Whether you are using a stationary desktop device or a dry herb vape pen, dry herb vaporizers tend to be more intimidating than traditional oil or wax pens. But what is a dry herb vaporizer? Is one heating method better than the other? These questions and more are answered as we look more in-depth at these easy to use vaporizers.
What Is a Dry Herb Vaporizer?
A dry herb vaporizer is a vaping device used to vape dry herbs using one of two heating processes. These heating processes are combustion and convection.
Combustion Vaporizers
Combustion vaporizers are not a true type of vaporizer because they actually burn the herbs to create smoke. While this style is not a true vaping device, it still is considered a vaporizer due to many similarities. The biggest issue with this style of dry herb vaporizer is there is no way to provide temperature control because combustion vaporizers require the herbs to combust to reach the goal. Think of combustion like you are frying a pan of eggs on the stove. The stove creates heat which warms up the pan, and the pan cooks the eggs. Combustion style heating uses this direct contact style approach with the concentrate to produce the vapor required for a hit.
Convection Vaporizers
Convection vaporizers are the only true form of dry herb vaporizers. These devices use a process that heats the dry herbs up by passing hot air through the chamber housing the dry herbs. This form of dry herb vaporizer has the ability for precise temperature settings to ensure you are vaping it at a temperature hot enough to remove all the beneficial compounds from the dry herbs without burning anything. This is the heating style most dry herb vaporizers use. This heating approach is similar to an oven. It bakes the dry herbs inside the chamber until they produce vapor for the user to inhale. This style of heating generally provides a clean and tasty hit.
Which option is better is all a matter of personal preferences. However, only one option is a true form of vaping – and that is convection heating. This is due to combustion heating is actually a form of smoking, but due to the many similar elements to vaping devices, it has casually snuck into this vaping device category.
What Styles of Dry Herb Vaporizers Can You Purchase?
Like other vaping devices, dry herb vaporizers come in a range of different options. Typically, vaporizers will fall into one of two different style categories – portable or desktop. While they can be classified into multiple options, size is a popular choice for classification.
Portable Vaporizers
Portable vaporizers tend to have more up-to-date technology. These devices are known for their discretion and ease of travel. They come in a wide range of prices, complexity levels, and specifications to help cater to each individual user. The Pax 3 vaporizer Canada is one great example of a portable vaporizer that is not only proven durable but lightweight, it also has other great features that have made it a popular choice.
Desktop Vaporizers
Desktop vaporizers are larger devices and tend to be based on older vaporizer models. This style of vaporizer is not easy to transport, nor is it discrete in any way. Desktop options are for those who are not trying to hide what they are doing in any shape or form. Similar to how bongs and bubblers are for smokers, desktop vaporizers are the crowning glory for any dry herb vaporizer users.
How Do You Use a Dry Herb Vaporizer?
Whether your device uses combustion or convection heating, Dry herb vaporizers are very self-explanatory. In fact, even a brand new user could determine how to operate the device. This is because dry herb vaporizers are very straightforward and have many easy to use features. For instance, some options offer a choice of 3 to 5 preset temperature options to allow the user the ability to choose their temperature without the fear of overheating or destroying the dry herb concentrate. Other vaping devices have only one temperature option and the device will automatically heat to the preset temperature when engaged.
Once you have your dry herb vaporizer, it is a fairly simple process. Just follow these basic steps:
Test Your Device
Like other vaping devices, you should always test your device prior to loading it. This will ensure your device is working without having to worry about if you will be required to unload the concentrate from the chamber.
Grind Your Herb
Once you have tested your device, get your grinder and dry herbs out. Place the amount of dry herbs you need to break up into your grinder (or until you fill the grinder three-quarters of the way up), once you place the lid back on grind he herb until it is the consistency of your preferred choice.
Place the Ground Herb into the Chamber or Bowl
Using your fingers, place the ground herb into the chamber, being careful not to overfill the chamber. Many places recommend only filling the chamber up halfway at most. This will avoid any complications from over-filling your device.
Heat Up the Herb
Before you can enjoy the vapor, you have to heat up the dry herb concentrate. The exact time frame for this can vary from device to device depending on the specific size and features offered. However, it typically takes somewhere between ten seconds and one entire minute for the dry herb vaporizer to heat up the herbs. Devices with temperature control can help with lower temperature settings to ensure you produce the more thick and powerful clouds of vapor.
Inhale Your Hit
Once the vapor has been generated by the vaping device, inhale the vapor by placing your mouth onto the mouthpiece and inhale. The best practice is to keep a consistent and slow pace with lots of small breaths to help the hit reach your lungs easier.
Hold and Exhale the Vapor
Once you have inhaled the vapor, hold it for the desired length of time, and exhale. Typically it is recommended to hold the vapors for a few seconds, as this is all that is needed in order to feel the effects of your hit.
Turn Your Device Off
Once you are done vaping, always remember to turn off your device. Keep in mind you need to give your device time to cool down before you clean it or put it away for storage.
