Table of contents
- Cut to the chase: Which should I get?
- Quick Summary
- Technical specifications
- What is the POTV Lobo?
- What is the XMAX V3 Pro?
- Vapor quality: Two heavy hitters, two different hits
- Heating style and efficiency
- V3 Pro is faster to heat up
- V3 Pro has better battery life
- Lobo has the bigger oven
- V3 Pro adds on-demand mode
- Both share the same glass accessory ecosystem
- Price: $50 separates them
- Pros & Cons
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Heavy-hitting portable vapes used to come with heavy price tags. The POTV Lobo and XMAX V3 Pro change that. The Lobo is POTV's flagship hybrid vape at C$214.95, delivering dense, potent vapor from any draw length. The V3 Pro is one of the most affordable true convection vapes you can buy at C$134.95, and it rewards long, slow pulls with cloud-machine performance.
So the obvious question is: is the Lobo worth C$80 more? The answer comes down to one thing: how you draw. Here's how they stack up.
Cut to the chase: Which should I get?
Get the Lobo if:
- You want dense, potent hits from any draw length, short or long
- You load big or vape in groups and want a bigger oven (up to 0.2g)
- You want the longest warranty coverage (2 years plus a 100-day satisfaction guarantee)
- You don't want to think about technique — short sip or long rip, it just delivers
Get the V3 Pro if:
- You naturally take long, slow draws of five seconds or more
- The C$214.95 Lobo price tag is more than you want to spend
- You're a casual or occasional user and want on-demand mode alongside session mode
- You want the fastest heat-up (15 to 20 seconds) and longest battery life (12 to 15+ sessions)
- You want full-convection flavor at one of the most accessible prices in the category
Quick Summary
Similarities
Both the Lobo and V3 Pro are portable dry herb vaporizers that hit harder than their prices suggest. Vapor quality is excellent on both, and neither cuts corners on the fundamentals. They share replaceable 18650 batteries, USB-C charging, precise digital temperature control, dimpled glass stems in the box, and the same glass accessory ecosystem — bubblers and the POTV water pipe adapter work with either.
Differences
The differences come down to how you draw and how much you're willing to spend. The Lobo is the flagship at C$214.95 with hybrid heating that delivers from any draw length, a bigger 0.2g oven, and a 2-year warranty. The V3 Pro trades those features for a C$80 lower price, full convection that rewards longer draws, an on-demand mode alongside session mode, faster heat-up, and longer battery life.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Lobo | V3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | C$214.95 | C$134.95 |
| Heating | Hybrid (conduction + convection) | Full convection |
| Heat-up time | ~40 seconds | 15 to 20 seconds |
| Battery life | ~10 sessions per charge | 12 to 15+ sessions per charge |
| Oven capacity | Up to 0.2g | Up to 0.13g |
| Vaping modes | Session | Session + On-Demand |
| Concentrates | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Replaceable 18650 | Replaceable 18650 |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Warranty | 2 years + 100-day satisfaction guarantee | 1 year |
What is the POTV Lobo?
The POTV Lobo is Planet of the Vapes' flagship portable dry herb vaporizer. It uses a hybrid heating system that combines conduction and convection to produce dense, potent vapor from the very first hit. Whether you take short pulls or long rips, the Lobo meets you with thick, flavorful clouds every time.
At C$214.95, the Lobo is one of the strongest value propositions in portable vaping. It supports a full ecosystem of glass accessories, and comes with a replaceable 18650 battery. For users who want a daily driver that punches above its price tag, this is a vape you keep reaching for.
Check out our Lobo Review to learn more.
What is the XMAX V3 Pro?
The XMAX V3 Pro is a full convection portable dry herb vaporizer priced at C$134.95. It's one of the most affordable true convection vapes on the market, and it delivers on that promise. The convection heater only engages during a draw, which makes the V3 Pro stash efficient and excellent at preserving flavor throughout a session.
It also does something very few vapes at this price manage: on-demand mode. Beyond the standard session vaping most portables offer, the V3 Pro lets you take a hit, set it down, and come back an hour later without burning through your herbs in the meantime. Combined with its long battery life and portability, the V3 Pro packs a lot into a tight budget.
Learn more in our POTV XMAX V3 Pro Review.
Vapor quality: Two heavy hitters, two different hits
Both the Lobo and the V3 Pro are heavy hitters. If you want a budget vape that will put you on the couch, either of these can do it. The way they hit, though, is different, and depending on how you draw, one of them is going to fit you better.
The Lobo uses a hybrid heater, which means conduction heat kicks in as soon as the session starts, and convection builds on top of it. The result is dense, potent vapor from the very first pull, no matter how long or short that pull is. A two-second pull through the Lobo is strong. A six-second rip through it is stronger, but even the short hit delivers. You don't have to work for it.
The V3 Pro is a different story. It runs on full convection, which means your herbs only cook as you draw and pull heat through it. The longer you draw, the more heat passes through the herbs, and the bigger the hit gets. If you're a short sipper or take average-length draws, you'll miss out on what the V3 Pro has to offer. The sweet spot for big rips is five to seven seconds or more. Once you're in that range, the V3 Pro becomes a cloud machine and delivers hits that rival vapes twice its price.
To summarize: if you want big, dense hits from short or average draws, lean toward the Lobo. If you naturally take long, slow pulls, both can compete for the heaviest hits, and the V3 Pro's convection flavor is hard to beat at that length.
Heating style and efficiency
The Lobo's hybrid heater starts strong and stays strong. Because conduction heat is already in contact with your herbs as soon as the session begins, vapor is dense and ready from the first pull. The convection component pushes flavorful extraction deep into the bowl throughout the session. I noted in my Lobo review that the herbs were evenly extracted to a deep, even brown with no stirring required. That's the hybrid heater working the way it should.
The V3 Pro's full convection approach is gentler on your herbs between draws. The heat only engages as you pull, so the bowl stays relatively cool during breaks. It's a small but noticeable difference if you tend to chew through your stash quickly. A quick stir between hits rewards you with a little more oomph on the next pull, but it's not required to finish a bowl.
V3 Pro is faster to heat up
The V3 Pro is significantly faster here. In session mode, it heats up in about 20 seconds on a fresh battery. In on-demand mode, it's ready in 15 seconds.
The Lobo takes closer to 40 seconds from cold. That's decent for a hybrid vaporizer, but it's double the V3 Pro's heat-up time.
V3 Pro has better battery life
The V3 Pro wins here, too, which is a surprise considering full convection vapes tend to chew through batteries. In session mode, it produced 18 bowls per charge with the original battery. More conservatively, expect 12 to 15 sessions with regular use, and more with the upgraded POTV battery when you buy from us. The Lobo tops out at around 10 sessions per charge.
Both vapes use a replaceable 18650 battery. Carry a spare, and you're ready to jump back in at a moment's notice.
The Lobo charges via USB-C, and so does the V3 Pro. Neither supports passthrough charging, so plan to swap the battery if you're cut mid-session.
Lobo has the bigger oven
The Lobo's oven is noticeably bigger at 0.2g and is a great size for a variety of users. The V3 Pro's chamber tops out at around 0.13g with a gentle tamp. That's plenty for light to moderate users and works well for microdoses, but heavy users will cycle through bowls faster.
If you load heavy or vape in groups, the Lobo's bigger oven is a real advantage.
V3 Pro adds on-demand mode
This is where the V3 Pro offers something the Lobo doesn't: flexibility in how you vape.
Session mode works like most vapes. Turn it on, wait for it to heat up, and hit it until the session timer runs out. Both vapes do this well.
The V3 Pro also has on-demand mode, which changes the game for casual or occasional users. Press and hold the power button to heat, draw for as long as you want, and let go when you're done. The heater cuts off, and the vape shuts down after two minutes of inactivity. Your herbs stay cool and barely cook between hits, so you can load a bowl in the morning and come back to it later no problem.
The Lobo doesn't have on-demand mode. No big deal if you're a daily driver and plow through bowls in a single sitting. If you're more of an occasional user or prefer to spread a bowl across the day, the V3 Pro's on-demand mode is a meaningful feature.
Both share the same glass accessory ecosystem
Both vapes use the same style of accessory attachment, which means they share access to the same glass pieces. Stems, bubblers, and the POTV water pipe adapter all work with either vape. Both produce thick, comfortable vapor through a bubbler.
Price: C$80 separates them
Lobo: C$214.95. V3 Pro: C$134.95.
The V3 Pro's C$134.95 price is hard to beat for a full convection portable with on-demand mode and a removable battery. It's hard to find fault with it at that price.
The Lobo's C$80 premium buys you a larger oven, an extra year of warranty coverage, and that hybrid heater that delivers dense hits from any draw length. If the Lobo's strengths match your needs, the extra C$80 is easy to justify. If they don't, the V3 Pro makes a very strong case.
Pros & Cons
POTV Lobo
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| Dense, potent hits from any draw length, short or long | Slower heat-up (~40 seconds) |
| Bigger oven (up to 0.2g) | Fewer sessions per charge (~10 vs 12 to 15+) |
| Replaceable 18650 battery | Session mode only, no on-demand |
| 2-year warranty plus 100-day satisfaction guarantee | C$80 more than the V3 Pro |
| No stirring required | |
| Same glass accessory access as the V3 Pro |
XMAX V3 Pro
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| C$134.95 — outstanding value for full convection + features | Short hitters won't get the biggest hits |
| Fast heat-up (15 to 20 seconds) | Smaller oven (up to 0.13g) |
| 12 to 15+ sessions per charge | 1-year warranty vs Lobo's 2-year + extended guarantee |
| Session and on-demand modes | |
| Replaceable 18650 battery | |
| Built-in stir tool |
Conclusion
The Lobo and the V3 Pro are both vapes that hit harder than their prices suggest. At C$214.95 and C$134.95, respectively, neither one feels like what it costs.
The real question is how you hit. The Lobo's hybrid heater doesn't care. Hand it a two-second sip or a seven-second pull, and it delivers dense, potent vapor either way. If you're a short sipper who still wants a heavy session, the Lobo is your vape. There's no technique required and no waiting for the vapor to build.
The V3 Pro rewards patience. Its full-convection heater takes a few seconds to warm the herbs through each draw, and the vapor starts to build around four or five seconds in. Once you're past that point, it's a cloud machine. If you naturally take long, slow pulls, you'll get big hits from the V3 Pro and save money at the same time.
For heavy daily users who load big and want big hits immediately, go with the Lobo. If you want the full convection experience with dual session and on-demand modes, the V3 Pro is a bargain that punches well above its price.
POTV Lobo vs XMAX V3 Pro: FAQs
Q: Which one hits harder?
A: It depends on your draw style. The Lobo's hybrid heater delivers dense hits from any draw length. The V3 Pro builds its biggest hits with longer draws of five seconds or more. Short hitters will get more from the Lobo. Long rippers can go either way.
Q: Is the V3 Pro good for beginners?
A: Yes, with one note: if you take very short draws, you might not unlock its full potential. Anyone comfortable pulling for three seconds or more will be very happy with it. The controls are simple, and the on-demand mode makes it easy to pace yourself.
Q: Is the Lobo worth C$80 more than the V3 Pro?
A: For many users, yes. The bigger oven, stronger hybrid heat, and longer warranty add up to a meaningful upgrade. If those things match your needs, the Lobo is worth it.
Q: Which is better for group sessions?
A: The Lobo. It has a bigger oven and produces dense hits that anyone can pull without special technique.
Q: Which has better battery life?
A: The V3 Pro, by a comfortable margin. It delivers 12 to 15+ sessions per charge versus the Lobo's 10. Both use a replaceable 18650 battery.
