PAX 2 Dry Herb Vaporizer

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One of the most efficient ways to consume CBD bud, or any bud for that matter, is to vaporize it. Vaporizing works by gently heating your herb to the point of releasing cannabinoids and terpenes without actually burning it. Not only does this make your bud last longer, since you're not wasting cannabinoids during combustion, it also tastes much better! Instead of a pungent smoke flavor you get all of the subtle aromatic notes that the bud has to offer. In theory it should be healthier too, since you're not inhaling all of the fully combusted plant material, just the tasty volatile compounds.

So less waste, better flavor, and possibly healthier!? What's the catch? Well, often times the catch is in the price. Dry herb vaporizers aren't cheap and the ones that are cheap usually aren't worth it. That's why the PAX 2 sticks out to me as a good compromise. It doesn't have all of the features that the newer PAX 3 has but for a much better price it's still a great vaporizer that will last you for years so let's take a look...

PAX 2

The first thing you'll notice is the design and form factor. PAX has a reputation of being the "iPhone of vaporizers" mostly due to their minimal, intuitive design and solid aluminum body. There is no complicated user interface or LCD screen, the only button is the mouthpiece itself which can be clicked to turn it on/off. The device gives visual feedback using the four-point logo which glows at different colors to indicate whether it's heating or ready to vape.

Size / Weight


You'll also notice that the PAX 2 is incredibly compact and lightweight. The body is slightly less than four inches long and only weighs about 94 grams, making it the perfect fit for most pockets or purses.

Charging / Battery Life


It comes with a USB charger that connects magnetically to the body. Charging is a bit slow compared to other vaporizers and can take a couple of hours to fully charge from empty. But, the battery lasts for 6-8 sessions per charge so you should only need to charge it every couple of days (depending on how much you vape, of course).

Bowl Size


The bowl/oven where you pack your herb is located at the bottom of the device and the lid is held in place magnetically. Their website says you should pack about 0.35 grams of dry herb in the device although I've found this to be dependent on the density of your bud. For dry "shake" material I can usually pack up to 0.45-0.5 grams but with higher quality fluffy/sticky nugs I can usually only pack 0.3-0.35 grams. That actually works out really well for me since that's usually all I would want for a good vaping session either way.

PAX sells a half pack oven lid that protrudes more into the bowl allowing you to pack half as much herb while still getting the same vapor quality. If you only vape a few hits at a time and don't want to grind a full bowl every session this accessory would probably be a good option for you.

Mouthpieces


The device comes with two different mouthpieces that are interchangeable depending on which style you prefer. The one on the left is flat with a thin slit on one side that you inhale through while the one on the right is raised like a traditional mouthpiece with slits in the center. Personally I prefer the raised one and find it to be more intuitive for new users. The main advantage of the flat mouthpiece is that it makes the device more discreet. In fact, with the flat mouthpiece it looks more like an MP3 player or portable USB power bank rather than a vaporizer.

Heat Settings

There are four heat settings which you can access by holding the button down while the device is on. Each of them is indicated by the number of petals on the flowerlike logo as well as the color of the LEDs. According to their website each heat setting corresponds to the following temperatures:

  • One green petal: 360°F (180°C)
  • Two yellow petals: 380°F (193°C)
  • Three orange petals: 400°F (204°C)
  • Four red petals: 420°F (215°C)

How To Use The PAX 2

When reading this, keep in mind that I mostly only use my PAX 2 for vaporizing CBD bud, not THC, so your exact usage may differ slightly (especially when it comes to the session length and temperature settings).

The first thing you need to do is grind 0.35-0.45 grams of your herb as finely as possible. Pack enough to fill the bowl so that everything is nice and snug once you put the oven lid on. If your bud is extra sticky you need to be careful not to pack it too tightly otherwise it'll reduce the airflow. With dry bud/shake you can pack a bit more and still get smooth hits.

Press down on the mouthpiece to turn the device on, then press & hold it again to enter the temperature selection mode. In this mode you can press the mouthpiece down to toggle between temperatures as indicated by the petals on the logo. Once you have it on the setting you want you can go back to vaping by either holding the button down again or shaking it.

I like to start at the first setting and really savor the lighter flavors and aromatic compounds. Usually I'll get about 4-5 big hits on this setting before the vapor gets to be too thin and then I'll turn the device off and continue to hit it to clear the vapor and cause it to cool down quickly. For daytime use that's usually all the CBD I need for a short session with effects that usually last an hour or two.

But don't empty the bowl yet because the herb packed in there is far from being spent! Before starting the next round of hits I take the oven lid off and give everything a good stir. Doing this between every 4-5 hits is recommended with most conduction vaporizers to ensure that all the herb is heated evenly.

If my bud is really good and sticky I'll keep the device on the first temperature setting for the second round of hits as well. For lower quality trim/shake I usually bump it up to the second temperature setting. After this round of hits I repeat the process of turning it off while continuing to hit it to clear out the vapor and cool the device. Then I open the oven and stir again.

Normally I can get 4-5 rounds of vaping like this by increasing the temperature whenever the vape feels too thin/flavorless. For me the third temperature setting is the highest I go for CBD bud because the fourth tends to impart too much of a brown/burnt nutty flavor that I find off-putting and doesn't seem to extract much more of the cannabinoids compared to the third setting.

Final Thoughts

This is the dry herb vaporizer I personally use for CBD bud and it hasn't done me wrong so far. If you're looking for a reasonably priced dry herb vaporizer that's durable enough last for years you can't go wrong with the PAX 2.