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Linx Gaia Review – Hitting the Linx
By
Alex Karakatsanis
Linx Gaia Review – Hitting the Linx
March 26, 2024
on
Portable Vaporizer Reviews, Reviews
Updated: March 26, 2024
Linx is a fairly new manufacturer that is making waves in the industry with their quickly growing list of Linx products. Their Linx Hypnos Zero wax pen was met with critical acclaim and is steadily gaining popularity. Today we will be looking at the dry herb option available by Linx, the Linx Gaia. This unit is a conduction/convection hybrid that features an all quartz heating chamber, a first for the vaporizer industry.
To see a full list of the best convection vaporizers on the market check our article here.
Review: Linx Gaia
How It Works
To load the Gaia remove the mouthpiece cap and unscrew the quartz mouthpiece to reveal the all quartz heating chamber. Fill the chamber with your herbs and use the packing tool located at the bottom of the device to lightly pack your herbs down.
The Linx Gaia only has 3 buttons, the main power button and the temperature increase and decrease button. Pressing the power button 5 times will turn the unit on and you can select your temperature using the up and down arrow. Once you have set the temperature press and hold the power button to engage the heating element. The numbers on the screen will increase to meet your set temperature and then you are ready to vaporize.
Temperature Flexibility
The Linx Gaia offers users precise temperature control, this means you can set your temperature down to the individual degree with a max temperature of 220C.
This gives users plenty of room to work with, users who prefer light draws can set the unit between 180C – 200C and users who prefer clouds can bump the temperature into the 200’s. We recommend you experiment with different temperature to find your own sweet spot for the vapor that you enjoy. Users that prefer larger clouds may want to look at devices with higher temperature ranges like the Focus V Pro.
Vapor Quality
The Linx separates itself from the field by offering an all quartz heating chamber, which is a first for the industry. Usually heating chambers are constructed out of ceramic, like the Utillian 421, or metal like the Crafty+.
The benefit of using quartz is it provides the user with very pure flavor without influence from metals or ceramics. This was definitely the case with the Linx Gaia as the vapor was very smooth and vapor tasted very pure. We would compare the flavor of the vapor very similar to the Arizer Air. However airflow of the Gaia is less restricted than the airflow of the Air.
The Linx Gaia is marketed as a convection style vaporizer and while it does mostly operate like a convection vaporizer heating your herbs with hot air as you draw, there is definitely a bit of conduction at work as well, the side walls of the unit do heat up.
Herbs appeared to cook evenly throughout the chamber without the need to stir the chamber throughout the session and you could take harder draws from the unit and achieve decent vapor production, which is more difficult with a conduction only units which usually needs to be sipped on.
Overall vapor quality was impressive from an all-quartz chamber and we are a bit curious why it took so long so companies to make such an obvious choice. It makes your vapor very smooth and flavorful and we even found the chamber is generally easier to keep clean.
Manufacturing Quality
Linx products are designed with an apple-like flair that gives the user the feeling of quality when they open the box. It doesn’t have a tool like quality like we find with the Storz & Bickel Mighty, the Gaia instead has a sleek almost urban professional appeal to it that would make you proud to have it displayed on your coffee table.
But it is not just the looks; the device itself appears to be well constructed with no visual defects, smooth finished lines, and a brushed aluminum finish. The mouthpiece seems to be a signature of Linx and can be found on all the products they offer which gives the unit an elegant finish and functions very well.
The quartz chamber is impressive to look at and you can actually see the heating elements through the quartz lined walls. The only thing we fear about a quartz chamber is how it will stand up to a drop or hard bumps. Quartz though does have some resilience will break more easily than ceramic or metal. To protect the quartz from falling or breaking buying a zeus armor hard case is a good bet. If the heating chamber was to crack or shatter the device as a whole would be useless and probably not covered by warranty. Not to mention if the glass splinters it could be potentially harmful to inhale from. So this is definitely a unit you need to be careful with.
The display is large, bright and vibrant and buttons respond as they should. At the bottom of the Linx there is a packing tool that is locked into place with a magnet, we really liked this feature.
The only feature we could do without is the glass mouthpiece magnetic cap that goes on top of the mouthpiece. There is nowhere to store the cap when the device is in use, forcing you to either hold onto it or put it in your pocket. But beside this small quirk this unit appears to be very well built.
Battery Life
The Linx Gaia actually has a pretty decent battery life, in our tests we found it could last roughly 2 hours with moderate use. Of course this will vary depending on your temperature settings and duration of sessions. However if you just use the device once a day you could very well go several days without needing to plug the device in. Users who actively use their vaporizers may lean towards a unit like the Arizer Solo 2 because of its 3 hour battery life which requires less charging.
The device charges via USB so you can easily find a charge source if you are ever without power while on the go. One interesting thing we will note about the USB cable is that it also has an iPhone lightning cable adapter as well. In fact you have to take off the lightning cable adapter when you go to use the cable for the first time. We are honestly a bit confused why they included this; I guess they really wanted you to think their products are Apple products.
Portability
This device is a fairly portable unit. It is not as small or portable as say the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, but it falls around the size range of a Utillian 722. It can be easily pocketed and taken with you but you will notice you have the device in your pocket.
As we previously mentioned the Linx Gaia mouthpiece has a magnetic cap which will help keep pocket lint and any other disgusting crumbs you people have in your bags and pockets out of the mouthpiece of your vaporizer when transporting it. It will also help protect the relatively small and potentially fragile mouthpiece from being broken in transit as well.
As we mentioned our only gripe is there is no place to store the cap once it is removed the device, you just have to hold it, put it down or put it in a pocket. We can easily see this piece go missing.
Ease of Use
Because the Gaia offers precise temperature control and a big LED display it is really straightforward to use. As previously mentioned the device only has 3 buttons, 1 for power and the other 2 to control the temperature. Some users tend to prefer units with a single button like the Utillian 421, because they find one button easier to navigate. Loading the device is also extremely easy, just twist off the mouthpiece to expose the heating chamber, fill with herbs and pack with the included packing tool built into the bottom of the unit. Cleaning the unit is very easy as well because of the quartz heating chamber and can be cleaned with a Zeus Grime stick or 99% alcohol and a q-tip.
Discreetness
Due to the size of the Gaia people will notice you using it in public. However the shape of this unit will have most people assuming you are using a box mod e-liquid vape. The device can be easily pocketed or tucked into a bag if the occasion arises. Some people tend to prefer a smaller profile like the Davinci IQC, which tends to be more discreet and easier to pocket.
As for odor, the device will emit a smell while the device is on because it does operate like a conduction unit actively heating your herbs during the session. Because the device is made primarily with quartz parts for the vapor path it is less likely odors will cling to the device if cleaned often.
Overall Experience
The Linx Gaia is a perfect companion for its wax pen brother, the Hypnos Zero, bringing together eloquence and performance. It offers users a unique, all quartz heating chamber and Linx Gaia mouthpiece filter to deliver a smooth and flavorful conduction/convection hybrid vapor experience.
We do fear how the quartz components, mainly the mouthpiece and chamber, will stand up over the test of time and a bit rougher usage. We loved the quality of the craftsmanship that went into this device down to little details like the built-in packing tool.
The signature Linx mouthpiece is a joy to use and provides a decent draw that most users will enjoy. The device is not the most portable unit available but it certainly is small enough to take with you for a night out.
If you think this is the vaporizer for you, be sure to grab one directly from our store, you will get free shipping and a choice of a free gift. Also, don’t forget to check out the compatible Utillian Glass Bubbler which introduces an affordable and efficient form of water filtration to this budget device!
If you are looking for a similar unit that is not nearly as fragile and offers a bit more portability we definitely recommend checking out the Utillian 420. If you have a Linx Gaia, let us know what you like about it. We love hearing from other users!
Compatible with ZEUS Iceborn
This vaporizer is compatible with the ZEUS Iceborn, a revolutionary new vapor cooling system engineered by Canadian vape manufacturer ZEUSArsenal. The Iceborn is designed to produce cooler draws and bigger clouds when connected to your vaporizer. The vapour produced is ultra smooth and crisp and because of ice cooling, instead of water filtration, there is no loss of efficiency. The ZEUS Iceborn adds an additional 2 points to the vapor quality score of this vaporizer and is a highly recommended vaporizer accessory.
We hope you enjoyed reading our Linx Gaia! We would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment in the section below, you can do so anonymously ;) Thanks for reading and as always, keep vapin’! 😉
Score
Pretty Good
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