Desktop Vaporizers
Welcome to the internet’s most comprehensive guide about desktop vaporizers. We’re here to help you by sharing our knowledge and answering your questions. We intend to explain to you everything you need to know about vaping and help you decide if a desktop vaporizer is for you.
Desktop vapes are the best vaporizers on the market when it comes to flavor and vapor quality. Their popularity was sparked when Storz & Bickel's iconic Volcano Vaporizer stormed the market in 1999. These days, there are many manufacturers to select from and all with different perks and features.
These are fantastic devices that help you to get the most out of your plant matter with great efficiency and control, less smell, and less damage to your health. Desktop vaporizers are larger and usually, mains powered. They are intended for use at home, where you are most comfortable. What they lack in portability, they make up for in great flavor, giant clouds, and excellent temperature controls.
What is a Desktop Vaporizer?
Since vaporizers started becoming popular, they have evolved a fair amount. The first vaporizers were desktop vaporizers. Storz & Bickel released the first Volcano in the late ’90s. This paved the way for many other manufacturers to get involved and start innovating.
At first, these devices were no-frills box devices with whips to draw the vapor. These days, they are app-controllable, digital, devices with balloons and touchscreens. This is a constantly evolving technology so we must keep on our toes!
Why you should buy a Desktop Vaporizer
There are many reasons why you may wish to buy a desktop vaporizer. They have been known to change people’s lives for the better. It really can be a big game-changer, especially if you are someone who is trying to save money in the long term and commit to giving up smoking. Here are our top reasons you should buy a desktop vaporizer:
- Most of the time you consume bud, it’s at home.
- You are trying to give up smoking or smokeless.
- You are trying to save money in the longterm. Why is this a reason? Well, due to the much higher efficiency you get from desktop vaporizers, you get a much higher rate of efficiency than smoking. 1 little bud can last seemingly forever on these bad boys.
- You want more control and consistency over your dose.
- You want to get the most flavor out of your herb or concentrate.
How do Desktop Vaporizers work?
Virtually every desktop vape heats material via convection. Some use a combination of convection and conduction. Convection is when your material is heated through hot air rather than conduction which provides more direct heat. This enables even heating of your material which leads to better taste and higher efficiency. Depending on which type of desktop vaporizer you own, you either draw the air manually or it is automatically propelled over your material.
How to Use a Desktop Vaporizer
Desktop vaporizers vary from model to model. Generally, there are major similarities between nearly all models so we will give you some general instructions to help you understand the process.
There are 2 main types of Desktop Vaporizer; whip-style and forced-air/balloon-bag vaporizers:
Whip-style Vaporizers consist of a mouthpiece connected to elastic-plastic tubing. They often have an extra screen for further diffusion of vapor. The benefits of the whip are that the user can draw from the vaporizer at whichever rate and intensity they like. Also, whips are not disposable, unlike their balloon-bag counterparts.
Balloon bags, on the other hand, are compact, durable plastic bags that often have a valve on one end. You can use the valve to attach it to either a mouthpiece or the vaporizer so as to inhale the vapor once you have filled the bag with your vapor of choice. The bags are disposable in general, but some are cleanable. They generally last a few weeks depending on usage before needing to be replaced or cleaned.
Other than these two differences, the majority of desktop vaporizers are used in the same way. Simply grind up your herb, load it into the filling chamber, turn your device on and wait for it to heat up. When it’s ready, inhale through your whip or fill your bag with vapor. It’s as simple as that!
How to Clean a Desktop Vaporizer
Cleaning your Desktop Vaporizer is easy. Anyone who has ever owned one before would know that keeping on top of maintenance is crucial to ensure you’re getting the excellent flavor you deserve.
Cleaning the Whip
The number one part you will want to keep clean is your whip. Not all desktop vaporizers have whips but many do. All whips vary so consult the manufacturer instructions before following these steps. The whip can quickly build up resin and gunk. This can cause a slightly burnt taste to your vapor and also over time will block up the air path leading to an inferior vaping experience. First, you need to detach the whip. All devices vary so follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Next, submerge the whip in isopropyl alcohol and leave it until the gunk and resin have loosened. If the residue persists, try adding some baking soda to the alcohol to help dislodge it. Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
Cleaning the Fill Chamber
The first piece of advice we’ll give you here is to brush out the chamber after each use, while the vape is still slightly warm. This will ensure you don’t have to deep clean your vaporizer as often and will keep it looking new for longer. If you need to go a bit deeper, we recommend using a q-tip with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. You don’t want to let the alcohol fall into any unwanted areas. We also like to use toothpicks to dislodge any stubborn areas. Wipe it with a cloth after use and perform a burn-off.
Top Tip: Every Desktop Vaporizer is different. We would advise checking the specific instructions for your desktop vaporizer before cleaning to ensure you follow the manufacturer guidelines. Also, don’t forget to unplug your device before you start cleaning it!
Desktop Vaporizer FAQs
We’re sure you have a lot of questions about Desktop Vaporizers. We will try to answer some of the most popular ones for you here. If you ever can’t find the answer to your question, feel free to contact us and one of our experts will be in touch with you with the answer.
Q1: Are desktop vaporizers worth the money?
The answer to this question depends entirely on how often you plan on using your new desktop vaporizer. For inconsistent users, purchasing a $500 desktop vaporizer may not provide the best return on investment. By contrast, daily users will reap the benefits from investing in a premium device that will see their yield and efficiency improve dramatically.
Q2: What is the best desktop vaporizer?
According to Reddit, the Arizer Extreme Q desktop vaporizer takes home the top prize. This is when you take into account the price combined with how well it performs. Many would argue that the best desktop vaporizer that money could buy is the Volcano Hybrid. This is due to its sheer vaping excellence, impressive clouds, and hybrid functionality.
Q3: Should I buy a desktop vaporizer?
If you want to vape and generally do it in the same place, a desktop vape is for you. They’re easy to clean and are extremely convenient. When you start having to cart them around from a to b is when it becomes less practical. On top of this, if your main objective is discretion, they can be quite a large object to hide. If this were the case, we’d recommend a portable vape.
Q4: Are desktop vaporizers safe?
Desktop vaporizers have heaps of safety features built-in. An example of one of these is the 60-second auto shut-off. This is a common feature found in vaporizers. It means that if you forget to turn your vape off when you’re done using it, it’ll turn off automatically after 60 seconds. In many of the newer, app-controlled models, the auto shut-off can be customized. In general, reputable desktop vaporizers are extremely safe when used correctly. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidance.
Q5: Do desktop vaporizers smell?
This depends on what you are comparing it to. When compared with smoking, desktop vaporizers hardly smell at all, especially from a solo session. Desktop Vaporizers do have a smell when used a lot. It is fairly easy to get rid of this smell with a bit of ventilation. The smell does not linger when compared with smoke and is easier to mask.
Q6: How hot do desktop vaporizers get?
The hottest desktop vaporizers can exceed temperatures of 600ºF. This temperature is reached internally in the oven. This is not as hot as a burning cigarette but still hot enough to vaporize your herb or extract. We find the best temperature to be around the 360ºF to 380ºF mark.
Q7: Do desktop vaporizers waste while they’re on?
This depends on what type of vaporizer you have. If you have a desktop vaporizer that uses convection heat with no fan, it shouldn’t be actively vaporizing your herb unless you inhale through the whip. Vapes that use conduction or hybrid, on the other hand, will heat your herb whilst it is on. This means that whilst it is on, it is using your herb slightly. When compared to a cigarette being lit and not smoked, the wastage is less.
