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Once you have the option to dial in your vaping temperature, it's hard to go back.
That might sound finicky, but temperature doesn't affect just taste, it affects what you're consuming. THC fully releases by 365 degrees F, benzene is introduced as a byproduct at 392, and at 442, the dry herb catches fire. Benzene is a byproduct of incomplete combustion—its occurs naturally from volcanic eruptions, forest fires and fossil fuel refinement. There isn't a whole lot of benzene in cannabis, but when it comes to vaping, the Benzene Buzz is best avoided. Along with the fact that it's cancer-causing, it diminishes flower taste and experience.
Temperature control separates the high-end Zeus Arc GT and the bargain-priced LITL, both of which can be found online at TVape.com. The website doubles as an online retail store for vaporizers and a review blog that assigns individual scores to the vaporizers it sells, which is as shady as it sounds. Nonetheless, it offers a wide selection of mostly obscure brands with warranties.
The highest score of all the dry herb vapes on the site belongs to the Zeus Arc, a device that was "engineered in Germany" and boasts a vapor path and chamber made of gold. Unlike similar conduction vapes like the DaVinci Miqro or Pax3, where the chamber sits at the opposite end of the mouthpiece, the Zeus' bowl sits at the top. Dry herb residue collects in and around the mouthpiece, which is particularly annoying since conduction vapes already require more maintenance.
The Zeus retails for $230, the same price as a Pax3. The only place it has the Pax3 beat is its shape, which is ever so slightly convex. It rests perfectly in your front pants pocket without feeling clunky or weird, and fits just as neatly in your palm. With its nice, matte black metallic finish and unassuming squat size and shape, it's a very portable piece. Sleek and spendy, it's the vape Batman would use.
However, that's where the Zeus' advantages end. You can't dial in your temperature on the Zeus. Instead, it has three heat modes: 401, 419 and 437 degrees F. If you prefer higher temps or just don't care, you won't be fazed by this. Otherwise, it's a deal breaker.
The LITL is on the other end of the price spectrum—it's the cheapest vape I've come across. Like the Zeus, the LITL is a conduction vaporizer with a chamber at the top. However, it has a much simpler design. The glass straw mouthpiece, which wedges atop the chamber only snugly and with extended use, can come loose in your pocket and fill with lint. But even then, the hazards aren't high enough to beat the price—40 bucks is a steal.
Sure, the LITL has only one temperature, 419 degrees. But if you want hits at a lower temperature, just start hitting before it fully heats. If you're frugal, new to the game, or don't smoke much and want an inexpensive, portable vape, the LITL is totally worth it.