Desktop Vaporizer Guide: Pros and Cons of Desktop Vapes

For serious vapers, desktop vaporizers represent the absolute cream of the crop. They’re the vaporizers that handle the biggest loads of herbs and support the longest and most leisurely vaping sessions. They’re the vaporizers that have the most advanced features.

Typically, though, desktop vaporizers are also some of the most expensive vapes on the market. Buying one, then, is a pretty major investment. You want to be certain that a desktop vape is the right type of device for you, and you also want to know that you’ve chosen the right product from the wide array of desktop vapes that are out there.

We’re here to guide you through that decision. This article will explain the pros and cons of desktop vaporizers and will describe the features that you’re most likely to find in a desktop vape. By the time you’re done reading, you’re going to be a bona fide expert on desktop vaporizers. Before we begin, though, let’s discuss pricing a bit. Why, exactly, are desktop vapes so expensive?

Why Do Desktop Vaporizers Cost So Much?

Desktop vaporizers run a fairly wide range of prices. In general, though, they are the most expensive vapes on the market. These are some of the reasons why a desktop vaporizer costs more on average than a portable vaporizer.

• Desktop vaporizers usually have the most advanced features. We’ll discuss some of those features in greater detail shortly.
• Desktop vaporizers offer efficient and thorough vaporization of your herbs.
• Although not every desktop vape has this feature, desktop vaporizers are generally the only devices that offer true forced-air convection.
• Desktop vaporizers often have better build quality and offer longer warranties than portable vaporizers.

What Are Some of the Features a Desktop Vaporizer May Have?

So, what are the features that separate desktop vaporizers from their less expensive portable counterparts? These are some of the features that you may find in a desktop vape.

• Forced-air convection is the signature feature of a desktop vaporizer. While not every desktop vape has a convection fan, convection heating was the main selling point of the first dry herb vaporizers – which were all desktop models. A convection vaporizer heats your herbs thoroughly and evenly, right through to the center of the oven. It is the most efficient heating technology for a vaporizer.
• Some desktop vaporizers have the ability to fill balloons. Filling a balloon gives the vapor a few seconds to cool down before you inhale it, which may allow you to inhale more deeply without irritation. It’s also easy to pass a balloon around when you’re enjoying a group session.
• If a desktop vaporizer can’t fill balloons, it’ll usually have some other feature – such as a long whip for inhalation or built-in water filtration – that keeps the vapor cool and smooth.
• Desktop vaporizers usually have longer warranties than portable vaporizers. The Volcano vaporizer, for example, has a three-year warranty. A portable vaporizer often won’t even last three years because the battery will stop holding a charge before then.

What Are the Benefits of Desktop Vaporizers?

Now, you have a better understanding of the advanced features that you can expect a desktop vaporizer to have. What are some of the other benefits of owning a desktop vape?

• A desktop vaporizer generally has a much larger oven than a portable vaporizer. The larger oven supports longer and more elevated vaping sessions.
• Since a desktop vaporizer uses your herbs more efficiently than a portable vaporizer, it may actually help you save money over time despite the higher price. Since you can generally expect a more elevating effect from the same amount of herbs that you would put in a portable vaporizer, you’ll get more out of your herbs and may be able to buy herbs less often.
• As mentioned above, a desktop vaporizer usually offers a way – whether it’s a balloon, a long whip or water filtration – to cool the vapor before it reaches your lungs. The cooling allows you to inhale more deeply, further enhancing the effect.
• A desktop vaporizer with forced-air conduction may help you conserve your herbs since you can turn the fan off in the middle of a session. When you turn the fan off, the herbs cool immediately, and you can resume your session later. With the conduction heating of a portable vaporizer, the herbs will remain hot for a while after you turn the device off.
• A desktop vaporizer is almost like a piece of furniture or a home appliance. When you buy one, you’re expecting to get a device that you can continue using for several years. Desktop vaporizers may have better build quality than portable vaporizers. The Volcano is the oldest vaporizer on the market, and there are some people whose units are still going strong after two decades.

What Are the Drawbacks of Desktop Vaporizers?

Any desktop vaporizer guide would be incomplete unless it also discussed the drawbacks of desktop vapes, of which there are a few. These are the three main drawbacks of owning a desktop vaporizer.

• A desktop vaporizer almost always costs more than a portable vaporizer. Although the more thorough herb consumption of a desktop vaporizer may actually save you money in the long run, there’s no getting around the fact that a desktop vape represents a larger initial investment.
• When you use a desktop vaporizer, you’re generally tethered to a power outlet. There’s just no way to run a fan and a powerful heating element on battery power, so using a desktop vape means that you’re not going anywhere during your vaping session. It also means that you’re not going to be bringing your vaporizer with you anywhere unless you’re willing to put up with some fairly major inconveniences.
• Since a desktop vaporizer is much larger than a portable vaporizer, storage is a concern unless you’re planning to leave your device out when you’re not using it. If you want to control any residual smell, you’ll need to store your desktop vaporizer in a fairly large smell-proof case.

The Final Word: Are Desktop Vapes Actually Worth It?

Ultimately, the reason why you’re really here is because you want to know if a desktop vaporizer is worth buying. You’re going to spend a lot of money if you buy a desktop vape. Is it actually worth it?

The answer ultimately depends on what your expectations are regarding what your vaping experiences will be like and where you’ll be using your device. Do you only expect to vape at home? If that’s the case, it probably makes the most sense to buy the type of device that’s going to vaporize your herbs more efficiently and more completely. Why buy a less effective battery-powered vaporizer if you’re never going to leave the house with it?