Pax Vaporizer Review and Tutorial ~7:15
The Pax was the original portable vaporizer made by Ploom. The retail price on the Pax by Ploom was $199 and it is no longer being manufactured/sold. In my opinion the Pax was one of the best vaporizers that you could get for absolute portability and discreetness. It has a very high quality build and a very sleek design which helps conceal the vaporizer in almost any situation.
It fits perfectly in your pocket or even a small eyeglass case. It does require a bit of cleaning compared to other portables but it is super easy to use and has above average battery life.
Now they have taken everything that they learned with the OG Pax and the Pax 2 and produced the brand new Pax 3. I’ll leave my full review of the OG Pax below but included links to both my Pax 2 and Pax 3 reviews.
Update:The PAX 3 now available! Check out my Pax 3 review here.
Update:The PAX 2 is out now! Here’s my Pax 2 Vaporizer Review.
The Pax was my highest rated vaporizer in terms of portability at the time and if it were still sold today I would rate it an 8.6 because the cleaning/mouthpiece was a bit of a pain to deal with.
Pax Vaporizer Size and Portability
I can’t stress the fact about how portable and concealable the Pax is. The unit is also really easy to travel with because you don’t have to keep track of glass tubes, batteries, whips or mouthpieces. Everything is attached and stays together. Ploom designed it well with no finicky parts or flawed designs.
Pax Chamber/Oven
The oven is super easy to pack. Simply remove the cap from the bottom of the unit and place your herbs inside. Since the cap is magnetic it just snaps right back into place. I have never had any problems with it coming apart once it latches back into place.
The design and elegance of this unit is one of the things that sets it apart from other units. The Pax is very consistent and reliable. I’ve had mine for over 2 years now and no problems what-so-ever. The chamber, or “oven” is bigger than other portable vapes which allows you to get more out of a single vape session.
The one complaint some people have about the Pax is that there is a bit of a resistance to the draws during your sessions. I’ve found it’s best to slow down your draw and increase its length. Try to aim for 10-15 seconds with a controlled slow draw and it works great.
Fake Pax vs Real Pax
There are many different counterfeit versions of the Pax so it is hard to narrow down exactly whether or not you have a fake. My first recommendation is to buy from an authorized dealer. If you find a Pax below the $249 $199 MSRP it is mostly likely a fake and will not be covered under the 10 year manufacturer warranty.
To get the warranty you must purchase the Pax from an authorized local head shop, straight from PaxVapor or Vapeworld.com which is where I get mine.
From PaxVapor: “Consumer safety is our utmost concern. To ensure consumers receive the quality we stand behind, we urge consumers to purchase Pax vaporizers from Paxvapor.com or from authorized retailers identified through the PaxVapor Authorized Retail Locator,” They go on to say: It has recently come to light that certain Pax counterfeits contain plastic materials which are not stable at operating temperatures. PaxVapor suggests that any consumer who has purchased a counterfeit Pax to discontinue their use immediately.
I understand that everyone wants to save a buck where they can but this is not the place to do it. You are using an inhalation device to heat herbs in excess of 400 degrees. You don’t want to be inhaling plastic with your herbs. Buying straight from an authorized retailer is the only way to guarantee that you are getting quality parts, from a quality manufacturer. You’ll also feel better knowing you’re covered for 10 years should anything happen to the Pax. It’s better to pay the full price for peace of mind.
Pax vaporizer FAQ
Q. How long does it take for the Pax to heat up?
A. The Pax is one of the fastest heating portable vaporizers on the market. The Pax heats up in as little as 30-45 seconds. It will glow purple when the unit is heating up and it will glow green when the Pax is ready to use.
Q. How many hits can the Pax get in one session?
A. I’m able to get about 15 hits in a session with my Pax. I usually pack the chamber pretty full of some finely ground herbs and start out at the medium setting. Sometimes I’ll smoke the entire chamber in one sitting. If I’m trying to chill and not be completely out of my mind then I’ll take 2-4 draws and turn it off.
Important! Paxvapor also goes on to mention that the limited warranty does not cover normal “degradation” of batteries or neglecting cleaning instructions. With that said, here is my Pax Cleaning Tutorial. I recommend you clean it about every 8-12 sessions to ensure the longevity of the unit.
Warranty – The Pax is covered for ten (10) years against defects in materials and workmanship for the original purchaser starting on the date of purchase.
PaxVapor: warrants Pax against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ten (10) years from the date of retail purchase by the original end-user purchaser. If a physical defect arises and a claim is received within the Warranty Period, at its option and to the extent permitted by law, Ploom will either (1) Repair the product defect, (2) Exchange the product with a product that is new or is at least a functionally equivalent product, or (3) Refund the purchase price of the product.
Summary
I definitely recommend the Pax if you’re in the market for a truly portable vaporizer, there is nothing else out that compares. You can click here to buy the Pax from the same place I get my vapes from. They are an authorized dealer and will make sure you get the ten (10) year warranty.
If you’re still not quite sold on the Pax then I would recommend checking out the Firefly 2 vaporizer. It’s a portable convection unit that’s much easier to clean and heats up in 3-5 seconds.
Video Transcript:
Introduction
Hey guys, Buzz here with vaporizerwizard.comToday I am going to be going over the Pax vaporizer by ploom. At the time of this video the pax has a list price of $249.00. You can click the link below in the about section to get the current price.
Overall I have to say this is my favorite portable vaporizer for a number of reasons. The pax is; lightweight, its very high quality, it has a really sleek design, it fits comfortably in your hand and in your pocket, its discreet, and it just works well. I have had mine for over two years now and absolutely no problems with it. This is one of the few portable vaporizers that you can truly take anywhere, with that said, it does require slightly more cleaning than some of the others.
So first I will talk about some of the features, I’ll go over how to use the pax, I’ll do a quick vape session, I’ll tell you what I like and don’t like about the pax, and then suggest the best place to pick one up.
Ok we will go ahead and start off with the chamber, which is located at the bottom of the unit. Pax likes to call this the oven. Now in order to get to the oven, you’re gonna press down on one end of the cap, and then lift up on the other side, and then you have access to the oven. Now the cap is magnetized, so in order to put the cap back on, you are just going to set it over, and it will sit back inside there. Now its not going to come undone, you don’t have to worry about it coming loose in your pocket or anything. I have found that I was able to get about .3 grams of herb in here. One of my favorite features about the Pax is the large surface area of the oven, this helps vaporizer the herbs evenly without having to stir or mix while you are vaping.
Now in order to turn the pax on, you are going to pop the mouthpiece on the top. The LEDs will glow in the front, purple means that it’s currently heating up. Now to change the temperature on the unit, you are going to see a groove right up here on top of the mouthpiece. You are going to use your fingernail and slide that right out. And in order to change the temperature, there is a white LED up on top right inside there, so you just press this LED. Yellow is 370 degrees fahrenheit, orange is the medium temp at 390 degrees fahrenheit, and this is my favorite temp for vaping, and red is 410 degrees fahrenheit. So to get out of the change temperature mode you just pop the mouthpiece back in there.
The device does come with a standby mode, so if you have it sitting still on the table for 20 seconds, it will start glowing blue here on the front on the leds, and it will go into standby mode. This will drop it to about 300 degrees fahrenheit and save you some battery life. Now if you are looking to bypass this standby mode, Pax offers what they call ‘Party Mode’, now in order to get into party mode you are going to turn the device three times. So one, two, and three, and then you will see the leds blinking right here. This takes away the standby mode so you can pass it around and it’s always going to be at the temperature that you want it to be at. To disable this you are just going to turn the vaporizer off. Now the other thing you can do with the unit, is it has a motion sensor so in order to see how much battery life is left, you just shake the unit. So right now my unit is at yellow thats gonna give you a half charge, if it was green this is gonna be a full charge, and if its red its dead. Now this is green signalling that the unit is ready to use.
I have got about 60 minutes on a full charge, that is usually about five to six sessions about 10 minutes apiece. In order to charge the unit, simply turn it off, and then you are gonna place the mouthpiece down on the charging dock. Now with that being said, you are not going to be able to use the unit while it is charging cause the mouthpiece obviously is going to go right there on the charging dock. One of the tips I like to do with mine, it really helps me out on cleaning, is I charge it with the mouthpiece facing up. The chamber will be at the bottom, basically this helps with the oils in the chamber running to the mouthpiece, so if you wanted to lighten the load with your cleaning I definitely recommend that you charge it like this and try to keep the mouthpiece up while you are using it as well.
Ok so here is a quick vape session with the Pax. Like I mentioned earlier in the video, in order to turn the pax on, you just push down on the top of the mouthpiece, it will pop out, and begin heating up. The typical heat up time for the pax is about 35 to 45 seconds. you can see here it was about 40 seconds. I also wanted to show the typical draw time that I try to use, usually around 15 seconds is the best just because it does have some resistance. Just be sure to slow down and take your time to get the best results. Also you will notice the vapor is a bit weak in the first draw, mainly because it was a fresh packed oven. As you go through your session the vapor will get thicker and you can get dense vapor quality from the pax. You can also chose to turn up the heat a little bit to get thicker clouds, but I like the medium setting because its a nice mix of good vapor quality and great taste.
I can usually get in about 5 sessions, typically about 10-12 minutes each before the battery dies. If you are traveling just make sure and get a full charge before you head out for the day because like I mentioned earlier, once the Pax dies you can’t use it. And then to turn the pax off you just simply press down on the mouthpiece and it will shut the unit off.
So now I will go ahead and get into the pro and cons; first of all it has above average taste, second only to the arizer solo. Its extremely portable, its high quality, its really easy to use, it has a large oven for long sessions, it heats up quick like you saw earlier in the video, it also has an even vape which allows you to conserve your herbs. Some of the cons, it’s slightly above average price for a portable vape, but in this market you get what you pay for. The other thing is the draw resistance, it takes a little bit to get used to, so I recommend just using a slow longer draw to get the best results.
So I’d like to thank you for taking the time to watch my Pax review, if you are interested in buying this pax vaporizer, you can check the links below for the current price through an authorized dealer. If you found this video helpful please dont forget to like and subscribe, I will be making a lot more vape videos including tips and tricks, cleaning tutorials, and new vape reviews. If you have any questions ideas or comments please leave them below here on youtube or in the comment section on my blog and ill do my best to answer everything in a timely fashion Have a great day.
Hey man, did you ever do a review for the mouth piece adapter for glass? Just wondering!
Not yet. I’ll be doing a vaporizer upgrade video soon that will have some glass WPA’s for the Pax 2 but I don’t know if I’ll have anything for the OG Pax.
This happens to mine frequently, but does not seem to affect performance. I think that it is isopropyl alcohol residue left over from cleaning that is burning and making the sizzling noises. Can probably be minimized by wiping excess alcohol off of cleaning tools before application.
Hey what’s good buzz.
My PAX has been making a popping/sizzling/cracking noise when it’s in use. It doesn’t matter if it’s on high low or medium. I’ve thoroughly cleaned the unit, I made sure the material I vape is dry. I’ve used a finishing grinder and a 4 piece grinder to experiment and it still makes the noises. It’s been doing this for 3 weeks now. I still don’t know what the noise is. Any clue?
Maybe you got some build up of materials on the inside of the unit and it’s heating it up every time you turn it on. I’m not for sure so don’t quote me. I would contact PaxVapor support and they will take care of you my man. Sounds like you’re doing everything right. Just might need to be taken apart by the Pax people and looked at. I wouldn’t use it personally but I also have a few spares laying around so I’m sure it’s a bit frustrating if the Pax is your daily driver. The one and only.
Hit up Pax support and let me know if I can help out in any way.
My guess is that you are probably getting some alcohol inside during the cleaning process
My brother in-law bought one and I was thoroughly impressed. I mostly vape waxy concentrates and its nice to hit his Pax 2 whenever I’m visiting.
I received my pax today and it is even smaller than I expected…. I planned to carry it in my purse but I can fit this thing anywhere…. I am in love… Thanks so much for helping me decide on the lovely pax
I Live In Namibia/Windhoek And I Want A Pax By Ploom..
Unfortunately, the Pax doesn’t ship internationally.
This vape rocks. I have the MFLB but I’m going to be selling it now because its just collecting dust since I got my pax.