Unlike all my other G Pen units up to this point, the G Pen Elite vaporizer is the first ORIGINAL product to come out of Grenco Science and I have to admit it is better than I was expecting.
The first feature I like about the Elite is the LED display with a fully adjustable temperature spectrum. It’s precise, easy to read, and easy to operate.
The next feature that stands out is the quick heat up time. We’re talking 20-30 seconds to reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The short vapor path definitely creates some warmer vapor and the mouthpiece gets pretty warm as well.
But for the size and features, the new G-Pen Elite is very competitive next to models like the CFX, Arizer Air, and the Summit+.
The G Pen Elite is currently rated an 8.9/10 due to abundant features at a cheap price. You can pick the G Pen Elite for around 80 bucks normally directly from Grenco Science.
Vapor has it right now for $63 using coupon code “25OFF”! Check out my full G Pen Elite review below.
G-Pen Elite Design and Accessories
The Elite fits nicely in the hands, the LED screen is easy to read, and the unit is extremely light. With the G Pen Elite, you also get 1 G Grinder Card, 1 G Pen tool, 1 Cleaning Brush, and 1 USB charging cable.
Size, Portability, and Discreetness
The G Pen Elite comes in at about 88 grams, stands about 4 1/2 inches tall, 1 ½ inch wide, and about an inch deep. It’s not a perfect circle which is nice because it adds some grooves to hold on to the unit better.
Overall I would say the Elite is one of the smallest portable vaporizers currently on the market, right up there with the Pax 2 or Pax 3. Its small size makes it super easy to pocket or stash in a small purse/handbag.
The quick heat-up time makes for quick sessions and the unit is designed to not only heat up faster but cool down faster as well to help conserve herbs.
I recommend taking a few more draws from the unit after you turn it off to help cool down the unit/herbs even further before you throw it back in your pocket.
Now, this vape does smell if you leave the herbs in the chamber like other conduction units with good-sized bowls, but it’s not bad if you empty the chamber after.
Heater, Temp Spectrum & Vapor Path
Heating
The Elite uses a 360-degree ceramic heating element that is able to provide very quick and even heating throughout the entire chamber. Grenco Science claims that the unit is convection but it’s most definitely conduction with a minor amount of convection going on. The entire ceramic chamber is heated so it will be heating the herbs from all sides while the herb is in constant contact with the heat. Now, this isn’t a terrible thing, but the vapor quality does suffer from it.
Elite Temperature Info
The Elite uses a full temp spectrum and can easily be changed/adjusted with an on vape LED display and two buttons just to the right of the screen.
- The buttons work nicely and don’t feel cheap.
- The LED display is very sharp with no blemishes or pixel issues.
The full temp spectrum runs from 200 degrees Fahrenheit to 428F (93C – 220C) I believe they are also coming out with a model similar to the Elite but made exclusively for concentrates. So be on the lookout for that and I will try to get my hands on one as soon as possible.
The unit seems to run a little hot especially with the short vapor path, so my preferred temps are around 350-375, and then bump it up a bit more towards the end of the session.
Vapor Path
The vapor path is extremely short on the Elite and that’s really the biggest downfall to the unit. That and the fact that the Elite will need a couple of rounds of burn-offs* to get rid of the new vape manufacturer taste/smell.
That’s the big thing I like about units like the Pax, IQ, or the Crafty/Mighty. You never have to do burn-offs with these units to get a fully clean/neutral taste before use. While this is a bit of a pain, it’s not the end of the world and the smell/taste associated with the manufacturing process will go away quickly.
*Burn-offs: Heating the unit up while empty, and puffing on it like a cigar so you are drawing air through the unit but not inhaling it.
Chamber Size, Usage & Loading Techniques
Chamber Size
So the G Pen Elite chamber is large. We’re talking up to .4 grams can be loaded into the Elite with an average grind and I was able to get about .5 grams in with the MFLB Finishing Grinder. You definitely don’t need to put that much in the chamber for every session and I’ve found that the Elite does surprisingly well with varying load sizes. You can load as little as .1 grams and still get a good even vape of your herbs without having to stir or mix.
How-To Use
Overall pretty simple, just click the power button 5 times to turn it on (5 times again to turn it off). Once the unit is powered on, it will show you the default temp that you have it set to. The Elite will remember your last setting.
The unit does NOT automatically begin heating on power-up so just hold down the power button for a second to start the heater. You can change temps on the fly by pressing the two buttons (up or down) to the right of the display.
The Elite does have an Auto-Shutoff timer which will automatically shut the unit off after 40 seconds if you don’t turn the heater on and the unit will completely shut off after 5 minutes from the initial heating start. Just press the power button 5 times to turn it back on if the unit shuts off on you.
Loading Techniques
After quite a bit of testing, the G pen Elite seems to work pretty well with all sorts of packing techniques and dry herb types. My preferred method would be to use the MFLB Finishing Grinder, load the chamber fairly full and pack it down a bit. Rip the entire thing while watching the new season of Trailer Park Boys and if you prefer to use smaller amounts you can.
You can also turn the unit off mid-session and finish the bowl later. But like other conduction units, it is more efficient and tastes better when you finish the session in one sitting. The vapor quality definitely diminishes as the herb cools down/sits in the chamber.
The Elite is a bit cumbersome to load on the go but just lightly tapping on the side gets the herb to drop down into the chamber. Packing down isn’t needed but you will get a bit denser vapor with a light to medium pack.
Battery life, Charging Times & Charging Options
So far I’m pretty impressed with the battery life, especially for the size. I can generally get between 3-6 fully packed chambers depending on what temps I use and how long I nurse the bowl.
The Elite is charged via USB, the batteries are NOT replaceable, and on average the G Pen Elite takes about 2-3 hours to fully charge a completely dead battery. This also depends on where you charge it (Use a 2amp charging block or external battery for fastest charging).
Cleaning, Maintenance & Warranty
Cleaning and Maintenance
The cleaning with the Elite has been pretty simple with the screen in the mouthpiece taking the most time/attention. So far it hasn’t been an issue and the good news is that the silicone cover over the mouthpiece is removable. You can just drop the mouthpiece in some ISO for a while then rinse it out with some warm water. I will continue to test out the mouthpiece screen and report back if I have any issues, but so far so good.
I know that Grenco Science isn’t exactly known for the quality in their (rebranded) products. I have the other Grenco Dry herb products like the G Pro (which is actually a titan-1) and I didn’t care for any of them. Due to this I was really not expecting much from the Elite, but I’m impressed. It is nice they have FINALLY created a unique portable vaporizer that I can recommend.
Warrranty Info
The G Pen Elite comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty which is below market average but nothing so far has indicated it won’t stay reliable.
G Pen Elite Comparisons
The $119 price of the Elite puts it in a competitive market. The big thing that the Elite has above most of the portables in this price range is the on vape LED display and full temp spectrum. Most of the other vapes have a few set heat settings to change from but you don’t have complete control.
Pax 2
The Elite is smaller, lighter, and has more features. You will only get 4 temperatures, no LED display, and longer heat up with the Pax 2. You will have to clean the Elite less often, and it takes less time to clean.
The Pax 2 is also priced a bit higher at $112. However, the Pax 2 is one of the most durable and reliable portable vaporizers that I’ve ever used. It has a proven track record and backed by a 10-year warranty.
The vapor quality is also much better with the Pax 2. So even though the Pax 2 is $30 more, I think it’s definitely worth it.
Boundless CF
The Boundless CF Vaporizer is larger than the Elite, and you lose the fully adjustable temperature control and you also lose the digital display, however, you gain better-tasting vapor that is both cooler and more dense/potent.
You also gain a slightly faster heat-up time and longer overall battery life.
Xmax Starry
I like using the Pax 2 and the CF more than the Xmax POTV Starry, but the Starry comes in at only $99 bucks and it’s feature-packed. You get fully adjustable temps, you get replaceable batteries, and you get the digital display.
So if you are looking for maximum features at a minimum price you will probably want the Starry.
G Pen Elite Review Summary
Overall the G Pen Elite has surprised me with some solid features and an extremely portable design. The full temp spectrum and LED display are really impressive for the size and price of this device.
I was very skeptical at first. Even emailed the company multiple times to guarantee that this was an original design since they have previously been known for re-branding generic units as their own.
I recommend the G Pen Elite if you are looking for a solid vape but don’t want to break the bank, however, the Pax, CF, and Starry are all worth considering as well.
Right now you can pick up the G PEN Elite for $63 with the Vapor coupon code “25off”.
Thanks for checking out my G Pen Elite review and let me know if you have any questions below in the comments.
GPEN Elite Vaporizer Review Video
G Pen Elite Vaporizer Review [4K Video] ~7:31
GPEN Elite Video Review Transcript
Hey guys Buzz here with vaporizerwizard.com and today I will be reviewing the G Pen Elite vaporizer by Grenco Science. The G Pen Elite is a portable conduction vaporizer that pre-heats in as little as 20 seconds, offers a fully adjustable temp spectrum via LED display on the side of the vaporizer and it is one of the most discreet units I have tested yet.The short vapor path creates hotter than average vapor and the mouthpiece gets pretty hot with prolonged use but I have a couple of techniques to help with that.
The G Pen Elite is currently $169 and you can pick it up by clicking the links down below in the about section.
In this review, I’ll go over the features and compare it to some other popular vaporizers. I’ll show you how to use it, demo it, recommend some cleaning tips, and lastly I’ll go over my pros/cons.
So let’s jump into the G Pen Elite Vaporizer Review
So here is the G Pen Elite. The first thing I liked about the Elite is the size. It’s easy to hold in the hands and can pretty much be completely concealed for discretion. It’s a bit bigger than the Pax 2 coming in at 4 1/2 inches tall, 1 ½ inches wide and 1 inch deep but weighs slightly less at only 88 grams. By comparison the Pax 2 weighs 90 grams, Firefly 2 is 141 grams, the Crafty is 136 grams, the Mighty is 230 and the Grasshopper weighs about 55 grams. So the Elite is really easy to pocket and can easily be concealed in a purse or hoodie.
Let’s go over how to use the Elite.
First things first, to get to the chamber we’re going to remove the mouthpiece from the top of the unit and load in some finely ground herbs. I’ve found the MFLB Finishing Grinder is giving me the best results with vapor production and a medium grind from the Space Case works as well. If you happen to have a grinder like the Santa Cruz Shredder that grinds a bit coarser, you can load in the herb, flip the grinder upside down, and grind for a longer period to get a finer material.
I’ve been able to get about .5 grams in the chamber with a finishing grinder which is more than most vapes can hold. You definitely don’t need to put that much in there and I often load less, but I do pack it down to the bottom of the chamber. The Elite is surprisingly good with varying load sizes but I’ve found you’ll want to finish the chamber in one session because the vapor quality drops off pretty fast.
So now that we have the chamber loaded, we’ll go ahead and reattach the mouthpiece and turn the unit on. To turn the Elite on, press the power button 5 times. The Elite will turn on and briefly show you your preferred temp, current battery life, and then change to showing your actual temp. At this time, the unit is on but not heating. You can change the temps by using the buttons on the side of the unit. If you’re looking at the screen, the left button will lower the temp and the right button will raise the temp.
In my experience, the Elite runs pretty hot so my preferred starting temp is around the 350-360F range and as the session goes on, I will bump up the temp to finish off any remaining vapor. The Elite temp spectrum runs from 200 to 428F or 93 to 220C.
Now that we selected our preferred temp, we can turn the heater on by pressing and holding the power button for about 2 seconds. The heat up time is extremely quick for a portable conduction vaporizer. On average I’m able to hit first draw temps in as little as 20 seconds, while most other portables vaporizers take up to a minute or more to finish pre-heating.
Before we jump into the vape session let’s go over the charging system and battery Info.
The battery is surprisingly good for the size of the unit. I’m able to get about 4-6 bowls on a fully charged battery and the unit will fully charge from dead in about 2hours. Be sure to use a 2amp charging block for fastest charging.
The Elite charges via a Micro USB cable and does NOT offer replaceable batteries. So far I haven’t had any noticeable degradation in the battery life but I haven’t really had the unit long enough to say how long it will last. So overall the battery life on the Elite is actually above the market average but replaceable batteries would have been a nice addition.
Next, the cleaning and maintenance is about average for a portable vaporizer. After a session, you will want to brush/blow out the bowl, and wipe off the screen on the bottom of the mouthpiece. Eventually, you will have to fully clean the mouthpiece, at which point you will pop it off, remove the silicone covering and set it to the side, and then drop the main mouthpiece it into a zip lock bag or a small jar with some isopropyl and shake it around. After you have it clean, you will want to rinse it off with water, and let it dry before putting the silicone covering back on and snapping the mouthpiece onto the unit.
So now that we know how to use the G Pen Elite, let’s jump into the Vape Session.
Because this is the demo, I will bump up the temps to 380F which is 193 Celcius. The higher temps will produce a bit bigger clouds for the camera. Normally I prefer to start a bit lower because the flavor will be much better but that’s the beauty of having a full temp spectrum, you get the try everything out and see what works best for you.
The vapor quality definitely isn’t the best and I would recommend the Pax 2 or the Crafty if you were looking for a session unit with better vapor quality. But the Elite also runs $169 which is $110 cheaper than the Pax 2 and $170 cheaper than the Crafty.
I’ve found the vapor gets pretty hot during sessions and the mouthpiece can also get pretty warm on the lips after a while. They have just released a new upgraded mouthpiece and the new design of the mouthpiece does help with the heat some, but not as much as I would like. I
recommend moving your lips up the mouthpiece to reduce the temps and hopefully we will see some third party WPA’s for the Elite soon.
The draw resistance is slightly less than the Pax 2 but not quite as free flowing as the Crafty, Mighty, or Grasshopper.
Now that we’ve demo’d the G Pen Elite, let’s jump into my Pros/Cons
So the first and biggest pro of the G Pen Elite is the overall size and portability. You can easily pocket the Elite for discretion and it weighs less than most other portables.
Next is the heat up time. I’ve been able to reach temps in less than 20 seconds on average and the heater is powerful enough to keep up with aggressive draws.
The LED display makes it easy to change temps on the fly and the full temp spectrum allows you to customize your sessions.
Next, the Chamber size is great for group sessions and it also works well with varying load sizes for single person sessions.
Lastly, the battery life is actually really impressive for the size of the unit. I’m able to get between 4-6 sessions on a full charge.
Now the first con and really the biggest downside to the Elite is the vapor quality. I had to complete quite a few burnoffs to get the unit tasting normal. Eventually the smells and taste associated with the manufacturing process goes away but it’s a pain to deal with at first.
Next the mouthpiece is a little hard to remove at first and it will also get pretty hot with prolonged use. Be sure to move your lips further away from the vapor path to help eliminate some of the hot temps.
Lastly, the battery is NOT replaceable so the only way to charge the unit is via Micro USB.
Normally if you’re like me, you would see G Pen in the title of this review and run the other direction assuming this is likely a re-branded product, no offense g pen. But I am actually impressed with the Elite. I am always asked what my favorite vape for skiing, biking, or outdoor sports and I recommend the Pax 2, but people aren’t always excited about the price. After using the Elite heavily on the slopes this winter I can definitely recommend the elite now and it comes in at a much lower price.
I still think some people might spring for the Pax 2 for better vapor quality and the longer warranty, but the Pax 2 does only have 4 temp settings. You could also pick up the Elite and throw that extra $110 into some herbs and a lift ticket. So it totally depends on your preference and budget.
You can pick up a G Pen Elite by following the links down below in the about section and as always, if you have any questions about the G Pen Elite or any other vaporizer, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on my website vaporizerwizard.com. Thanks for watching my G Pen Elite Vaporizer Review and have a great day.