Pulsar APX 2 Vape Dry Herb Vaporizer Review – Improved?
Any good company is constantly looking to improve its products. They listen to consumers, test out their products, building off what works and what could be improved when vaporizing cannabis. Pulsar recently released a new version of their popular APX Herb Vaporizer, which has been rebranded to the APX V2 Vape. This update features faster heat-up time, more precise temperature control, and, best of all, an LED screen that displays the temperature and battery life.
However, Pulsar did remove the attachment for concentrates, but maybe this only left more room to improve the cannabis features. Little in both size and cost, we wondered how the Pulsar APX 2 Vapes new updates would vamp up its rank amongst similar vaporizers, like the Utillian 420. Also if this is your first vaporizer be sure to check out our Vaporizer Buyers Guide.
If you are on a budget and are looking for the best herb vaporizer for the price, check out our list of what we think are the Best Budget Vaporizers on the market today, a great way to start your vaporizer journey.
Review: Pulsar APX 2 Vape Dry Herb Vaporizer
How it Works
One great thing about the Pulsar APX 2 Vape is how easy it is to use. It has a simple build with minimal parts, making it a great vaporizers for first-time users or those looking for low tech tools. To pack your vaporizer, first remove the ergonomically-improved mouthpiece. Load your flower into the chamber, making sure not to pack too tightly, and replace the mouthpiece.
Press the power button five times to turn on the vaporizer. To change between its 5 temperature settings, hold the button for 3 seconds to begin cycling through and release to choose your setting on the LED screen. To hit the pen, hold down the power button and inhale through the mouthpiece. You can also change the temperature settings while vaping, which is a great feature when searching for your desired temp.
Temperature Flexibility
Like the Utillian 421, the updated Pulsar Apx Vape Dry Herb Vaporizer comes with 5 temperature settings, beginning at 180°C and increasing by 10° up to 220°C. While we appreciate the wide range of temperatures offered by the APX 2. We find the first 3 temp settings a little underwhelming and only really got visible vapor at around 210°C – 220°C.
Also, the fact that we had to circle through temperatures by holding down the button rather than maneuver them with one simple press took a while to get used to. Its frustrating to mess up, miss your desired temp, and have to wait for the LEDs to cycle through again.
Vapor Quality
For what its worth, the Pulsar Apx Vape has slightly below average vapor quality which is to be expected for the price. But lets face it: if youre looking to make some clouds, we would suggest going with something more like the Utillian 722. We werent expecting anything crazy from the vaporizer considering what we paid, but we still feel like it could offer something more. The Utillian 420 is at a similar price point but includes a glass mouthpiece which preserves the flavour much better, not to mention the Utillian 420’s temperatures are better calibrated and produce better vapor.
The APX 2 Vape features what Pulsar calls an improved silicone cooling system, though vapor doesnt have much time to cool down at all. Unlike the Firefly 2 plus, which places your cannabis chamber at the opposite end of the vaporizer from the mouthpiece, the APX V2 Dry Herb Vaporizer is packed right underneath the mouthpiece. This results in hits that are sometimes too hot, this can be a bit frustrating because you get better vapor at higher temperatures but have to suffer with harsher vapor and hot spots on your lips.
The silicone-lined mouthpiece also gets really sticky really fast, which affects the flavour of the vapor as you inhale. Its also pretty tricky to clean unlike units with a glass mouthpiece, which is a major downfall to the vaporizers performance.
Manufacturing Quality
The APX 2 has not made a ton of improvements over the original version and it still feels a bit cheap in your hands. Though were not crazy about the cleanliness of the silicone-lined mouthpiece, it does beat the original stainless screen, although the stainless screen was easier to clean. The new mouthpiece shape feels more natural in your mouth but airflow remains on the restricted side.
The new LED screen user interface is an improvement over the previous version but we still wish the unit had a proper digital display like the one that can be found on the Arizer Solo ii. Though temperature selection can still be irritating at first, its also made easier (and definitely more readable).
As we mentioned, we definitely think Pulsar paid attention to customer reviews when redesigning their APX 2 Dry Herb vaporizer. It still has just one button, which was a fan-favorite for its ease of use, but the button is now rubber rather than metal. Its a small change, but a simple one that results in a better feel and a more confident user since you can more easily hear the button being pressed.
The vaporizer also comes in 9 different colors, ranging from black to rainbow tye-dye, so theres sure to be a style that you like on the market. Users usually tend to prefer the Zeus Arc GTS Hub for its exceptional manufacturing quality featuring a gold plated vapor path.
Battery Life
Pulsar really didnt change anything about the battery, sticking with the standard 1600 mAh lithium battery. Charge time is around 90 minutes which will last around 30 – 45 minutes of use. This is not the greatest battery life but considering that the unit is only 4 inches tall, its not a bad usage time.
However, if youre in the market for something that lasts you the whole day, we suggest checking out the Zeus Arc S Hub.
Portability
One of the most appealing features of the APX 2 Vape is how portable it is just like the Davinci Miqro. At just four inches, its only a little bigger than your standard lighter.
Its easy to take with you on almost any occasion, and the wide range of color choices allows you to show some of your personality off in the vaporizer.
Grab a vaporizer case like the Zeus Armor and you are ready for a solid night out.
Ease of Use
Theres one button on the side, an LED screen displaying two different colored icons (temperature and battery level), and a mouthpiece on top. In the world of technologically-advanced vaporizers, the Pulsar APX 2 Vape really doesnt get much simpler than this.
We had some trouble cleaning the silicone-lined mouthpiece, but we appreciate that Pulsar includes both a cleaning tool and an extra mouthpiece. The chamber is made of ceramic similar to the Focus V Pro, which is easy to maintain.
Discreetness
Fitting in the palm of your hand, its hard not to be discreet with the APX 2 Vape. Unlike some vaporizers like the Solo 2, it fits anywhere, its easy to carry around, and, if you clean it regularly, odor wont stick to it. We suggest vaping at low temperatures to avoid more pungent vapor clouds, though.
Overall Experience
If you read our older Pulsar vape review, you’d know that the OG APX had some glaring issues. Pulsar has done a nice job with this face lift addressing some of the issues we had with the original APX 2, it does still feel cheap overall and we don’t love the silicone mouthpiece and airpath but it does the job.
The updates to this vaporizer are noticeable, but may not be worth it for users who already own the original APX 2. And first-time buyers would be advised to check out the Utillian 420 or our Solo 2 review, both of which offer a coveted glass mouthpiece for optimal flavour and a true digital display to monitor temperature settings and battery life.
For those looking for a dry herb vaporizer with the same form factor and portability that the APX 2 offers, consider checking out our DaVinci Miqro review.
We’ve also made some recent changes for this year’s best portable vaporizer rankings so you should definitely check that out if you’re looking for the latest scoop on what to get right now!
If you are looking to buy the Pulsar APX 2 in Canada then don’t forget to grab one from our store. If you have questions about our Pulsar APX 2 Vaporizer review or just want to let us know what you think, feel free to drop us a comment below! Thanks for reading and as always, keep vapin!