Rowan Bailey
8-6-2023
The Best Dry Herb Vaporisers for Medical Cannabis in the UK: Our Picks (Updated for April 2024)
Moving away from combustion, and to a healthier future.
"It can be hard to cut through the different models, especially with such big price differences. I just want to know what i'm buying is reputable, safe and not going to break within a year" - You?
In today’s world, more and more people are turning to medical cannabis as a treatment option vs more traditional prescription medications that come with unwanted side effects, such as addiction or complications with liver/ kidneys over prolonged use.
As a result of this increasing prevalence, there is now a wide variety of strains available for medical users here in the UK, and more and more Dry Herb Vaporisers being sold in the UK. Although there is certainly some way to go to catch up to our cousins over in the states, the UK medical cannabis range is slowly but surely expanding, and with more devices becoming available here, it can be hard to cut through the marketing spiel to find something that works, is safe to use and doesn’t cost the earth!
From this article, we hope that you can come away with a better understanding of dry herb vaporisers, how to use them with your UK medical cannabis prescription, and know more about what to look for/ how to cut through the BS in marketing.
Just a heads up though, when it comes to health, in our opinion there should be no compromise, and as such, with limited devices that have been cleared for medical use, the top end of our picks are expensive.
However, that isn’t to say there aren’t safe to use devices that are much cheaper. So fear not, we’ll help you know what to look for, and how to use them whilst being conscious of certain safety factors.
There is also the matter of how to get used to using a dry herb vaporiser instead of smoking, or how to really dial in your experience when vaping in terms of temperature control, terpene preservation, or style of use. You can have the most exquisite terpene profile preserved in your flower, and the most expensive/ top rated dry herb vape, and still end up making the experience lack lustre. It’s about the know how, patience, and understanding how these devices work
These handy little devices warm up your herbs just to the right temperature to 'evaporate' off the active ingredients, leaving everything elsebehind instead of burning them. This produces much cooler and purer vapor than combustion does. They can offer a higher level of convenience than other forms of extraction such as using a bong or bubbler pipe, although can also be used in combination with these for an even more dialled in experience.
They are also perfect for anyone who is looking to avoid secondhand smoke for those around them, as well as an easy to control and minimise smell.
If you want the best dry herb vaporizers on the market right now than keep reading as we go over our picks:
Table Of Content
- What is a Dry Herb Vaporizer?
- Our Top Pick
- Best Mid Budget Buy
- Our Top Pocket Sized Solution
- Table Top High End Dry Herb Options?
- Best Dry Herb to help quit smoking / How to quit smoking for a dry herb vaporiser if you're struggling to swap over
- Conclusion
What Is A Dry Herb Vaporizer?
When it comes down to it, a dry herb vaporiser is essentially a small device that uses precisely controlled heat to extract the active ingredients in your herbs and turn them into vapours. Unlike smoking/ combustion, dry herb vaporizers don’t produce dangerous chemical by products/ carcinogens and other combustion byproducts when they’re used. There are several types of dry herb vaporizers on the market, but most fall under the category of handheld vaporizers for use on the go, although some desktop devices are well worth considering for medicating at home.
They all function generally in the same way, but there are some key things to look out for to find what will suit you. Such as, the size of the bowl. How much dose it fit in, with most prescribed dosages being around 0.2G, a dry herb vape that naturally fits this amount would be very convenient. Where as a device that holds 1G in the bowl may be a bit overkill!
So without any further messing about, let's jump into what we believe to be the best dry herb vaporizers for UK Medical Cannabis!
Our Top Pick – Storz and Bickel - The Mighty (Or Mighty+)
In my opinion, the Mighty dry herb vaporizer is the best device on the market currently, and I have been using one for two years now alongside other devices. It’s created by a company known for producing quality, well engineered and long lasting vaping products, and it’s been praised by experts in the industry.
The Mighty is a top-notch device that’s capable of producing extremely pure and flavourful vapour and has a medical device option (Can be prescribed to save VAT for medical patients!). It also comes with a few other great customisations due to its popularity, like glass mouthpieces, or whips to pass the vapour through a bubbler, mesh pads to use with concentrates and dosing capsules for ease of use when out and about.
The only real downside to the Mighty is the price, but it’s still an excellent choice for anyone looking for the best dry herb vaporizer on the market as you have the peace of mind of owning a rock solid piece of kit. Other constructive criticism of the unit is that by design it has plenty of places for small bits of flower to get trapped when filling. This means that it can be a smelly boy when stored, which isn’t always ideal when you’re carrying it in a bag with other items!
Thankfully there are plenty of carry cases that can resolve this issue, including a waterproof pelican case that I recently grabbed that fits snuggly! Lastly, it’s quite a big device, it’s not like these tiny disposable vapes you can get these days. It takes a lot of power to consistently heat something at 210C for a few minutes at a time, and as such it takes big batteries! So the Mighty is a chunky boy, but that added battery life compared to it’s smaller counter part the Crafty, is a worthwhile compromise in my eyes, with roughly 5-6 doses between charges after a year of use.
Best Mid Budget Buy – Arizer Air II
The Arizer Air II is our best budget buy. Though it’s not quite as popular as the Mighty, it is significantly cheaper and easier to use. The Air II is a durable vaporizer that’s been praised by experts in the industry and users alike.
It’s been said to produce excellent vapor at a great value, and it’s definitely a solid pick for anyone on a budget. The Arizer Air II comes with a durable, easy-to-use design that makes it ideal for beginners or anyone who wants an affordable and effective dry herb vaporizer. From my personal experience it certainly stacks up to the Mighty in terms of vapour production and flavour, and is a great pick for someone stepping into using a Dry Herb with this budget range.
I can't vouch personally for longevity of durability, but haven't heard any notable complaints. So would give that a confident thumbs up, as usually when a device is known for issues we'll hear about it!
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Our Top Pocket Sized Dry Herb Vaporizer
The PAX 3 is a small, unique device which can easily fit in a small case or even your pocket. Although do remember that Dry Herb Vaporizers require alot of power. So you will be compromising on battery life slightly with smaller devices.
With it's unique form function, it doesn't draw attention to itself as a vaporizer at all. It looks almost likea small power bank for your phone.
With an easy to load chamber and a magnetic clip on mouth piece, there is no fiddly unscrewing to deal with.
Although it doesn't produce the most vapour compared to larger devices, this is a happy compromise for the size and convenience of using your medication on the go.
Personally I don't think you can go too far wrong with a PAX, and although there are better products on the market, for this price it's a great piece of kit from a reputable brand.
Table Top High End Dry Herb Options?
Back in 2007 I was sat in a bar in Amsterdam wondering what on earth was going on across the road. Through the window of a coffeeshop I could see this space craft looking thing filling up a balloon. I had to go investigate, and low and behold I was met with the Volcano, and I knew I must have it! Although it would take me another 15 years before I owned one myself, it's now by far one of the most effective and solid devices I own, and with good care will likelyout last me as it's built like a tank!
So what is it, what's the bag about and what makes it so good?
Flavour and ease of use: As discussed previously, the terpene profile is the first part of the vapour to be released. So with a typical handheld device where you are directly inhaling the vapour, the terpy flavour is lost after the first 5-10 pulls. However, with the volcano you have the option to fill a reusable bag with your vapour which mixes those tasty terps in with the rest of the bag balancing the flavour.
The bags have an easy to use mouth piece that enables you to inhale at your pace when youre ready. The ability to wait also means that the vapour is cooled down, which can help those who struggle with a scratchy through when vaping!
The only real downside to the Mighty is the price, but it’s still an excellent choice for anyone looking for the best dry herb vaporizer on the market as you have the peace of mind of owning a rock solid piece of kit. Other constructive criticism of the unit is that by design it has plenty of places for small bits of flower to get trapped when filling. This means that it can be a smelly boy when stored, which isn’t always ideal when you’re carrying it in a bag with other items!
Table top dry herb vaporizers have the advantage of faster heat up, no waiting for charging, and generally better vapour production. However, not all vapes are made the same.
When it comes to reputable build quality matched by a focus on safety with medical options available, the Volcano by Storz and Bickel is hard to beat.
With various models available, a new Volcano can be picked up between £300 - £500 depending on model, location and whether you manage to grab a 420/ black friday sale.
So what makes this the top recommendation for desktop? Let's jump in!
Beyond the bag, there is more to it. Those with higher tolerances may find a bag not enough for their needs, but with hybrid you also have the option to add a 'Whip', which is a long tube with a mouth piece. You can then use the volcano as you would a normal vape, the difference being with further to travel the vapour is cooler, and I personally found as a reslt of this youre able to extract more from your plant material without drying out your throat. So with its conveniece to be setup on your desk/ next to your chair, it's a great way to work efficiently with no worry about battery life.
The Volcano is great, but the price tag isn't for everyone. That's where the incredible Arizer Extreme Q Desktop Dry Herb Vaporizer comes in.
Yeah yeah but how much I heard you say? How does £130 delivered sound?
The convenience of a desktop vape when at home is that it's reliable, fast to use, and offers options such as the easy to use balloon systems that allow vapour to cool of for longer.
One area where the Arizer Extreme Q wins over the volcano is the remote control. Although there are apps for the volcano it isn't universal, and ultimately some times and old school simple to use remote is much easier let's be honst.
I just had brain surgery, and it meant that everytime I got up it was followed with pain. So I plan my movements to minimise this. So by being able to turn it off remotely, pre heat it, or fill a balloon and sit down again whilst it works it's magic is a real help.
The little accessibility details in devices like this can make a world of difference. So as a massive fan of the volcano for almost two decades, you can take my praise seriously when i'm talking about Arizers solution here. Well done to the team for thinking about these details.
Beyond the remote there are a tonne of reasons to take this setup seriously. Sure you have to accept a little more plastic than the Volcano, and ultimately it isn't as iconic, but when it comes to effective use of your medication, looks don't really come into it right?
This desktop setup is small considering what it can do, and is easy to maintain. Using the whip allows you to take things at your own pace and dial in the temp as you go, or you can use the bag system for an even more portable experience.
Beyond this the possibilities are endless as you can customise it with bubblers, prep it for concentrate use and more. One thing is for sure, you get a hell of a lot for your money with this setup and this is a major reason why it's become so popular.
Best Dry Herb Vaporizer To Quit Smoking With
Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and I’m not just talking about those of you who use tobacco in your joints, but even those who roll pure, or have been using a bong/ pipe. Vaping cannabis is not easy to step over to from smoking, and time and time again we hear customers and patients who complain about how it doesn’t get them as high, it doesn’t give them the same throat hit, it tastes horrible and that they can’t quit as a result.
If you experience this difficulty when swapping over, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Combustion comes with a few other things in the mix than vaporizing, and as such, you are actually absorbing a much richer profile from the plant, but also a few other nasty things too. The last thing you want to hear when feeling hopeless trying to swap over is to just keep at it, it will get easier, but it’s true. Stay the course.
Aside from the fact that it is undeniable that smoking is more harmful with more associated risks than vaping alone, vaping can give stronger effects and more control than combustion with time, furthermore it will get you more from your flower as you dial in your tolerance. So stick with it, it is worth it, and there are no silly questions, so if you are still struggling, don’t be afraid to ask on forums, or heck drop me an email on here and I’ll be happy to help!
So with that in mind, is there a vape that most closely resembles the experience of smoking/ combustion to help whilst transitioning? Well the answer is YES! Guess what, you’re going to love the next part even more… It’s one of the cheapest on the market too! So without further delay I introduce to you, my top recommendation for a dry herb vape to help quit smoking: DYNAVAP!
This device is unlike the majority on the market, and operates without a battery but instead used a spring system when heat is applied to make a loud clicking noise when it has been heated to the desired temperature. This design means two things:
1. No battery life to consider! No more setting down to medicate after a long day to relieve some aches only to realise your battery is dead and having to wait another hour. As long as you’ve got a lighter to hand you’re good to go.
2. Due to the way that this heats the chamber, it results in a throat heat much similar to that than smoking, and also produces the vapour at a much faster rate resulting in a shorter use time. So those used to using a pipe, or a bubbler for quick hits, will certainly favour the Dynavaps approach!
Overall, the feedback and my own experience in using a Dynavap has certainly confirmed that it’s very close to smoking/ combustion, and as such provides a much more authentic experience. It isn’t without it’s downsides, however many of these can be remedied and the payoff in terms of the experience, let along the low entry price, are certainly worth it!
Cons? The technique for heating the Dynavap has a knack to it, and if done wrong, you can accidentally still combust your flower. This not only brings with it the negative effects of combustion you’re trying to avoid, but can also make the device taste smoky until you give it a fresh clean. So this for some, is a big downside, and for those who struggle with fine control/ finger movement, this could make this device a no go. However, it doesn’t take long to get used to, and to many is seen as a similar ritual to rolling prior to smoking, and part of the merit of this devices approach.
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Temperatures, Taste and Terpenes
So you’ve got your new fancy vape, and the latest batch of your legal prescription and you've got a nice batch that’s bursting with terpenes that you’re excited to taste, however after the first few inhales on your device it all tastes the same?
There’s a scientific reason for this, i'll try to give you some insight about why different temperatures approaches can have different results, and also why certain approaches such as inflatable bags from the Volcano may be better for flavour chasers.
So we all remember being in school and being taught about the water cycle. Water reaches a temperature where it evaporates and turns into vapour right? Well this is what’s happening with the flower, the difference is rather than wanting to extract water, you want to extract the specific cannabinoids/ terpenes from the plant materials. Some of the compounds in the plant material will evaporate much sooner/ faster than others due to being more volatile, and the main example of this are terpenes. Terpenes are the brighter notes in the smell/ taste of cannabis that are predominantly responsible for the difference in smell from strain to strain. These terpenes come in different combinations and ratios from plant to plant, but one thing they all have in common is that they are one of the compounds to evaporate/ vaporize first!
So, this is why when you’re using a typical dry herb vaporiser the first few tokes taste more floral, sweet, and familiar to the smell of the bud when it was broken up, but then a minute into vaping the smell ends up being the same nutty/ hemp tone that is so familiar. At this stage, all of the more volatile terpenes have evaporated, leaving behind the rest of the cannabinoids and flavonoids in the plant material that we are also after. This is why it's good practice to not let your device heat up and sit for a minute, as you'll be wasting those precious terpenes.
There is a way to avoid this, and as above the Volcano is a great device that achieves this. The volcano has a filling system that pushes the controlled hot air through your flower and into a bag that can then have a sports bottle style cap attached to it. This allows the vapour to cool, whilst allowing you to sit and take your time holding the bag to take hits from as and when you need to. The benefit to this in terms of flavour is that those terpenes from the initial heating process are still in the bag, and evenly distributed in the vapour! So unlike the process on a mighty, you don’t lose the terpene profile after the first few hits, but it maintains throughout the bag!
There are other benefits to this approach with the Volcano, but there is no escaping the fact that this is a premium and relatively expensive device, and requires mains power to run. So isn't great for portable use. So is not for everyone.
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Conclusion: Which Is The Best UK Medical Cannabis Dry Herb Vaporizer?
There’s no denying that dry herb vaporisers are a healthier option than smoking, but it can be difficult to find the right kit or device.
You want one that will produce pure and flavourful vapour without burning your herbs or containing potentially harmful plastics/ heavy metals. The best dry herb vaporizers on the market will provide you with the peace of mind that it is effective and safe to use. This is not somewhere you want to cheap out, but that isn't to say you have to spend alot.
The answer to the above is not a one size fits all question, it's what is the best dry herb vaporizer for you. We all have different needs, and we have to understand what differences we have/ require and keep those in mind when picking you device. For example you may have poor dexterity in your fingers, so need something that's easy to hold, load or reload in public with dosing capsules. Perhaps you need something that can keep up with your requirements at a desk all day, so don't mind opting for a mains powered option.
With any portable devices battery life is going to be one of the main issues, and accepting that with regular use, this battery life will decrease with time. So it is worth looking into whether you can replace batteries down the line. For myself, my Mighty is no longer holding charge as long as it used to. There is no support for replacement batteries, but with some research and a lot of respect for battery safety, it is possible to replace this and breathe new life into my device. One of the main reasons the Mighty is our top pick is that aside from the battery life, it is still going as strong as day one and I have used this for over 2 years with no issues.
So, what are your main requirements for your vape? Do you need something small and portable? Do you want something that has a similar throat hit to smoking to help transition, or are you wanting to chase flavours with a Volcano bag?
Feel free to reach out for any advice, we'd be happy to help! For the record, we don't personally sell any of these devices, the links are afiliate links to amazon, but we could have linked to any vaporizer, these are truly our unbiased recommendations based off of realy world experience.
If you've made it this far down the page thanks for taking the time to read our blog! We hope you found it useful, and don't forget if you're a medical cannabis patient in the UK, you can get a permenant discount code for any of our CBD oils or topicals! Simply drop us an email requesting your personal code.
Author
Rowan Bailey
Tags
Dry herb vaporizers
UK Medical Cannabis
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