The best desktop vaporizer will more than likely be different for every person. Not only do they vary quite a bit more than your average portable vaporizer but they tend to cost a lot more as well. This article will list my top dry herb and concentrate desktop vaporizers.
You might be wondering what is the difference between a portable vs desktop vaporizer, and which one is best for you. In most cases the desktops are going to be larger, more powerful, more reliable, and while a lot of portable vapes utilize conduction or hybrid heating methods, almost all desktops are full convection.
Since they are not constrained by size, shape, weight, or battery life you can generally expect better flavor, denser vapor, and better efficiency from a desktop compared to a portable. If you think a smaller and more portable vaporizer is best for you, or you just don’t want to be limited by a power chord check out my best portable vaporizers for 2018 article.
To help you find the best desktop vape, I’ve broken down all of the top dry herb desktop vaporizers and placed my favorites into different categories. These categories are based on three different delivery methods; Bags, Whip and Direct Draw. For each category I will recommend my top pick and a budget pick. I will talk briefly about the vaporizer, provide a link to my full review, and a recommended authorized retailer to buy from.
Best Desktop Vaporizers
| Category | Desktop Vape | Price | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bag Vape | Volcano | $479 | Shop Volcano |
| Best Bag Budget | Extreme-Q | $159 | Shop Extreme-Q |
| Best Direct Draw | Cloud EVO | $449 | Shop CloudEVO |
| Best Direct Draw Budget | E-Nano | $189 | Shop E-Nano |
| Best Whip Vape | Herbalizer | $599 | Shop Herbalizer |
| Best Whip Budget | Da Buddha | $190 | Shop Da Buddha |
| Best Home-Use Portable | Mighty | $349 | Shop Mighty |
Best Bag Vaporizers
Bag vaporizers are quite a unique experience. The vaporizer will fill the bag with vapor, and then you will casually take draws from the bag. Bags are best if you are looking for a vape for group use, and they are really convenient and easy since you are free to move and walk around with the bag.
Volcano Vaporizer ($479)
The Volcano is my dry herb vaporizer daily driver and has been for about seven years now. It gets turned on from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed and the Volcano delivers consistent, quality results every time. First off, the Volcano comes in two different versions. The Digit Volcano is the digital version offering on vape temp display, easy to press temp buttons and a 30 minute auto-shutoff timer. The Classic Volcano is essentially the exact same vaporizer minus the digital temperature display and auto shut-off feature. The temperature on the Classic is controlled via a rotary dial ranging from temp one to nine, nine being the highest.
The system itself is pretty simple. It uses a heater with a fan that sits below the chamber. Place the chamber on the top of the unit and it blows hot air over your herbs into a bag. You then detach the bag from the valve system and press your lips against the mouthpiece to take a draw.
The next decision would be whether to go with the Solid Valve or Easy Valve system. Basically the Solid Valve is a more permanent solution where you buy a spool of bags and cut them to your preferred size. The Solid Valve is the better option for single users because it allows you to shrink the chamber size with the chamber insert. Downside to the Solid Valve bowl and chamber insert require a lot more cleaning than the easy valve bowl.
The Easy Valve system is exactly as it sounds. You just buy new bags that are pre-made with custom mouthpieces. All the sizes are the same and there’s very little cleaning involved. You also don’t have to make any bags, but if you really wan’t the custom bag sizes you can pick up the $11 easy valve balloon adapter to add the function.
At first I really liked the Solid Valve system because it allowed me to customize the bag sizes which was nice but over time I’ve become lazy. The lack of cleaning involved with the Easy Valve is just to hard to pass up and I’ve been using the Easy Valve system most of the time lately. In the end I really like both valve systems, and while they do each have their own strengths there’s no wrong choice. It is completely up to you.
One under-rated aspect about the Volcano is the lack of cleaning. With the Solid Valve set as long as you quickly brush the chamber/plunger in-between bowls you can likely vape over an ounce of material before needing a cleaning, this is quite a bit more than most other vaporizers, and with the easy valve set you can easily go 4-8 ounces before needing to clean the bowl.
I have the cloud evo, the herbalizer, the extreme q, da budda, e-nano, plenty, and I’ve tried countless others. I ALWAYS come back to the Volcano. It’s stupid easy to use, always ready to go and reliable. I can always count on it to work and work well. It’s also one of the best options for groups because the bag can easily be tossed around the room. Click Volcano Review below to check out my full review or Shop Volcano to pick one up from my recommended authorized retailer.
Extreme-Q ($159) Budget Option
The Extreme-Q vaporizer is a multi-use desktop vaporizer that features the option to fill a bag or use a whip. I like to call the Extreme-Q the jack of all trades but master of none. Yes, it offers both the bag and whip but it’s not the best in either category. Compared to the Volcano the bags fill much slower, they will not taste quite as good, and the volcano bag valve systems are great, they seal the vapor and have essentially zero draw resistance. With the Extreme-Q bag you will have to keep your finger over the tube to prevent leakage, and the tube has a thin diameter so you can take the huge free flowing draws like you can with the Volcano.
Generally I prefer the bag delivery method. It’s easy to pass around and I’m not tied down to a whip in one location. But when I use the Extreme Q I actually find myself using it with the whip most often. So if you like the whip option and are also interested in a few bags here and there, I really think you would like the Extreme-Q.
Overall the Extreme-Q is actually the desktop vaporizer I use the least from this page, but it is also the cheapest vaporizer. Since the Extreme-Q is very reliable and very versatile it definitely deserves its spot here.
Best Direct Draw Vaporizers
Direct draw vaporizers give give the closest experience to a steamroller or a bong. These units are best for flavor, efficiency, and vapor density. These units are on-demand so you will generally take a few draws at most to finish each bowl. If you are looking to get maximum effect from a set volume of herb, you should consider a direct draw unit.
Cloud EVO Vaporizer ($449)
The VapeXhale Cloud EVO is the ultimate desktop vaporizer for purest/taste enthusiasts and is my secondary daily driver. This unit works both dry herb and concentrates. The one thing that the VapeXhale Cloud EVO can do that the Volcano can’t is absolutely 100% crush me. I’m talking can’t breathe, gasping for air, tears rolling down my face type of hits. You don’t HAVE to hit it that way but it most definitely has the potential to flatten you. Not everyone likes/needs this, I do :)
The CloudEVO vaporizer has an all glass vapor path, and uses herb baskets for dry herb or glass/quartz “vapexnails” for your dabs/concentrates. Turn the unit on and select the temp via a rotary dial. There is no numbers on the dial but it’s set up like a clock. 9:00 would be your lowest temps while 3:00 higher temps. Place the nail or basket into the top, place your glass hydratube or regular mouthpiece over the basket and rip it.
The glass bubblers/bongs are called hydratubes and they definitely make the entire session more enjoyable. You can use the bent glass mouthpiece that comes with the unit but I’ve noticed that the vapor tends to get pretty warm with longer rips. I recommend getting a Hydratube with a small amount of diffusion. You really only need the diffusion for combustion. I like the taste of vaporization and especially enjoy it from the Cloud EVO. There’s really not much else out there that will get you this type of pure taste/quality.
Downsides are that the baskets don’t hold up too well under heavy use so you’ll have to replace those. I also recommend that you pick up the Quartz version of the vapexnails. They will be much easier to clean.
E-Nano Vaporizer ($189) Budget Option
The E-Nano is like a smaller wooden version of the Cloud EVO. Each vape is hand crafted in the USA out of sustainable hardwood, and efficiency along with pure taste is the name of the game with this unit. This is currently the smallest desktop vaporizer I have, and when the glass stem is not in place it’s also probably the most discreet unit.
You are going to be loading very small bowls with this vape generally in the size of .025-.1g area so this one is amazing if you want to conserve. Despite the low price and small bowl size the E-nano still rips hard. You can easily blow out big dense clouds since it can finish a bowl in 1-2 draws. The E-nano heats up in a few minutes and has fully adjustable temperature control with a dial going from 1-11 corresponding to 0-560F. I personally like to vape in the 5.5-7.5 range with dry herbs. In the stock configuration you will draw from a glass stem, however you can also add an optional glass water pipe adapter if you like to vape through glass.
Best Whip Vaporizers
Whip vaporizers provide the best casual session experience. If you want to pack a bowl and enjoy it over a longer period of time with more draws you should consider a whip vape. With a whip vape you can expect great flavor, and very smooth cool vapor. Whip vapes are the desktop vaporizers least likely to make me personally cough.
Herbalizer Vaporizer ($599)
The Herbalizer has the best overall vapor quality of any desktop vaporizer, definitely my opinion but I think a lot of others would share it with me. I think it is the best tasting whip option that you can find, and it produces some of the smoothest, and coolest vapor you will find, even up to very high temps where a lot of other vaporizer’s flavor declines. It’s also one of the most versatile desktop vaporizers currently on the market since you can use bags, whip, and they now have a steamroller for purchase. One other strength of the Herbalizer is that it heats up in about 10 seconds which is drastically faster than the rest of the desktop units.
This is the best desktop vaporizer for someone who wants all the options. You want to be able to use whips, vape bags and throw on a glass piece every so often. The Herbalizer can definitely do just that, however I feel like the Herbalizer is really only the best at the whip game. The bag system with the Volcano is much easier to use, clean, and maintain. It also fills much faster especially under heavy use. I also very rarely use the Herbalizer with glass but it’s nice to have that option. So if you are primarily looking to vape through glass you might want to go with the Cloud EVO, and if you primarily want bags you might want the Volcano.
The Herbalizer DOES however deliver superior taste, temp control, and smoothness via the whip system, and also includes fan assist which is nice when you want large rips without putting in the effort. The Herbalizer is a jack of all trades and master of ONE. The Herbalizer will offer the best tasting desktop option for your dry herbs.
Da Buddha Vaporizer ($190) Budget Option
The Da Buddha is made in Colorado, and while it has been around for a long time but it is still relevant because it is reliable, reasonably price, and produces tasty, smooth, and cool vapor. There are some cheaper whip vapes options out there, but this one really stands out with the best value.
The DBV uses a ceramic heating element and a unmarked dial to control the temperature, and while this unit does require a bit more practice than the rest of the vaporizers on this list to get the best results it is still pretty easy.
I generally like to vape with the dial between 12 o’clock and 2 o’clock using the DBV. With this vaporizer your draw speed is important, if you draw too fast it will under-cook the herb for a set temperature, and if you draw too slowly it will overcook the herb, so you will wan’t to find the right temperature setting for your preferred draw speed.
Home-Use Vaporizers & Honorable Mentions
Mighty Vaporizer ($349)
The Mighty vaporizer is definitely a portable vaporizer but I find myself using it at home more than on the go. The Mighty has exceptional battery life and can be used while charging so it works perfect for both on the go and carrying from room to room or out onto the deck or yard. I also like the fact that it’s one of the easiest vaporizers to use and own. The cleaning is infrequent, but it does take a while when needed. I’ve gone months before cleaning my Crafty/Mighty vaporizers.
The other thing that I like about the Mighty is that it’s just the right size to pass around in a group setting and its durable enough to survive big drops. So the Mighty isn’t a desktop vaporizer but hopefully you can see where it might serve that purpose. It also hooks up to glass pieces via a water pipe adapter and is powerful enough to draw huge clouds.
Plenty Vaporizer($249)
The Plenty is a hand-held home-use vaporizer made by Storz and Bickel. They are the same manufactures of the Volcano, Crafty and Mighty. The Plenty is one of the most enjoyable session vaporizers that you can buy BUT it is a bit of an herb-hog. It definitely works best with a full chamber or at least a smaller layer along the bottom and it will go through it fast. With that said, you get a full temp spectrum with auto-shut off, and the long stem does a good job of cooling the vapor before it reaches your lips. It does seem to get a bit dry during long sessions but it will kick out huge clouds and tasty rips
The Plenty plugs in to the wall and is meant to be held in your hand for the duration of the session. There’s really no way to set it down which is a good thing because then you’d just be wasting more herb. The Plenty will definitely not be for the small load size efficient type BUT if you you have access to a lot of herb than you’ll really love the smooth, taste, cool vapor quality of the Plenty.
OG Sticky Brick ($179)
The OG Sticky Brick is a butane home-use vaporizer. It’s too big to fit in your pocket but it’s the perfect size to fit in your hand and carry from room to room. The Original Sticky Brick is made out of natural hardwood in the USA by Sticky Brick Labs. The name basically explains what they are. They are bricks that stick together via magnets to create a wonderfully smooth, cool, and tasty session.
The OG Sticky Brick is the one I recommend for first time butane users because it’s the easiest to use straight out of the gate. They also offer the Junior which is smaller more pocketable version. The Hydrobrick which is for someone that already has glass at home and lastly the HydroBrick MAXX. The MAXX includes the glass mouthpiece, glass WPA, whip and connector.
Be sure to pick up a quality butane torch. If you pick one up through the link below, you’ll get an Eagle torch which is the same one I’m using and it’s good to go.
Reviews by Buzz Danklin
2 Comments
I sure like your reviews, thanks very much for them! I wanted to ask for your thoughts on the best vape for me.: I have used medical cannabis for quite a while via home made tinctures but have been considering trying vaping. I am a single user, would be using at home only, am not concerned about the price. My main objective would be to get the product that would likely be the best for my lungs/respiratory. I haven’t seen much written about that though so again I would really appreciate your thoughts on that question/objective. Oh, and also I would prefer to vape dry herb only unless you feel like the vape liquids are more “healthy” and easier on respiratory?
Much thanks/mahalo & aloha, b
If you wanted a desktop model, I would recommend the VapeXHale Cloud EVO or the E-Nano. Both are very clean hits and I prefer to use them both with water. It cools down the vapor and makes it easier to draw. Portable, Firefly 2! Pure convection heating and arguably the best tasting portable vaporizer on the market. Did you have a budget you were trying to stick to? Let me know if you have any more questions!