Davinci IQ3 Vaporizer Review

The Davinci IQ3 is a dry herb portable conduction vaporizer designed by Davinci Vaporizers. Davinci has been in the dry herb vaporizer market for over a decade at this point with their first portable vaporizer, the OG Davinci, released back in 2012.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of their first few units, Davinci has consistently continued to improve in all categories, especially functionality and ease of use. The Davinci vaporizers all use conduction heating, which means the herbs are being constantly heated from start to finish regardless of whether you are inhaling from the vaporizer or not. This likens the session experience to something like smoking a J but obviously without the harmful side effects of combustion. Davinci vaporizers work best with longer sessions, usually around 5-15 minutes, while watching a TV show, out at a festival/concert or taking the pup for a walk.

I like the Davinci vaporizers because they are easy to use, provide quick heat up times with a full temperature spectrum (tons of customization options) and they offer a replaceable battery system. A lot of the current dry herb vaporizers use internal non-replaceable batteries, and as you probably know, prolonged use and charging cycles will degrade the overall battery life over time. Meaning you will need to send the unit in to replace the battery, usually at the cost to the purchaser because batteries are generally not covered under warranty. You can avoid all that with a replaceable battery system by picking up a couple of extra batteries and rotating them to avoid loss over time. The other positive to replaceable battery vaporizers is the ability to charge multiple batteries at once via an external charging dock. Charge times can often be slower with internal battery systems and the replaceable battery options allow for lots of possibilities regarding battery life.

Really the only downsides to the Davinci IQ3 vaporizer are the chamber size and maybe the price at $299 retail ($269 with coupon code WIZARDFAM) but you do get one of the best warranties in the industry at 10 years. They did introduce “the pearl” which helps shrink the chamber size albeit very slightly, and doesn’t make a huge impact overall. So this vaporizer, IMO, is geared more towards heavier users and someone who might be using it in group scenarios or with a partner. Davinci does include a stainless steel dosage pod to help reduce chamber size and cut down on cleaning but I’m not the biggest fan of the dosage pods because they add more conduction heating and resistance to the chamber. However, tons of people swear by the cleanliness and organization of the dosage pods. See Also: How to Use and Clean Vaporizer Dosing Capsules

I recommend checking out my Davinci IQC review if you’ll be more of a single person session user or want to be more efficient with your herbs. The Davinci IQC is a dumber version (no real time dosage tracking) of the IQ3 with basic functionality and a smaller chamber (.5g compared to .7g on IQ3) but still functions the same heating wise, temp, and vapor quality. It’s also smaller and a bit more pocket-friendly when compared to the Davinci IQ3. I’m currently working on a Davinci IQ3 vs Davinci IQC comparison. I’ll update this page with more info when completed.

Overall the Davinci IQ3 is a highly customizable dry herb vaporizer with tons of analytics via the Davinci APP or via the device itself and if you’re the type of person that likes to dive into the details, this vaporizer is for you. Again, I would say it’s more geared towards heavier users that will use the majority of the .7g chamber size. The replaceable battery system ensures you will never run out of battery life so long as you pick up a couple of extra batteries and these newer Davinci versions have impressive air flow, meaning it’s relatively easy to inhale without getting a bunch of resistance from the herbs in the chamber.

The IQ3 is also advertised as a dry herb and concentrate vaporizer but honestly if you’re a concentrate user, I would just pick up a wax pen, dab rig or something geared towards exclusively using concentrates. The dry herb vaporizers don’t quite get hot enough and it creates quite the mess in the chambers if you add too much or don’t finish the extracts fully during a session. Check out my buying guide for the best wax pens (includes dab rigs) for more info on concentrate vaporizers.

Below you’ll find all the information you need to know before you buy the Davinci IQ3 along with some comparison to other popular portable vaporizers. You can also check out my top picks for the best dry herb vaporizers to see an up-to-date list for the current year.

The Davinci IQ3 retails for $299 and you can click here to pick it up directly from Davinci with coupon code WIZARDFAM to save yourself 10%. Hit me up in the comments below with any questions and read on below for my full Davinci IQ3 vaporizer review.

What’s Included with Davinci IQ3

You can check out the Davinci IQ3 User Manual for a breakdown on all the components, how to use, how to clean and information about customization and dosage tracking features.

While the Davinci IQ3 comes with everything you need to vape flower, there are few recommendations for accessories that I recommend. The first being a weed grinder. A grinder will help break down your flower and provide a more even heating surface. This helps reduce the need for stirring and provides a more efficient use of the herbs in the chamber. Grinders also double as storage for your herbs and can help reduce the overall smell of the flower, although not enough to eliminate it completely. Check out my list for the best weed grinders and hit me up with any questions.

The current IQ3 package includes a free Chewy G3 electronic grinder ($50). While I’m not the biggest fan of electric grinders, this one isn’t bad. The main reason I don’t like them is the “electronic” part. You’ll need to keep it charged and it’s just one more thing to worry about the battery dying. With a standard grinder, that’s never an issue. But a free grinder is a free grinder and it does grind up the weed pretty nicely.

The second accessory I recommend is the Davinci Hydrotube ($85) and this one I really like. Adding a hydrotube to the setup cools the vapor even further and adds moisture which really helps with the overall session experience. Vapor from portable conduction vaporizers can be quite dry with the high heats and shorter vapor paths and the hydrotube fixes both of those issues. It fits directly over the raised mouthpiece and can be removed on/off easily. This is also a good device for heavier users as it allows you to take bigger rips at higher temps for longer, again because of the cooling and added moisture. If you fit into the daily/heavy user category, I highly recommend picking up the Davinci Hydrotube. You can also use the raised mouthpiece with your current bubblers/water pieces if you already have some at home.

One of the biggest PROS with the Davinci IQ3 is the replaceable battery system and Davinci offers the replaceable 21700 batteries for $25. I also recommend picking up the Davinci External charger ($39). The external charger can charge up to 4 batteries at once, freeing up the device for use, rather than charging.

The last accessory I recommend is the IQ3 Silicone glove. The outer shell on the IQ3 is a smooth finish and silicone cover adds a ton of grip. If you’ll be using your IQ3 outside with friends or just the clumsy type like yours truly, the silicone sleeve will add a ton of grip and hopefully eliminate any drops or falls. It also protects the outer shell when you go to set the device down.

Again, the Davinci IQ3 comes with everything you need to get going but these accessories definitely help improve the overall session experience and help protect your investment for the long run.

IQ3 Design and Portability

One of the biggest areas of improvement from previous Davinci models is the manufacturing process and the overall build quality. The original IQ and even the IQ2 had issues with the mouthpiece gaskets forming a complete seal and they were hard to remove and put back in. The new Davinci IQ3 mouthpiece seals fit like a glove and everything is machined perfectly on my unit. I’m sure there’s some variance between models but this is a massive improvement when compared to previous models.

The buttons are responsive, easy to press/navigate and provide a nice tactile feel. The other improvement I’ve noticed is the chamber door closes a lot easier and it seems they’ve either increased the magnet or the spring they use to keep the door closed. It pretty much closes on its own and secures much better than the IQC/IQ2.

The Davinci IQ3 is sleek, easy to pocket and great for portability. It is a bit heavier when compared to the IQC and definitely the Davinci Miqro-C (basically a mini IQC with less features), and it fits nicely in the hands. The ergonomics of the design make it easy to hold, change temps, power off/on while keeping a solid grip on the unit. This also makes it easy to pass around in group scenarios.

The outer shell (body) is extremely durable and made of brushed aluminum. Same for the lid. The mouthpiece is Zirconia and is the same for the pearl in the chamber. I definitely prefer the brushed aluminum over the sandblasted on the IQC and Miqro-C. Not only does it hide imperfections from drops or scuffs but it just looks better imo.

The IQ3 has also improved upon the flavor chamber now called “Cool Core” and redesigned the area below that comes into contact with the oven/chamber below. It’s easier to clean and doesn’t collect as much debris as previous units. The Davinci Cool Core Flavor Chamber works to reduce the heat from the chamber (up to 50% compared to other portable conduction vaporizers) and can be frozen or cooled to reduce the heat even further. The flavor chamber is zirconia keeping an all-glass vapor path from the chamber to the mouthpiece. They’ve also added a spiral design to allow a more free flowing draw and more contact area with the vapor.

Lastly, the AirDial provides control over the air flow coming into the vaporizer similar to the Venty vaporizer. This allows you to reduce air flow for more dense potent hits or open it up to let it flow for a lighter style session.

Overall, I’m super impressed with the upgrades, the refined build / machining process of the mouthpiece seals and it’s all backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty providing some piece of mind for a rather big investment compared to other popular portable conduction vaporizers.

IQ3 Chamber / Bowl Info

The IQ3 holds roughly .7 grams fully loaded which is quite the bowl size compared to other portable weed vaporizers. Most others are .5g and below. Davinci does offer stainless steel dosing capsules (pods) to help reduce the overall chamber size and help reduce the overall cleaning and maintenance involved. The dosing capsules also help to organize your sessions and provide you with an exact dosage for each session. This leans towards the overall efficiency and dosage tracking features of the IQ3 and help to really hone in on your usage, how it effects you and what methods work best for your specific situation.

Davinci also uses a zirconia “Pearl” that sits at the bottom of the chamber and can be adjusted to help reduce the overall size of the chamber albeit very slightly. If you don’t like to use the dosing capsules, this is a large chamber and might be best suited for daily / heavier users or someone wanting to use it in group scenarios or with a partner.

Heating and Temp Options

The Davinci IQ3 features a full temperature spectrum up to 430F. You can select a precise temperature (precision mode) down to single digits or stick to the smart path 1-4 options. The Smart Path options are as follows:

The IQ3 vaporizer also features a Boost Mode and Standby Modes. You can activate the boost mode by pressing and holding the power button. This will quickly heat the bowl to the 430F max temp for as long as you hold the button. As soon as you let off, the temps will drop rapidly. I like to use this option to kill off the bowl towards the end of the session. Standby mode is what happens when you let off the power button after a boost. It will drop temps rapidly to help conserve your herbs and battery life. I don’t really recommend boost mode in the beginning or middle of a session because as mentioned above, the IQ3 uses pure conduction heating and rapidly increasing the temp will raise the residual temp of the chamber making it harder to cool down overall. So I think it works best to finish off a session, dump the herb into a storage container of sorts and save it to make some AVB Chocolate chip cookies. I also have a tutorial on how to water cure AVB which will help cut down on the smell/taste associated with Already Vaped Bud or Already Been Vaped bud.

The Davinci IQ3 is dubbed the Best Smart Vaporizer on my best dry herb vaporizer buying guide because it offers real time dosage tracking and a full suite of customizable session plans. You can program the dosage setup for the specific strains you are currently using and track the dosage with each session. It will keep a running tally of the time in session, temperature used, THC dosage and CBD dosage. Now this isn’t an exact science but it will give you a good baseline to create a tailored plan for your specific situation. You’ll also need to know the exact THC/CBD of the flower you are using which is usually on the package when you buy it. I equate it to the body scanners or smart scales that track BMI, muscle percentage etc. They are great for developing a baseline but not the most accurate at providing the actual BMI. They show progress or trends over time which can help you make decisions with diet, exercise etc. Same thing with the dosage tracker. While it’s not going to give you an exact THC/CBD intake amount, it will give you a good idea of how much you used compared to other sessions, strains, temps, etc and you can use that info to then gauge proper dosages going forward. That was a lot. I hope that makes sense. Hit me up in the comments with any questions.

Lastly, the Davinci IQ3 has an average heat up time of around 30 seconds depending on ambient temp, battery level, amount of herbs in the chamber etc.

IQ3 Vapor Quality (Taste, Temp, Draw Resistance)

As I mentioned above, the Davinci IQ3 uses conduction heating which means the herbs are constantly being heated within the chamber regardless of whether you are inhaling or not. These sessions are intended to be a little longer, 10-15 minutes or so depending on how much herb you are using, dosing capsules etc.

The all-glass (Zirconia) vapor path creates a smooth, flavorful taste especially in the beginning of the session. The taste kind of drops out towards the end of the session but that’s the same with mostly all dry herb vaporizers, especially pure conduction portables. The Air Dial is super helpful to regulate the air speed allowing for dense full flavor hits or smaller “more airy” hits if you leave it wide open. The Cool Core spiraling zirconia insert helps drop the temp, especially when compared to other portable conduction vaporizers and you can freeze it prior to a session to help reduce the temps even further.

There is a bit of draw resistance with the Davinci vaporizers but a lot of that depends on how you pack the chamber and if you’ll be using the dosing pods or not. With a lighter pack and the air dial fully open, you’ll get a very free flowing draw which means it’ll be easier to inhale from.

Battery Info (Average life – Charging Info)

The Davinci IQ3 uses a replaceable 21700 battery and I’ve been averaging about 90 minutes of run time on a fully charged battery. This will vary quite a bit depending on your typical usage, temp settings, and length of sessions.

The battery has been upgraded from previous models but it didn’t really improve the overall battery life and It still takes nearly 3 hours (180 minutes) to fully charge the battery within the device. This is why I recommend picking up a couple of extra batteries and an external charger.

Extra Davinci IQ3 batteries run $25/piece and you can pick up the Davinci external charger for $39. You can charge up to 4 batteries at once with the external charger which frees up the device for use, rather than charging, especially if you’ll be using it for the duration of the day like a festival, going camping, etc.

Davinci Warranty and Maintenance

This is the biggest PRO in my opinion and takes the adage of “put your money where your mouth is” approach. Davinci backs up the IQ3 vaporizer with a 10-year warranty. The best in the business. The only other manufacturer in this industry to offer a 10-year warranty is Pax Labs with the new Pax Plus vaporizer which is a similar vaporizer to the IQ3 but more pocket-friendly. I will be making a Pax Plus vs Davinci IQ3 comparison article shortly and will update this page when it’s finished but basically the Pax Plus is a sleeker, lighter portable but it’s very basic. No custom temp options, no dosage tracking and it uses an internal non-replaceable battery with a proprietary charging system. Meaning you can’t use a typical USB-C charging cord with the Pax Plus like you can with the Davinci IQ3. So it has its advantages as far as portability and more pocket-friendly but obvious downsides when compared directly to the Davinci IQ3. Check out more info in my Pax Plus review and hit me up with any questions about these two in the comments below.

The IQ3 is fairly simple to clean and maintain. The most important thing to remember is to clean out the chamber immediately after a session. Don’t let the spent herbs sit in the chamber as it will increase draw resistance and will need to be cleaned more frequently. You can use the Davinci stainless steel dosing capsules to help keep the chamber clean and help manage the oversized .7 gram chamber but again, I’m not the biggest fan of them because of the added draw resistance and increased conduction heating. However many people absolutely love the convenience and organization the dosing capsules bring to the sessions.

Full cleaning will take about 5 minutes and you’ll notice the device will need to be cleaned when the draw resistance picks up a bit and the taste in the beginning of sessions starts to dwindle.

Davinci IQ3 Review Summary

Overall the Davinci IQ3 checks pretty much all the boxes and while the chamber is fairly large, you can negate the bowl size with the stainless steel dosing capsules. I really like the custom options available via both the smartphone app and on device and explains why I’ve dubbed it the Best Smart Vaporizer. If you like to dig into the details and analytics of your sessions, this is the vaporizer for you.

You get a full temp spectrum, quick heat up times, good air flow, and it’s easy to use/maintain. I also really like the replaceable battery system as battery degradation is inevitable and will eventually lead to needing a battery replacement, especially if you are a heavier user. While the IQ3 vaporizer is at the high end of the portable conduction vaporizer price range, it does come with a 10-year warranty, tons of accessories and the build quality is phenomenal.

The Davinci IQ3 retails for $299 and you can click here to pick it up directly from Davinci. Don’t forget to use coupon code WIZARDFAM to save 10% on the IQ3 and don’t hesitate to hit me up in the comments with any questions about the IQ3 or any comparison to this model. I’ll be working on putting out some more comparison articles here shortly and will update this page when they are finished. Thank you for taking the time to read my Davinci IQ3 vaporizer review and have a great day.

Buying Options and Coupon Codes

Technical Specs

Performance by Category

Category	Rating
Vapor Quality	9.1
Ease of Use	9.4
Build Quality	9.5
Reliability	9.5
Portability	9.4
Efficiency	9.0
Battery Life	9.2
Cleaning	9.0
Value	9.0
Warranty	9.9
Davinci IQ3 Rating:	93/100

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