The Pinnacle Pro is a portable conduction vaporizer that packs a punch but falls short on a few different aspects. This unit retails for $229 for just the Pinnacle Pro. If you want the DLX model which includes the hydrotube water attachment it will run you $279.
UPDATE: I highly recommend checking out my best dry herb vaporizer buying guide. This will give you a good idea of what’s available on the market right now including a category for best portable vaporizers under $200.
Intro – The model I purchased was the Pinnacle Pro DLX with Hydrotube and one of the first things I recommend is don’t buy the original Pinnacle Pro unless you plan on spending the extra $50 for the Hydrotube water attachment. The Pinnacle Pro by itself is very harsh and irritating to the throat even on the lowest heat settings. The battery life is less than the portable market average. The manufacturer claims that you can get 50 minutes of battery life but I’ve found the unit has problems maintaining temps after 2-3 sessions.
There are a few other things that I don’t care for but with all that said, this is one of the hardest hitting portable vaporizers on the market. Now that’s only if you get the DLX model with Hydrotube! The hydrotube filters the vapor and reduces the high temps. Downside being, when you add the Hydrotube, it completely removes the portability of the unit. Here’s the basics:
Size/Portability – The Pinnacle Pro is pretty discreet and portable but as soon as you add the hydrotube it completely loses all of its portability. The unit itself is 5 inches tall and 10.2 when you add the hydrotube. I don’t want to take this anywhere in fear of breaking the glass or spilling water back into the unit. In the 2 months that I’ve owned/used the PnP with the Hydrotube, I’ve never taken it out of the house. Don’t get me wrong, I still use my PnP, but its almost always at my computer desk or on my coffee table while I’m watching TV.
Heating – The Pinnacle Pro uses a mixture of conduction and convection heat leaning mostly towards the conduction side. The vaporizer uses a ceramic heating element with five different heat levels ranging from 370 to 470 degrees Fahrenheit. Each temp level increases by 25 degrees. I like to start my sessions out at temp level 2 which is 395 degrees and then bump it up to 3(420) or 4(445) towards the end (With the hydrotube). The Pinnacle has a lower than average heat up time for portables at around 90 seconds.
Chamber/Bowl –The Pinnacle Pro uses a refillable 9mm ‘Bullet’ chamber for herbs. The bullet is one of the features that I like quite a bit about the Pinnacle. It makes loading, unloading and cleaning the chamber super easy. You simply fill the bullet, wait until the Pinnacle heats up to your desired temp and then drop the bullet into the bowl. Attach the mouthpiece and the hydrotube and you are ready to go. When you are finished make sure to wait just a minute or are careful when removing the bullet as its easy to burn yourself when it slides out.
Battery – The Pinnacle Pro uses an internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery which can simultaneously charge and operate while plugged in. The battery life is indicated by the same lights that show temp level. If all 5 LED’s are lit then you are fully charged. One LED lit is the lowest. When the battery dies, all the LED’s will flash blue and the temp color you are currently at. I’ve found the battery to last for about 30 minutes before it needs to be placed back on the charger.
The unit has an automatic shut-off feature that turns the unit off after 8 minutes of use. This helps conserve battery life but if you are passing it around in a session then you’ll just have to power it back on and pick the temp again. I recommend just leaving it plugged in all the time because this helps reach your temps faster and maintain them more easily. I also noticed the unit took much longer to heat towards the end of the battery. Once the unit hits the last 2 battery levels, you might as well put it back on the charger because it won’t reach temp to vaporize your herbs.
Accessories – The Pinnacle Pro comes with your standard accessories. You get the wall charger, one mouthpiece, a stand to hold the Pinnacle Pro upright, and the Hydrotube if you go with the DLX model. You get a couple cleaning items to include a pick tool and a brush. You get two 9mm bullet chambers, one for dry herbs and a FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) one for oils/concentrates. I don’t recommend using the Pinnacle Pro for oils/concentrates. Yes you can and yes it will work alright, but it can make a huge mess and I have found you are better off picking up a cheap pen for oils/concentrates. One important thing to note, is that you should be sure to buy from a retailer that stocks the latest modified mouthpiece with the glass insert. This helps cool the vapor slightly, but mainly it prevents the problems associated with the previous mouthpiece such as melting/cracking. (All links on my site include the latest mouthpiece)
Cleaning – One of the good things about the Pinnacle Pro is the bullet system makes cleaning fairly easy. The only issues I’ve had so far is the screen in the mouthpiece will get gunked up and needs to be cleaned about every 2-3 uses. After a session I just drop out the bullet chamber and blow out the remaining herbs that may have fallen into the bowl. Now when you want to get into a more thorough cleaning you’ll have to remove the mouthpiece, the glass insert, and the screen. But even then it’s a quick process.
Warranty – The Pinnacle Pro DLX comes with a one year limited manufacturer warranty.
From VaporBlunt… The vaporBLUNT (Pinnacle Pro) has a 1 Year Limited Product Warranty which covers your vaporizer against defects in manufacturing, parts and labor. If your vaporBLUNT breaks during warranty coverage, we will fix or replace it. The Battery has a 90 Day Limited Warranty. Receipt of purchase required.
Summary –The Pinnacle Pro DLX with Hydrotube is one of the hardest hitting portable vapes on the market. It falls short in all other categories like battery life, heat up time, and portability but I still find myself using this vaporizer from time to time. I just use it as a desktop so I can’t really recommend it as a portable because of the harsh hits without hydrotube and the extreme lack of battery life. I personally have had no problems with my PnP knock on wood, however I have known quite a few people with broken PnP’s. Combined with the fact that vaporblunt customer service is seriously lacking I have slightly lowered the score beyond where it would be if the vaporizer was more reliable with better customer service.
If you want a truly portable vaporizer in the same price range with great vapor quality, good battery life and similar vapor density, I would check out the Firefly 2+ vaporizer. It’s a pure convection, instant heat portable that will fulfill all your needs.
If you wanted a session conduction vaporizer similar to the Pinnacle Pro then I recommend you check out the Pax 2 or the Air. I’m not saying don’t buy the Pinnacle, I’m just saying there are other units that are as good or better, but they come with much better reliability, warranty, and customer service.
Thanks for checking out my Pinnacle Pro DLX Vaporizer review and if you have any questions about the PnP feel free to leave a comment below.
