Convection, Conduction, & Hybrid: Vaporizer Heating Sources

The heating source of the best dry herb vaporizer device utilizes is arguably one of the most important features that defines the overall use of your vape. Whether it’s convection heating, conduction heating, or a hybrid mix between the two different heating systems, these heating methods can either make or break your efficient vaping experience.

To give you a better idea of how each of these heating methods can affect your entire vape session, here is a comprehensive guide on each of the different heating systems and what they do to your substances.

Convection Heating

The first heating method that we are going to discuss is convection. Vapers started learning this is the real way to vaporize your herbs. It is the most efficient and the correct way to do it. If you’re vaping because of an illness, disease or something effecting your throat or lungs, you want to go with this. Usually the best convection vaporizers are the most popular ones.

How It Works

Convection heating works by having hot air surrounds a substance and pass through it. It effectively heats it up without having to put it in direct contact with the heating source. The heating process manages to heat up your substance from all sides within but it is a little slower than other heating processes.

Once the entirety of the substance is heated up to the desired temperature, the active ingredients are then released into a vapor that can be inhaled by the user.

Pros

When you are comparing different heating methods, you’d want to know which is good and the reason for it. Here are all the pros of convection vapes.

Flavor

Since the convection heating method doesn’t combust your herbs, you get a better flavor profile. The taste that you will experience with convection heating is often more intense, rich in the substance’s natural aromas and flavors. it’s also varied since the heating process makes a huge difference on whatever it is that you’re vaping.

Efficiency

Although it may seem like convection heating is less effective due to the amount of time that you have to wait in order to hit your vape, the opposite is actually true. With a better flavor profile and the assurance that you are going to get the best hit each time, the convection heating method is way more efficient than other heating methods currently offered.

You won’t end up having to deal with dry herbs that have burnt to a crisp. You can also use the bud after your vape session, called Already Vaped Bud. This way, you will save both money and time.

Smells Less

If you’re trying to be more discreet with your vaping sessions, definitely go with convection heating because it smells less. Why? Due to the fact that your substances never come in direct contact with a heating source. The vapors are a lot less intense than those that would be produced if direct heating was implied. This helps to reduce the odors that vapers normally encounter.

Making sure it doesn’t smell so much is important for people who want to stay discreet. If you don’t want to smell like weed, use a vaporizer.

Free of Smoke

With direct contact heating systems, you always run the risk of combustion if the temperatures get too hot. With convection heating, you never have to worry about this. Temperatures usually won’t get so high that they set your dry herbs on fire without coming in contact with them. Try to not pass 420ºF.

More Control

Direct contact heating systems, although they may come with precision temperature features, are not very precise. Heating systems such as these can go well over their target temperatures despite having these guaranteed settings. Convection heating systems are much more precise and you will have more control over the heating of your substances and the related effects.

Just like everything else, there are the good and the bad. Here are all the reasons you’d want to stay away from convection vapes.

Cons

Learning Curve

Getting used to using a convection heating vaporizer can be difficult for those who are not used to using vaporizers. Convection heating methods are a lot more demanding and there are quite a few techniques that you will need to learn in order to get the most of your device. 

Battery Life

Convection heating devices require a lot of power to heat up your substances. Since it takes a while to get your things heated, it uses up a lot of battery power each time that you decide to have a vape session. This means that your overall battery life quality isn’t going to be impressive and you will have to charge your vaporizer quite a bit in order to use it. On the flip side, there are a lot of devices that come with replaceable batteries.

Conduction Heating

The second type of heating method that you will be able to choose from is conduction. This is what most vaporizers started out with because they were the easiest and cheapest to make. If you have a vaporizer that allows you to change the dry herb chamber or looks like a vape pen, chances are it’s conduction heating.

How It Works

Conduction heating is achieved when a substance is applied directly to a heating source. The parts of the substance that is in contact with the heating portion of your vaporizer will then become heated. When it turns into vapor you can inhale it. Unlike the convection heating method, the conduction heating method is rather straightforward.

Pros

Here are the draws that brings people to using conduction heating.

Faster Heat Up

The conduction heating process is quick. All you have to do to begin vaping with a vaporizer that uses the conduction heating process is turn on your device and hit the power button to activate the heat. Once the heating source is ready, you’re ready to go as well. It’s very simple and quick.

Since the heat is much stronger and it burns the herbs, there are leftover cannabis resins in your chamber. This can hurt your vapor experience because you don’t get as much vapor when the coil is submersed in resin.

Cheaper in Price

Because convection vaporizers are considered superior in terms of flavor quality and a lack of combustion risk, conduction vaporizers are usually cheaper to purchase. (Keep in mind that cheap is not the same as worse!)

The parts that make up a dry herb vape pen are generally cheaper. This is why they cost less to purchase. Many newer vapers start off with these.

Cons

There aren’t many reasons why people gravitate towards conduction heating. There are more reasons not to use it.

Uneven Heat

Conduction heating requires your substance to come in direct contact with your heating source. Only the parts that touch the source and the parts that manage to be affected by the heat will be vaporized. This results in an uneven heating process that wastes some of your substance.

If your herbs are ground up a bit uneven, you can run the risk of wasting herbs.

Burns Your Herbs

The whole point of vaping is to avoid combustion. With the conduction heating process however, it is not always avoidable. Overexposing your herbs to the heat source could result in burnt herbs. This means that you will end up smoking rather than vaping.

Smells More

Overall, the conduction heating is rather powerful. When the substance you are using comes into direct contact with the heating source, it is vaporized and continues to get vaporized. This intense process means that you are going to get unpleasantly smelling vapor that makes it harder to vape discreetly.

Hybrid Heating

The third and final heating system that you will have to choose from is a hybrid heating system that combines the two previous heating systems mentioned. This is the newest form of heating in any vaporizer as it’s newer technology.

How It Works

A hybrid heating system works by combining the best traits of both the conduction and convection heating systems. Your herbs are undergoing the conduction heating process by coming in direct contact with the heating source. It’s also working to heat up the uncooked part of your substances by using the convection heating method with the hot air that is contained within your chamber. This results in a fast and even heating process.

Pros

Dense Clouds

Because your vaping device will be using two heating systems at once, you are going to experience much denser vapor clouds as a result of the combined heating process efforts. These vapor clouds will be huge and flavorful with the hybrid heating system.

Efficient

You won’t have to worry about losing any substances with this heating system since they both work to make sure that absolutely no amount of substance goes to waste. In addition to the lack of waste left over with a hybrid vaporizer, you save more time, get better flavor profiles, and have an overall amazing vape session.

Compromise of Conduction and Convection

With the hybrid heating system, you don’t have to choose between the conduction heating system or the convection heating system. All you have to do is choose the hybrid and you automatically get the best qualities of both heating systems put into one device.

Power

A lack of power can often be a concern with vape enthusiasts since more power equals stronger hits. When you combine conduction and convection heating, you get enough power to make sure that you will always get strong and instant vapor production.

Cons

Can Heat Up Your Herbs a Bit Too Much

There is a huge risk of combustion when you are using the conduction heating method. This risk is increased when you use a hybrid system. Since you are adding even more heat to your device to evenly cook your substance, you also heat up the part coming in direct contact with the heat source. This makes the chances of combustion even more likely.

Conclusion

These three heating systems all play different roles in the vaping experience that you will have with your chosen vaporizer device. Before you go out and purchase a vaporizer, make sure to look through this comprehensive guide and carefully research each of the pros and cons of each heating method before you make a purchase. Hopefully, the information provided will help you come to an educated decision about which vaporizer heating system will be best for you and what type of experience you can expect to get out of it. If you find that you have the wrong vaporizer or if you need to remind yourself about what you’re looking for, just come back to this guide!