Desktop Vaporizer Review: The Volcano Remains King In 2017

Still trying to figure out what the best desktop vaporizer is for the money? No worries, we got you covered with this desktop vape review in which we'll tell you not only about the top plugin vape on the market, but also some of its closest competitors - you know, the ones that matter. So if you want to know which vape to get, this is the review to read.

To kick things off, we want to tell you about the vape that tops this list of the best vaporizers for home use and because we're saying home use, we want to add a vape to the list that isn't a plugin - the portable Mighty vape by Storz and Bickel. Why? Because it's the best portable vaporizer for home use. It's not so good at being portable because of its larger than average size but what it lacks in portability it makes up for with its powerful vapor production. But before we get too far into that, we want to tell you all about our favorite desktop, the elite Volcano Vaporizer by, guess who, Storz & Bickel. Which we have a review for here. It really shouldn't come as any surprise to find that both of these vapes--the only portable on this list and our top rated desktop--are made by the same German vaporizer manufacturer given that their vapes are truly world class. These are the creme of the crop. And if you were hoping to get one for cheap, think again, being the best has its benefits and one of those benefits is setting your own prices - something that Storz & Bickel seems to take great advantage of. So given that both are quite expensive, we're going to tell you about some other products, at least one of which is, to us, incredibly affordable for all that it entails. And that vape is the Extreme Q by a Canada-based vape manufacturer known as Arizer. But before we get into that, we want to tell you more about the Volcano because after all, that's what this review is really about - finding the best desktop vape - and that's what the Volcano is, the best desktop vape on the planet.

The Volcano, a vape we've discussed before here on our Wix-hosted blog, is a vape that doesn't do it all, but it does enough and it does it well enough that we can't help but hold it in the highest esteem. It doesn't have a whip option, but if you try its balloon delivery, you'll be wondering why you ever cared about whips as it literally puts all whip vapes we've tried to shame - it is seriously that much better. There are even other balloon vapes out there that try to contend with it, perhaps the best of which is the Herbalizer, but there are none that can rival it. It is the best and there's really nothing else to it, at least not until someone makes something better. But when is that going to happen? The Volcano has been around for years and throughout all this time, it has managed to retain its dominance over the competition. So this isn't, just for reference, a vape that was recently rated the top vape, it has held that position year after year after year. And still, after all these years, it still manages to stay on top. Why is that though? Well, it's not an easy question to answer given that there's a lot to it but we'll do our best to summarize quickly here for you so as to not waste anyone's time. Its temperature controls, at least on the digital version, are super easy to use. And not just easy to use, but also accurate. We've seen vapes that tell you one temperature when they're clearly at another but with the Volcano, you can rest assured that it's really close to the temperature that it claims to be at. But that's not the big thing. The big thing is the vapor quality and the delivery method. The vapor quality is what you always dreamed of: cool, thick, potent, pure, and delicious. And when you go to inhale it, you don't have to worry about draw resistance because it feels like there's none. Clearly, there is some resistance, right? But it's not noticeable. You can literally grab the bag and squeeze it with one hand to push the vapor out through the mouthpiece and into your mouth. If you want it less dense, you can adjust the temperature a bit and grind your blend a little more course (a little less fine). And if you want it more dense, you can grind it really fine with a grinder like the Magic Flight Finishing Grinder or even throw it in an electric coffee grinder to speed things up a bit and then, of course, crank up the heat a bit on the vape itself. Beyond the vapor quality, the other big variable that we just noted was the delivery method, which is what we're going to tell you about next.

The delivery method with the Volcano entails a balloon filled with vapor and a mouthpiece with a valve. The vape uses an internal fan to move hot air through the blend, which is then vaporized, releasing vapor. The vapor is then pushed by the same fan into the balloon. The balloon inflates with vapor, capturing it, storing it for when it's ready to be used. Once it's full, a mouthpiece with a builtin valve is attached. This both keeps the vapor stored in the bag, locking it in there, and it also serves as the access point to the vapor, opening to release the vapor to the user. What happens is the valve actually opens when you press the mouthpiece against your lips and then it closes when you take your lips off of it. This makes it feel extremely natural to use the vape because you basically just push it up against your lips and inhale and then as soon as you're done, it snaps shut. Very-very easy to use system right here and it's not only easy, it's fun and convenient. So with it, you have the premiere vapor delivery method as far as we're concerned and we're not the only ones in this boat as there are many that agree with us. But this isn't about them, it's about us and you - our thoughts and yours. We love it, but the question is, will you? While we can pretty much guarantee that you will, there are those of you who who fall in love up until the point that they see the price, which isn't cheap mind you. So for those that can't handle the price tag, we have another vape we want to tell you about and it's the Extreme Q, version 4.0 to be specific. But before we do that, we just want to mention that if you thought the Volcano was limited to dry blends, think again. This bad boy can handle extracts as well thanks to a handy little accessory that it comes with called the Liquid Pad. Drop your extract on it, pop it in the heating chamber, and vape as you normally would. This thing is seriously awesome. Kudos to Storz & Bickel for putting together the world's best vaporizer.

Now onto the Extreme Q, which we're going to call the EQ for short. This is a vape that takes no prisoners. Its price is slashed right off the bat and its features are more than what you'll likely find in vapes that cost considerably more. It's not new but even after all the years it has been around, it's hard to find a better deal when you look at what it offers and how much--or should we say how little--it costs. Now we know you're probably looking for the best vape, but there's a point at which exceptions have to be made for some given budgetary concerns. So here's a cheap vape with a lot to offer. First of all, this does do the balloon like the Volcano, only it doesn't do it as well - not nearly as well. But it also has the whip, which is something it does quite well. The vapor quality is good, easily better than the average desktop. So with that, we can actually look at it in more depth because what matters, primarily, is the vapor quality. It's also easy to use. Heck, it even comes with a remote. If that's not saying convenience than we don't know what is. The remote lets you jump to preset temperatures and it also lets you adjust the fan speed, turn the unit off and on, and more. So it's handy, if you didn't quite catch that. But the remote isn't the only means by which to make adjustments as it has a little display and buttons on it that let you do things like change the fan speed, adjust the temperature, and toggle various features. One of the features, although not particularly useful, that we really like is the cool blue light that glows underneath the unit. When the lights are off and you're chilling out vaping, this feature is pretty awesome. But if you don't like it, which you must be crazy to not, you can always turn it off. The same goes for the fan - you can actually turn it off if you don't want it pushing warm air and vapor. It's a necessity for the balloon delivery but if you're just using the whip, it's not all that important. Although, when we use it, we like to use an extra-long whip that we bought from Arizer so that we can chill a little further away from the unit while we vape and just use the remote to control it and for this, turning the fan on is actually really helpful as it helps push the vapor through the long tube/whip we're using. The only real downside here is that it's not designed to vape concentrates. We have and it works, but you have to be careful. In short, we don't suggest it and it may void your warranty so think twice before you do it. Now onto the next vape, the portable we were talking about earlier - the Mighty.

When it comes to home vaporizer use, there are a lot of ways to go about it. You can get a handheld like the Plenty Vaporizer, another Storz & Bickel plugin, and use an extension cord to actually walk around with it in your hand as vape - just be careful not to get the cord tangled because it is a plugin after all, just not a desktop. But there's another way now thanks to one of the newest vapes to come out of the German vape manufacturer and that's the Mighty vaporizer, which is a cordless portable that can vape extracts and dried blends better than more than a few desktop vapes we've tested. In other words, it has vapor production that is incredible by portable standards and good even by desktop standards. But it has a drawback: it's big. Not as big as most desktop units but big enough to make you wonder whether or not you really want to try and stuff it in your pocket. But for home use, it's amazing. You can walk around, lay where you want, and more importantly - vape where you want. That's what it lets you do and that, to us, is an awesome reason to get one for home use. Plus, it has the added benefit if being usable just about anywhere so long as you don't mind having it in your pocket given that it's definitely a bit bulky for a portable. If you get passed the size, you'll see that it has digital temperature controls built straight into it - a difference between it and the Crafty Vaporizer, which is the other Storz & Bickel portable vaporizer. Now, after seeing it have its price slashed multiple times, it's actually not even that terribly priced. Mind you, when it first came out and we saw its price tag we were like: "Woah." But now, more affordable than ever, we think it looks like a pretty good deal. Sure, there are cheaper portables, but are there better portables? More compact, surely. But quality wise, this is quite possibly the best you'll find at this time. Although, it should be interesting to see what 2018 brings us or what the holiday season around the corner brings for that matter - who knows what we'll see? Probably some pretty interesting things but as we've seen with the Volcano and its long reigning status of king, it could be a while before we see the Mighty's incredible vapor production dethroned by another portable.

Another vape that we want to talk about because it's really cool is the VapeXhale Evo. If you're thinking this is just another vape with a gimmick, you're wrong. We've seen attempts by others in the past to put together a vape with a water filter but most have failed miserably - at least between the ones we've tested. But this one, the Evo, is a killer. It actually works. It combines a really nice desktop vaporizer with a really nice glass water filter. The result is incredible. We can't help but say that we were pretty unsure of this vape when we first saw it given our prior experience with these types of vapes. But when we finally got a chance to test one out for ourselves, we were sold. This thing is awesome. We don't prefer to use it over the Volcano Digit, but that's not to say that we don't use it. This is a vape that you really want to check out if you haven't. For the vape connoisseur that has it all, this is definitely one worthy of the collection. But seeing as it's not cheap, it's not portable, and it's not the Volcano, it really isn't our first choice, but it is more than worthy of being on this list.

What To Look For In A Plugin

This is just a little extra bit of information to help some of you out there who are still a little unsure of how to approach the question of which vape to buy. When choosing a vape, you want to make sure it's the right one for you. We like to hike and spend a lot of time outdoors in general so portables are right up our alley - the lighter and more compact the better, in a sense, but we can't sacrifice much in way of vapor quality to achieve our desired level of portability. But at the same time, we also spend a lot of time indoors, as most people do these days - especially on those cold winter days and nights. So a nice desktop unit is also a comfort which we can't help but appreciate. So for us, the answer is this: we need a portable and a desktop. We like the Volcano for its convenience and quality, but we also like vapes like the DaVinci IQ vaporizer for their high level of portability. Choosing between the two is a whole 'nother question in itself and the one we're really here to address is how to choose the right plugin. To do that, you have to ask yourself, not us, this question: What do you want out of your vaporizer? If you want a whip, you'll want to take a look at the different whip vaporizer options out there like the Silver Surfer, viVape, and so on. But if you want a balloon, you'll want to look at balloon vapes like the Volcano. And if it seems like one option just isn't enough, it's a versatile multi-delivery system like the Extreme Q that should be on your radar. The last question you have to ask yourself in regards to all this is what type of blends do you plan on vaping as not all vapes support all blend types. If you need help, you can always consult us by checking out our growing repository of in-depth desktop vaporizer reviews, which you can find on our website. That's where you'll find all of our reviews of desktop vaporizers. Each rated in a fashion that should prove easy to understand. We also include a review summary near the top of each review so that you don't have to read the whole review if you don't have time, which we figure is extremely convenient given that some of you just don't have the time to read all of what we have to say. We understand, you have things to do, places to be, and just want the information you came for so you can get in and get out with the vape of your dreams. And that's why we did what we did. So thank us later and for now, be sure to follow us on Twitter (@VaporizerShark) so that you can stay up to date with what we're up to. Until next time, stay vaped friends!