Vaporizing Meets Dabbing. Finally.
A vaporizer pen can be a great alternative to smoking cannabis. Not only is it hassle free and discreet, but you still get the feeling that you are “smoking” because of the inhaling action. I’ve been using vaporizer (vape) pens for quite some time now; they’re my preferred method for on- the-go consumption.
Disposable Vape Pens vs Cartridges
Disposable vaporizing pens are a breeze to use. Take them out of the box and puff on them until they run out. This makes them ideal to throw in your pocket or bag and forget about until you need it later. However, for the connoisseur, consuming the same strain or flavor all day may not cut it. For variety, pre-filled cartridges (aka 510 cartridges) offer a solution.
510 cartridges are easily interchangeable, allowing you to customize your consumption experience. You can quickly unscrew one and swap it out for another. For instance, a sativa can offer an uplifting and creative boost in the morning, while a quick switch to a high CBD cartridge can help maintain balance and pain relief (if necessary) throughout the day.
Consuming Concentrates
Customization can prove incredibly useful in finding a treatment plan that works for you. But while cartridges are widely available, the variety at the local shop usually leaves a lot to be desired. This brings us to concentrates. My local shop, for instance, carries just a few varieties of 510 cartridges, but stocks a couple dozen different types of concentrates. But how to consume a concentrate has traditionally been tricky for the more novice patient. This is what I call ‘advanced play’.
Using vaporizer pens for oil and wax concentrates has always felt like a chore. They tend to come packaged with a small bag of complicated tools for loading and maintaining the pen, and I find things can easily go wrong. Complexity aside, a glowing red hot metal coil in the middle of a glass bubble seemed like the last thing I wanted to put in my pocket. So I’ve just passed on them and stuck mostly to cartridges for on-the-go. Until I met the Puffco Plus.
Puffco +: Vaporizer Cartridge & Dabbing Pen All-In-One
The Puffco Plus is unique because it utilizes a ceramic bowl, and a removable “dart” rather than a coil for loading your concentrate. The dart sits inside the mouthpiece and allows you to travel without carrying around an external loading device. Not only does the dart improve airflow while minimizing waste, and improve flavor it’s also a dabbers best friend. A small portion, or dab, of concentrate can be placed directly on the dart for dosing purposes. When you turn on the Puffco+ feature called ‘sesh’ mode – it’s the closest thing you will find to a dab on the go.
Perhaps one of the Puffco’s most valuable features is the interchangeability between the ceramic bowl and a 510 cartridge. With a couple quick turns you can swap between a pre-filled cartridge, and the ceramic bowl (for customizing your concentrates) . For me, this is critical as I love to swap back and forth between different kinds of concentrates depending on what remedy is best for the activity.
As a battery for cartridges, the Puffco excels. I have used a number of different batteries over the years, and the Puffco provided some the best results I’ve seen with a cartridge. Better batteries deliver more consistent, flavorful and satisfying pulls on a vaporizer pen.
My experience with the Puffco Plus was entirely different. After placing a small bit of wax onto the dart I switched it into Sesh mode and began consuming. I was pleasantly surprised to find the experience incredibly smooth and flavorful. My usual coughing fit was replaced by an easy exhale of a hefty vapor cloud. I found the experience incredibly relaxing – and I enjoyed it all on-the-go?
The Puffco Plus costs $99, and while more expensive than some of its predecessors, you do get what you pay for. Honestly, I think it is cheap at the price! The Puffco Plus is definitely one of the best looking vaporizer pens on the market. It has a sleek design that fits naturally in your hand. It’s intuitive to use; the cloud shaped button and matching Puffco Plus logo light up in three different colors to help you remember which heat setting you are using. Even the packaging has beautifully simplistic design (I felt like I was opening up the new iPhone), you could tell it housed something special.
The only thing that left me wanting was the duration of battery. I ran it down fairly quickly after making sure it had a full charge before beginning. I was using it fairly heavily over the course of an evening and half of the following day, but I found that it needed charging much sooner than your typical 510 batteries. The Puffco Plus is working harder and delivering more power that the every day vaporizer pen, but still for portability a long battery life is always a bonus. If you’re a heavy consumer you’ll probably want to make sure the unit has a full charge before you head out, which it can get in under 2 hours.
So to sum it up, if you consider yourself a concentrates connoisseur, then you need to try the Puffco Plus. The dart and ceramic chamber combine for a great experience whether you are looking to consume a specific amount, or just load up and take on the go. The ability to switch between pre-filled cartridges and your own concentrates is something I had not seen before, and I expect many to find this device to be a rewarding investment.
Do you have questions about about cannabis? Ask a question on [HelloMD’s new Answers](https://www.hellomd.dev/ feature). A doctor or member of our community will answer.
If you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s 100% online, private and efficient.
