Should you buy the Crafty+ vaporizer?

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

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+ Vape Key Features

• USB-C Charger Latest Version
• Dual Convection / Conduction Heating
• Ceramic-Lined Chamber *2021 edition
• 3 Pre-set Temperature Settings
• Super Boost Temperature Features
• Supercharging *2021 edition
• Dry Herb and Concentrate Vaporizer
• 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 that will heat up the ceramic lined in combination with the jet of hot air intake coming from the bottom of the vape. As a rule of thumb, a hybrid-heated dry herb vape creates more of an even roast and overall better THC extraction. 

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 can get a good range of temperatures in a heat-up time of about a minute, and be able to do a decent job at temperature stepping for a good session, it doesn’t quite compare to the ease of use of its big brother, the Mighty+ user interface. 

Another thing to note is that the top temperature won’t be able to do the best job at heating concentrates – We’d recommend a dedicated wax vape for dabs.

Is the Crafty+ a portable vape?

One of the best advantages that the Crafty+ has for a Storz & Bickel vaporizer, is that is very a small design that comes in at only 4.4 x 1.3 x 4.2 in. This means that 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 a small boost to this, we can recommend picking up a Tools420 Vape Case to help keep everything you need in one convenient spot. As you’ll be able to get a lot of creativity on the Crafty+ with accessories like a S&B Long Bubbler, a vape carrying case can make everything convenient for when you’re on the go. For example, a USB-C bank that would allow you to charge your Crafty while out on a hike. A S&B Capsule Caddy will also let you really crank up if you were to pick up some extra S+B dosing capsules. This would allow you to easily store up four 0.25g doses for a total of 1g of easy 420 storage that costs next to nothing. 

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 the 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 going on. 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. 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 back to back. Because the air flow 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 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+ USB-C Charging + Battery Life 

In terms of battery life, the battery life is one of its best features, but also its worst. While the 2021 upgrade to USB-C charging has brought it into modern times, the overall battery life is a big hindrance. You’ll be able to get an hour maximum, and use with higher temperatures or with more short sessions will bring this 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 in modern times. 

While you’ll be able to have pass through charging with a USB-C battery bank, it’s not the optimal setup like a swappable battery that something like the new Arizer Air Max has. Comparing the Crafty+ to the Mighty+ in this regard, and you’ll be able to see the difference on the vapes as 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+ USB-C model vs Crafty+ 2019

The original Crafty release date goes all the way 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, it’s super portable design got a much needed push to make it more competitive. 

The ceramic coating on the aluminum chamber make 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 have helped bring the charging time down by about 30 minutes, too, which was nice. 

How to use the Crafty+ vaporizer?

To use the Crafty+, you’ll start by twisting off the cooling chamber (mouthpiece) counter clockwise to expose the ceramic 0.3g chamber. 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. After, screw the mouthpiece back on and then press and hold the power button until the light at the bottom begins to glow red. Once it’s reached temperature, the Crafty+ will vibrate, and the light will turn green to let you know that it’s reached temperature. To activate the second preset temperature, double tap the power button, or triple tap to go to the highest temperature. There is a 45 second timer, but this can be kept going by tapping the power button every so often. 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. 

Medicinal patients can also opt to use the Mighty & Crafty filling aid which will act as a funnel and storage container for your dry herb. 

In general, while the Crafty+ may be easy to use on paper, in reality it does take some getting used to. Since the Apple phone app is banned in Canada, users will have to resort to using the web application, and as well the lights system is a bit confusing at first. For example, when you’re power 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+. 

Build quality of the Crafty+

The PEEK body is a terrific choice, and we can understand why they haven’t moved away from it. While an aluminum or an alloy body would be nice, how lightweight and durable the existing body is makes it hard to move away from. It has excelling cooling, great durability, and a stealthy look. Not to mention the medical certification the device has, it’s a completely understandable decision to not stray away from it. Still, we’d prefer an all-glass or ceramic vapor-path to preserve the flavor from your herb.

Storz & Bickel is known for their top-notch customer service and good reliability rates. They won’t throw out a cheap dry herb vape without going through their typical German process.

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+ USB-C Version Pros and Cons 

Pros

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

Cons

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

Conclusion

We’re a bit torn. The Crafty+ definitely does have some significant improvements in battery life and heat-up time, but the slight increase of performance and marginally better 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 considering how we’ve only been able to test it for a short while. 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 Mighty now and until the Mighty+ comes out, we designate the Crafty+ as the new best portable dry herb vape.

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 vape, then we’d recommend looking elsewhere. The Crafty plus is not cheap!

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

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Crafty+ (Plus) Vaporizer Review

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Storz & Bickel Crafty Plus Vaporizer is an all around best portable dry herb vaporizer with wax ability! Learn more.

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Tools420

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Tools420

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