One of the few annoying things about most portable loose leaf vaporizers is the inability to tell when you need to reload. Since they gently bake the intoxicating oils out of the flower, even when you get the stuff out of the chamber it can be hard to tell when the brownish-green plant matter has turned to greenish-brown. And by that point you've already emptied the device. Chances are, you don't want to reload the oven to leech that last little bit of good stuff out of your flower.
Which is one great reason to check out the Firefly Vaporizer ($269.95 including free shipping at vapeworld.com). This hefty portable vape also has a completely idiot proof two button design (a sliding on-off switch and a button to heat the oven) and offers a smooth pull, though there are a few drawbacks.
First, what's good about the Firefly. That starts with that see-through chamber, which gets just a little condensation forming as the heating element inside glows bright orange and starts vaporizing the cannabis. As your session draws to a close, you'll see those leaves inside turning a frail brown. Second, there's a reassuring metal heft to the sleek device, which is
shaped like a giant thumb drive. It feels like a taser in your hand. That can be a drawback if you're putting it in your pocket for a walkâit seems to weigh about double what an iPhone doesâbut which does feel a lot better and your hand then a disposable oil pen. Third, the draw is silky smoothâthose who've mastered the technique of letting the convection oven pre-heat and drawing just the right amount each time swear by the Firefly.
That convection oven also provided a flavorful, citrussy vapor from my Eco Firma-grown Headband.
The limitations start with that draw, which I couldn't get to offer
as much vapor as its many competitors, even when I pressed the button and let it heat up for 15 seconds or so before my first pull. That could partly because the bowl of the oven is so wide and shallow that you need to really pack it densely for the best results. Getting the first big, thick cloud required holding the button down for almost 30 seconds, and it seemed to take at least that long the next time around.
The unique design finds you pulling off the magnetic top of the unit like the faceplate on an old Alpine car stereo. You load the flower and then putting it back on. That glass window makes it possible to see the herb but also resulted in me actually sucking a little bit of ground flower in the mouthpiece. That could be because I didn't load it carefully enough, but it's also something that hasn't happened to me with other units.
My last complaintâand this truly is a quibbleâis that this is the rare unit which doesn't come with a USB charging cord.
Personally, I far prefer the Pax 2 to the Fireflyâit's smaller and its lights provide a clear indication when you can expect a big, thick cloudâbut for those who want to closely monitor the condition of their bud, or who swear by the flavor of convection-baked smoke, the Firefly does a good job.
WWeek 2015
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