If you’re in a hurry, the best desktop vaporizer is the Volcano Hybrid.
From a more extended battery life, fewer recharges and various intake methods, desktop vaporizers are a worthy investment compared to portable ones. Moreover, they have a better user experience as it’s easier to control the strength, temperature and amount of vapour.
These traits also make it ideal when vaping with a group of friends.
As a result of all these advantages, it’s no surprise that the best desktop vaporizers are slightly costlier than portable versions. By the end of this article, you’ll easily choose your preferred desktop vaporizer, depending on your needs and preferences.
Here’s a complete list of the best desktop vaporizers on the Australian market right now:
OUR TOP PICKS
Best Overall: Volcano Hybrid
Runner-Up: Volcano Classic
Best Budget: Extreme Q
Most Versatile: Dr. Dabber Switch
Best For Strong Vapour: Plenty
Best Direct Draw: Cloud Evo
Types of Vaporizers Available
The broad classification of vaporizers includes desktop and portable vaporizers. Just as their respective names suggest, desktop vaporizers are less mobile than portable vapes as they are significantly larger and require a power source.
On the other hand, a portable vaporizer is easy to carry around as most are pen-sized. Desktop vapes are best for controlling temperature and have better vapour in terms of flavour.
Desktop vaporizers can be further categorised into whip-style vaporizers and forced-air vaporizers. A whip-style vaporizer has a silicon tube (whip) with a mouth attachment that you use to inhale the vapour from the dry herbs stored in the vaporizer’s chamber. A desktop dry herb vaporizer is similar to the hookah or shisha style of smoking.
Forced-air vaporizers, also known as balloon or bag vaporizers, are more modern than whip-style vaporizers. They come with a polythene balloon bag that gets filled with vapour through forced air currents. They are easier to use than whip-style vaporizers as the user requires less effort to inhale.
Nonetheless, whip-style vaporizers are not hard to use. They only require a little more practice to get the perfect ‘hits.’
Portable vaporizers can be categorized according to the substances they can vaporize: oil vaporizers, dry vaporizers and wax vaporizers. They don’t need as much maintenance as desktop vaporizers but require frequent recharging.
Key Factors To Consider When Shopping for the Best Desktop Vaporizers
Like everything else, there are several factors you’ll need to keep in mind before buying a desktop vaporizer. Below are the most common ones.
Temperature Range
Different desktop vaporizers have different temperature ranges. Therefore, it’s essential to confirm the range first before choosing one that suits you.
Some vaporizers automatically adjust the temperature depending on the speed at which you inhale the vapour. On the other hand, others will require you to adjust the temperature manually.
Materials to Use
Desktop vaporizers are designed for specific substances. Therefore, it’s best not to use a vaporizer designed for dry herbs with wax or vice versa. If you plan to use the vaporizer for different substances, select one that accommodates all materials.
Whip-Style or Balloon Bag
Another factor to consider when choosing a desktop vaporizer is whether you would prefer inhaling from a whip or balloon bag. Whip-style vaporizers have minimal set-up time compared to forced-air vaporizers, which require you first to wait for the balloon to fill up before usage.
However, once filled with enough vapour, the balloon bag is detached from the supply and passed around. A whip vape requires those who are vaping to be tethered to the vaporizer.
Taking Care of Your Desktop Vaporizer
To clean your desktop vaporizer, unplug the device first. Then remove the heating chamber or tank. It’s this part that usually stores the dry herbs, oil or wax. Gently tap the chamber to remove any dirt, and then use a soft cloth to clean up any remaining residue.
To clean the chamber thoroughly, you can soak it in water for a few hours and then air dry it until completely dry before your subsequent use.
The Best Desktop Vaporizers Reviews
Below are some of the highly recommended desktop vaporizers on the Australian market.
Best Overall
Volcano Hybrid
Pros
Cons
Are you stuck between whip-style and forced-air vaporizers? The Volcano Hybrid offers you both in one! It comes with a whip and a balloon to make things more exciting so you can customise it each and every time.
The Volcano Hybrid is one of the fastest vaporizers out there, as it takes roughly 40 seconds to a minute to heat up. Additionally, it produces high-quality vapours compared to other brands. It also has a Bluetooth feature that allows you to regulate the temperature from your phone easily.
This desktop device has a temperature range of 40°C–230°C and a large digital touchscreen control panel. You can use it with dry herbs or concentrates such as wax, plus it’s a great desktop vaporizer for weed.
The Storz & Bickel German engineering uses stainless steel, thermoplastic and aluminium, making it durable enough to serve you for years.
Runner-up
Volcano Classic
Pros
Cons
The Volcano Classic from Storz & Bickel is regarded as one of the best in the game. If you would like to get high vapour quality at a fairer price point, the Volcano Classic is for you.
This balloon vaporizer has impressive features such as a heat-up time of between 4 to 5 minutes and a temperature range of 130°C–230°C.
The Volcano Classic has an analog display with a knob used to adjust the temperature. Like the Volcano Hybrid, the Volcano Classic can be used with either dry herbs or concentrates and is made of stainless steel and aluminium, making it a very sturdy device.
Best Budget Desktop Vaporizer
Extreme Q
Pros
Cons
The Arizer Extreme Q is as budget-friendly as it comes, with both the whip and balloon feature at less than half the price of the Volcano Hybrid.
The lower price does not, however, mean that you will be compromising on quality. The Arizer Extreme Q has a heat-up time of between 1–2 minutes and a temperature range of 50°C–250°C.
This desktop unit has a digital control for temperature, and it comes with a remote control, so you can make any necessary changes from your couch. The hybrid model is not a noisy device as it has a quiet fan with multiple speeds that allows you to alter the density and richness of the vapour.
Its body is made of stainless steel, and it has glass components, silicone tubing and a ceramic heating element.
Most Versatile Desktop Vaporizer
Dr. Dabber Switch
Pros
Cons
The Dr. Dabber Switch is versatile for several reasons. First, you can use it for either oil or herbs. It comes with two heater cups, one for the oil and the other for herbs. Secondly, it has a clean-up setting used to clean the cups without having to go through the cumbersome process of cleaning them manually.
Lastly, Dr. Dabber Switch has 25 temperature settings, which is pretty impressive. It also has a light feature with 25 colour options, so you can create an atmosphere as you vape. Lastly, it has a long battery life and requires fewer charges in between use.
Best for Strong Vapour
Plenty
Pros
Cons
From the creators of the Volcano vaporizers, Storz & Bickel, Plenty is an affordable vaporizer that produces strong and flavorful vapour. It’s less bulky than the Volcano varieties, making it easy to hold and pass around.
It has an analog temperature gauge with seven temperature settings and a temperature range of 130°C–202°C.
It takes about 3 minutes to heat up and automatically shuts off if there is inactivity. It is made of stainless steel and aluminium, making it very durable.
Best Direct Draw
Cloud Evo
Pros
Cons
The Cloud Evo is a highly advanced device that encompasses a patented PerpetuHeat Thermal Technology. This technology matches the temperature to the user’s inhalation rate and allows the device to heat up in just 3 minutes.
The Cloud Evo also has an all-glass air path. These two key features make it the best vaporizer for direct draws.
The device also has fully adjustable temperature control with a range between 93°C–260°C.
Conclusion
Whether your determining factor is price, quality, durability, functionality or versatility, there is something for you! Different brands have unique and exciting designs to make up the best desktop vaporizers.
The Volcano Hybrid is a beast that wins in all aspects and is worth every dime! However, each desktop vaporizer on our list has its pros and cons like everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a desktop vaporizer?
A desktop vaporizer is a more efficient way to vape dry herbs at home. These types of units are known as tabletop devices, and they offer features like precision temperature control that give you dynamic control over your session.
They also make it easy for users with health concerns because these vapes produce fewer harmful irritants than their portable counterparts do when the same amount of material is used in both machines.
Vaporizers come in two varieties: convection and conduction. Convection devices heat material by passing hot air around it, while most conduction units heat materials directly against the heating element.
How Do Desktop Vaporizers Work?
A desktop vaporizer is an advanced device that has a simple user experience. To vape, you load your chamber with material or oils, power up the unit which heats until the desired temperature is reached then enjoy!
While this is easy for users to do themselves, there are also many advanced features that go into making one of these devices work well: digital interfaces; precision temperatures (i.e., degrees Celcius vs Fahrenheit); convection heating; etc…
What is a whip vaporizer?
Vaporizers that use long plastic or silicone tubes to deliver vapour are known as whip-style desktop vaporizers. Whip vape lengths vary depending on the user’s needs, but most of them have one end connected at the top of the chamber and another end where you inhale from.
No fan is necessary for air circulation. Air circulates in the ceramic heating chamber with every draw from your whip. Whip-style vaporizers are a great option when you are vaping solo at home.
What is a balloon vaporizer?
A balloon vaping system uses balloons made out of plastic or silicone to capture exhaled vapours using forced-air technology. When connected to a whip vape via its built-in adapter port, users can inflate these bags by pressing down on them which forces hot air through for consumption.
The vapor will stay in the bag for up to 10 minutes and can be passed around and shared with a group of friends.
