We’ve reviewed Pax 3 Vaporizer. Stay tuned for more reviews of Pax Vaporizer products.
Pax 3 Hemp Vaporizer
9.1
OVERALL
Initial Thoughts
We are a CBD review site, and rarely review accessories. That said, the growing popularity of hemp flower gave us a good reason to start looking at some of the most popular devices in the space. Specifically, the line of Pax Vaporizers topped the list, which many people consider to be the best all-around vaporizers. We’ll get into the reasons as to why that is but, of course, we had to put it through its paces ourselves. So, we acquired the latest Pax 3 vaporizer and got to puffin’. Without further ado, here is our Pax 3 review.
Bag Appeal (10 out of 10)
Before we dive into using the device itself, it’s worth noting some of the reasons the Pax 3 grabs so much attention. Put simply, the Pax 3 looks like Apple
designed it themselves. Like all of the Pax vaporizers before it, the product is sleek and portable with attention to detail in the ergonomics of the industrial design. There are a range of matte finish colors that give this unit an elegant, attractive appearance. The anodized aluminum casing makes it more rugged than many of the other vaporizers on the market in a pocketable form factor.
The similarities to Apple don’t stop at the device level. The Pax 3 vaporizer unboxing is on point. Elegant design spills over onto everything from the presentation of the device in-box, to the thoughtfulness of the accessories included. We’ll get to pricing later, but we feel the Pax 3 shines at its price point relative to the overall design.
Functionality (10 out of 10)
Ok, sure, it looks great, but does it do all the things we want a vaporizer to do? It does – and then some. Honestly, the Pax team made our vaporizer review pretty easy, as they have seemingly thought of every aspect of the vaping experience;
- Multi-use – vape dry herb or concentrates with one device
- Varied Heating modes – personalize your heat level to your taste
- Fast heating – the Pax 3 vaporizer reaches temperature in 15 to 20 seconds
- Haptic feedback – vibrations alert you when temperature is reached
- Large herb chamber – 1/3g+ with options for half-fill with the complete kit
- Secure operation – lids and mouthpieces attach magnetically
- Auto shutoff – automatically saving you flower and battery life
- Smartphone app – customize your vaping by controlling temperature, heating modes, haptic feedback, etc. in-app
User Experience (8.5 out of 10)
Daily usage is where the rubber meets the road. We know it looks great and is theoretically capable of a LOT. But, does it stand up to daily use? It’s worth mentioning that, in addition to our internal review, we also surveyed a number of avid Pax vaporizer users. One individual held onto his Pax 2 vaporizer for 7 years before upgrading!
The short story is that our Pax 3 review participants felt that the device basically lives up to the promise. All of the functionality mentioned in the last section just works with a minimal number of moving parts or mental overhead. Almost none of the folks bothered with using the smartphone app, but cited many of the other functions as being core what we should highlight in our Pax 3 review.
There were only a few complaints that held back the score of this section is our Pax 3 review. First, while the device is easy to clean – lacking any small nooks or crannies – the device does need to be cleaned often. Our reviewers noted that, if you want the vapor to taste “clean and smooth,” you have to undertake cleaning every 3-5 uses. Second, the Pax is a bit of a pain to unload. Old herb tends to get stuck in the oven and sometimes you have to heat the device back up to be able to shake it loose.
Device Performance (8.25 out of 10)
So far, our Pax 3 review has been glowing – it looks great, has all the functions you could want and is easy to use. What about the actual vaping experience? We’re going to give Pax props on one hand and dock them slightly on another. In terms of props, the Pax vaporizer line really kind of kicked off the idea of “sipping” from your vape. Unlike many vaporizers that you have to hit like you would a cigarette, the Pax allows even a novice user to casually “sip” vapor without an overexaggerated inhale. We love that about the Pax. It makes the experience social and casual. The oven heat is producing the right amount of heat without the user having to think about it – and doing it consistently
Given its small form factor, the Pax 3 vaporizer is designed to be portable. There are plenty of vaporizers on the market that boast features for cooler
vapor, which generally involves increasing the surface area that the vapor has to travel across. In that regard, the Pax 3 vaporizer lands exactly where it
needs to – average vapor smoothness. Obviously, there are many factors involved here, such as strain, temperature chosen, etc. But, apples-to-apples, the Pax 3 is middle of the road in terms of vapor cooling. That is actually what we anticipated going into the review, so even this small complaint is not a serious knock against the product.
Lastly, in terms of battery performance, the results vary and probably depends on how often you fire it up without fully committing to a session. The Pax 3 website page boasts a 1.5 hour battery life with continuous use. That said, some of our avid users mentioned that they need to charge after 2-3 ovens. Overall, we have minimal complaints for Pax and absolutely love this device for 90% of vaporizer buyers.
Price (8.75 out of 10)
The Pax 3 is a premium product and, as such, carries a higher price tag than other Pax vaporizers. At the time of writing this Pax 3 review, the basic kit is selling for $200, and the complete kit for $250. Other Pax vaporizers range from $35 to $150. This is a significant difference, but you get a lot for your money, as we’ve mentioned above. Compared to other premium devices in the category, such as the Crafty+ from Storz and Bickel, the Pax 3 is right in range. For the convenience, ease of use and collection of useful accessories to make your vaping experience more pleasant – we absolutely love it. I don’t think you could convince our avid users to give up their Pax for anything else.
About the brand
About Pax
We undertook this Pax 3 review knowing that we were starting with a highly regarded brand. The Pax vaporizer line was a game changer when it hit the market in 2012, and it remains a market leader today.
The Pax founders come from a tech design background, as do many of the engineers and staff, giving the Pax 3 vaporizers a techy feel that has been compared to Apple products. The innovative, compact design is convenient and discreet, and the performance is great, as described above.
Pax demonstrates confidence in its products with a ten year warranty. This is a comforting feature when considering whether to buy the Pax or one of the many knock-offs that might offer a lower price.
Pax tops this off with a bluetooth smartphone app that offers a range of choices that allow the user to access handy features and customizations. Control temperature, heating modes, haptic feedback, and more. Truly a nice app and a feature that sets the Pax vaporizers apart.
Product Line
Pax offers a range of products that are designed to enhance your vaping experience:
- Pax 3 for flower and concentrates
- Pax 2 for flower
- Pax Era Life for oils
- Pax Era Pro for oil extracts
- Charging tray
- Grinder
- Mouthpieces, lids, other accessories
- Rosins
- Apparel
