On this page, we are excited to bring you our list of what we think the best portable dry herb vaporizers currently on the market are. Each year brings exciting different vapo ...
On this page, we are excited to bring you our list of what we think the best portable dry herb vaporizers currently on the market are. Each year brings exciting different vaporizers to the market for us to test, review, and compare with our current catalog to see if they are worth bringing on.
When we test a new portable vaporizer, we always look at key features including the heating chamber, cannabis product compatibility, and, of course, how its vapor performance is! To do this we look at other factors including a device's vapor quality, battery life, ease of use, manufacturer quality, chamber size, and much more. We regularly update this list and continually look at how devices compare to one another to tweak the reviews. So, without further ado, here is our list of the best dry herb vaporizers of 2023.
They are sorted by a rank out of 10 based on overall performance, and these are all portable vaporizers that we have for sale. We also have reviews that won't have a ranking. These are vaporizers that we've reviewed but don't carry in our store for one reason or another. For your convenience, these reviews will link to the manufacturer if you'd like to purchase from them directly!
Best Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer 2023
Currently, the best two portable dry herb vaporizers on the market are the Mighty Plus and the AirVape Legacy Pro. They both have little to no draw resistance and use powerful hybrid heated ovens that can produce massive clouds that won't be harsh on the lungs.
The Airvape Legacy Pro is the newer model but has much fewer accessories to upgrade than the Mighty. As a result, we give the overall crown to the Mighty+ as the best portable vaporizer of 2023. It has an abundance of official and 3rd party accessories to upgrade with. With these accessories, you'll be able to endlessly upgrade the look or performance of your Mighty Plus!
Overall, we feel as though the Mighty Plus is the best because it's very easy to use, but also offers amazing performance. If you'd like to learn more about it, feel free to read out Mighty Plus Review.
How we rank the best portable dry herb vaporizers
We look at four main categories in our dry herb vaporizer reviews to help rank them based on performance. These four categories include how ease of use, vapor quality, ease of cleaning, and battery performance. These categories in our reviews give us a good starting base that we can form our opinion on.
For example, the Mighty+, which we consider to be the best portable vaporizer of 2023, has excellent vapor quality, is relatively easy to maintain, is easy to use, and has a solid battery life along with USB-C charging.
After we've determined these four main categories of our dry herb vaporizer reviews, we rate these six key features out of a possible 10:
Ease of Use
Temperature Settings
Chamber Size & Heating System
Vapor Quality
Battery Life
Aesthetics & Manufacturing Quality
In all of our cannabis vaporizer reviews, these six key factors all have their own paragraph and photo so can see what we're talking about.
If you just want to skim-read our reviews, we also bold or italicize the most important parts of a paragraph so that you can get the gist of the paragraph if you don't feel like reading the whole review.
We are consistently updating our old reviews, and also listen to community feedback to see if there's anywhere we can improve.
How we rate portable vaporizer user interfaces
You might be intimidated at first when you're buying your first portable vaporizer, but we'll always try to break down key features into simple terms and comparisons. Here are some different kinds of user interfaces you can expect to see on portable vaporizers:
Precision temperature control / temperature pre-sets / torch lighter heating
Information display LED screen OR informational lighting
Swappable batteries OR proprietary batteries
Micro-USB charging OR USB-C charging ports OR Wireless charging
Why trust our best portable vaporizer reviews?
Here at Tools420, we've been sticking to a customer-first approach since our founding in 2016.
We only carry the best portable vaporizers that we have extensively tested for ourselves. Our reviews are in-depth, non-biased, and will always try to go above and beyond to make comparisons to other vaporizers along with photo evidence to support all of our takes. Our Tools420 YouTube Channel has also amassed over 7000 subscribers and we are always open to feedback and product review suggestions from our customers.
We believe that while we have our own rankings, the best dry herb vaporizer will be one that fits your own needs, and we are more than willing to guide you in the right direction!
If you have any questions about any of our reviews or the portable vaporizers on our website, feel free to message us on our live chat feature or send an e-mail to [email protected] and one of our experts will be sure to get back to you as quickly as possible.
How much do the best portable vaporizers cost?
Depending on how many features you'd like on your portable vaporizer, they will cost you between 50$ for a budget vaporizer, and up to 400$ for the best portable vaporizers. For the most part, it comes down to how much cannabis you like to consume, or if you are just looking for a small microdosing unit to use every once and a while, like the G Pen Dash.
Vaping Vs. Smoking Weed
To explain the differences between vaping vs. smoking weed, let's take a look at the different terpene extraction temperatures in the process of vaporizing weed.
The combustion of marijuana flowers takes place between the temperatures of 445–600°F / 230–315°C. You can compare this to the average maximum temperature of portable vaporizers of 440°F / 225°C, which is well below the combustion point of cannabis flower.
This means portable vaporizers will extract the THC of your cannabis without ever lighting the flower on fire which means a lot less harmful chemicals being released, as well as being overall easier on your lungs.
Some joints can burn as hot as 2000°F which plays a big role in how much coughing you do after smoking weed.
You'll find that most portable dry herb vaporizers will have a more relaxed THC extraction style and will never have you coughing after a big inhale. With some vapes like the DynaVap M 2021, you'll still be able to get a one-hitter-style of extraction, though!
Chamber Heating: Conduction vs. Convection vs. Hybrid
There are three main kinds of heating chambers in portable vaporizers that you should know about. You can choose between conduction, convection, or a combination of both, which is known as a 'hybrid'.
A conduction oven works by putting your ground cannabis in direct contact with the heating element to extract your THC - Most budget vaporizers will use a conduction oven.
A convection oven works by running hot air through your oven chamber to extract the THC before you inhale - People often say convection vaporizers have great flavor and less overall odor than conduction.
A hybrid oven works with a combination of a hot heating element as well as hot air being pulled through the chamber. These devices will normally come at a premium cost and have very even extraction of your cannabis.
Portable Vaporizer Oven Materials
There are a few common kinds of oven materials that manufacturers use that all have a slight difference in overall performance.
A Ceramic Lining is the most common type of portable vaporizer oven material.
This makes maintenance easier and will normally have an even extraction of your flower.
Stainless Steel is the second most common and is a bit cheaper to make.
With stainless steel, you might have some uneven heating as well as some dry herb sticking to the chamber walls compared to ceramic.
A Gold-Lined oven is the third most common type of oven material and transfers heat very well to your cannabis.
This is a high-quality material that will help your vaporizer's conduction THC extraction and is only available on premium vapes like the Zeus Arc GTS Hubor the AirVape Legacy Pro.
Are portable vaporizers discreet?
Most portable vaporizers will be able to give you discreet sessions in public because except for a few models, most people will be able to conceal the body of the vape in their hands.
While they'll have much less odor than smoking a joint or hitting a bong, there will still be a bit of odor left in the air. However, Convection Vaporizers tend to have much less odor in their vapor. Users who need to be discreet about where they consume might prefer a convection vaporizer for this reason.
We also carry Odor Eliminators in our 420 Vape Shop that will help get rid of any lingering cannabis scent in the air. You can read more about suggestions like this in our How To Remove Weed Smell Guideor in our Best Smell Proof Weed Bags Guide.
Can you use concentrates in portable dry herb vaporizers?
There are a few 2-in-1 portable vaporizers that can do dabs - These vapes will have an included mesh liquid pads or wax cups that will help you vape your concentrate by melting into metal mesh instead of down into the oven and causing damage.
In the product specifications tab of our portable vaporizer product pages, you'll be able to see what vaporizing material is compatible with your unit.
The most popular 2-in-1 unit right now is the XMAX V3 Pro due to its fast heating and included wax cup. Other options might include the AirVape Legacy Pro with its concentrate heating mode or the Mighty Plus with its mesh liquid pad. You can learn more about these vape accessories in our Dosing Capsules Guide or in our AirVape Legacy Pro.
When To Replace The Weed In A Portable Vaporizer?
You'll know that you're done vaping your weed when your vaporizer is either no longer producing vapor, or if you're beginning to taste something similar to burnt popcorn.
After that, when you knock out the bowl, you will also notice that the bowl will have also turned a dark brown color. This means that there are no more terpenes left for your vaporizer to produce vapor from and that it's time to change out your bowl.
If you're using a conduction vaporizer like the DaVinci IQC, you might be able to use the included stir tool to mix up your cannabis chamber to get a bit more vapor production before you empty the bowl.
If you've been on a low temperature for your whole session, you might also bring up the temperature up to see if there is any vapor left to squeeze from your herb.
What to do with decarbed weed?
After your session, your brown and cooked cannabis is what's considered decarboxylated.
This activated THC can be used for infusions or edibles.
Also known as Already Vaped Bud (AVB), the most common method to use decarbed weed with a cannabis infuser like the Magical Butter Machine to make THC-infused butter that you can put on anything. If you're feeling lazy though, you can just put some of your AVB on a peanut butter sandwich for a mild edibles high!
What portable vaporizer has the best battery life?
The best portable vaporizer battery specs can currently be found on the Arizer Air MAX as it comes out of the box with a 2.5-hour battery life while also using a swappable 26650 battery.
Out of the box, another contender would be the Arizer Solo 2 which has a three-hour battery life. However, with the Solo 2, the downsides are that it comes with a D/C charging port that takes over three hours to fully charge.
This is why you might consider some of the more modern devices like the G Pen Elite 2 as it comes with much faster USB-C charging.
These are all things to consider when reading our reviews or looking at product pages! If good battery life is important to you, we suggest you learn more in our Arizer Air MAX Review.
Portable dry herb vaporizer with the largest chamber
The largest portable vaporizer chamber is the DaVinci IQ2. It has an oven door on the bottom of the vape that reveals a 0.4g ceramic-lined conduction oven. This bowl will last you about ten minutes of use and is a good option for medicinal users looking to get the most out of a single session. Most portable vaporizers will have an oven size of around 0.2g, with the smallest being around 0.1g. Smaller oven sizes will be a good option for anyone trying to microdose throughout the day, like the ones on the XMAX V3 Pro or DynaVap.
Be sure to check out our Top 7 Stealthiest Portable Vaporizers with Largest Chambers for other large chamber options.
Easiest to use portable vaporizer
The easiest-to-use portable dry herb vaporizer is the Mighty+, which is the only medically-certified unit that we carry in our store.
To use the Mighty Plus, all you'll have to do is press the power button and a bright screen will let you know what the temperature is. With the big up and down arrows, you can set the temperature to anywhere you'd like between 40 °C and 210 °C.
The airflow is unrestricted, and you won't have to inhale very hard at all to get massive clouds. If you're also using Storz and Bickel Dosing Capsules, you won't even have to worry about cleaning any debris in the chamber. All of these things make the Mighty+ very easy to use and great for beginners or medical users!
The GTS Hub comes with 15 included dosing capsules that will let you easily reload your chamber, as well as a Zeus Xtruder Grinder that will always fill the capsules to 0.3g every single time.
For the XMAX, you'll get tons of amazing features like USB-C charging, on-demand convection heating, and a swappable battery for under $100.
What is the most reliable dry herb vape?
When it comes down to durability and lifespan,DynaVaphas acquired a reputation for being the AK-47 of the industry. Its compact metal shell is extremely durable when it comes to accidental drops, and the lifespan is indestructible thanks to the reliable and torch lighter technology that it uses.
The DynaVap M 2021 might not have the best features when it comes to vapor quality or in any other category but is hands down the best for overall longevity and durability. All that you'll need is an occasional DynaVap Maintenance Kit, and you'll be set for life because there are no electronics to degrade over time.
Best portable vapes for big clouds
Without a doubt, the Mighty+ is the easiest portable vaporizer to get massive clouds from.
Because of how efficient the oven is and how little air restriction there is, you'll be able to get massive rips, especially while using higher temperatures. Especially when paired with vaporizer bubblers and bongs, you'll be able to inhale longer thanks to the additional vapor cooling.
Best On-Demand Vaporizers
On-demand vaporizers are different than regular portable vaporizers because they will only heat up when you want them to, normally by pressing and holding the power button.
The best electric on-demand vaporizers are the XMAX V3 Pro or the AirVape Legacy Pro as they can give you vapor in just over ten seconds if you just want quick hits throughout the day. If you want to take a hit and set it down for later, these can be great options.
Our pick for the best microdosing / one-hitter vaporizers that we carry would have to be the DynaVap M 2021. With a unique battery-free design and a small 0.15g chamber, the DynaVap is a micro-dosing dream. With a clicking chamber cap design, you can expect amazing vapor quality within 5 seconds from the super clean air path. Just know that you'll need a torch lighter or induction heater for this vaporizer, though.
Best portable dry herb vaporizer for flavor
While I would say that the DynaVap M 2021 again comes in at #1 for this category, its lack of electronics can be off-putting for beginners, so also recommend the Arizer Solo 2 as having the best flavor. Because of its glass stem mouthpiece design, it's just you and a small piece of glass tubing that holds you back from cooking cannabis flower.
Every inhale for the first half of your session will have you tasting terpene flavor that you didn't know existed and overall, it's a wonderful experience for users with a laid-back vaping pace. Be sure to read our pick of the best dry herb vaporizers for flavor for more information. If flavor is one of the most important elements of vaping to you, you might also be interested in wax vaporizers, which use concentrated forms of THC.
What are the best conduction vaporizers?
As conduction vaporizers have your dry herb in direct contact with the heating element, some people prefer them for their potent hits at the beginning of a session.
With conduction vaporizer models, a lot of the differences in vapor quality come down to the manufacturing quality of the vaporizer itself as better materials will have better results.
In our current lineup, the top two conduction vaporizers would be the Zeus Arc GTS and the DaVinci IQ2because of their excellent manufacturing quality that ensures clean air paths and good terpene flavors throughout sessions.
Best Medical Marijuana Vaporizer
The only certified medical vaporizer currently on the market is the Mighty Medic.
It's been tested for certain qualities and ultimately has been deemed approved for medicinal purposes by governing bodies.
The retail version is the Mighty+, which is a very similar model to the Mighty Medic, and is what we recommend along with the Solo 2 for medicinal patients or those with weaker lungs. If you need a more powerful version of the Mighty Plus, you can also learn more about the Volcano in our Volcano Hybrid Vaporizer Review.
Most Portable Vaporizer
The most portable vaporizer is the Dash by G Penthanks to its sleek design and funneled chamber design. You'll be able to fit it into any pocket and its automatic heating and pre-sets are foolproof. Simply load it up, put it in your pocket, and then take it out whenever it's time for a session. This makes the G Pen Dash especially good for traveling or concerts! You can learn more about it in our G Pen Dash Review.
Who the best portable vaporizers are for?
If you're tired of smoking weed and are looking for a cleaner alternative without any sort of headache, you're the ideal candidate to buy one of the best portable vapes. They allow for cleaner consumption of cannabis flower with much less carcinogens and can be much more convenient than having to roll a joint or pack a bong that you'll need a lighter for anyways.
With their accessories known as dosing capsules, you'll also be able to track your dosages much easier than smoking or edibles. For example, the Storz and Bickel Dosing Capsule Filling Set comes with a weight scale to weight how much you've filled your dosing capsules, and vape manufacturer DaVinci has an DaVinci Dosage Tracking App that lets you accurately see how much cannabis you've consumed from each session.
With a good Vape Caseas well, you'll be able to take them anywhere you want with yourself safely and securely!
What is the best brand for portable dry herb vaporizers?
Currently, Storz & Bickel is the best portable vaporizer brand thanks to their high-quality portable vaporizers of the Mighty+ and Crafty+, alongside their excellent manufacturing quality and warranty fulfilling.
What is the best cheap portable vaporizer?
The XMAX V3 Pro is considered the best cheap portable vaporizer thanks to its inclusive kit with modern features like USB-C charging, convection heating, and on-demand mode - All for under $100!
What are the best portable vaporizers?
Overall, the best three portable vaporizers that we carry in our store are the Mighty+, the AirVape Legacy Pro, and the Utillian 722 based on performance.
Is PAX the best portable vaporizer?
While PAX may have been a top brand when they released the OG PAX in 2012, it's since been passed by companies like Zeus Arsenal, AirVape, and Storz+Bickel.
What is the best 2-in-1 portable vaporizer?
Currently, the best 2-in-1 portable vaporizer for wax and flower would be the AirVape Legacy Pro thanks to its heating being more efficient than the Mighty+. While they both have hybrid heating, the ALP includes a mesh pad for your concentrates, whereas you'll have to purchase them separately on the Mighty.
Due to powerful hybrid heating, dual lithium ion batteries, and an easy to use LED screen, the Mighty+ portable dry herb vaporizer is the king of the portable vaporizers. Enjoy amazing vapor quality with top of the line manufacturing. Is it worth the price tag though? Learn more as we go over its key features like ceramic-lined oven, fast heat up times, and vapor quality.
The AirVape Legacy Pro with hybrid heating, gold and glass air paths, and an on-demand mode. Learn more to see why this is one of the best new portable weed vaporizers of 2022 as it combines awesome terpene flavor with massive clouds and super fast precision heating for ABV that will satisfy even the snobbiest of cannabis connoisseurs.
The 3rd generation Zeus Arc GTS Vaporizer Hub is one stop cannabis vape stop. With high ease of use due to the included Xtruder grinder and ArcPods for chamber loading, the future is here! Due to these key features and more, the GTS Hub has been one of the best beginner portable vaporizers since its release in late 2021. For a good combination of ease of use, vapor quality, and build quality, the GTS and its gold-lined heating elements are here to satisfy.
The Utillian 722 vaporizer features a slick new look, better airflow, and higher temperature options. With a cooling straw style mouth piece and good chamber manufacturing quality, it has a great bang for its buck. It's main strength is its super consistent convection vapor quality. It's also viable with the XMAX dry herb dosing capsule and wax cup for easier chamber reloading and more portability.
With a glass mouthpiece, fast heating times, and a hybrid oven, the Utillian 620 portable vaporizer offers a lot of quality features at an affordable price. If you're looking for a sleek vape with very consistent cloud production and vapor quality, the 620 is an amazing option for anyone just getting into weed vaping.
The Arizer Air Max is a premium portable dry herb vaporizer that was released in April 2022. With an improved ceramic heating element oven, isolated air path, and improved heat-up time under one minute, there is a lot to love! It still uses the classic Arizer design with a glass mouthpiece, stainless steel oven, and precision temperature control. In our review we go over these key features and more to help you decide if it's worth buying as one of the best portable vaporizers of 2022.
In this review, we'll be going over the G Pen Elite II's new key features and upgrades compared to the original G Pen Elite, as well as who'd be interested in buying it. With a new bright and easy to use HD color display screen, you'll have a ton of different settings to choose between, including an optional convection boost. The flavor of the vapor is amazing, and USB-C charging port was a super welcome addition. Read on to see if this is the best portable dry herb vaporizer option for yourself!
With up to three hours of battery life and an easy to use glass stem chamber mouthpiece, the Arizer Solo 2 dry herb vaporizer is loved by the community for its consistent sessions and ease of use. Although it's a bit on the bigger side for a portable vaporizer, it has very relaxed THC extraction thanks to its low power hybrid heating system. Your ABV might be a little on the lighter side, but for a first portable weed vaporizer purchase, it checks a lot of boxes.
The DaVinci IQC Vaporizer is a highly portable vape that won't break the bank. It is in-depth, easy to use, and has dry herb and concentrate abilities all at an affordable cost. It works very similarly to the IQ2 with a few minor changes like a faster heat-up time with USB-C charging. A few downsides are the reduced overall kit and build quality to help reduce the price, though! Read on as we go over these key features and compare the IQC to the best portable vaporizers to see how it stacks up!
The pioneering Canadian manufacturer Arizer is well-known in the vaporization game, gaining popularity with the release of units like the Solo and the Air. Their newest vaporizer, the ArGo, is also their most compact. The Arizer Argo has been gaining some popularity since its release in the Winter of 2018. Read more about the swappable 18650 battery, oLED display, and integrated glass mouthpiece design that still have the ArGo as one of the best portable portable vaporizer options even four years later.