PAX Labs has revolutionized the vape scene. How they swiftly swooped over the dry herb market makes them a force to reckon with in the vape industry.
Currently, PAX Labs focuses on developing vaporization technology for plant-based materials to enhance the vape experience for their customers.
They also promise high-quality materials and many ways to personalize every experience. PAX Labs now offers three different vaporizers; Pax 1, 2, and 3. Each provides different experiences and leads the line in its category.
However, you are probably trying to determine which suits you best. If that is the case, do not worry; we have you covered. A complete comparison of the three vaporizers is what we have for you. Make sure you read till the end to make a wise decision. Let’s go!
Contents
Pax 2 vs. Pax 3: A Quick Comparison Guide
| Pax 2 | Pax 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 2 Years | 10 Years |
| Smoke Flower | Yes | Yes |
| Smoke Concentrate | No | Yes |
| Heat-Up | 45 sec | 20 sec |
| Colors | 2 | 6 |
| Sessions | 6-8 | 8-10 |
| Charge Time | 120 min | 90 min |
| App | No | Yes |
| Price | ~$150 | ~$200 |
Pax 2 OR Pax 3 – Which one to Buy?
Is Pax 2 Better than Pax 3?
The PAX 2 is a great successor to the original PAX 1. It arrived in 2015, and several improvements will force you to consider this handheld device. Let’s get right into it. We’ll discuss the pros first.
What we liked About PAX 2
The PAX 2, for starters, is more compact than the PAX 1. It is 25% smaller and 10% lighter than its predecessor. The mouthpiece no longer sticks out; it is now integrated into the PAX 2’s smaller body.
The PAX 2 also comes with ‘Lip Sensing Technology’ – the mouthpiece senses the presence of your lips and changes the heater’s temperature accordingly. This helps maintain a more stable environment inside the vaporizer.
PAX Labs added another temperature setting on the PAX 2. The settings now cover a broader range of temperatures, ranging from 360°F to 420°F (180°C to 215°C), to add another personalized touch to the experience. PAX Labs rates the heating time at 45 seconds. The charging situation is better, too.
The PAX 1 docked upside down on its charging station, which sometimes led to residue running down and building up in the mouthpiece – this affected functionality, and another clean-up would have to follow.
The PAX 2 uses a USB charger and a dock that magnetically attaches to the body. It also offers up to a 30% improvement in battery life over the PAX 1.
But where the PAX 2 knocks the PAX 1 out of the park is the maintenance department. Since the power and temperature buttons are now located inside the vaporizer, nothing gets in the path of the vapor.
This allows you to go longer between cleaning the mouthpieces than the original PAX vaporizer. This also fixes the most prominent complaint users had with the PAX 1.
What We Didn’t like about PAX 2 or PAX 3
For all its pros, PAX 2 has a few disadvantages. Firstly, it is slightly more expensive than its rivals. Users were also unsatisfied with the vapor – the taste and smoothness gradually diminished.
Also, it required frequent cleaning to keep draw resistance to a minimum. Not as frequent as the PAX 1, though. Also, PAX 2 did not work well for multiple smoke sessions.
You have to reload the chamber for that to happen. Lastly, the charging time, though less than the PAX 1, is around 3 hours, which is not all that ideal.
Overall, PAX 2 is still a huge improvement over PAX 1. It’s smaller, lighter, more intuitive, and smartly designed. It is also offered in two different colors – Charcoal and Platinum. You can get one for $150 from the PAX website.
Accessories are shared between PAX 2 and 3 to a large extent, which is why they are mentioned below in the PAX 3 section.
Is Pax 3 better than Pax 2?
The PAX 3 arrived on the scene in late 2016. It has the same size and weight as the PAX 2, but the internals have changed quite a bit. It is the most versatile PAX vaporizer to date.
Pax 3 vs. Pax 2: What we liked
The PAX 3 Vaporizer provides haptic feedback. It vibrates once it is ready to be used. It is also compatible with flowers and concentrates and has a 22-second faster heating time, less than half of what the PAX 2 offers.
The battery is 16% larger than the PAX 2, with double the oven power. The PAX 3 is also Bluetooth enabled, so you can hook it up to your smartphone using the PAX Vapor app.
The mouthpiece is flatter and raised, and the PAX 3 is offered in five different colors: Matte Black, Matte Rose Gold, Matte Silver, Matte Teal, and Matte Fuchsia.
The warranty offered by PAX is for ten years, which is a significant amount of time. The charging time is also less than that of the PAX 2. The temperature range is the same as the PAX 2 (360°F to 420°F), but with a twist, you can now pick any temperature within that range using the PAX Vapor smartphone app control.
Four dynamic modes are also offered: Boost, Efficiency, Stealth, and Flavor. In Boost mode, the device can heat up since it reduces auto-cooling.
The Efficiency mode gradually increases temperature; Stealth increases cooling while dimming the LEDs, and Flavor provides the ultimate PAX experience: it gives maximum flavor and heats upon demand.
The PAX 3 is also more efficient than the PAX 2 – the oven heats half the material for a complete experience. It performs just like the PAX 2 but with half the material. The maintenance and cleaning are also not as difficult as the original PAX.
Pax 3 vs. Pax 2: What We didn’t like
There are considerably fewer cons, with the only one being maintenance. The PAX 3 requires semi-regular cleanups.
PAX recommends a service after every 8-10 smoke sessions to avoid draw resistance since you must pull at the mouthpiece harder. However, the PAX 3 is relatively easy to clean due to fewer moving parts.
The pricing for the PAX 3 is as follows. There are two versions: Basic Kit and Complete Kit. The Basic Kit offers a cleaning kit, mouthpieces, and charger for $199.99.
The Complete Kit, on the other hand, offers the concentrate insert, a half-pack lid, extra screens, and a multi-tool for convenience. All this comes for an additional $50, bumping the price to $249.99. However, you’re getting over $100 worth of accessories for just $50.
Pax 2 and Pax 3: Accessories
- The maintenance Kit includes 3 Oven Screens, a Wire brush, and 10 Pipe Cleaners for just $15.
- Flat Mouthpiece (Black, 2 pack): Replacement mouthpieces for $13.
- Half-Pack Oven Lid: For a half-filled oven load, an oven lid is for $13.
- Mini-Charger: A portable USB-enabled dock for $25.
- Multi-Tool: For packing and removing material from the oven, for $10.
- AC Adaptor: Wall charger without cradle for $15.
- Raised Mouthpiece: Replacement raised mouthpiece for $13.
- Pack of Screens (3 packs): Replacement Oven screens for $10.
- Replacement Oven Lid: A replacement oven lid for $13.
- Concentrate Insert Replacement Lid and O-Rings: Replacements for concentrate insert and 5 O-Rings for $10.
- Concentrate Insert: An insert to use PAX 3 with concentrates priced at $50.
All in all, PAX 3 is way better than PAX 1. However, it provides a flavor similar to that of the PAX 2.
Pax 1 – The Original PAX Vaporizer
The PAX 1 was the original PAX vaporizer when it first came out in 2012. This handheld beast changed the dry herb vape scene. However, it hasn’t aged well. We’ll talk about the good stuff first, though.
What we liked
One thing a portable vape should have on its side is its size. It’s a no-brainer. This is where PAX 1 supersedes its competitors. The compact design helps it serve its purpose quite well.
The PAX 1 is also aesthetically pleasing, not to mention that it is pretty easy to use. You load it, turn it on by pushing the mouthpiece in, wait until the good stuff heats up, and inhale away.
PAX 1 also offers three different temperature settings. ‘Low’ is rated at 370°F (188°C), ‘Medium’ is 390°F (199°C), and ‘High’ bumps it up to 410°F (210°C).
You pull the mouthpiece out and press the little button to cycle through them. This changes the color of the light on the PAX 1’s body; yellow for ‘Low,’ orange for ‘Medium,’ and red for ‘High.’
What We didn’t like
Many users were unsatisfied with the one thing the PAX 1 was supposed to do well – producing vapor. Although it had a decent-quality vapor, the quantity remained an issue.
Compared to its rivals, the PAX 1 remains behind in vapor production. However, one must also remember that PAX 1’s rivals are more prominent than in size.
Another issue plaguing the PAX 1’s reputation is the excessive resin accumulation in essential parts of the portable device.
At first, it just affects functionality, but later on, it stops the device from working altogether. Since the mouthpiece functions as the ON/OFF switch, this introduces another issue.
The mouthpiece is pushed in in normal circumstances, turning on the power. However, the mouthpiece starts getting stuck due to resin accumulation, preventing the device from functioning.
This requires a thorough cleanup, which is a challenge due to the PAX 1 being a problematic device to clean. All vaporizers must be clean at some point, but there should at least be a threshold beyond which your device stops functioning.
PAX 1 Accessories
The PAX 1 came complete with a set of accessories.
- Oven Lid: In case you lose the lid to your PAX oven. It is priced at $20.
- Mouthpiece Lubricant: A 4.7mL bottle of lubricant helps keep the mouthpiece smooth. It is priced at $8.
- Car Charger: a car charger that includes a dock and charging cord. It is priced at $25.
- Pack of Screens: an extra set of screens, priced at $10.
Pax 2 or Pax 3: Which is better?
It depends. The PAX 1 was the original PAX. It revolutionized smoking when it came out in 2012. However, it had its drawbacks.
Then came the PAX 2, which fixed most of the issues of its predecessor. But if you’re in for a more personalized experience, the PAX 3 is for you.
In our opinion, the PAX 2 takes the cake. This is because of its improvements over the PAX 1 and its similarities with the PAX 3. The PAX 3 provides concentrate support, heating element improvements, haptic feedback, and accessibility via the app.
Moreover, with the smartphone app, the PAX 3 outdoes itself. You can pair it up with your smartphone and fine-tune your experience that much more. You can also update your PAX 3 vaporizer if PAX ever rolls out any firmware updates.
But otherwise, the PAX 2 does a fantastic job at being what it is. You could think of the PAX 3 as the PAX 2, but with a few more bells and whistles.
The PAX 1, on the other hand, while being a brilliant candidate, falls quite some way behind its successors. It is still an excellent option for anyone on a tight budget.
A little more bread, and you could see yourself walking toward PAX 2 or 3. We chose the PAX 2 because of its budget-friendliness – it caters to everyone and provides you with a near-perfect vaping experience.
All in all, all PAX vaporizers are great deals. It depends on your budget at the end of the day. But if you do have the bread, go for the PAX 2. You will not regret it.
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