Crafty Plus 2021 USB-C Model Review

Crafty Plus Vaporizer Video Review

Crafty Plus Vaporizer 101

At face value, the Crafty+ is just the smaller version of the Mighty+ with less battery life and user interface – But is it still a true top-tier portable dry herb vaporizer? With the recent 2021 upgrades including a new ceramic-lined chamber, updated app, super boosts & more, there is a whole lot to love. In this review, we’ll be going over these key features and comparing them to similar devices to help you decide whether it’s worth the upgrade or not. 

Crafty Plus Specs + Ratings 

What’s in the Crafty+ 2021 USB-C Version Box?

• x1 Crafty+ Dry Herb Vaporizer
• x1 USB-C Charging Cable
• x3 O-Rings
• x3 Replacement Coarse & Fine Screens
• x1 Dosing Capsule
• x1 Cleaning Brush
• x1 User Manual 

Crafty+ 2021 Key Features

• USB-C Charger *2021 edition
• Hybrid Heating
• Ceramic-Lined Chamber *2021 edition
• 3 Pre-set Temperature Settings 
• Super Boost Temperature Features
• Supercharging *2021 edition
• Dry Herb and Concentrate Compatible
• Two Year Warranty with up to Three Years with Registration
• Bluetooth app for Android & Web App Available

Crafty+ Hybrid Heating 

The Crafty+ uses the same hybrid heating system as the Mighty and previous models use – It will heat the ceramic-lined chamber in combination with the jet of hot air intake coming from the bottom of the vaporizer. As a rule of thumb, a hybrid-heated dry herb vaporizer creates more of an even roast and overall better THC extraction than devices that only use a conduction heating element.

On the Crafty+ itself, there is a temperature range of 104-410°F / 40-210°C which can be fully accessed with application use. While using the app, you’ll be able to set the first two pre-set temperatures, and the third pre-set will always be the maximum temperature of 210C/410F. While you’ll have access to a big temperature range, overall it doesn’t compare to how easy the Mighty+ is to use thanks to its HD screen.

Crafty Plus Portability

One of the best pros that the Crafty Plus has is its small design which comes in at only 4.4 x 1.3 x 4.2 in. You’ll have zero problems getting it into almost any pocket or small bag & since the chamber is funneled and the kit comes with a brush, it’s also super portable and easy to use on the go. For heavy users, we still recommend picking up a Tools420 Vape Case to help keep everything you need in one convenient spot – For example, a USB-C bank that would allow you to charge your Crafty while out on a hike. An S&B Capsule Caddy will also let you really boost portability as it will let you carry up to four pre-loaded S+B dosing capsules on your keychain. This would allow you to easily store up to four 0.25g doses for a total of 1g of easy 420 storage, plus it costs just a few dollars. 

If you haven’t picked up what I’m trying to say here, it’s that this is a super portable device that you can take with yourself anywhere. Since it almost fits into the palm of the hand, you can basically only have the straw mouthpiece visible. With hybrid heating, your vapor won’t have as much smell to it, but just know that the blue and green lights are super visible and eye-catching at night. 

Crafy+ Vapor Quality 

Although the Crafty+ is much smaller than other top-tier dry herb vapes, it is not lacking in vapor quality category thanks to an isolated air path, ceramic-lined chamber, and hybrid heating. Out of the box, the three preset temperatures are set as follows:

• 1. 356F / 180C
• 2. 383F / 195C
• 3. 410F/ 210C

To summarize these, the first is good for flavor, the second for a good mixture of flavor and cloud production, and the last is quite harsh but will give you the biggest clouds. The airflow is super easy, and you won’t have any kind of draw resistance during inhales. While the plastic straw mouthpiece is personally a bit of a drawback, you can upgrade to a Crafty Glass Mouthpiece which will give you that fully unimpeded terpene profile vapor quality.

Crafty Plus Tips and Tricks

Like the Mighty+, the Crafty Plus heater will work super hard to get back up to your set temperature meaning you’ll be able to take hits back to back. Because the airflow is excellent, long and slow draws will add a lot of convection temperature boosting and THC extraction, so we can highly recommend that method for the best vapor quality. 

Our personal favorite setup would be to use the Crafty+ with the Crafty+ 14mm Water Pipe Adapter for use with the fan-favorite 14mm whip bubbler which will let you place the vape on the top and then hit through the bong’s silicone hose and a glass mouthpiece. It’s a super awesome setup that will let you take bigger hits and add a lot of creativity to your sessions! 

Crafty+ Battery Life 

People have mixed feelings about the Crafty +’s 45-minute battery life. While the 2021 version has an upgrade to USB-C charging which has brought the unit into modern times, the overall battery life is a big hindrance. You’ll be able to get an hour maximum, and use with only higher temperatures will bring it down to 45 minutes total. For most users, this will mean about four to eight sessions per charge, which is a bit on the lighter side compared to other premium devices. 

USB-C Charging 

While you’ll be able to have pass-through charging with a USB-C after twenty minutes of charging, it’s not the optimal setup compared to a swappable battery that something like the new Arizer Air Max has. The Crafty+ only has one side column containing a single 2800mAh lithium-ion battery whereas the Mighty+ has two lithium-ion batteries on its side, making for twice the battery life. 

Crafty+ 2021 USB-C vs Crafty+ 2019

The original Crafty release date goes back to 2014, with a major rehaul in 2020 that saw upgrades to the PEEK medical-grade plastic design with ribbed fins that help dissipate the heat during sessions away from your hand. With the new 2021 model being upgraded to a ceramic-lined chamber and USB-C, its super portable design got a much-needed push to make it more competitive. 

The ceramic coating on the aluminum chamber makes it much easier to clean, and overall more stain-resistant. Some users also believe the ceramic to have a better taste as the old one could be prone to a metallic aftertaste, but personally, I’ve never found that. USB-C charging also has helped bring the charging time down by about 30 minutes, too, which was nice. 

How to use the Crafty Plus Vaporizer?

1. To use the Crafty+, you’ll start by twisting off the cooling chamber (mouthpiece) counterclockwise to expose the ceramic 0.3g chamber.
2. Using either a filled dosing capsule or by manually pinching in your finely ground dry herb, if you miss anything just use the included brush to knock off any unwanted debris.
3. After, screw the mouthpiece back on and then press and hold the power button until the light at the bottom begins to glow red.
4. Once it’s reached temperature, the Crafty+ will vibrate, and the light will turn green to let you know that it’s reached temperature.
5. To activate the second preset temperature, double-tap the power button, or triple-tap to go to the highest temperature.
6. There is a 45-second auto-off timer, but this can be kept going by tapping the power button every so often.
7. Once your vapor quality begins to decline or you begin to taste burning, you can power off the vape by again holding the power button down. 

The lights system is a bit confusing when you first start using the Crafty+ as for example, when you’re powering the vape off, the rate at which it pulses a blue light flashing is the indication of the battery meter, with fast flashing meaning a low battery indication. For medicinal users, this won’t be the most straightforward dry herb vape to use when compared to something like the Mighty+. 

Crafty+ Build Quality

The PEEK body is a terrific choice, and we can understand why they haven’t moved away from it. While aluminum or an alloy body would be nice, the lightweight and durable shell holds up. It has excellent cooling, great durability, and a stealthy look – Not to mention a medical certification. In future editions though, we’d still prefer an all-glass or ceramic vapor path to preserve the flavor of your herb.

How to clean the Crafty+?

With the upgraded ceramic bowl, cleaning is a lot easier, as all you’ll really need to do is knock out your AVB (Already Vaped Bud) out after every session with help from the included brush in the kit. When there does get to be a resin buildup, you can simply use a vape alcohol wipe to get rid of it. If you’re beginning to notice your airflow is starting to go down if you’re a heavy user, you can simply soak the whole cooling unit (besides the rubber O-Rings) in isopropyl alcohol for 30 minutes before a hot water rinse. To access the internals of the cooling unit, for this reason, you can start pushing the cap towards the mouthpiece and then pulling it off. After that, wiggle the straw off and the cap lock itself, removing any O-Rings. Heavy users may want to do this about once a month to ensure good airflow!

Warranty 

As another plus for the Crafty+, it does come with a 2-year warranty, extendable to three years with the registration slip included in the box. This will cover against any manufacturer’s defects, but just know that you may have to pay for shipping for any repairs to Storz & Bickel.

Crafty+ 2021 Pros 

• More powerful heater, decent heat-up time
• Improved battery life and USB-C charging
• Same form factor and size
• Top-notch vapor quality

Crafty+ 2021 Cons

• Poor temperature control options
• Non-removable battery 
• Expensive
• Fewer things included in the box

Crafty+ critiques

With the Crafty+ mouthpiece, you’re going to run into a lot of maintenance problems! As there is a huge gap outside of the ceramic oven, you’re going to get a ton of debris buildup that is hard to reach and will cook onto the plastic over time with sessions unless your remove it with a dab tool. 

Another problem with the Crafty+ mouthpiece is that there are just too many parts. Including the O-Rings and locking mechanism, there are a total of seven parts which makes it a nightmare to disassemble for cleaning purposes. Especially when compared to the similarly designed Utillian 722 that only uses three parts, you can see just how badly designed the Crafty+ cooling unit is. As you can see below, the inside of the mouthpiece is full of tough-to-reach nooks and crannies that are going to be super time-consuming to get rid of all the residue buildup. What makes it worse is that if you don’t clean this residue, it can lead to a burnt taste while you’re using the vaporizer!

Another common complaint about the Crafty+ is that the THC extraction is simply not up to par. In other words, it will stop producing vapor from your dry herb much sooner than other vaporizers on the market. Compared to another premium device, the Zeus Arc GTS, you can see the difference in the AVB (Already Vaped Bud) to see just how inefficient the oven is at extraction. Over time, this will lead to you having to buy much more cannabis to keep up with better devices!

Final thoughts

We’re a bit torn – The Crafty+ definitely does have some significant improvements in battery life and heat-up time, but the slight increase in performance and temperature control isn’t anything to write home about. The new body design looks and feels a bit better, but it’s roughly the same all around and you’re not missing out on much. It’s hard to say whether we recommend it or not. It’s definitely better than the original Crafty, but not quite the upgrade we were dying to see.

With that being said, we find it to be a perfect replacement for the OG Mighty for those that don’t want to spend the money on the Mighty Plus.  If you’re looking for a top-notch portable herb vape and have the money, then go for it! If you’re after a budget dry herb vaporizer, then we’d recommend checking out the XMAX V3 Pro. 

We hope you liked our Crafty+ review! Leave us your comments and feedback, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for our Newsletter for news, updates, and promotions.

Also, make sure to check out our Mighty+ vs Crafty+ Review