What Are Dry Herb Vaporizers? A Complete Guide
Are you passionate about vaping? Read our complete guide to get an answer to the question: what are dry herb vaporizers?
Keyword(s): dry herb vaporizers
New Zealand is hoping to become completely smoke-free by 2025. And the number of people who vape in the country is approaching 100,000.
The consensus amongst most people in the country is that vaping represents a less harmful and more enjoyable alternative to smoking. And dry herb vaporizers are quickly becoming the method of choice for people to enjoy their herb.
Dry herb vapes produce no second smoke, no pungent odour, and they offer a clearer, more manageable high. They can also be highly portable and easy to maintain.
If you’re thinking of purchasing your first dry herb vaporizer, you’ll need to have the basics covered. Here’s everything you need to know.
How Do Dry Herb Vaporizers Work?
A dry herb vaporizer is a small handheld device that heats your herb to a set temperature. It gently heats the plant material to release the THC–no thick smoke to inhale, no harmful tar to take back.
In terms of how they work, think of them as portable handheld ovens. Your herb sits inside a chamber (we’ll cover the components shortly), and when you turn the vape on, your herb will begin to heat up, which in turn releases a vapour that you can inhale to feel the effects.
Nothing inside the chamber gets burned, and so you’re not drawing super-heated plant material back into your lungs.
Dry herb vapes typically either work through convection or conduction heating. In simple terms, conduction vaporizers directly apply heat to your herb, and convection vaporizers will use hot air to heat your plant material.
There’s somewhat of a raging debate in the community about which type of vape is better. Generally speaking, the argument against conduction vaporizers is that because they transfer heat via direct contact, they can sometimes burn some of your herb, which may give your herb somewhat of a bitter taste.
However, this is certainly not the case for all conduction vapes, and the debate will continue forever. It’s also worth noting that convection vapes will tend to occupy the higher price ranges, so budget accordingly if that’s what you’re after.
Components
Most dry herb vapes will have three main components: chamber, battery, and mouthpiece.
The chamber is where you put your herb. Depending on the make and age of your vape, this could be made of stainless steel or ceramic. Most modern vapes will use a ceramic material because it retains heat and is less likely to spoil the taste of your herb.
Most vapes operate with a battery. The best portable dry vaporizers will come with easily rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that will keep your vape going for as long as you need.
The mouthpiece is where you draw the vapour that has built up inside the chamber. When you’re searching for vapes, you’ll find a wide variety of mouthpieces, and you’ll need to find the one that feels and works best for you. Some vapes offer rubber mouthpieces, but you’re far better off going for a glass piece.
These are just the base level components, though. You can also attach a whole range of nifty accessories to the mouthpiece of your vape. Accessories like this glass bubbler help make the vape draw even more smoothly and take your vape game to the next level.
Your dry herb vape may also contain several other components. Lots of vapes have mesh filters made out of metal. These prevent you from sucking up and inhaling bits of plant material as you draw the vapour out of the chamber.
There will be a charging port somewhere on your device that you can connect to a micro-USB and plug into the wall to charge. Your vape should come with a cable.
Top tip: you’ll want a pokey or scraper as well to assist you with emptying your vape.
How to Use a Dry Herb Vaporizer
The first thing you want to do is grind up your herb. After you’ve done that, load up your chamber, and turn your vape on.
The best dry herb vaporizers will have an adjustable temperature. Set this to whatever temperature you desire. As a rule of thumb, lower temps will give you a more fruity and flavourful but less intense hit. On the other hand, higher temps will result in a more bitter taste but more potent effects.
Your vape will take a short time to heat up, and then it will stay at the desired temperature. Some will run on a timer, others will run continuously until you shut them off, be sure to note how yours works.
After this, you can empty the chamber into a small pot. If you were vaping herb with THC in it, you can keep the already vaped stuff and use it later.
It’s good to give your vape a clean every once in a while to clear out any dust. This will make the taste much nicer and prevent the vape from clogging up.
Finding the Best Vaporizer
There are a few things you should consider when you’re hunting for the best dry herb vaporizer.
First of all, set yourself a budget. Vapes can start as low as $60 and go as high as $1,000. Determining the price you want to pay will help you narrow down your search.
You should also consider how frequently and in what locations you are going to be using your vape. Some herb vaporizers will offer you more discretion and portability than others.
Find the right chamber size for you. Only you can tell how much you’re going to be packing in there. This is also worth considering if you’re buying your vape to share and have group sessions.
Buy a Dry Herb Vaporizer Today
Now you’ve read this guide. You’ll know everything you need to about dry herb vaporizers.
We’ve got vapes of all shapes and sizes and to fit anyone’s needs. Find the best dry herb vaporizer for you today by browsing our online catalogue of vapes and vape products.
