Introducing Lighter Powered Vapes
Of all the ways to get CBD and other cannabinoids into your body, inhalation is the fastest. If you’re dealing with acute pain or anxiety, waiting an hour or so for an edible or a sublingual to take effect might feel like an eternity. Until recently, the only way to get the rapid effects through inhaling CBD was by smoking.
Of course, there are a variety of delicious pre-rolls available, but, some of us don’t like the hot smoke, or the smell, of combusting hemp. More to the point: A number of studies suggest health concerns associated with inhaling hemp smoke, an outcome that seems at odds with our motivation to use this remarkable plant for better health.
Enter Dry-Herb Vaporizers
Enter dry-herb vaporizers – a way to inhale many of the beneficial components of hemp and minimize exposure to the riskier byproducts of combustion. These aren’t the gadgets that vaporize liquid nicotine, or THC concentrates, they are purpose-built to heat your herb of choice to produce a tasty, cannabinoid-rich vapor, not smoke. Because the vapor contains fewer of the toxins associated with burning hemp, some studies suggest it’s less damaging to your lungs.
Dry herb vapes offer better flavors, the promise of decreased harm, and more efficient use of your precious herbs. So, for this month, Instash is reviewing the best dry herb vaporizers.
Recently, we reviewed hand-held, battery-powered dry herb vapes. For our second installment, we’ll look at top lighter-powered vapes.
While hand-held vapes are battery-powered, lighter-powered vapes use the heat generated from a butane lighter to heat hemp and generate vapor. With no batteries and few moving parts, there’s less to break. The durability and portability make lighter-powered vapes perfect for travel or for a backup. While they’re lightweight and simple, they do offer less control over the specific temperature of the hemp.
DynaVap Omni
Wisconsin-based DynaVap makes a variety of vapes with proprietary VapCap technology and a selection of cool accessories (including induction heaters).
The DynaVap Omni is the brand’s most advanced and adjustable lighter-powered vape yet. With futuristic style, the design and use of this product are simple and elegant. Simply load the tip, add the VapCap, and heat with a butane torch lighter. When the tip “clicks,” you’re good to vape. The Omni produces a surprising quantity of smooth vapor, considering the small bowl and the intense heat the cap endures.
Despite the simplicity of the design, it’s capable of some nifty tricks. By rotating the mouthpiece, you can customize the air/vapor ratio for a custom flavor experience – a degree of control not found in many battery-powered vapes.
Key Features:
- Adjustable vapor / air ratio
- Futuristic style
- Extremely small and light
Specifications:
- Lighter Type Required: Torch style
- Draw: Moderate
- Flavor: Superb. Overhearing can create a nice toasted flavor
- Ease of Use: Moderate- easy
- Ease of Cleaning: Moderate- easy
- Concentrate Compatible: With optional ($25) DynaCoil
- Vapor Path: Titanium
- Weight: 17 grams
VaporGenie Bronze Sherlock VG Vaporizer
Virginia-based Vapor Genie sells a variety of lighter-powered vapes, herbal vaping blends, and accessories. The Bronze Sherlock promises to “hit like a glass sherlock, but won’t break if you drop it.” True to the brand’s work, this thing is a beast! Cast out of a block of nearly-indestructible silicon bronze, with a huge bulb of solid wood, the Sherlock would be an ideal doorstop if it wasn’t’ such a monster vape.
The large bowl holds a prodigious amount of hemp, and this significant capacity, combined with the large surface area of the heat diffuser creates a large quantity of flavorful vapor. The only minor quibble is that the weight makes it less suitable for travel. The Sherlock is perfect for homebound hemp enthusiasts that appreciate simplicity, durability, and great flavor.
Key Features:
- Made in the USA
- Unique style and craftsmanship
- Users can customize by adding a purple patina
Specifications:
- Lighter Type Required: Hemp coil or matches preferred
- Draw: Moderate easy
- Flavor: Very good. A gentle draw creates the best flavors.
- Ease of Use: Very easy
- Ease of Cleaning: Moderate- easy
- Concentrate Compatible: No
- Vapor Path: Passivated stainless steel, silicon carbide ceramic
- Weight: 200 grams
Sticky Brick Labs Runt
North Carolina-based Sticky Brick Labs crafts a dizzying variety of artisan wood and glass vaporizers and accessories. The Runt vaporizer strikes a balance between the portability of smaller products and the sheer quantity of vapor delivery of larger products.
With all the glass, the Runt looks more complex than it is. Simply remove the intake “flame guide,” load the modest reservoir with hemp, and draw the flame through the flame guide, through the restrictor, and into the hemp. The restrictor converts the flame into hot air, creating a modest quantity of intensely flavored vapor. The amount of glass tubing is moderately intimidating, but the “flame guide” is removable for advanced users. The Runt is perfect for hemp enthusiasts that appreciate portability, intense flavor, and like to tinker.
Key Features:
- Lifetime Warranty
- Available in cherry, maple, black limba, or walnut wood
- Made in the USA
Specifications:
- Lighter Type Required: Torch – style
- Draw: Moderate
- Flavor: Intense!
- Ease of Use: Moderately easy
- Ease of Cleaning: Moderate
- Concentrate Compatible: Yes, with optional ($4.95) StickyPads
- Vapor Path: Passivated stainless steel, silicon carbide ceramic
- Weight: 200 grams
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