G Pen Elite vs. G Pen Elite 2

Should you buy the G Pen Elite or G Pen Elite 2?

If you were a big fan of the original G Pen Elite, you might be interested in picking up the newer model of the G Pen Elite 2. Grenco / GPen have made massive improvements from the original including eliminating much of the plastic or rubber from the original, upgrading the airpath to be fully separate from the electronics to improve the vapor quality, and adding an optional convection boost. In this review, we’ll be going over these upgrades and more as we compare both vaporizers to help let you know the differences between these two well-known portable dry herb vaporizers.

G Pen Elite 2 Upgrades

• Mouthpiece upgrade
• Screen upgrade
• Isolated airpath
• Hard plastic to zinc alloy upgrade
• Optional convection boost

Heating System Comparison

On the G Pen Elite, the heating system is a pure conduction oven that featured a slightly larger chamber that would be able to easily fit 0.5g or as much as 0.75g.

On the G Pen Elite 2, the heating system has been slightly altered. The bowl is much more narrow, and you’ll be able to fit about 0.4g. There is also an optional convection boost you’ll be able to toggle that will really boost the vapor quality, as we’ll get into later in the review.

Portability Comparison

G Pen Elite Specs

• 4.25 x 1.2 x 0.85in Weight:88 g

G Pen Elite 2 Specs

•  4.6in x 1.2in x 1.1in Weight:100g

Suitable Substances

With the convection boost and narrower bowl, the Elite 2 will be the better vaporizer if you want to add a small dab on top of your dry herb. Since you can compact your flower more on the 2nd edition, it will sit on top better before melting and getting a very even roast. The pure conduction and wider oven on the original weren’t the best for concentrates at all.

G Pen Elite vs Elite 2 Vapor Quality Review

In the vapor quality comparison between these two dry herb vapes, it’s not even a fair comparison as the Elite 2 blows the original out of the water. Off the bat, the isolated air path is going to mean that you’ll have a much more pure taste to your vapor, as a cheaper device like the original Elite can be prone to having a slightly metallic aftertaste as the air you’re inhaling will often pass closely through things like a circuit board.

Secondly, the upgrade to the materials also makes a huge difference to the flavor of the hits from a vaporizer. As previously mentioned, the Elite 2 uses a fully ceramic mouthpiece that is magnetically attached to the body of the vape. On the original, the rubber mouthpiece had more of a gasket type of function that would sit tightly onto the vape. Although this is a more budget-friendly option, there is a significant flavor loss due to the rubber’s flavor that will affect the terpenes of your ground flower. Within the mouthpiece, the design has been reworked in the newer edition to be much more user-friendly. The old G Pen Elite screen was very difficult to remove and clean as resin built up. To fix this problem on the new edition, there is now an insert that is fitted within the mouthpiece cap with a better filter screen and a new winding zirconia spiral air path for the vapor to pass before you inhale. The result is a combination of better air flow and a longer air path for slightly more cooling of the hot vapor.

On the bottom of each vaporizer’s chamber are air holes that allow for air brought up from the bottom of the vape to pass through your dry herb. On the original Elite, there are four small holes, and no noticeable air intake holes anywhere. On the G Pen Elite 2, there are nine air holes, as well as a noticeable air intake right where your thumb will rest, so you can further customize the adjustable convection boost by using your finger as a carb cap if you have the convection boost on. With the convection boost, you’ll be able to turn it on or off in the easy-to-navigate settings menu.

While this review might seem biased towards the 2nd edition, the original does have its strong points. With a fine grind, you’ll be able to fit a massive 0.75g into the chamber, and on the maximum temperature setting of 220°C / 428°F, you’ll be able to get massive clouds after the 30-second heating period, albeit with no the best taste. For a hundred dollars though, it’s a great budget device.

Battery Life

For the battery life comparison, each vape will last about an hour of use. The Elite 2 sports a 2100mAh battery while the original has a 2200mAh. The original uses an outdated micro-USB port, while the new version comes with a more versatile USB-C. For charge times, this means that it has been brought down to an hour and a half from three. This is a huge improvement and means that you’ll be able to spend more time vaping, and less time charging, especially if you’re a heavy user.

How to use each dry herb vape?

For ease of use, each vape does work quite similarly.

The original features an OLED screen that you’d be able to set the temperature with, and then double-tap the power button to begin the heating.

On the newer model, there are a lot more options to choose from to be able to customize your sessions. Once the vape is on, you can access the menu by pressing the power button five times quickly. Using the up and down arrows and then clicking the power button, you’ll be able to adjust a variety of settings including the convection boost, session timers, haptic feedback, screen brightness, and swap between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and update the firmware in time as G Pen releases updates.

One thing that you should know about the Elite 2 is the 30-second shutoff timer. If you don’t inhale or move the vape in around 30 seconds, it will turn off automatically. This can be a bit annoying, especially if you’re just trying to relax in between hits.

Is it easier to maintain the Elite 2?

The main comparison when it comes to cleaning each vaporizer is the mouthpiece being much easier to access on the Elite 2. The mouthpiece insert is fully removable and you’ll be able to easily access and individually clean each part. Other than that, each vape is quite easy to clean. All you’ll need is a vape cleaning wipe for the body of the vape, but the Elite 2 has an integrated pick tool built into the bottom of the vape which you can use to easily clear out the bowl after every session.

Warranty

On the original Elite, you’d have a one-year warranty, and on the Elite 2, you’ll have access to a two-year warranty that is extendable to three upon device registration.

G Pen Elite vs G Pen Elite 2 Review Conclusion

In conclusion, while the G Pen Elite is still a decent budget vaporizer, Grenco / G Pen has made massive improvements to the original in terms of overall manufacturing quality. In fact, it has even earned a top spot on our best portable dry herb vaporizers list. While the battery life is not the best, it’s certainly a top performer and was an awesome release for G Pen in 2022.

If you’re new to dry herb vaping and are looking to pick up a starter vape, the G Pen Elite offers a big bowl and is relatively easy to use and understand. While it hasn’t earned a spot on our best budget vaporizers list, it’s still a solid device.

If you’re a connoisseur looking for a quality dry herb upgrade, you might consider the G Pen Elite 2 as an alternative to the Mighty Plus or Arizer Air Max. It offers top-of-the-line vapor quality and is only held back by its limited amount of accessories, although you will be able to get creative for bong use, as you can read more about in our G Pen Elite 2 Review.