**On November 15th, 2019, Apple removed all vaporizing apps from its store, including the PAX app. PAX has since created a simple workaround for all Apple/iOS users. Check it out here.**
The PAX 2 portable vaporizer was a major improvement to an already impressive product. The mouthpiece was simplified, the design streamlined, and the conduction heating and vapor channel improved to a new standard that made it worth the upgrade for owners of the original.
PAX 2 Vaporizer
C$159.96 Regular price: C$199.95
The PAX 2 has a rich history, and for good reason.
- Ultra-portable
- Dense, smooth vapor
- Great battery life
- Can take a beating
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Improvements in hand, the PAX 3 vaporizer added concentrate support, an improved heating element, haptic feedback, and Bluetooth for a connected smartphone app. There are now several models to consider at a wide range of price points, so the PAX 2 vs PAX 3 matchup is more of a fair fight than you might think.
PAX 2 Vaporizer
C$159.96 Regular price: C$199.95
The PAX 2 has a rich history, and for good reason.
- Ultra-portable
- Dense, smooth vapor
- Great battery life
- Can take a beating
The PAX 2 dry herb vaporizer is an amazing value at $149, while the PAX 3 is $199 for just the device. The PAX 3 Complete Kit is more of a stretch at $249, but considering you get over $100 worth of accessories for just $49, it's a great value.
PAX 3 Complete Kit or Basic
The PAX 3 from PAX Labs gives you the option to choose between two different accessory packages, the PAX 3 Basic Kit, or with the expanded accessories in the Complete Kit. The Basic Kit includes a cleaning kit (rubbing alcohol and pipe cleaners), charger, a flat mouthpiece and a raised mouthpiece, all for $199.99.
The PAX 3 Complete Kit also tosses in a concentrate insert, a half pack oven lid with a taller insert to keep a tight bowl without filling the stainless steel heating chamber all the way, plus a few extra screens. There’s a small multi-tool on a keychain for stirring and turning. That's right around $100 of, in my book, essential accessories included with the PAX 3 Complete Kit.
PAX 3 for concentrates
While PAX has always done a bang-up job with herbs, the previous models never tried to break into the world of concentrates. Now, the PAX 3 Complete Kit includes a concentrate insert, which allows you to crank the temperature settings and enjoy your favorite extracts on the go.
Concentrate use with the PAX 3 vape is a longer session with multiple hits, compared to a traditional concentrate hit. The concentrate lid is technically compatible with the PAX 2, but doesn’t have the same vapor production as it does with the PAX 3.
PAX 3 heats up faster
Having spent time with both devices, the most striking distance is by far the heating speed. The PAX 2 is by no means a slouch, which makes the PAX 3 even more impressive. The new model goes from ice cold to the third preset heat setting, an optimum vaping temperature, in around 30 seconds, depending on the battery’s current charge level, almost twice as fast as the PAX 2.
After the initial heat up time, The PAX 3 gets back up to temperature within around five seconds between inhales, making it an efficient session vape. With the PAX 2 you had to wait almost twice as long to get back up to vaporization temperature between draws.
That’s a seriously fast heating time for portable, herbal vaporizers. It’s good news not just in terms of discretion and ease of use, but also in terms of efficiency. Faster heating means the materials in your oven spend less time hot, so more goes in, and less goes out into the air.
Related: PAX 3 Review
A similar durable finish
The PAX 2's brushed finish and the PAX 3’s updated matte finish should provide surfaces that hide some of the wear and tear of everyday life. You may still put a dent in it if it drops, but minor scratches and dings will hide under the elegant finish.
Two different warranties
Warranty becomes a major difference when it comes to the PAX 2 vs PAX 3. The PAX 2’s ten year warranty has been cut down to just two, a much more standard offering at the price point. We’ve found the PAX vaporizers generally durable and issue-free for some time, but if you want the extra warranty length, the PAX 3 includes the original ten year warranty, along with the other improvements, at the $199 price point.
Haptic feedback
Apart from the new heating element, there are convenience updates as well. The PAX 3 now vibrates at you when you start it up, and then again when the LED lights turn green and it’s ready to vape. It’s a nice touch for a more convenient vaping experience.
Related: PAX App How To
PAX 3 has an app
**On November 15th, 2019, Apple removed all vaporizing apps from its store, including the PAX app. PAX has since created a simple workaround for all Apple/iOS users. Check it out here.**
The PAX 3 also has Bluetooth functionality, and wirelessly connects to your smartphone. The PAX Vapor app allows you to tweak settings and customizations, control the device, and trigger games or special modes at the touch of a button. It also allows for firmware updates to the PAX 3, so if PAX Vapor rolls out new modes or games, you’ll be able to take advantage.
For the techies out there, the app is pretty amazing. With full digital temperature control, you can pick any setting within the temperature range. It also comes with four distinct temp profiles, like Boost Mode for monster hits. Our favorite profile is Efficiency Mode, which leans on the PAX’s lip sensing technology to deliver some of the longest, most relaxing vaping sessions yet.
Conclusion
The game-changing updates that drew original PAX owners to the PAX 2 are more significant than what we saw this time around. Apart from a few minor functional differences, the PAX 2 and PAX 3 are remarkably similar, with great battery life charge times from its 18650 3500mAh battery. The PAX 3 improves on the PAX 2 with a faster heat up time, a connected app, and the option for concentrates. Where the pavement meets the road is really the price.
Related: PAX 2 Vaporizer Review
If you often find yourself with concentrates to vaporize, the high-quality PAX 3 Complete is worth the extra bucks. If you want the latest tech but are a dry herb only kind of vaporist then the device only option is for you. The PAX 2 is still an awesome, budget-friendly option for the loose leaf purist, who doesn’t need the frills, but still prizes stealth, portability and vapor quality.
If you prize a more pristine vapor path, consider an Arizer portable with the all glass stems, or something from DaVinci, with a full ceramic vapor path.
