Do a Google Search….there are a lot of Fake Vaporizer comparisons! This is not one of them! We really tried them all!

Next the VripTech R&D technicians put the SVT to a side-by-side comparison with virtually every vaporizer to hit the market over the years of 1999-2006…with emphasis on comparing it to the vaporizers that actually work. Again the results were unanimous: the SVT Vrips produced were smoother, cleaner, cooler, more condensed, broader spectrum, and better tasting every time! Although the other vaporizers did effectively, in some cases more than others, vaporize the glandular plant materials; the fact that the ways with which they did were so different from the ritual of smoking and took so much longer than the SVT, effectively destroying any semblance to the ritual so many have come to enjoy, and the fact that the vapor produced was often thin and/or dry and even sometimes a nasty "burnt popcorn" like taste drew frequent complaints. The SVT with the VripTech Vaporization Tools was always preferred unanimously in terms of Vapor taste, texture, and concentration!

VripTech gets many requests for more comparisons every time a new vaporizer hits the market. Because VripTech is owned by a vapor connoisseur who collects vaporizers from the ancient to the modern, the VripTech R&D technicians have at this point reviewed and compared virtually every available vaporizer on the market. The findings and opinions are detailed below. If you are unfamiliar with Vrips and wish to get a fuller experience of how the VripMaster Vaporization Tools work without spending much money you should download the SVT manual for free from our site, and get yourself a heat gun w/ reducer nozzle (see implement sources section) and use a glass water pipe with a small standard glass bowl to get a taste of the HOT GAS EXTRACTION THROUGH GLASS approach to vaporization and ICE AND WATER CONDITIONED vapor delivery. You won't get as good of results as you would with the Vaporization Chamber Bowl and the heat gun without a reducer nozzle, because you can't get as efficient of an extraction using the heat gun with reducer nozzle and a regular bowl as you can using the VripTech VCB with its sequential venturi heat intake design, but you'll be able to get a better quality vapor inhalation then with the BC, Eterra, VaporBrothers, VaporDoc, Vapir, Volcano, Vapie, Aromed, Vapezilla, etc. and with a little practice and/or with one of our VCBs you’ll be able to get phenomenal inhalations: Vrips. When I say better vapor I mean more aromatic, broader spectrum of actives per inhalation, larger inhalations, and more bio-active vapors (as there is less oxidation) that are cooled and moisture conditioned (FACT: dry vapor will still dry your throat out and irritate it…just try taking Volcano inhalations a few times a day; why do you think so many Volcano users hold their balloon’s mouthpiece into a water pipe???). Did I say MORE AROMATIC? UMMM, what I mean is a greater concentration of AROMATICS as in much better TASTE!

Other hot air gun convection based systems exist either as copies of the VripMaster system or the original Eagle Bill Dutch extraction bowls which work well, but with some practicality based drawbacks. The Eagle Bill and Eagle Bill-Like bowls, i.e. the Mystifier and VaporMagic, and Inspector Vapors (I wonder if they took any ideas from the 007 kit) now called GOT VAPE are all large, straight bore extraction tubes that work well, but require large amounts of substrate to be packed at a time and; thus, deliver smaller fractional spectrum extractions at a time i.e. the aromatics first and then the actives at which point the aromatics are mostly gone and the vapor begins to taste dry and less desirable. The VripMaster knock-offs offer the best extractions of the competitor’s products; however, because their bowls and intakes must be one piece so as not to conflict with our patented two piece design there is no insulative property between the intake and the bowl as there is the silicon or viton o-ring on the VripMaster design. This means the bowl piece will get extremely hot after just a couple of extractions and be difficult to handle and prone to breakage from dropping and it also means that the whole piece needs to be replaced if it is broken, rather than just a component, and more importantly, in usage, the one piece Vrip knock-off bowls are much more difficult to pack and unpack the substrate (try sticking your fingers down a hot glass intake…actually take my word for it…don’t try it).

Also of concern with many of these heat gun based systems is the cheaper heat guns often sold with them. I have put quite a bit of time interacting with Steinel, the manufacturer of the finest heat guns in the world, and have learned a lot from the lab testing they have done. The simple matter is that cheaper heat guns without the ceramic encapsulation will work for vapor extraction, but they will also release more metallic ions; but it is true these may get caught in the water anyway. Also, cheaper heat guns have a higher air flow as the lowest option than Steinel guns offer and this means more oxidation: better to use a low air flow and let your lungs do the work to deliver the most active vapor.

Your biggest concern with cheap heat guns is two fold: these guns use a mica sheet that is in direct contact with the hot element and the air flowing through it for insulation (because they don’t use the patented ceramic encapsulation that Steinel uses...this means that it dries out over the years and could quite likely be releasing some silica fibers (can you say asbestos) into the air flow; although it's likely the water would catch these too it's still not a risk worth taking in my mind...and secondly, most troublesome to me is the fact that the electronics which have exposed solder that will off gas mercury are in close proximity to the fan and air intake. This is why I only recommend the Steinels which are used in many clean rooms and medical device manufacturing facilities because they have taken these things into consideration and keep the electronics separate from the element and air flow and feature a ceramic encapsulated nichrome element (medical grade materials) and simply have better dynamic temperature control to boot.

We are working on two different heat tools to complement the Steinels eventually and are now carrying a new Steinel gun, the HG2510, that is smaller, more ergo and has lower airflow which is optimal for vaporization. It also has four pre-set temperature and airflow buttons that allow you to one touch dial in. if you want the best heat gun for the $$$ than get yourself a Makita HG1100 for $80-$90 and you're dialed and safe. As with all heat tools to be used for this type of thermal extraction run it on high heat and high air flow for 20-30 minutes to make sure any residues are burnt off and than dial in to about 1.5 on the dial and use the low air flow setting.

The BC Vaporizer unit is a conduction based system that collects the vapor prior to inhalation as the older and original vaporizer designs did so less of what actives are delivered aren't in the same form as they are in smoke because of oxidation; it's basically useless unless you modify the process and take continual draws off of it as the vapor is released and even then the extraction quality is mediocre at best; it’s plus side is it’s small and portable; down side is that the vapor isn’t going to be very aromatic as it’s a radiant or conductive (hot surface) as opposed to convective (hot air) based extraction and the vapor isn’t going to be the most active or very broad spectrum either.

The Eterra, VaporTech, VaporBrothers, and VaporDoc have addressed the oxidation issue by having you draw through a hose immediately as the vapor is released, so it's active vapor, but because it's still at least a partially conductive based system whereas the herb is in contact with a hot, radiant heated surface, either metal (worse) or glass covered metal or glass covered metal insulated in ceramic (a bit better, but still not ideal), so the taste isn't as good as it could be with a purer convective (hot air) based extraction. And that little petroleum based material hose delivers little inhalations. Also, because the vapor is dry it will still irritate your throat if used repeatedly; you can run the hose to a water pipe though in some instances and benefit from the water conditioning of the vapor. You can get a VaporTech glass tube (vaportechco.com) that will fit the Eterra and allow you to put your herb in a glass tube that drops down into the Eterra's metal heating tray and you’ll get a better taste from what I understand, but I haven't tried it myself (or just buy the VaporTech, VaporBrothers, or VaporDoc unit if you want a table top unit with a hose to take small, but tastier glass extraction chamber based inhalations). The plus side of these systems is that they are fairly inexpensive, don’t require much power, are reasonably small, tabletop units, and the hose is easy to handle.

The Vapezilla is the best tabletop unit in terms of technology and materials. It uses a highly accurate thermo controller and a quartz encapsulated element and delivery is via a silicon hose. It gets high marks for it’s digital control and clean aesthetic, but drew some complaints due to it’s noisy fans, dry vapor (although they do have a water tool adaptor I’m told), and smaller paced extractions and deliveries.

Unlike other herbal vaporizer manufacturers who use "food grade" vinyl tubing, the Vapezilla folks, like Vriptech, opted for the silicone alternative. Vinyl Tubing is basically (PVC) Polyvinyl Chloride, and is not suitable for thermal vaporization. Silicone grade medical tubing is capable of 400°F, while vinyl is limited to a maximum of 180°F. Vaporization temperatures of 356°F-380°F (dependant on user) are no where close to safe operating temperatures suggested by the manufacturers of vinyl tubing. Therefore, vinyl tubing is NOT safe for vaporization purposes. Although many vaporizer manufacturers will claim that their tubing is "food grade," that does not mean that it was meant to be heated to the operational temperatures necessary and used in vaporization. The silicone o-rings and tubing used in any of the VripTech vaporization systems is of MEDICAL GRADE and tested to the operating temperature of 400°F, which is beyond the temperature range of the delivered vapor extracted from the many types of aromatherapeutic herbs.

The Vapie and AromaZap units are functionally similar to the above mentioned table top systems in that they utilize a radiant or conductive based extraction using a brass heating bowl (not good for taste) and are hand held with small straw-like mouthpieces that project for inhaling the dry, but moderately aromatic and active vapor. The Vapie has its brass extraction bowl integrated into the unit while the AromaZap has its brass extraction bowl integrated into the mouthpiece that is removed and repacked each time. These systems are small and easy to handle on the plus side and do yield active vapor, but yield small, slow, and dry limited breadth extractions on the down side.

The Volcano is a German vaporizer that is unique from the others reviewed here. It is designed and manufactured in a German province known for medical devices and comes with very, very, very professionally done packaging and instructions. It utilizes a large, hot gas generating base unit housing an aluminum block element and a diaphragmatic pump that sends a convective hot gas flow through a metal and plastic straight bore extraction chamber and valve-set which carries the extracted vapor into a food grade plastic balloon that when full is removed from the extraction chamber and attached to a one way valve mouthpiece for inhalation. The vapor is dry which is why many users prefer to push the mouthpiece to a water pipe to further cool and moisturize the vapor. People have been attracted to this system because it offers a convective extraction with the convenience of a balloon that can be easily handled for multiple inhalations: often called the Vapor Keg. The down side of this unit is the high cost, large size, non-dynamic temperature control (see the next problem), poor choice of materials (plastic and metal aren’t the best materials for a thermally sensitive extraction chamber; the metal surface becomes hot and begins to radiate heat increasing the actual extraction temperature with every consecutive use because the temperature control is non-dynamic, and aluminum for a heating element is HIGHLY questionable).

The biggest complaint with the Volcano from users who had previously experienced the highly aromatic and moisture-conditioned vapors from the Vrip is that the vapor tastes and feels dry and becomes smoky in subsequent extractions unless the temperature is constantly adjusted downward. Users of the newer Volcano units also complain about a “hot rubber” taste that is likely from the diaphragmatic pump mechanism or an exposed o-ring. For users who are only familiar with lower quality vaporizers or smoking it is a definite improvement. It is possible to use the Volcano extraction chamber and mouthpiece/balloon valve sets with the Steinel hot air guns as a less expensive and aluminum-free approach that works with great success. We’ve also designed and produced a glass extraction chamber to Vapor Balloon or Vapor Whip system based upon our Patented VCB design that will yield improved extractions and will be compatible with our VWT’s for water and ice vapor cooling and conditioning (the water becomes the valve!). It is called the Valloon, but unfortunately, because our patent for a modular vaporization system that uses one heat tool with twelve different extraction configurations and thirteen different delivery configurations is still pending, and Storz and Bickel does not want to accept a licensing fee from us to make this available with balloons and compatible with the Volcano (although they did indicated they would consider this offer because I explained how so many of their customers in common with us had requested a glass extraction and valve assembly that would work with a balloon; however, they simply never responded when they said they would or to the phone and email follow-up messages). So we can only sell it for use with a hose or “whip” and any consumer choosing to use it with a bag or balloon will be in violation of Storz and Bickel’s patent at this time.

***Due to increased consumer concern about their choice of aluminum for a heating element Volcano makers Storz and Bickel have posted the following on their website’s FAQ page:

“13. Does the aluminium heating block emit any substances which are subsequently inhaled by the user?

No. the top temperature reached in the heating block (240°C/464°F) is by far below the temperature that is needed to emit any substances out of the aluminum alloy AlMgSi (melting point 660°C/1220°F; boiling point 2519°C/4599°F) used by us. This is documented by an analysis of the air produced by the VOLCANO on top temperature made by the University of Leiden, Netherlands.”

For all practical purposes according to the science of metallurgy and the assumptions made by Storz and Bickel this should be true, although studies with aluminum cookware conducted over longer periods of time so as to allow for degradation still raise safety concerns regarding long-term use and inhalation of air heated via aluminum. Also, worth consideration is the fact that for the air flow to be heated to the extraction temperatures used in vaporization the elements generally have to be much hotter than the extraction temperatures. It appears that Storz and Bickel are implying that their element only needs to be 70°F warmer than the desired extraction temperature at the high end.

The Vapir now comes in a few different incarnations and is unique from the other vaporizers reviewed here and represents a very technologically advanced approach compared to any of the vaporizers on the market. As such it will get a longer review and critique.

The Vapir is unique technology wise due to it's honeycomb ceramic wafer element and has a great deal of potential, BUT, and this is a big BUT, needs to be refined with some accessories or modifications to work well with herbs that have a broad temperature range across which the aromatics and actives release (and this includes many herbs) if you are to get even close to full-spectrum vapor from it in the same inhalation; and in my opinion, the fuller the spectrum the vapor the better the user experience. I have one and have been messing around with developing some accessories that will fix the problems that affect use with my herbs of choice and preferences in vapor qualities and have had some small success, but still prefer the VripMaster system hands down for day-to-day usage and furthermore, would prefer a VaporTech, VaporDoc or VaporBrothers table top unit over the Vapir for a table top unit based on functionality alone even though they don’t have the best quality components.

Vapir Problem #1 is that the raw herb container is all metal screen; metal is collective so the temperature inside the container gets hotter then the temperature of the air stream going through it, thus, the temperature displayed on the controller LCD is not the actual temperature at the extraction point. In my experience, the first pulls are just aromatic essence, as if it's not quite hot enough, then you get the vapor of substance coming, then it tastes smoky as if it's too hot...all happening with the temperature setting remaining the same. This problem is easily improved, but not completely solved, by inserting a glass or ceramic ring into the container first and packing the herb in the middle of it so that the herb is partially insulated from the collective quality of the metal and the temperature at the point of extraction stays closer to the temperature of the hot air stream going through it rather then steadily climbing due to the addition of the radiant heat from the metal to the convective heat of the hot air stream. We are now manufacturing Vapir Insulating Spacers which as an added advantage allow you to pack less substrate at a time for fuller spectrum extractions.

Vapir Problem #2 is that it delivers dry vapor...there is no water or ice container to run the vapor through before inhalation. Although better than smoke, dry vapor will still irritate your throat. You can use one of the Vapir "flavored moisturizer packets" and moisten your herb first, or simply do so with water or oil and perhaps it will be OK, I haven't tried this as I don't like the idea of moistening my herb as much as cooling and moistening the vapor after extraction as a finely chopped dry herb will yield a better and purer extraction than moistened herb and it all starts with the best extraction. One option is to run the vapor through a bubbler or water pipe by inserting the Vapir hose into a water pipe stem as suggested with some of the other vaporizers featuring hoses...I have tried this and it works OK, but now the contraption has grown significantly more cumbersome and expensive. I had my glass guys make a mini-bubbler that inserts into the top of the Vapir without the cap on it and allows the vapor to be run through water prior to inhalation...this works pretty good actually when used in conjunction with the above mentioned insulating ring, but we aren't producing these and the proto-types are a bit cumbersome. A glass bubbler apparatus that goes through the Vapir top would be the way to go, but would require the development of some expensive tooling to do it on a production level. I've mentioned the idea to the Vapir developer and been told that they'll be producing food grade plastic bubblers for it soon.

Vapir Problem #3 is that the extraction just doesn’t happen fast enough to get a full spectrum inhalation with herbs that have a broad temperature range across which the actives release. This is helped, but not completely solved by using a glass or ceramic spacer as described in Problem #1, and by not inserting the herbal disc container until the unit is already up to the full temperature and then immediately beginning your draws. It's simple physics or more specifically gas mechanics: the Vapir system, like most on the market, battles physics, while the VripMaster system harnesses physics to enable a faster, more efficient extraction.

Vapir Problem #4 is that it takes too long to heat up. I'm impatient I admit it! I would like to turn it on, set the temp, insert the herb container, and start inhaling....but it doesn't work that way. Patience is a Virtue and I guess I'm not the most virtuous; I don't like waiting the 10-20 seconds to start to take a Vrip inhalation, let alone the multiple minutes for the Vapir to heat up and then multiple minutes for the extraction to be completed (I believe their quote is 7-10 minutes per extraction)!

The re-chargeable battery powered capability of the Vapir is really what myself and many others where the most excited about with the Vapir; a feature that is only possible because of the efficient ceramic coated element...I figured I could live with the shortcomings and the hassle of using extra components and the wait for it to heat up if I could take it with me and run it off a battery pack! Well I got one and have played with it with the extra components I described and although it kind of works it doesn't really get hot enough off of the battery to yield the kind of extraction I'm looking for from my herbs of choice. In all honesty, I can get a better extraction using a $6 car lighter and a $20 VaporBat in a few more seconds than it takes for the car lighter to pop and I can stash the whole set-up in a wallet size kit. They say the Vapir will continue to evolve and new models will be available eventually...I plan on getting one for sure at least to add to the collection, but always optimistically thinking that the future generation models will address the shortcomings of the first generation. Keep me posted on what you think if you get one too. They've got an advanced element and controls so far, which is really the hardest part (I know because we’ve been working on our VHT to replace the heat guns for two years now and electronic control of heat is expensive and tricky), but need to work on the mechanics which should be easy relatively speaking.

There is my opinion on the Vapir based upon the evaluation units I have played with myself and observed our testers using. When I want to inhale some vapor I still pick up the heat gun and the Vrip set-up...and I would whether I owned the company or not simply because it's a better fit for my tastes and dislikes and ritualistic tendencies. I'm very much behind the Vapir unit and greatly appreciate the effort behind it, especially the developer's efforts on a book of over 1000 herbs and botanicals with specific phyto-inhalation applications, and I think that it will be the best fit for many users who are more patient then I am, don't mind smaller, partial spectrum extractions and deliveries, and who are intimidated by the heat guns and/or who may have muscular coordination issues.

A correctly taken SVT inhalation, or Vrip, using the VripMaster Vaporization Chamber Bowl is clean and aromatic vapor that is highly active with well over 200% more of the actives delivered then in smoke and considerably more active vapor delivered then any of the other units deliver per inhalation. It's not the smallest; most portable, or easiest system to use, but it gives you the best vapor out of any system available, bar none: it is the Phyto-Inhalation or Medical Aromatherapy Connoisseur’s choice. The only other systems that compare are the other hot gas extraction systems that use the big bowls that the whole heat gun goes down into and then utilize collection chambers of different sizes (i.e. The Eagle Bill design). These use hot gas extraction which is good for taste and cleanliness and is the best way to extract aromatic vapor, but because the bowls are so big they aren't all that practical for the individual and because you pack so much at once the first few inhalations are the most aromatic and the next few will be where the actives are, but because the collection chambers are so big the vapor is at least moderately oxidized by the time you get it creating a different, and generally less desirable of an effect then the actives in smoke or a less oxidized tea, tincture, or capsule delivery.

Because the VCB allows a small amount of herb, one or two primary inhalations at a time, to be finely chopped and positioned directly in the flow of concentrated hot air that is accelerated by venturi effect right at the point of extraction it delivers a fuller spectrum vapor that is both aromatic and more active because it is pulled through the reduced air volume of a water pipe, or in the case of one of our VWTs, a reduced diameter water tool with an ice catch to allow you to fill the tube with ice enabling even less air volume so oxidation is greatly minimized. And the moisture conditioning of the water and cooling and condensing effect of the ice is why so many users describe our vapor as second to none. And to any of you out there worried about losing actives by running your vapor through water please understand that the water pipe studies conducted by MAPS and NORML that demonstrated a 50% drop in actives delivered by running smoke through water where done with SMOKE…not VAPOR! This is a huge distinction because smoke contains highly water-soluble and very, very sticky tars that are not present in clean vapor. When these tar particles are filtered out in the water they take many of the much less water-soluble active and aromatic components with them, which leads to the reduction in actives, delivered via a water pipe as compared to a cigarette for example. When it is just clean vapor run through the water only a minimal amount of actives are lost and given that you are extracting and delivering so much more in the first place, and given that it is heat induced thermal damage and the inhalation of noxious gases (reduced by running through water) that are thought to be responsible for most of the harm done from smoking many herbs then it starts to make a whole lot of sense to run clean vapor through water and past ice before delivering it! But don’t take my word for it….try it yourself!

Basically a Vapir, Vapezilla, VaporBros , VaporDoc or VaporTech or one of the other functioning, but less than optimized systems enable inhalations that are like an appetizer, whereas the Vrip would be a full course meal. A side-by-side comparison isn't even fair in terms of the quality and size of inhalation of the vapor extracted and delivered. If you've got muscle coordination problems or simply want an all inclusive “vaporizer” rather than a “vaporization system” than the Vapor Brothers, Vapor Doc, VaporTech, AromaZap, and Vapie units all work to varying extents and are very affordable; just be prepared to take a bunch of inhalations. The Vapezilla or Vapir is best for those with muscle coordination issues. If you've got the ability to take a Vrip you'd figure out what all the hype is about pretty quick. The system simply delivers better quality, broader spectrum, moisture conditioned, and MORE vapor per inhalation than any other vaporizer that is currently available.

A common vaporizer as used in the test

Please Email us with other Comparison Tests you'd like to see