Zeus Arc S Hub Review

Is the Zeus Arc S Hub worth it?

If you are interested in all of the functionality that the Zeus Arc GTS Hub provides without breaking the bank, then the S Hub is for you. Combining third-generation Zeus Vaporizer functionality and convenience at a much lower entry point is something that sets this dry herb vaporizer all-in-one kit apart from the competition. With that being said let’s get into the Zeus Arc S Hub review to give you all of the information you’ll need about the upgrades and key features.

If you’ve had a chance to look at the Zeus GTS Hub Review on our blog or YouTube, you might be familiar with some of the features that the hub provides. With the inclusion of the Zeus Arc S, the Zeus Xtruder, and 15 Zeus ArcPods, right out of the box, you’ll have a huge upgrade to your dry herb vaping game with the Zeus Arc S Hub. Combine that with an AVB holding tray and a well-designed layout and travel case, and the S Hub begins to shine for its price point.

Zeus Arc S Hub Specs

What’s in the Zeus ARC S Hub Box?

• 1x ZEUS ARC S Vaporizer
• 5x ZEUS PURIFY GRIME Wipes
• 5x ZEUS PURIFY Bristle Cleaners
• 1x USB Charging Cable
• 1x Flow Sink Tool
• 1x Instruction Manual
• 1x Premium Aromatherapy Accessory
• 1x Zeus Hub
• 1x Zeus XTRUDER
• 1x Zeus ARCPODS TRIPLE PACK (15x ArcPods and 45 ARCPOD LIDS)

Zeus Arc Pods Overview

Zeus ArcPod Dosing Capsules are the main feature of the S Hub Vaporizer. They are designed to work in harmony with the included Zeus Xtruder grinder to perfectly fill to 0.3-grams every single reload. Within the actual Arc-S, they can be swapped very quickly in and out of the chamber. In short, pre-load some ArcPods and sit back and relax as you can continue sessions mess-free!

ArcPod Exclusive Compatibility

The main difference between the Zeus Arc GTS and the S dry herb vapes is the ArcPod exclusivity on the S. Other than surface-level changes, and minor internal tweaks, the biggest change to the S is the open heating chamber. With this tweak, the S can only be used with Zeus ArcPods. If you were to use a loose dry herb product, it would fall into the heating elements and damage the vape.

There is no change to performance though, and with the close to 100$ price drop, it just means that you’ll have to use ArcPods and ArcPod Lids.

Chamber loading with ArcPods / Xtruder

As mentioned, the Xtruder grinder works to fill ArcPods quickly and efficiently. To use the Xtruder, all that you’ll have to do is remove the top cap and fill the top with your selected strain of dry herb. Re-seal, then remove the bottom lid.

There is a small housing seat made for your ArcPods to sit. Place your empty Zeus ArcPod without a paper lid there and then press the bottom piece back into the bottom of the Xtruder.

Now that everything is ready for you, simply lift the Xtruder a little bit over the ground so that the auto-eject feature will work. Begin twisting the top cap, as you would with a pepper grinder. In our findings, this step will last you about ten to fifteen seconds depending on the humidity of your strain*. When the ArcPod has reached its 0.3-gram fill limit, the bottom cap of the Xtruder will slightly drop. This lets you know that the ArcPod has been filled and is ready for removal. For the last step, remove the bottom piece and place the filled pod back into the holding tray made for the pods and seal it with a paper lid.

From there, you can either place a new empty pod back into the bottom’s housing or, close the Xtruder and put it back into its holding in the Hub. In the Hub itself, there are 15 holding placements for your empty or filled ArcPods. This makes for a quick and easy location for any bigger sessions that you may have planned. We also want to point out that you could smoosh pods into your ground product to fill them up quickly, but results may vary as far as vapor quality.

*December 2021 Update: Based on our findings, the best humidity of herb to be used in the Xtruder is between 58-62%. This will ensure the 0.3-gram reading is accurate. If the dry herb is too dry or too humid, the results in the Pods will be slightly inconsistent. Especially with fresh, humid cannabis, it will over jam the Pod and be closer to 0.5g before the auto-eject feature on the Xtruder. Although there won’t be much change to vapor quality with a jammed Pod, it might catch you off guard during an actual session when you are expecting the bud to begin to tail off.

Zeus Arc S Upgrades and Changes

On the Zeus Arc S, the mouthpiece is slightly altered from the GT model. The middle part of the exterior side has been fitted with hard, medical-grade plastic, as opposed to the all rubber on the old one.
This allows for more heat resistance and less drag on the airflow. In our tests, the new material did do a better job at staying cooler during longer sessions, so this was a nice touch that looks cleaner as well.

Additionally, the internal part of the heat sink has now been equipped with more stainless steel than silicone on the GT. This allows for better vapor airflow in harmony with the zirconia shield. In short, there is much less airpath contact with silicone which results in easier pulls and better vapor taste compared to the 2^nd gen Zeus Arc GT.

Zeus Arc S Hub vs GTS Differences

As previously mentioned, the biggest difference between the two 3^rd generation Arc vaporizers is the chambers. But some small design changes save you money on the S model. While both have a matte black finish and lighting design, the S uses the silver lettering of stainless steel and has no multi-purpose tool. This is compared to the 24 Karat material on the same parts for the GTS. These changes save you money on the overall vaporizer, and won’t have any negative effects on your overall experience.

Portability

Despite an impressive 3500 mAh battery in the S, it remains highly portable in its 87mm x 42mm x 22.5mm measurements. In terms of vapor quality, it is also top tier and could be placed just below the Crafty+. With the bonus of ArcPods only, the Hub will give you extra ease of use for dry herb vaping on the go. With their well-designed holding molds, you can take 15 preloaded sessions with you on the go in the Hub. 16 if you count one that is already in the S Chamber. To summarize the S Hub portability, the vaporizer itself will easily fit into any pocket or purse. Its modern design won’t stand out in public at all, and is quite sexy when in use! The Hub and its exterior shell are a bit different. It comes in at 8.7in x 7in x 2in and will weigh close to a pound if you include 15 loaded pods and the S Hub inside.

Our initial concern was that the tray would be flimsy in travel in a bag or backpack so we put it to the test. We tried shaking the hub violently with load and unloaded pods, with everything else in its place, including AVB in its holding tray. Repeatedly, everything stayed in its place and the magnetic lid of the hub stayed in place. The ArcPod lids stayed on, and as well the AVB tray is sealed in when the shell’s top is on. This was a super awesome discovery and makes it clear that it can be placed into a bag in any way and you won’t have to worry about the tray becoming messy or disheveled! Good job Zeus Arsenal!

During actual sessions, although the discreetness is S-tier in the portable vaporizers category, the overall odor on the S and its hub is quite noticeable even from a distance. That would be our only knock against the Hub. This can be contrasted to the ‘toast’ smell that comes from the Mighty+, but that is a much less portable vape. As we did this review though, the smell of the hub grew on us, and now it smells really good… like something baking in the oven.

‘Gold vs. Silver’

With the color scheme and stainless steel vs 24 Karat differences between the S and the GTS, there is an obvious theme of gold vs silver standard. But, it’s important to note that there are hardly any differences between the vapes! The GTS as the ‘gold version’ has gold details, heatsink, and pick tool, whereas the S has stainless steel parts. Whether these changes are a big deal to you, that’s your decision.

How to use the Zeus Arc S Hub?

Let’s take a look at wat a sample S Hub session looks like:

1. To use the Zeus Arc S, you’ll first have to remove the mouthpiece with the stainless-steel pick from the bottom of the vape. L
2. ift the mouthpiece from the lettering side up and out, and then remove it with your fingers.
3. Next, load the chamber with a loaded ArcPod from your Hub.
4. Put the mouthpiece back on with the grated section over the chamber and then press and hold the soft rubber power button.
5. You’ll begin to see the blue light bars power up and after three seconds you’ll feel the haptic feedback to let you know that it’s on.

When it is powered, the blue bars represent the pre-set temperature that the Arc S is heating itself to. By default, these modes are 205F, 215F, and 225F. You can click the power button once to alternate between these, but they can also be tweaked in the Windows computer firmware application. After roughly eighty seconds, your vape will be heated and you can inhale. When the session is over, simply remove the ArcPod and its lid and knock the AVB into your Hub’s holding tray. If you want to continue the session, just place a new ArcPod back into the chamber.

Zeus Arc S Hub Tips and Tricks

Battery

You’ll be able to get about 90 minutes of use out of the S and its ArcPods which overall is solid given its portable size. To read the battery level, just have the S on and give it a good shake. This will activate the accelerometer and underneath the stainless-steel pick is the Micro-USB charging port and the flow sink pathway. Charging will take about two hours, and will let you know when it’s done when the lights turn green.

Maintenance

If you find your airflow is being reduced over time, it may be time for some TLC in the form of a new flow sink or a good cleaning heatsink and screens. To clean the heatsink, remove the mouthpiece and then slide out the middle part of the inner mouthpiece by clamping onto the grooves of each end. Once that is out, remove the stainless steel part for a good isopropyl alcohol soak.  When you place the screen back in, just make sure that the flow sink is already back in place and that you have the grates outward-facing when you put it back into its slot!

Paper lids

As a rule of thumb, you’ll get three uses out of each ArcPod paper lid. When you need new lids, they can be found in the side compartment of the ArcPod box. Seeing as the Hub comes with 45 lids, this means you’ll be able to get at least 135 sessions out of the box, as well as 135 from any ArcPod Triple pack.

Similar Vape Comparisons

For the price point, the Zeus Arc S Hub can be compared to a DaVinci IQC or a DynaVap M 2021 with a sold separately induction heater. Based on this, the Arc S has a lot more value than just a simple vaporizer design. Although the IQC has concentrate abilities, and the DynaVap is faster, the IQC provides better vapor quality with much better chamber loading convenience, not to mention the storage and versatility that the Hub provides. Cleaning is also a huge point to note, seeing as with the Pods, much of the residue will be caught by the paper lids. As well, you’ll never have to worry about sticky debris being caught in the chamber as your dry herb will be enclosed the whole session.

• Especially if you factor in the affordable Zeus Arc Water Pipe Adapter with a handy Universal 10mm Bubbler, the vapor quality is top tier and the pulls are effortless.

Final thoughts

Despite only being Zeus ArcPod viable, we hope that this review has helped you realize the overall power of the S Hub setup. It is a feature-packed all-in-one kit that can compete with the best of them. Without any major manufacturing sacrifices compared to the GTS, the Arc S shines in terms of portability and chamber loading speed. You’ll be able to quickly load up to 15 Zeus ArcPods into the Hub and keep everything you need in one well-designed spot. Overall, in comparison to the GTS, if you don’t mind having to use ArcPods and buying refills every now and again, then this could be the Best Portable Vaporizer choice for you.

Feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have about the S Hub in the comments!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Arc S compare to the Utillian 722? 

The Utillian 722 has less airflow restriction than the S Hub and is compatible with loose flower instead of only dosing capsules.

Does the Zeus Arc S Hub smell? 

The S Hub has minimal smell compared to most other cannabis vaporizers.

Does it only work with dosing capsules? 

Yes, you’ll have to use Zeus ArcPods in the chamber while using the Arc S.

How long do sessions last? 

The Arc S will stay heating for eight minutes, but you may notice the bowl is finished before then if you notice it stops producing vapor.

How is the oven different than the GTS? 

The S Hub uses a stainless steel oven and heat sink compared to the gold GTS oven and heat sink.