Puffco Plus Wax Pen Review – Can It Still keep up?
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Editors Note: Puffco has recently launched a new version of this Wax Pen, the New Puffco Plus.
How it Works
The functionality of the Puffco Plus is pretty much the same as every other vape pen out there, with a few exceptions that help set it a step above some of the cheaper options.
On the basic side of things, this is nothing more than a battery, a chamber, and a mouthpiece. There is one button to control everything, and the battery charges by screwing it onto a charger.
While many vape pens only have one temperature setting, this one has three. There are some out there with more, but its nice to see a little power flexibility. You adjust this by clicking the button four times when the device is on to start.
When you take the mouthpiece off the top of the chamber of the Puffco Plus, youll notice a little white piece that protrudes down. This is called the dart and is the built-in dab tool. You can use this to load your Puffco Plus chamber, which is actually extremely convenient.
When it actually comes time to vape, you can either press and hold down the button like usual or engage Sesh mode. Sesh mode just keeps the unit heated for a full 12 seconds without needing to hold the button down. To activate it, just click the button twice on any heat setting.
Temperature Flexibility
I already went over this a little, but this gives you three different heat settings. In the user manual, the temperature levels are only indicated as either low, medium, or high. I did some digging on their website and found a support page with approximate temperatures listed. According to the page, these are the levels youre dealing with:
- Low/Green ~ 580°F
- Medium/Blue ~ 650°F
- High/White ~ 720°F
If these are accurate, Im actually very happy with the levels. I know some people like hotter temperatures, but theyre really not necessary in my experience. If anything, I would have liked to see a lower one. For something with more temperature flexibility, check out the Utillian 5 which comes with 4 different settings to choose from.
Vapor Quality
The vapor quality of the Puffco Plus is very good, especially when it comes to flavor. If youve ever tried the Puffco Pro 2, youll notice a big difference between the flavor of these two.
This has to do with how your wax is heated. Coils will heat it up faster and deliver big, thick clouds, but they also tend to overheat and cause small amounts of burning.
A ceramic chamber like the one in the Plus evenly heats your concentrate, resulting in a much smoother and flavorful draw. In this respect, a good ceramic chamber will beat a good rod and coil atomizer any day.
The downside is the vapor density and strength of this Puffco Pen tend to be a little weaker, but by the end of a session, youve consumed the same amount either way so it doesnt really matter. This is partly due to the more flavor-focused heating chamber; units like the Gammatron have stronger coils that can push out bigger clouds.
Manufacturing Quality
The manufacturing quality of the Puffco Plus is quite good. It does a few things right to set itself apart from most other wax devices. The first is the built-in dab tool, while we have seen something like this on cheaper units like the Yocan Magneto, the Puffco Plus does it much better. Concentrates easily slip off the tool of the Plus and onto the heating element creating hassle-free vapor. The Tronian Gammatron wax pen takes it a step further by making its built-in tool out of Zirconia, a very heat-resistant material.
This loading system of the Puffco Plus is one of the easiest we have seen on a wax pen, which tends to be the trickiest part about switching to pens from a traditional rig. Some waxes are so sticky it can be almost impossible to get it off the tool and onto the atomizer.
Removing this step entirely by adding the tool directly to the build is a godsend.
The second thing we loved about the Puffco Plus is the “sesh-mode” as we touched upon forces the device to heat for a full 12 seconds. It sounds silly at first that this is more convenient than just holding a button for the same duration, but it is. This combines with the build in-tool make the Puffco Plus one of the easiest concentrate vaporizers or wax pens to use right out of the box.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Puffco Plus could be improved a bit. The capacity of the battery is a rather measly 520mAh. For a $100 vape pen, this is much smaller than I would have expected.
Almost all of the better options out there have at least 650mAh, so this was actually pretty surprising to see. Im not sure why they didnt go with a bigger battery for the Plus. As it stands, youre looking at less than an hour of continuous use on a full charge.
However we will note the battery charges rather quickly, usually in about 45 minutes. Do you prefer extended sessions? Then you could also check out the Utillian 5 Wax Pen Kit, with its 1500 MaH battery for longer sessions.
Portability
The portability of Puffco Plus is good when you consider the size and shape, although that is true of every vape pen on the market. That is their biggest strength.
While a lot smaller in comparison to units such as the new Puffco Peak Pro, the Puffco Plus manages to hold its own despite the smaller battery and chamber size.
Where one pen can separate itself from another in terms of portability is battery life, and as we just established, this partiucular Puffco Pen doesnt fair so well in this department.
With moderate use, this should still last you through a whole day, but youll likely be cutting it close. Battery isn’t as important for casual users in terms of portability because units like the Utillian 2 would also be a good fit for portability, in our opinion, especially because of its smaller form factor and straightforward operation.
Ease of Use
This Puffco Pen is very easy to use. Once again, this is typically true of every vape pen. They almost all have one button and limited settings to control, and the Plus is no different.
Where the Puffco Plus pen distinguishes itself is the built-in dab tool. I really like this feature and wish more manufacturers would do something similar.
The Puffco Plus pen allows you to quickly scoop up some concentrate and then just screw the Puffco Plus mouthpiece on and vape.
This means you wont have to carry a separate tool with you, and it makes it easier to get everything where you want it.
Overall Experience
What can I say about the Puffco Plus, when it works, its a great Wax Pen. The vapor production and flavor are very good, and I really like the built-in dab tool and session mode.
It’s compatibility with the Utillian Glass Bubbler is also something that can’t be overlooked as it does improve the overall flavor by a good margin.
The only downside is the short battery life. But like I touched upon it does charge rather quickly, so topping up if your near power may not be that big of an issue.
If you want pure power and are not as interested in portability, I would recommend something like the Utillian 8, which is an E Rig. It’s also extremely efficient at vaporizing the active components out of your wax. Also just as a subtle reminder, the Puffco Plus got updated recently to a newer and improved version so you might want to check that one out first.
Make sure to check out our guide on how to clean a dab pen in order to keep your vape sessions great tasting all the way!
If you have questions about our Puffco Plus 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!