more for the effects of vaping concentrates rather than for its practicality, perhaps such features aren’t of much importance to you and it’s wiser to focus your resources on other elements.
Chamber/Reservoir Volume
Similar to the battery life, it’s up to you to determine how important this aspect is. If you don’t mind refilling it more often, paying more for a bigger chamber is somewhat wasteful.
Temperature Versatility
This is a big one, perhaps the feature where practicality and the relish of vaping concentrates meet.
Vaping temperature is important for getting the most out of cannabinoids and terpenes, as they have different temperatures at which they vaporize. But it’s also a matter of personal taste.
There are vape pens that offer organized versatility, meaning they come with a few temperature settings, which is quite handy, as it saves you some guessing and helps you find the sweet spot, both for you and the particular concentrate.
For the technology buffs, some vape pens come with apps that helps you automize your preferences.
Overall, you can generally get a very well-rounded vape pen for $100 or less, and going above that just increases the quality for your money. Also, in the world of technological devices, a little patience can save you a good amount of money, as the constant advent of new products results in older ones getting their price discounted, even though they are not obsolete or lacking in any way.
