What is a vaporizer, and what is it for?
What is the main difference between vaping and smoking?
Smoking is a process when the herb material is burnt, generating smoke as a primary product. However, along with smoking comes many unhealthy by-products of toxic nature - such as tar (solid particles) and nitric oxide (gas). All these by-products are harmful, causing irritation of the throat, mouth, and lungs. Besides, the burning process destroys a large part of the active substances, which means that smoking is much less effective than vaping.
A vaporizer uses a stream of preheated air to extract the active substances from the plant material. The generated steam does not contain tar because the material does not burn. Therefore, no ash is left during and after the vape. This process is called convection and prevents direct contact between the herbs and the heating element, which prevents the material from burning. As a result, the remaining material only loses its color and smell. The vaporizer is also very easy to clean - simply empty the herb chamber, and it is done.
Compelling reasons why try vaping
Safe and clean
Compared to smoking, the level of irritants and health-threatening substances generated by herb vaping is either none or significantly reduced, depending on the specific component.
Greater yield
While burnt herbs release active substances at once when smoking, a vaporizer can triple or even quadruple the lifespan of the vaped material, allowing the user to extend its use. In addition to vaporizers, which act as a less dangerous way to use herbs, herbal mixtures specifically made to be used in vaporizers are also offered at higher concentrations and densities than those you can encounter in smoking.
Taste
Steam generated by burn-free processes provides the user with a cleaner and more pleasant taste without irritants and toxins, which usually occur during smoking.
Aromatherapy using vaporizers
Most of the aromas of trees and plants that we consider pleasant are produced by essential oils. The smell of pine when walking through woods or the scent of lavender in your garden is nothing but essential oils. Not only do these oils please our olfactory sense, but they also have measurable effects on our well-being and health. Lavender, for example, shows calming effects and improves sleep. Lavender was used as a disinfectant in hospitals in ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Essential oils of jasmine, cannabis, mead, rose, eucalyptus, rosemary, chamomile, sage, and thyme have a long history of use in the perfume industry. But, more importantly, they also are known for their positive effects on the mind and body.
A vaporizer is used to extract all the active ingredients present in medicinal herbs in the form of steam. The then Inhalation of the vapor has an immediate effect and is more efficient, cleaner, and healthier than smoking.
Desktop vaporizer Volcano (Storz & Bickel)
Portable vs. desktop vaporizers
Most desktop vaporizers are not intended for outdoor or go since their operation purely depends on power; they are mostly too big. Smaller ones, known as portable vaporizers, are much more suitable for such purposes. Despite their sizes, they do not necessarily produce lower-quality steam. However, they could be more fragile due to the materials they are made of. Also, the operation and maintenance could be a bit more tricky.
Portable vaporizer Crafty+ (Storz & Bickel)
Vaporizers can save money
Using a vaporizer has many benefits - it is healthier, cleaner, and tastier than smoking herbs. A vaporizer may seem expensive. However, it is often overlooked how much money it can save in the long run.
The difference between spending and investing is whether you can expect a return or not. In both cases, it is a simple outflow of cash. Still, when investing, you try not only to get your money back but also to earn. If you apply this to spending cash on vaping, vaporizers are a pretty decent investment. But, then, it primarily depends on how much herb material passes through them.
Vaporizers work gently with herbs
Vaporizers heat the herb material precisely to the point where the active substances evaporate in the form of steam without actually burning the plant matter. If the material is burnt, as with smoking, a large number of active ingredients is destroyed. However, this does not happen in vaping because a smaller dose of plant material must reach the same maximum.
It is generally estimated that most vaporizer users consume 30 - 40 % fewer botanical materials to achieve the same effects as they would with smoking. Of course, it depends on several factors, such as efficiency, temperature settings, vaping technique, and more. In general, however, it can be agreed that vaporizers save around 30% of plant material.
This means that those who use vaporizers get much more for their money. If vaporizers save about 1/3 of the used herbs, this means that you get an extra gram out of every 3 grams you have purchased. While some vaporizers include a considerable initial investment, this saving means that the device will pay itself off over time..jpg)
Investment return in vaporizers
The investment return depends mainly on three factors: how much herbs the user consumes on average, how much they spend for herbs and the vaporizer price. To find out how long it might take the vaporizer to pay itself off, let us look at a few examples:
If you consume an average of 10 grams of plant material per month, the effectiveness of 30% means that you will consume only 7 grams with a vaporizer. At the price of €10 per one gram, you can save 3 grams per month worth €30. Say, a vaporizer, which costs about €239, such as the PAX 3, will take only about eight months to gain the investment back. On top of that, you will be saving cash on herbs after this time. This means you will spend less on herbs eventually.
Another example is also based on a model situation when the user spends monthly €10 on herbs. They use the Volcano Hybrid vaporizer, which costs about €584 and is 40% more effective than smoking.
Monthly expenses on herbs = €10
Vaporizer efficacy compared to smoking = 40%
Saving compared to smoking = €40
Acquisition price to monthly savings = 584/40 = 14.6
This means that after about fourteen and a half months, the Volcano Hybrid vaporizer paid for itself when the user has saved in paying less for the plant material compared to smoking. It should be noted that the Volcano Hybrid vaporizer is the market leader and is one of the most expensive devices.
Of course, the time the payback takes depends mainly on the amount and price of the herbs consumed. However, these examples show how you can save money with a vaporizer and how you can calculate your own savings based on current monthly expenses.
Vape pen Hermes 3 (LINX)
Vape pens
Herb vaping has always been popular for those using herbs and avoiding toxins and harmful chemicals found in smoke. In the past, this mainly meant using large desktop devices, but with constant advances in technology, increasingly popular vape pens have been introduced to the world.
As you may have thought, a vape pen is a portable vaporizer in the shape and size of a pen. Current technology has made it possible to create portable vaporizers that are small, efficient, easy to use, and discreet. Combining these features has led to a boom in vaporization popularity, allowing users to vape almost anytime and anywhere.
One of the main advantages of vape pens is how quickly they are ready to use. Instead of waiting a minute or more to heat up the herb chamber, most vape pens are ready in a few seconds.
The big pro in vape pens is their e-cigarettes look. Thus, no one has any reason to wonder what you are vaping. Also, the smell dissipates in seconds without hitting anyone near you. This is because you are only inhaling the steam produced by the tiny device. This means that it is possible to vape any herbs in broad daylight. Although this is one of the main reasons behind the rise in their popularity, it is still advisable to keep a low profile since even vape pens will not make you utterly invisible!
A vape pen usually consists of three main components: battery, heating element, and a heated chamber where the herb or concentrate is placed.
What can be vaped
The constantly growing popularity of vaping on the go offers many options on what types of products can be vaped. It is possible to take a standard dry herb and concentrates such as oil and wax. Only one of these forms can be used in some vaporizers. Others allow combining them or offer interchangeable cartridges, which are specially made for dry herbs or concentrates.
Dry herbs
When vaping dry herbs, the user can expect a pleasant and clean experience that wins over smoking in a resounding victory. But, of course, the overall experience depends on the herb quality and the conditions it was grown at. Thus, if you use a good quality product and a decent device, vaping is the tastiest and most economical way to use herbs. Furthermore, since it is not as strong as vaping oils and concentrates, it is suitable for everyday use.
CBD oil
CBD oil is a liquid concentrate of cannabidiol, which is an active ingredient found in hemp. As a result, it can be much stronger and more effective than its direct herbal counterpart. And that is why it is so popular.
Using CBD oil in vape pens can sometimes be a slightly messy experience as it could be complicated to clean the chamber. That is why many pens have disposable cartridges, which can be replaced relatively cheaply, becoming an excellent alternative to cleaning.
Waxes
Although wax has existed for years, it has only recently come to the forefront. Like oils, waxes are concentrates and very effective, but they have a different consistency. Wax is commonly extracted using butane. The difference is that wax is elastic, which makes it easier to handle.
As you can see, vape pens offer versatility and freedom in use. Their discreetness and portability allow using herbs almost at any time and any place.