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G Pen Elite Review – If Looks Could Kill

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The G Pen Elite is the newest dry herb vaporizer to come out of Grenco in some time and It appears they are heading in the right direction. It has a ceramic chamber and uses convection for its heat source. So lets jump right on in.

Design

The G Pen Elite is a portable vaporizer for dry herb Cannabis and uses conduction style heating. On first appearance the packaging looks striking and very unique. The box is cylindrical in shape and houses the vaporizer, manual and accessories. In the box you get a micro USB charging cable, cleaning brush, stir tool and a grinder card.

The unit its self is far smaller than the original G Pro but still has some heft to it. The G Pen Elite feels solid in the hand and is constructed from aluminum alloy and silicon rubber. It’s ergonomically shaped and feels nice in the palm. I did notice a bit of button rattle on this unit which probably isn’t a big deal to most, I have a kind of pet peeve about this so I had to mention it. The durability of this unit feels solid. I dropped this unit from 3 feet high and the G Pen Elite came out undamaged. This unit gets high marks for durability.

Design Score 18/20

Taste

The taste coming off of the G Pen Elite is good but not great. It starts off average but improves over a couple of sessions. I did notice a foreign factory type chemical/plastic taste when initially using the device even after doing an empty heat up at 425°F. This taste slowly burned off as I continued to re-pack the chamber but the first impression was not all that great. I do have a concern that the plastic in the mouthpiece may leach into the vapor path when operating at higher temperatures. I prefer a vaporizer to have no plastic in the air path for this exact reason. I definitely think there is some room for improvement there.

Taste Score 13/20

Vapor Production

The vapor production off the G Pen Elite is quite good. Being that this is a conduction vaporizer it does take 3 or 4 hits to really get the vapor going but once its going, it really starts making some clouds. With this dry herb vaporizer, vapor production largely depends on the temperature you vape at. My normal go-to temp is around 390°F. At this temp vape production was above average. When cranking this unit into the 400’s the vapor production increases a lot but the taste diminishes quite rapidly, about 3 to 4 draws.

Vapor Production Score: 17/20

Functionality

I was very impressed with the functionality of the G Pen Elite. It has a power button and two temperature control buttons, very simple with great ease of use. The temperature ranges from 200 – 428°F and the unit takes about 30 seconds to reach the desired temp, which is pretty fast. The unit has a typical 5 click on and off function. After turning the unit on, select your desired temperature and hold the power button for half a second to start the heat. Once the unit reaches the desired temp simply inhale and you are good to go. The battery life is decent on this device, giving you about four 9 minute uses per charge and takes only 2 hours to recharge. I did have some trouble trying to remove the mouthpiece at first, you really have to push up and wiggle to get it loose, much like the original G Pro.

The chamber is on the larger side, you can comfortably fit about .3 grams into it. The G Pen Elite does a great job of thoroughly vaporizing all the Cannabis evenly, no burnt spots, just an even bake.

The Airflow is decent for the first couple of sessions, only slight draw resistance. After about three or four sessions I noticed the airflow tends to become more restricted. This is due to the metal screen under the mouthpiece. This screen should be cleaned after every three sessions for best results. Having extra screens and mouthpieces will solve this issue. Again I must add that the plastic mouthpiece itself has me a little worried, the less foreign plastics in the air path the better.

Functionality Score: 16/20

Health Consciousness

For Health Consciousness the G Pen Elite misses the mark and its mainly due to the plastic in the mouthpiece. I have seen some customer complain that when operating on higher temps the mouthpiece begins to off gas some of the plastic, leaving a chemical taste. This is a huge concern to me as I have slight lung issues and try to avoid inhaling any foreign chemicals especially plastic.

Health Consciousness Score: 9/20

Overall Score: 74

The G Pen Elite is a step in the right direction for Grenco, a company known for their sub par vaporizers. The vaporizer is beautifully designed but the vapor quality is lacking and the plastic mouthpiece is a bit of a deal breaker for me. The taste is mediocre at best and the draw resistance increases after a couple of sessions. The price of the G Pen Elite is $149.95, which seems to be a bit on the high side considering the draw backs. Thanks for reading and be on the look out for more vape reviews.

Cheers

***Note***We here at Vape Hacked do not take payment for reviews. We are not bias and can’t be bought so you can expect nothing but true reviews here***

Concentrate Vaporizer Review

Linx Hypnos Zero Review – Where Style Meets Functionality

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The Linx Hypnos Zero is the flagship vaporizer of Linx Vapor, a company known for producing quality, healthy vaporizers. It’s a sleek, portable, futuristic looking concentrate vaporizer but does it do the job? Lets dive in!

Design

The Linx Hypnos Zero is a self loading concentrate vaporizer constructed from medical grade stainless steel. It boasts a Borosilicate glass mouthpiece, adding to the flavor by removing plastics or metals from the equation. One of the high points of the Linx Hypnos Zero is the sheer portability and discretion it affords with its tiny size. Measuring in at just 107mm tall, the Linx Hypnos Zero is easy to conceal, literally fitting in the palm of your hand. The device its self feels like a quality unit, it doesn’t feel plastic or chintzy in any way. The durability of the Linx Hypnos Zero is apparent, it’s a well built vaporizer with incredible attention to detail. The machining on the threads is tight and buttery smooth, the Zero feels more like a medical device than it does a run of the mill vaporizer.

One downside of the Linx Hypnos Zero is the mouthpiece. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the use of Borosilicate glass over plastic or metal, but it needs a mouthpiece cap. I am worried that if I accidentally drop this unit, the mouthpiece will shatter. I am thinking the people over at Linx felt the same way, that’s why they put an extra mouthpiece in the case. That’s good thinking but I would much rather have a magnetic mouthpiece cap. All things considered, Linx Vapor did very good job with the design of the Zero.

Design Score 18/20

Taste

The taste coming off the Linx Hypnos Zero is spectacular! The Zero uses a ceramic plate atomizer instead of a coiled atomizer. This ceramic plate allows for low temperature vaporization, around 300°-400°F. This means you get a very flavorful hit with light wispy vapor. As I touched on before, the glass mouthpiece adds to the tasting experience in a big way. A plastic or metal mouthpiece tends to add a bit of an unnatural flavor to my Cannabis concentrate. Glass is definitely the way to go, no impurities and easier to clean, yet another reason why the Linx Hypnos Zero is one of the best tasting vaporizers I’ve every tried.

Taste Score 19/20

Vapor Production

The vapor produced from the Linx Hypnos Zero is light to medium, not as thick and white as other vape pens but that’s exactly what they’re going for. If you are looking to make some huge clouds, then you may want to skip this pen. The Linx Hypnos Zero was developed with the Terpene Connoisseur in mind.

Vapor Production Score: 15/20

Functionality

The functionality of the Linx Hypnos Zero is nice and simple. 5 clicks to turn the unit off and on. Click 3 times to choose between the four temp settings: Blue=Low, Green=Medium-Low, Yellow=Medium-High, and Red=High. I find that these temperature setting are set just right, the lower levels allow me to savor the flavor. If you really want to taste those amazing terpenes locked inside your Cannabis, this is the way to go. The higher levels provide stronger hits without the burning taste that’s typical of most other vaporizers.  One huge advantage of the Zero is the clean up. Cleaning the Zero is surprisingly simple. Since the components are constructed from medical grade stainless steel and use no paints, you can simply pop them into some iso alcohol and let them soak for an hour or so. After soaking simply wipe away excess with a cotton swab. That’s really all there is too it. No need for bells an whistles, the Zero does on thing and does it well.

Functionality Score: 18/20

Health Consciousness

For health consciousness, the Linx Hypnos Zero performs like a champ! I was blown away by the attention to detail put into this device to ensure it was the healthiest on the market. From the glass mouthpiece, to the all ceramic atomizer, to the toxin free vapor path and finally the medical grade stainless steel shell, the Linx Hypnos Zero ranks very high on the list of healthy vaporizers.

Health Consciousness Score: 20/20

Overall Score: 90

The Linx Hypnos Zero is a wonderful little vaporizer for the Terpene Connoisseur. Don’t expect big clouds with this one because it’s a flavor monster! The heat settings are calibrated for optimal flavor and the ceramic plate atomizer heats the concentrate consonantly. The Zero claims to be one of the healthiest vaporizers available and I believe it. The medical grade stainless steel body and glass mouthpiece make this an excellent unit and the price tag is not too shabby either. Coming in at just $79.99 its one of the least expensive vaporizers in its class. Thanks for reading and be on the look out for more vape reviews.

Cheers

***Note***We here at Vape Hacked do not take payment for reviews. We are not bias and can’t be bought so you can expect nothing but true reviews here***

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Best Dry Herb Vaporizer of 2017

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Hello, VapeHacked here and I gotta say, we have had one frighteningly crazy year! We witnessed the rise of Crypto Currency, the fall of Harvey Weinstein and we inched ever so much closer to all out nuclear war with North Korea. Luckily, we also witnessed the release of some truly great vaporizer tech. In this post I will go over my picks for the Top 5 Dry Herb Vaporizers of 2017. So sit back and spark up and enjoy!

#5 – Hydrology 9

Taking the 5th spot in our countdown of Best Vaporizers is the Hydrology 9 by Cloudious 9. This device is one of the most uniquely innovative vaporizers out there. At first glance it looks a bit like a futuristic pepper mill. It’s crated of aircraft grade aluminum and uses Borrosilicate glass for its mouthpiece and body. When filled with water and activated, this is the best looking vaporizer bar none. The lights are memorizingly beautiful to watch, especially when lit. ; )

Although beautiful, there are some draw backs to this device. I felt the entire process was complicated and a bit time consuming to really be a practical “daily driver”. The vapor produced by the Hydrology 9 is a bit lighter than on other devices due to the water filtration. The taste was about average as well, not on the same level as some of the top vaporizers on this list. Finally I noticed that when operating on higher temps, the Hydrology 9 has a tendency to combust your Cannabis if you do not stir frequently enough.

Major props to the design team over at Cloudious 9 for making an aesthetically innovative vaporizer, but more work needs to be done on the most important aspects of vaporizers I.E. taste and portability. For this the Hydrology 9 ranks 5th in our countdown.

#4 – G Pen Elite

On to the 4th spot in our Best Vaporizer countdowns, the G Pen Elite. This vaporizer is a worthy sequel to the G Pro and proves that Grenco can still compete in a market full of new competitors and innovators. At first glance the G Pen Elite looks very stylish and sleek. It has a great weight and feels very durable. The functionality is simple and straight forward, just 3 buttons. Its got a large chamber that holds roughly .3 of a gram and produces large vapor clouds.

Although the G Pen Elite is a huge improvement on the G Pro, there are some significant downsides to this device. The flavor starts off good but after the 3rd or 4th draw the taste starts to drop off. When operating at higher temps this drop off happens after the 2nd or 3rd draw. Also, the health conscious aspect is lacking. The air path contains some silicone and plastic pieces which is a bit of a concern to me, especially when operating the unit at higher temperatures. All in all, the G Pen Elite is a good vaporizer that far surpasses the G Pro, and for that it earns the 4th spot in our countdown.

#3 – Pax 3

pax 3 best weed vape

Holding down the 3rd spot in our Best Vaporizer of 2017 countdown is the Pax 3 by Pax Labs. The Pax 3 is the next iteration in the Pax dry herb line and has some impressive functionality. At first glance, the Pax 3 is stunning to say the very least. The glossy gold finish exudes luxury and the feel of the unit is that of a quality vaporizer. The interface is intuitive and not too complicated to figure out with enough uses. I like that I am able to select the temperature through the Pax Labs App. As with all of the Pax devices, the vapor production is top notch! I was getting large clouds even on some lower temperature settings. Finally, I did notice that the entire vapor path is constructed from stainless steel and is isolated from the electronics within. This is a big plus in my book due to some lung issues I am dealing with.

pax 3 weed vape

However, all that glitters is not gold. There are some downsides to this unit, the first being the glossy gold finish its self. It scratches very easily and shows many fingerprints. The flavor of the vapor is good for a conduction vaporizer but I prefer the flavor from a convection oven myself. The wax oven on the other hand was a huge disappointment. Although I was able to get medium sized clouds, the taste was sub par at best.

All in all, this is a good vaporizer if you have the money, but there are plenty of other models that cost half as much and deliver similar results.

#2 – DaVinci IQ

davinci weed

Coming in 2nd place by the slimiest of margins is the DaVinci IQ by DaVinci. Back in November of 2016 DaVinci released the IQ, their newest dry herb conduction vaporizer and boy is it a beauty. The design of the IQ is unique and innovative. The exterior anodized aluminum casing is sleek and stylish and the device has a great feel and weight. The DaVinci IQ app is quite innovative and brings the usage of the device to a whole new level. The vapor path and mouthpiece are constructed from ceramic zirconium (a much stronger version of ceramic) while the oven itself is constructed of regular ceramic. The DaVinci IQ uses a removable 18650 battery which, in my opinion, is something more vaporizer companies should do. The flavor comes through in a big way due to the ceramic zirconium mouthpiece. Adding some dry herb into the “flavor chamber” really gives off a terpene rich flavor and aroma. The DaVinci IQ is a Conduction vaporizer so the vapor production is going to be on the heavier side. The vapor itself is cool, no lung irritation or the need to use a water bubbler. Finally, the health consciousness of the DaVinci IQ is superb. The Ceramic Zirconium mouthpiece and flavor chamber are great alternatives to using stainless steel or silicone.

davinci weed vape

Despite all the great aspects of the DaVinci IQ, there are a couple downsides. The first is the heating technology. The conduction oven performs well enough, nice size clouds and good taste. But at the end of the day it is still a conduction oven. Convection seems to be where the industry is heading and for good reason, the flavor coming from convection vaporizers is superior and the herb is browned to perfection. The second down side to the DaVinci IQ is the price point. If this vaporizer used convection heating, I would have no problem dropping $279 but being that it is a conduction vaporizer, this price seems overblown. All and all, DaVinci really knocked it out of the park with this one and it will be a hard act to follow indeed.

#1 – Linx Gaia

Gaia Weed

Taking top honors of Best Vaporizer of 2017 is the Gaia by Linx Vapor. The Gaia is Linx Vapors first venture into the world of dry herb vaporizer and WOW did they make an amazing device! The Gaia uses convection heating and is the first dry herb vaporizer to use a quartz chamber. This innovative quartz chamber heats to temperature in just 30 seconds and provides the best flavor compared to any vaporizer I’ve tried! The Gaia gets major marks for being health conscious too. The vapor path is free of any plastics, it’s constructed of medical grade stainless steel and the mouthpiece is made of Borosilicate glass. Another innovation on the Gaia (there are many) is the Air Insulation Technology. The Gaia draws air around the chamber, insulating the interior components from the heat of the oven. All of the other vaporizers I have tried use a material called Silica Aerogel to insulate the oven. Little testing has been done on Silica Aerogels so heating them up near the air path is a concern for me. The functionality of the Gaia is simple and straight forward, proving that phone apps aren’t always the best answer. Finally, the Gaia comes equipped with full temperature variability, long lasting battery, and a hide away herb tool, all for around $160, making it one of the least expensive vaporizers on this list and the least expensive convection vaporizer on the market.

Now to be honest, I struggled to find some negatives on the Gaia so here is what I was able to come up with. The chamber is a bit on the small size, I was only able to fit .27 of a gram into it. While this is enough to get 3 solid sessions out of, a bigger chamber would make quite the difference. The second and last negative is that after continuous use (around 9 minutes) the device starts to get a little warm. Not hot but a little warm, this could be due to the fact that the unit is made of mostly stainless steel, quartz and glass. All in all, the Gaia by Linx Vapor is truly an innovative and quality vaporizer with a price point that can’t be beat.

So there you have it, these are the Best Vaporizers of 2017. Please comment below and let us know what you think the best vaporizer of 2017 is. Thanks for reading and be on the look out for more vape reviews.

Cheers

***Note***We here at Vape Hacked do not take payment for reviews. We are not bias and can’t be bought so you can expect nothing but true reviews here***

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Hydrology 9 Review – Something From Another Planet

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The Hydrology 9 is the premier vaporizer for Cloudious 9, a new entrant into the world of Cannabis vaporizers. It’s a marvelous looking vaporizer but does it function as well as it looks? Lets find out.

Design

The Hydrology 9 is a conduction style dry herb vaporizer. At first glance the Hydrology 9 is like nothing I’ve seen before. Large Borosilicate windows allow you to view your Cannabis vapor as it traveling through the water bubbler and out of the mouthpiece. The Hydrology 9 measures in at 175mm tall and 45mm in diameter, dwarfing all other vaporizers in its category and not what I would call portable by any means. The device’s exterior is constructed from “spacecraft grade aluminum”, which in my experience is a nonsensical buzz word. The device is also very heavy, even when empty. Coming in at just over 5 pounds, it feels more like an old glass bong rather than a convenient portable vaporizer.

One design element I am pleasantly surprised with is the LED light indicator and the light show. The LED lights shine bright through the water indicating the heat level. The lava lamp party mode is pretty cool as well but this is more of a novelty that I can see getting old rather quickly. Fun for a party but not a daily driver.

Design Score 16.5/20

Taste

The taste coming off the Hydrology 9 is average at best. When operating at the lower levels, the taste is quite good but begins to degrade after about the third or fourth draw. The higher temperatures offer much less in the way of flavor. Being that this is a conduction vaporizer, I wasn’t expecting fantastic flavor, even so, I was still somehow underwhelmed at the muted flavors coming off the Hydrology 9. It seems that this device is more for show than for taste, which is a shame.

Taste Score 11/20

Vapor Production

The vapor production on the Hydrology 9 is good, but not great. The lower three heat settings produce very light wispy vapor. The highest 2 temp settings produce much more vapor but the flavor diminishes quickly. If you want to get the flavor and the vapor, the middle two heat settings is where you want to be. One down side, I noticed that the AVB had some char, indicating an uneven burn, even when mixing with the stir arm (or what ever it’s called). The Cloudious 9 R&D team should’ve spent more time on the oven. Live and learn.

Vapor Production Score: 15/20

Functionality

I was hoping that the functionality of the Hydrology 9 would be its saving grace. Sadly, I was wrong. The device is overly complicated right out of the box. After figuring out how to assemble the device, I filled it with water, not realizing that I probably should have packed the bowl first since the bowl is at the bottom of the device. After flipping the vaporizer upside down, packing a bowl, then flipping right side up, it appears as though I have sprung a leak. The Hydrology 9 doesn’t seem to be as leak proof as advertised. The complications did not end there. After turning the device on, I found the LED indicator hard to navigate and confusing. “Wait, what does purple mean”? “Is it heating up”? “Can I change temp levels during a session”? It’s quite a bit to commit to memory so keep that instruction booklet handy.

Another thing I noticed is that the chamber is quite small for a vaporizer of this size. I was only able to fit .3 of a gram inside. Other vaporizers have similar sized ovens but they are near half the size.

The airflow feels restricted and the device clogs rather quickly. I would recommend cleaning this device after each use to avoid clogs. The amount of cleaning that this device requires makes it an impractical daily driver.

Functionality Score: 12/20

Health Consciousness

For Health Consciousness the Hydrology 9 performs well. I like that there isn’t any plastics in the construction and I appreciate the Borosilicate mouthpiece. I did notice some silicone under the mouthpiece portion but its quite far from the heating element so this isn’t too big a concern for me. I absolutely loved how cool the vapor coming off this device is. The vapor didn’t irritate the lungs at all. That’s a big plus in my book.

Health Consciousness Score: 17.5/20

Overall Score: 72

The Hydrology 9 is an interesting concept but I feel this vaporizer is more of an expensive novelty. The taste is sub par, it’s too big to be portable and the price point is too high to be practical. The draw is too restricted in my opinion and and cleaning is a pain in the butt. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the light show and the lava lamp mode is truly memorizing. It seems the people over at Cloudious 9 focused a little too much on the looks of the device rather than on what’s actually important I.E. taste and portability. The Hydrology 9 comes in at a whopping $250.00, well over other conduction vaporizers in its class. If you want a vaporizer that’s a good conversation starter, than this is the vaporizer for you. Thanks for reading and be on the look out for more vape reviews.

Cheers

***Note***We here at Vape Hacked do not take payment for reviews. We are not bias and can’t be bought so you can expect nothing but true reviews here***

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