Industry Spotlight: PAX Vapes

The San Francisco-based PAX Labs develops some of the most innovative and smoothest-hitting vaporizers on the market. Here we spotlight this amazing company that has established itself as a staple in the vape market.

There are few companies that produce portable vaporizers who can pull off releasing only a handful of devices but still become a household name in the industry. One of those is Storz and Bickel, who manufactured the first-ever weed vape, the Volcano, over 20 years ago.

Another one of these household names in the vape industry is PAX. Formerly known as Ploom, PAX Labs took their new name in 2017 as a separate entity offshoot of JUUL. Since then, the manufacturer has released only a few products, but each one has been a home run. Each PAX device offers smooth, flavor-rich vape rips to go along with their cutting-edge technology. They also stand out from the crowd by offering solid customer service and reliable warranties.

PAX Vapes - The Devices

The PAX brand has released 3 vapes since it switched over from Ploom/ JUUL. They are the PAX2, the PAX3, and the new PAX Era. All three use conduction heating and are featherweight and super-thin. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more portable vape on the market today. The PAX2 and 3 can hit pretty hard, but the odor is minimal. They mostly look like a nicotine vape, making it a good choice for discreteness. The PAX2 only vapes flower, but you can vape both flower and waxy oils with the PAX3. Both the PAX2 and the PAX3 feature lithium-ion batteries that last at least a solid 90 minutes of constant vaping. The PAX2 and PAX3 aren’t exactly cheap, but like anything in life - you get what you pay for.

We would like to see perhaps a redesign of the PAX3 to offer hybrid heating with both convection and conduction. However, the notion that convection heating is automatically better than conduction is a bit of a misconception. It depends on the consumer and their individual preferences Conduction heating is direct - basically like a frying pan. Convection is essentially an oven, which is indirect heat.

Bluetooth App Is Where It’s At

While the PAX2 was a great device, the PAX3 made several significant upgrades and improvements. The PAX 3 has a bigger battery, a bigger chamber capacity for dry herbs, more heat settings, as well as the ability to vape concentrates. But perhaps the best part about the PAX3 compared to its predecessor is its mobile app compatibility. The customization you get from the mobile app is worth the price of admission and the price difference in the PAX2 compared to the PAX 3.

With the mobile app compatibility, you get 3 different modes that cater to the way that you like to vape: boost, efficiency, flavor, and stealth mode. Boost mode maintains a constant high temperature and doesn’t cool itself down, maintaining the temperature you select until you stop your draw in. This is ideal for vaping concentrates because they are best taken at higher constant temperatures. Just be careful, because the aluminum finish can get a little bit hot. Efficiency mode increases the temperature slowly. This mode is perfect if you’re just getting started and want to discover if you like small or big rips.

"The customization you get from the mobile app is worth the price of admission and the price difference in the PAX2 compared to the PAX 3."

Flavor mode makes the PAX3 draw sensitive, and only engages the heating element if you inhale. This mode slowly releases the terpene profile of your material and gives you that amazing flavor and aroma of your favorite cultivar. Stealth mode cools the unit down immediately after you draw in, which minimizes any odors you’d rather not broadcast. You get 4 present temperatures with the PAX3 even if you decide not to use the app. But you can customize temperatures to your liking with the app, and why wouldn’t you?

Image credit: pax.com

There has been a bit of a controversy as to whether the app is available for iOS. PAX3 owners have complained that they haven’t seen the app in the Apple Store. Make no mistake, this is the fault of Apple for removing apps related to vaporizers, and not of PAX. Like other vape companies, PAX allocated funds to develop apps for both mobile platforms; only to have them taken off the platform by Apple in an inexcusable move. But perhaps more on that in future articles. If you’re a PAX3 and an iPhone owner, have no fear. You can still use the app with your desktop.

The New PAX Era

The latest vape to be added to the PAX collection is the PAX Era. PAX fans were asking for a vape pen, also known as a vaporizer that you can use exclusively with concentrates. The brand delivered, because the PAX Era is exactly that. The innovative new PAX Era Pro really shows what is possible when you combine tech expertise with an in-depth knowledge of what cannabis consumers are looking for. The PAX Era Pro is the first vape pen to utilize near-field communication (NFC) technology in its oil pods.

With this technology, you can get instant data like in-depth info on the cultivar your oil came from, approximately how many rips you have left, as well as test results each pod was put through during quality control checks. All of this data is delivered right to your Android smartphone. All of this makes the PAX Era Pro one of the most user-friendly vape pens you can buy, earning itself the title of one of the 25 best gadgets at CES 2020 by TIME Magazine. Note that these innovative new features are only available on the Era Pro, not the basic model.

Image credit: pax.com

HashDash

At HashDash, we are big fans of PAX vapes and any other company that provides consumers with innovative ways to ingest cannabis. We don’t make any money from the brands we showcase, at least not yet - but we will always be transparent if we do. We are dedicated to bringing the best, most informative cannabis information dedicated to today’s consumer of tomorrow. We are the future of cannabis, and we love that you are going there with us. Happy vaping!