Davinci IQ2 Review

Davinci IQ2 Review

The IQ2 is bigger, a little slower, and more money than the original, but somehow better!

DaVinci is at it again, combining innovative new features with top-shelf performance and class, this time with the IQ2. A lot of time and effort went into this upgrade, which isn’t really an upgrade at all - the IQ and MIQRO vaporizers are still available, making the IQ2 the biggest of the three DaVinci vaporizers. If you crave comfortable vapors, regardless of price, the IQ2 should be near the top of your list.

DaVinci IQ2 Onyx Vaporizer
(28) reviews

DaVinci IQ2 Vaporizer

C$329.95

Experience DaVinci’s high tech sessions with their flagship vaporizer.

  • Dense, flavorful vapor
  • Adjustable oven and airflow dial
  • Heats up in under a minute
  • Sleek, classy construction
  • Android app available for deeper customizations
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Comfy vapor

The IQ2 gets vapor right. The vapor cools as it travels through the Flavor Chamber and mouthpiece. Herbal flavors pop, and linger longer than with other conduction vaporizers. Thanks to the design and materials, the IQ2 pumps out some of the most comfortable vapor we’ve come across. This is the vape we grab for potent, gentle sessions.

Davinci IQ2 Vaporizer Colors

Quality build

If you’ve ever held a DaVinci vaporizer before, you know what’s coming - quality and class you can feel. The IQ2 has a brushed and anodized aluminum shell, draped in one of four striking colors. Every visible part of the IQ2 is worth looking at, from it’s mirrored loading dock to it’s ceramic zirconia mouthpiece. Its beautiful curves relax into your hand, with a hit that feels second nature. The new Air Dial is made from laser-etched, sandblasted aluminum, and every position on the dial comes with a satisfying click normally reserved for high-end camera gear.

Davinci IQ2 Loading Dock and Pearl

A joy to use

From the moment you start loading it, the IQ2 is a joy to use. Open the oven lid and you’re greeted by the gorgeously mirrored loading dock and pearl. Ground herbs glide into the oven so easily you’ll swear there’s an herb magnet in there. Only filling the oven part way? Just twist the pearl a few times to extend the on-board oven spacer. Play with the Air Dial, even if it’s on the perfect setting, just to feel the click. Turn it on and wait for the vibration. Lift the IQ2 to your mouth as if in deep thought, and take gentle hits over a relaxing, eight minute session. More often than not, you’ll find yourself playing with the IQ2 during your session, just because it feels so nice in your hand.

Quick comparison to the IQ

DaVinci didn’t just tweak the original IQ to make it a little better. The IQ2 represents a complete overhaul, with new molds and expenses incurred everywhere. We’ll work up a full comparison between the IQ and IQ2 later, but for now, you should know the IQ2 is a little bigger, a little slower, a little more money, but somehow better. Everything has been re-thought, from the curves on the loading dock, to the hard to clean parts, to the alignment of the mouthpiece holes.

Heat up time

The IQ2 can reach 390F in one minute on a fully charged battery, but can take up to 90 seconds when the battery is almost drained. If you vape at lower temperatures, expect a shorter wait. This is a little slower than the original IQ, but makes for a cooler running vape. It’s also slower than most other vapes these days, but does fifteen seconds really matter when you’re about to settle into an eight minute session?

Davinci IQ2 Battery Compartment

Battery life

With removable batteries, you won’t think much about the IQ2’s battery life. We got nine full sessions on 390° F, or 72 minutes of runtime, off a single charge. That’s good battery life, and if you carry an extra battery as well, you’re ready for anything. The battery takes about six hours to charge in the IQ2, but is faster in an external charger. Your investment is protected with removable batteries and the IQ2’s ten-year warranty.

Davinci IQ2 Oven and Pearl

Adjustable oven size

DaVinci’s unique solution for vaping different sized loads, the Pearl, is changed. It’s now more oval-shaped than circular, can extend further for even smaller loads, and is much easier to adjust. The oven holds about a third of a gram of ground herbs, and can be reduced by a third with the Pearl. Even with the Pearl extended, we like to pack the herbs down so they don’t fly around and get past the Pearl.

Concentrate accessories

The IQ2 comes with concentrate accessories that are DaVinci’s first stab at vaping the gooey stuff. The technology is similar to other conduction vapes that give it a try, but the IQ2 works better. The included dosage pod is made of ceramic, and can handle herbs, concentrates, or both at the same time. It comes with a ceramic extract disc and organic cotton pads that fit into the dosage pod for concentrates. 

Concentrate hits on the IQ2 are like most dual-use portables. Instead of a concentrate-like hit, the IQ2 vapes concentrates over the course of a session, with lighter, gentler hits that add up. We weren’t anticipating much from this tech, but were pleasantly surprised with better sessions than expected.

Davinci IQ2 Airflow Control Dial

Control the air flow

DaVinci has two innovative features, the first of which is air flow control. The IQ2 has an Air Dial on the bottom with five settings (including closed). As you increase the air flow, more fresh air comes into the oven when you draw, mingling with the vapor. Open it up for thinner, cooler vapor, or close it for thicker, warmer vapor. The Air Dial itself is gorgeous, and rolls with a high-quality, camera-click feel. It works well, and the effects stand out more with a light pack. If you pack the oven tightly enough, every setting feels closed.

New dosing control feature

The second innovation is dosage control. A few high end vape pens, like the PAX Era, have this feature, but DaVinci is the first to bring it to dry herb vaporizing. After you pack the vape and turn it on, click the power button twice to enter dosage control mode. Enter the amount of CBD that’s in your herb (it’s lab tested, right?) and how full the oven is, and let DaVinci do the rest. The IQ2 will display how much is consumed with each hit. 

At launch, dosage control wasn’t available for the Android smartphone app (Apple has banned vape apps from their store), but should be available on both platforms in March. The on-board controls were easy and intuitive to use.

App status

DaVinci is no stranger to vaporizer smartphone apps, having released one of the industry’s first with the IQ in 2016. Apple threw them a curve ball just before the release of the IQ2, by banning all vaporizer apps from the Apple store in November. The good news is DaVinci had enough time to add the dosing control feature to the IQ2’s on-board controls. The bad news is we won’t see an updated smartphone app that can take advantage of the new features until March, on Apple or Android. Currently, the IQ2 can connect to the old version of the app, but we found it a little buggy.

Specs

  • Height: 3.61 in / 9.2 cm
  • Width: 1.75 in / 4.5 cm
  • Depth: 0.97 in / 2.5 cm
  • Weight: 5.6 oz / 159 grams
  • One 10 amp, 3000 mAh removable 18650 battery
  • Oven holds 0.5 grams of dry herbs, 0.2 grams of extract with dosage pod
  • Smartphone apps coming in March

Warranty

The DaVinci IQ2 is covered by a 10-year limited warranty and, like everything we sell, our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. The Limited Warranty does not apply to normal performance degradation of batteries, accessories, wear and tear of hinges, mouthpieces, or neglecting to adhere to cleaning instructions.

What’s in the box?

  • IQ2 Vaporizer w/Battery
  • 10mm Mouthpiece
  • USB Charging Cable
  • Extra Pick Tool
  • Dosage Pod
  • Ceramic Extract Disc
  • 9 Pieces Organic Cotton
  • 9 Alcohol Wipes

Davinci IQ2 Buttons

For best results

The IQ2 is a conduction vape, so pack it to suit your style. If you like to take short sips, like cigar-puffs or sipping hot tea, pack it tightly. If you’d rather take fuller, longer pulls, give it a full pack with a gentle tamp.

Give yourself some time to get used to the Air Dial, especially if you don’t pack it tightly. We suggest you start on level 2 or 3, and adjust from there.

Maintenance

We will publish a full cleaning and maintenance guide soon, but here are some basics to get you started off right. If you like your vapes clean, empty the IQ2 out about a minute after your session - the buildup should still be warm enough to remove without burning yourself. Wipe the Pearl off when it’s still warm, so bits of herbs don’t get stuck on it.

If you’re familiar with the original IQ, you probably want to know if that hard-to-clean spot under the oven has been fixed. It has been improved, and looks like it won’t be the problem it was before. While there is still a gap between the oven and the lower seal, we don’t have that troublesome ledge up there anymore. We won’t know for sure until the IQ2 has been in the wild for several months, but we feel confident it’s improved.

Davinci IQ2 In Hand

Who’s the IQ2 for?

The DaVinci IQ2 is for someone who appreciates the finer things, and is willing to pay for it. Every visible part of the IQ2 is finished in style, and it feels so good to hold. The vapor is comfortable and gentle, but still potent. You will be proud to set this vape on the coffee table, and be confident that the hits will impress.

Who’s the IQ2 not for?

The IQ2 is the second most expensive portable we sell, so it’s not for anyone operating on a tight budget, for starters. It’s also not going to do if you’re in a hurry, with its one minute heat up time and eight minute sessions. Conduction vaporizers aren’t known for their efficiency, either, so keep that in mind.

Final thoughts

It’s not often a sequel is bigger, slower, more expensive, and still better, but that’s how we feel about the IQ2. DaVinci set about fixing everything that was a little off with the IQ, without compromise, even if the solution didn’t appear mainstream. We think the extra size is worth the performance improvements. Every corner of the IQ2 has been graced with subtle changes, but at a cost. 

While other manufacturers dropped slightly better upgrades at the same or lower costs (we’re looking at you, Firefly and Storz & Bickel), DaVinci once again zigged while others zagged, giving us an improved vaporizer with a significant price hike. Time will tell if it was the popular move.

Written by

jerry stickstones

Vaporist, vape beta tester, vape reviewer. I like to vape, talk about vapes, and think about vapes. Sometimes I dream...about vapes.

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