So you’ve finally decided to purchase yourself your very own vaporizer. A friend may have taught you how it’s the more efficient way of consuming cannabis, and you thought to yourself, “why the heck not?”

Now, you have another question to ask yourself: WIll you be going for a portable or desktop vaporizer? You do a Google search, and you see a laundry list of results from a ton of sources. Understandably, it can all get overwhelming.

Well, fret not, dear reader. This article should give you the information you need to make a final decision. We’ll tackle the nature of each vaporizer, the pros, and cons, and some of our favorite brands we’d like to recommend to you.

What Are Portable Vaporizers?

You don’t need to do extensive research to know what these are. As the name suggests, portable vaporizers are the kind that you can hold in the palm of your hand and carry around in your pocket, with no wires or cords necessary. These, however, shouldn’t be confused with vape pens, which are smaller, pen-shaped versions of these devices.

Portable vaporizers come in different shapes and compact sizes, but there are three main types: conduction, convection, and a hybrid of both. These terms, as some of you might have guessed, are references to how the herb or concentrate inside is heated.

Conduction vaporizers work in a snap because the weed comes directly in contact with the chamber, making it heat up quickly. In terms of price, they are also more affordable. Convection vaporizers, on the other hand, use the hot air sent through the chamber to heat the buds. It makes for less smoky flavors and more flavorful hits. As for hybrids? They give you a little bit from both. Their conduction systems allow for quick starts, while their convection systems keep the weed heated.

The Pros:

• Convenience: Portability is a huge factor. Handheld vapes allow you to vape anytime and anywhere without a mess. In turn, they’re lightweight, and can slip right into your front pocket.

• Discreet: You can sneak these into pretty much anywhere, although we don’t recommend smuggling weed into anywhere you’re not allowed to have it.

• Affordability: Most portable vaporizers are cheaper than desktop alternatives, so that’s a win for your wallet.

The Cons:

• Limited Sessions: Portable vaporizers will usually run out of battery with a few hours of use. Naturally, that can slow down a session to a halt.

• Smaller Chambers: Smaller chambers mean lesser, and usually lower quality vapors unless it’s a higher-end model.

• Fewer Features: And because there are fewer ones to work with, there is less control.

Our Current Favorite Portable Vapes

The Storm Vaporizer: Whether you use herbs or concentrates, this brand can get the job done. Shaped like a fat whiteboard marker, it is sturdy and discreet enough to use anywhere. It’s also very reasonably priced, so it won’t hurt your bank account too much.

The Mighty from Storz & Bickel: If you’re looking for a vaporizer with more precise controls, this is a good one to start with. Its rectangular shape, akin to a walkie talkie, may throw you off at first, but it is still very portable and convenient to have around. It uses both air and radiation heat for continuous and instant use.

What Are Desktop Vaporizers?

If you’ve come across an asthma nebulizer-looking contraption during a house party, you’ve likely seen a desktop vaporizer. These are large, elaborate machines that take the entire vaping experience to a whole new level.

Unlike their portable cousins, these machines have a more stable power source. You plug them into an outlet, then use them until you run out of buds. They don’t need that many refills, so you can enjoy them all night if you want to. If you want to involve the whole room in your vaping session, this is the ideal machine to accommodate that.

You can use a desktop vape a few different ways. You’ll either inhale the vapor through a balloon bag, a whip tube, a “steamroller”, or a water pipe extension. And, similar to the portable vapes, desktop vaporizers also heat the buds via conduction and/or convection.

The Pros:

• Longevity: The stable power source and lesser refills make for longer vaping sessions. No need for pauses in between!

• More Features: Desktop vaporizers generally have more features like temperature control, which can help you access certain cannabinoids and terpenes.

• Better Vapor Quality: Almost every desktop vaporizer out there utilizes convection heating, so you’ll always end up getting better vapor quality. That, in turn, allows you to get much more for the money you spend on cannabis.

• Variety of Options: Desktop vaporizers have more accessories to mess around with. You can switch things for added versatility.

• Better for Group Use: Vaping alone is fun, but having some company around makes it even more enjoyable, and desktop vaporizers are built for crowds.

The Cons:

• Bulkiness: Bringing a desktop vape from one place to another can be too much of a chore. Because of that, you’ll end up not taking it out of the house at all.

• Longer Setup Time: Desktop vaporizers involve a lot of preambles because there are a lot of moving parts involved. If you’re not the patient type, this isn’t for you.

• More Expensive: The elaborate nature of this machine makes it pricier than a portable vaporizer. That can definitely turn off stoners on a budget

Our Current Favorite Desktop Vaporizers

The Volcano Hybrid from Storz and Bickel: Those who are into a classic desktop vape design will definitely get a kick out of this one. And for the techy people, you can control this thing using your iOS or Android devices. Heating up is a lot quicker and you have more controls and features to work with.

Dr. Dabber Switch: This desktop vaporizer can work with either dry herbs or oil. They heat up really quickly, and the taste is as smooth as they come. You can also rely on its battery for hours at a time, so you can enjoy a lengthy vaping experience without being confined to a single spot.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this piece gave you a good enough idea of what your first vaporizer should be. If you want more details, you’ll find them as you read deeper into our product descriptions! At the end of the day, though, your choice will depend on your preference, needs, and budget. Whichever choice you make, we hope you have a responsibly fun time!