Types of Tabletop Vapes to Try in 2021

Whether you are looking for items to put on your holiday gift list or you are merely looking forward to personal purchases for the new year, you might consider investing in a tabletop vaporizer. One of the oldest forms of vaporization, these tools also tend to come highly regarded by experts within the cannabis field, who suggest that they allow for more precise heating for a cleaner, tastier, healthier inhale.

However, not all tabletop vaporizers are created equal. Here are three different categories of features to consider when shopping for your next tabletop vape.

Grass and Concentrates vs. Juice

Most beginner members of the vaping community are most familiar with vaping rigs that utilize vaping juice, or e-liquid, as the material that contains the sought-after active ingredients. Almost all e-juice is made the same, as a mixture of solvents like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, flavorings and cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Using vaping juice is fast and convenient; many vapes rely on pre-filled cartridges, which allow users the simplicity of plugging in the cart and enjoying vapor in a matter of seconds. Even vapes with chambers that must be manually filled with e-liquid tend to offer an uncomplicated experience alongside the opportunity to experiment with different flavors and dosages.

Still, most serious cannabis vapers don’t often utilize vapes that can only manage vaping liquid. For one, e-juice manufacturers aren’t always reliable; their product might not contain the quantity of cannabinoids on the packaging, or the juice might include harmful ingredients that will put vapers in the emergency room. For a cleaner, more natural experience, most experienced cannabis vapers prefer tabletop vapes that can manage raw flower and concentrates. Admittedly, these vaping rigs do tend to be much fussier, requiring a more acute understanding of temperatures and cannabis quantities, which can make them intimidating to vaping (and cannabis) newbies. Yet, the extra control over the vaping experience tends to be beneficial in the long run, as users can buy product at any dispensary from California to Oklahoma and a variety of marijuana strains and concentrates to boot.

Conduction vs. Convection

How a vaporizer heats up its material can be as important to the vaping experience as the type of material it utilizes. In vaping technology, there are essentially two styles of heating: conduction and convection.

Conduction is the motionless transfer of heat. In conduction rigs, the material to be heated comes into direct contact with the heating element, which is what creates the vapor for inhalation. When a user drops e-liquid directly onto the coils of a vaporizer, they are utilizing conduction. Some conduction rigs heat up a metal plate, on which users place flower or concentrates. Because conduction vaporizers tend to be less complicated in their construction, they are often priced lower; plus, they are a bit easier to use and offer fast heating for immediate hits. However, the direct heat on the material can cause uneven heating, even burning some of the material, which creates a harsh and unpalatable vapor.

In contrast, convection vapes indirectly heat the material by first heating up air or gas and moving that heat to surround the material. When in contact with the air, the material vaporizes, and users can inhale. Though convection vapes require more minute control and come at a higher cost, they also ensure full vaporization of the material, so nothing is wasted. Even better, the hits tend to be smooth because as long as the temperature settings are right, no combustion (i.e. burning) will occur.

For the most part, serious vapers prefer convection rigs — but what an individual chooses will largely depend on their familiarity with vaping settings and their budget.

Stationary vs. Semi-portable

One of the most interesting aspects of tabletop vapes is that they come in so many different shapes and sizes. Users can find a number of tabletop vapes that look out of the 1980s in boxy design and retro style, but there are plenty of vapes that are as sleek and compact as Apple products. Some newer tabletop rigs are designed for semi-portability, so users can take their vapes to friends’ houses or wherever they travel without the transport being a significant ordeal.

However, it is important to remember that style often can influence functionality. More robust rigs that are difficult to transport tend to have greater power, which means faster and more even heating as well as stronger and more reliable components. Users need to determine whether they are willing to make sacrifices for sleekness and portability or whether they want a rig that will stand the tests of time.

There are more features and functionality to consider when it comes to tabletop vapes, but these are the primary three qualities to keep in mind while shopping for your first big-kid vaporizer.