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There are a variety of small, portable, discreet, dry material vaporizers on the market at a variety of different prices. Consumers want to know what the best vaporizers are, what they are getting for their money, and they want value, reliability and quality for the money they spend.
Today we are going to review and compare the Grenco G Pen Elite and the Pax 2, both vaporizers that have been on the market for some time and are popular for their own reasons and come at markedly different prices.
We will review their vapor quality, portability, discreetness, material quality, ease of use and other factors that consumers want to know before investing in a vaporizer.
Grenco G Pen Elite vs Pax 2
Overview
Both of these products are designed for dry material only and are among the smallest, most discreet vaporizers in the market.
Vapor Quality
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The G Pen Elite has a very large chamber compared to other portable dry herb vaporizers at 0.75g. Even with the larger chamber, this unit works well when it is not fully packed, allowing you to plan a session with more or less material.
Users report using as little as 0.2 grams without degrading the quality of the vapor. This variability will allow a user to plan a short session or a longer, more intense session, as they desire. A slow to moderate pull on this device seems to give the best vapor results.
There is very little room between the chamber and the mouthpiece on this unit. So it can get hot while being used and it will provide a harsher vapor at higher temperatures. Starting out on a lower temperature and using the ability to select a spectrum of temperatures to move up to one that is perfect for you, the material and the length of session you want.
The flavor from the G Pen Elite is a vast improvement over its predecessor now that the chamber is ceramic.
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The Pax 2’s chamber will hold about 0.35g of material, smaller than the G Pen Elite. However, that is not a concern if you want to finish the material in a single session to prevent the quality of your vapor from dropping. This vaporizer has good flavor from its conduction chamber which is located at the bottom of the unit.
This allows the vapor to cool before it comes through the mouthpiece. A finer grind will help you to achieve more vapor and a coarser grind will produce less vapor. A slow draw will achieve nice clouds from Pax 2.
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Portability
These are small vaporizers that are really easy to carry in a pocket or a purse.
The G Pen Elite charges with a micro-USB cable so it is very portable. The accessories container is quite small and can also easily be carried with you when you are on the go. It charges faster than the Pax 2 so it is ready to go again quickly.
The Pax 2 takes a long time to charge but charges with a magnetic dock via a micro-USB cable, making it portable. The accessories, including the magnetic dock are not large, so they are easy to transport with you.
Discreetness
Both the G Pen Elite and the Pax 2 vaporizers are small (among the smallest on the market, in fact) and fit easily into the palm of your hand. This means that both vaporizers are simple to keep concealed and discreet for use outside of the home.
The G Pen Elite is slightly bigger than the Pax 2 but still simple to hold in the palm of your hand for discreet usage in public.
The Pax 2 comes with either a raised or flat mouthpiece. Users find the flat mouthpiece to be a little more discreet than the raised silicone piece but either can be used without drawing much attention.
Material Quality
The G Pen Elite has an ergonomic design, curving and fitting just right in the hand with accessible controls. The battery in this unit is very good for a vaporizer of its size, allowing for 4 to 6 sessions per charge depending on how you use it, or about 2 hours.
A review of customer reviews and ratings for this unit shows that battery degradation has not been an issue, so the fact that there is no user-replaceable battery is less of an issue.
The materials feel sufficiently sturdy to give users confidence using the device, even at the higher temperatures. The materials have been upgraded by Grenco from its previous model.
The Pax 2 is better constructed than its predecessor with an oven chamber that is 20% deeper, a body at is 25% smaller, and overall 10% lighter. It takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery in this unit but you get an extra session out of the battery as well.
The Pax 2 charges on a magnetic dock via a micro-USB. Some users have pointed out that you need to be careful that the magnetic charger is connected and charging the unit because it’s easy to walk away thinking that it is charging only to be disappointed. Not a big issue but something to know to get the best results from your device.
Ease of Use
The G Pen Elite is very easy to use. Just lift the mouthpiece up to expose the chamber, pack your material into the chamber and replace the mouthpiece. Five clicks on the power button turn this unit on.
The current temperature appears once the unit is turned on and can be adjusted using the buttons on the side of the vaporizer. After adjusting the temperature, hold down the power button to turn on the heating element. Wait 20 – 30 seconds to start drawing up vapor.
The mouthpiece on this unit can get pretty hot during use. The digital display on this unit allows you to keep an eye on the temperature and battery levels. This unit is very simple to maintain, just clean it with the brush that is included.
The Pax 2 opens to the chamber with a magnetic lid on the bottom. Load the chamber and replace the lid to get started. Powering this unit is a simple long press on the power button then waiting 30 seconds to a minute for it to heat up.
Pressing the power button again changes the temperature between the four pre-set temperatures. Pax 2 is really easy to clean and cleaning it regularly will give you the best possible user experience. Users also report that the PAX 2’s mouthpiece can get pretty hot at the highest temperature setting.
Other Things to Know
The G Pen Elite is less expensive than the Pax 2, making it a good vaporizer for beginners or those who are very budget-conscious. For the price, it keeps pace with the Pax 2 and users rate it quite highly.
This unit offers fully adjustable temperatures between the lowest and highest range. The electronics in the G Pen Elite is covered by a 1-year warranty. Everything you need (with the exception of ground material, of course) is included in the box to get you started using the vaporizer.
You can replace the magnetic lid on the Pax 2 with a third party vented lid if you want a little less draw resistance. The unit offers four pre-set temperatures and the lights on the front will tell you which temperature you have selected.
One yellow light for the lowest temperature up to four red lights for the highest (between 180 and 215C). Unlike the G Pen Elite, the heating chamber automatically decreases the temperature of the unit when you are not drawing down vapor. It has a lip-sensing technology that knows when you pick it up and will assist somewhat with airflow.
This helps extend the herb life, and to conserve flavor during the session. In terms of the warranty, you really cannot beat the 10-year warranty on the PAX 2, especially so when users rate their customer service very highly.
Like the G Pen Elite, everything you need to get started with this unit (except dry herbs) is included in the box.
Both vaporizers are suitable for use only with dry material and not suitable for liquids or concentrates.
Conclusion, G Pen Elite or PAX 2?
Users of both units have reported that the mouthpiece can get pretty hot during the operation of the vaporizers. To avoid this issue, begin at a lower temperature and shorter draws, raising the temperature until you find the right temperature and right draw for your needs.
Both the G Pen Elite and the Pax 2 are very easy to use, simply designed, portable and discreet. They have similar heat up times at between 20 and 30 seconds depending on the temperature it is heating to.
They come similarly equipped from the manufacturer in terms of accessories and are easy to clean and maintain. In terms of vapor quality, Pax 2 does have a smaller chamber than the G Pen Elite but that is a minor concern when you consider the smooth quality of the vapor from the Pax 2.
In terms of battery life, you will get a little more battery time from the Pax 2 than from the G Pen Elite but it will take longer to charge to get there. Both are easily charged on the go, however, so the difference in battery charge time really may not be all that important.
The G Pen Elite allows you more control over the temperature that you use over a smaller temperature range (the top end is the same as the Pax 2) but the Pax 2 does you give you the four most common options people use for dry material.
The G Pen Elite does have a digital display to let you know where you are at while the Pax 2 uses colored LEDs to display its temperature.
While the G Pen Elite costs less, the Pax 2 includes additional technology – lowering the temperature of the heating chamber when the vaporizer is not being drawn on, and lip sensing technology which assists with airflow.
This additional technology helps to extend the time your material will last and conserve flavor. Also, you really cannot beat the Pax 2 warranty. You should keep in mind though that the warranty does not extend to the battery.
In the end both portable dry material vaporizers are similar but have their pros and cons that consumers should be aware of when purchasing the units.
This trusted information is sourced from the manufacturers ( Pax Labs and G Pen) and our own experience with the vaporizers.
