Davinci Ascent Vaporizer Review & Tutorial
The Davinci Ascent is a portable conduction vaporizer made by the vape company Davinci. The Ascent produces decent vapor quality, packs a huge bowl for long sessions, and features precise temp control. The best feature about the Ascent is the above-average battery life. I can get well over an hour of continuous average use but the downside being it takes nearly five hours to completely recharge from dead.
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The Ascent can be used with both dry herbs and concentrates although the amount of cleaning involved with concentrates makes it almost not worth using for that purpose. It uses an OLED screen with plus and minus buttons that let you to set the precise temp you want giving you more control for different types of herbs which is nice.
Update: Davinci has released quite a few vaporizers since the release of the Ascent. Check out the articles below:
Overall, this vaporizer has been out for quite a while now and some other top portable vapes have been released more recently. Read more below to find out if the Ascent is the best portable vaporizer for you.
Size, Portability, Storage
The size of the Ascent is one of the features I really like about this unit. It’s about the same size as an iPhone 5 which makes it perfect to keep in your jeans or short pockets.
The glass stem stores securely back into the unit when you are not using it and the flip out bottom makes it fairly easy to load and unload while on the go.
The Ascent weighs roughly 190 grams which is more than twice as much as the Pax 2 (~92g) and about 50 grams more than the Firefly 2 (140 grams).
Heating Element & Vapor Path
The Ascent uses a glass-lined ceramic heating element with precise temperature control up to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. The average heat up time is around 50 seconds which is pretty standard for session vapes.
The company claims that the Ascent is a convection vaporizer but it’s definitely more conduction than convection. Air is pulled from the grill at the bottom of the unit which passes through four tiny holes in the bottom of the chamber. So it does have roughly one percent convection but the majority of your herbs are in contact with the bowl.
It uses an all-glass vapor path by using two internal glass sleeves that slide within each other. It’s not completely sealed but it does fit fairly snug. Both glass parts can be removed from the unit for easy cleaning.
Left to Right: Glass Mouthpiece (removed), Bottom Glass Component, All-Glass Vapor Path.
Chamber Size & Packing Techniques
The chamber on the Ascent is huge! I’ve got a 45 plus minute session between two people starting out at around 375 and ending around 410 degrees Fahrenheit. We literally passed it back and forth for an entire episode of Mad Men. Now, this is fun and all but this isn’t very practical when it’s just one person or if you’re trying to conserve your herbs. I’ve found you can get about .3 grams of dry herbs which is quite a bit when you consider the Firefly holds .15 grams.
So what I and others on FC recommend is to pack the first half of the chamber with dry herbs and then put the oil canister over your herbs. This drops the chamber size in half and makes it a much more realistic session for one person. You can also pick up glass flowers that you can add to the bowl to take up space and increase heat distribution.
Left to Right: Ascent Chamber, Half-Pack w/Oil Can, Full-Pack.
Battery Life & Charging Times
The Ascent battery life is actually very impressive and one of the best for portable vaporizers. It uses two non-removable lithium-ion batteries. The manufacturer states the unit gets 3 hours of continuous but after testing I’ve found this to be more around the 60-90 minute range which is still fantastic. The downside being is the Ascent can take upwards of 5 hours to fully recharge but this unit can be used while charging and Davinci does offer a car charger.
Accessories
The Ascent comes with some pretty great accessories to include 2 glass mouthpieces, 2 glass internal components, 2 glass oil jars, a carrying case, cleaning tool/poker, and your standard wall charger. You basically get a back-up of every piece which is nice for the oops moments.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The cleaning is about average for portable vaporizers. It’s less cleaning than the Pax but more than the Firefly. It also depends if you decide to use concentrates or oils because that will create an entirely new type of mess. If you use just dry herbs then you can get away with a quick cleaning every 4-6 sessions by just checking the holes in the glass stem above the chamber and wipe off any residue on the silicon around the chamber. A thorough cleaning is needed after about 12 sessions. Just remove all internal glass components and clean with ISO. I took a q-tip with ISO to the chamber and then wiped down all the silicon with ISO as well. It’s a fairly easy and quick process.
Warranty Information
The Davinci Ascent is warrantied for 2 years from date of purchase against defects in craftsmanship, electronics, heating chamber and structural integrity. The batteries are only warrantied for 90 days. Comparable portable warranties: Pax 2 – 10 Years / Firefly 2 Plus – 2 Years
Summary
The Ascent is currently rated as my 3rd highest overall portable vaporizer behind the Firefly and the Pax. I would even consider it on par with the Pax because of the extended battery life but you can’t really beat the discreetness of the Pax. The Ascent is stylish, easy to use and can be used effectively both on the go and at home.
If you aren’t quite sold on the Ascent but still want a portable vaporizer, I recommend you check out my Firefly 2+ Vaporizer Review. The Firefly 2 is a pure convection portable vaporizer that provides instant heat (3-5 seconds) and much easier to clean.
You can also check out my Pax 2 review. The Pax 2 is similar to the Ascent because they are both session vapes but Pax 2 is better in every way except battery life. I definitely prefer the vapor quality and production of the Pax 2 over the Ascent and Pax 2 is about half the size.
Video Transcript:
Introduction:
Hey guys Buzz here with vaporizerwizard.com. Today I’ll be reviewing the Ascent by Davinci. The Ascent retails for $249 at the time of this video, you can click the links below in the about section to get the current price and a full review on my website. Overall, the Ascent is ranked my 3rd highest portable vaporizer behind the Firefly and the Pax.
One of the features that set the Ascent apart from the rest is the battery life. I’ve gotten up to 2 hours of continuous use from the Ascent which is definitely the best battery life of any portable vaporizer currently on the market. It does take 4-5 hours to recharge but you can also use this unit while it’s charging. So first I’ll talk about the features and how to use the Ascent. I’ll do a quick vape session, give you the pros and cons and then recommend the best place to pick one up.
Ok so here is the Ascent. It’s a part convection mostly conduction portable vaporizer made by the company Davinci. Many improvements have been made over the original Davinci to include a glass lined ceramic heating element and an all glass vapor path.
The Ascent is a medium size for a portable vaporizer. It’s very easy to palm and throw it back in your pocket. It’s smaller in weight compared to the Firefly and the width is about twice the size of the Pax. Now to use the Ascent, press the power button located at the top of the unit. This is also where the glass mouthpiece is located. It slides out for use and slides back in when not in use which is nice because you don’t have to keep track of any glass stems like on the MFLB.
How to use the Davinci Ascent:
Now once the unit is powered on, the OLED display will show the Ascent splash screen followed by the pre-set temp and remaining battery life. You can adjust the temps by pressing on the plus or minus signs on either side of the screen. The precise temperature control is a very nice feature. Most portables don’t allow you to set an exact temp. Now, the unit will automatically begin heating up to your desired temp, you can adjust the temp at any time during this heat up process. I’ve found the Ascent takes anywhere between 50-60 seconds to heat up to around 405 degrees which is pretty solid for a portable conduction vape. Other comparable models like the Pax heats up in about 45 seconds and the Solo takes at least 90 seconds.
You can adjust the display settings on the screen such as F/C by holding the setting button for five seconds. The Ascent also comes with some pretty cool features like a motion sensor timer that will turn off the unit after a certain time. It also has a feature called “personal vape cycle” which allows you to set a specific temp and length of your session. You can store up to three custom vape cycles for different herbs or concentrates. The step by step instructions are in the included manual here so I’m not going to go into all of that.
The Ascent chamber is located at the bottom of the unit and to get to the bowl simply twist the bottom section of the unit the opposite direction of the top. Here we get to the ceramic glass lined bowl. This thing is huge! I both love it and hate it. The full pack holds as much as .7 grams when I used the MFLB Finishing Grinder and It holds .3 grams with the half pack method. It’s nearest competitor on bowl size would be the Pax at .4 grams. These 2 portables have the largest bowls on the market which is why I consider these “session” vapes. If you pack the entire Ascent chamber, be prepared to be sitting toking on this thing for 45 minutes. Now this works great if you have 2-3 people but it gets a bit redundant if it’s just you. I do have a couple different packing methods that use less herb if it’s just a single person session. I’ll get more into methods for use later on in my vape session. Once the bowl is loaded you can twist the unit back together. Now I always load my bowl before I turn the unit on but I guess you could do it either way. Just make sure that it’s a tight pack. From here all you do is wait for the unit to hit your desired temp, pull out the glass mouthpiece and you’re ready to go. So now that we’ve covered how to use to the Ascent, let’s talk about the battery a bit.
Ascent Battery Life and Charging System:
The battery life on the Ascent is one of the best on the market. The Ascent uses two internal lithium-ion rechargeable batteries which gives me an average of about 90 minutes of continuous use. You get about 60 minutes with the Pax. The only downside is that it takes almost five hours to completely recharge the batteries in the Ascent. Whereas the Pax takes 90 minutes and the Firefly will recharge in only 45 minutes. You can however use the unit while it’s plugged in so it really just depends on your preference and how you will be using your vaporizer. The charging port is located at the bottom of the unit and you just insert the included wall charger into the port. The screen will turn on and show you the battery level. If you wanted to use it while charging, just press the power button on the top like normal. I recommend just leaving it plugged in while using it at home because I’ve noticed the bowl will heat up faster with a full battery. You’ll also notice the battery life towards the final 3rd isn’t the most accurate so tread lightly if you don’t have a charger nearby.
Vape/Demo Session:
Now it’s time for the vape session. With the Ascent, the finer the grind, the better the results. Similar to the Pax. I get the best results from the MFLB Finishing Grinder but my Santa Cruz Shredder works just fine. If you only have 1-2 people vaping then I recommend the half-pack method. This is where you pack the bottom half of the bowl down tight and place the included oil canister over the top of your herbs. Now if you have 3-4 people involved with a session then I recommend the full pack. I’ve found the best temp range is between 385-415 degrees. It’s nice to be able to dial in a precise temp. Everyone will have different preferences and experimenting with this is one of the cool features with the Ascent. To use the unit, simply pull from the glass mouthpiece at the top of the unit. I recommend a 10-15 second draw. I feel like other models like the Pax, Firefly and Solo have better vapor quality but the Ascent has very little draw resistance which is nice. You will know when the bowl is done when the hits become less dense and the herb in the chamber is a dark brown color.
Ascent Pros
Ok so here are the pros and cons. The first Pro would be the battery life. This completely sets this unit apart from all the portables currently on the market. 90 minutes of continuous use is perfect for all day activities. The next would be the precise temp control. Most portables have 1-5 temp selections with incremental temps. The Ascent gives you absolute control over the temp you choose to vape at. People are different, herb types are different, and different temps produce different effects. So it’s nice to be able to experiment. Another pro is the ease of use. All that you have to do is put in your herbs and turn the unit on. It automatically heats to your pre-set temp and maintains it until the session is over. Another pro is the all glass vapor path and the ability to take out the glass components. It’s super easy to remove the glass components for cleaning and they also stay concealed when not in use.
Ascent Cons
Now the cons will also start with the battery. Although the unit is one of the longest lasting, it also takes the longest to recharge at about 5 hours. Now you can use it while it’s charging but you can get 60 minutes of use from the Pax and recharge it completely in 90. Once again, totally depends on your specific situation. Another con is the chamber size. I have to use the half-pack 90% of the time because it’s usually just 1-2 people vaping. An entire bowl is a waste in my opinion. So with the half pack comes unnecessary cleaning due to the oil canister sitting in the bowl. Davinci has told me they have something in the works to make this entire process a lot easier. So if this is the case then I will come back and re-evaluate the chamber at that time. The next con is the buttons and menu set up. Don’t try going through this thing without the manual sitting next to you and I’ve noticed button tends to stick occasionally. If I ever get stuck in the menu, I just turn off the unit and turn it back on. Another con is the slight silicon taste during the first month of use. It also seems to come back towards the end of a bowl when the draws become less dense. It is food grade silicon with no residual or harmful chemicals but it’s still not a pleasant taste. Lastly, the battery indicator on the final 3rd of the battery isn’t very accurate. If you’re going out I would make sure that it’s more than half full before you leave.
Summary
Overall the Ascent is a very good if you need a portable with long battery life and you enjoy session vapes. Meaning you can sit and puff on it for long periods of time. If you wanted something to pull out of your pocket, vape, and put away in minutes, I recommend you check out my Firefly review. The Firefly has pure convection, a stainless steel vapor path and heats in as little as 5-7 seconds. If you like the idea of a session vape but aren’t quite sold on the Ascent then you should check out my Pax review. The Pax is my highest rated vape for portability and discreetness but has less battery life and requires more cleaning.
You can pick up the Ascent by clicking on the link below in the about section. It will take you to the same authorized dealer I bought mine from. You can also find a link below to my full review on my website. Be sure to check out my social media for random vape pics and updates on future vaporizer reviews. You can help me make more videos by clicking the like and subscribe buttons. I have more vape reviews, comparisons, mods and cleaning tutorials on the way.
Thank you for the support and if you have any questions about the Ascent or any other vaporizer feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on my website www.vaporizerwizard.com. Thanks again and have a great day.
