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Learning Center

VaporPlants.com is committed to providing education to our customers. We want to help you learn more about vaping, so that you can enjoy your new vaporizer or e cigarette to the fullest. Our Learning Center is packed with informative articles that will teach you everything that will introduce you to the basics and more.

6 Tips - How to Vaporize Herbs Correctly

Vaporizer art with bubbles in the background showing VP for VaporPlants

When you switch from smoking to vaping, you are going to notice a lot of health benefits. You can breathe easier, and you may not suffer from so many headaches; however, we don’t need to convince you, right? You’ve already made the switch to an herb vaporizer for the health benefits. What we will talk about here is how to make the most out of your vaping experience so that you will never go back to combustion.

You've just spent a pretty penny on a vaporizer for herbs after weeks or maybe months of research. It's finally time to sit down and begin to enjoy your portable vape, but the question arises: where exactly do you begin? How do you get the most out of your vape? It all starts with the way you pack your dry herbs. It isn't a difficult process, but it is important to follow a few steps to make it efficient. Conduction or convection, it doesn't matter--read on for the ways to get the most out of any portable vaporizer.


PAX 2 heating chamber open with herbs loaded up

How to pack a vaporizer with herbs:

  1. Read the owner’s manual to ensure proper usage of your device
  2. Be sure the herb has been thoroughly dried in a jar or by using rice
  3. Grind the herb as finely as your grinder allows (dry is a good thing)
  4. Pack the heating chamber not too loose with ground herbs
  5. Tightly fasten the components of the vape together
  6. Turn on the unit (usually by clicking rabidly 3 or 5 times)
  7. When it has reached the vaporization point, take a slow long inhale
  8. Hold the inhaled vapor for 2 seconds, and then exhale

With that in mind... SKIP TO:

+ | DRYING HERBS | + | GRINDING | + | PACKING | + | INHALING | + | CONTROLLING | + | CHAMBER CLEANING | + | EXPECTATIONS |


First, Read the Instruction Manual

Drawing of a female is reading a manual while wearing glasses

Before you do anything, read the instruction manual to understand how your specific vaporizer works and how it has been made. You will also learn the manufacturer’s suggestions for using the unit, and the recommended temperature settings. Though there are some vapes that pretty much explain themselves, reading the manual can help avoid mistakes that can have a significant negative impact on your vaping experience. You should also watch videos on the internet to see how to use your unique vaporizer.

Less is more words on a white background

Use less Herbs & Get More Vapor

We have all been in this predicament at one time or another: you overshot how much herb you thought you had left, or you got a little friendly and generous with it at the party, only to get home and realize there isn't much left at all. Never fear; below are five preventative methods to make sure you are using your dry herbs to their fullest potential, and even a tip or two regarding what to do when you're all out.

1. Drying the Herbs

A can on its side with dry loose leaf falling out

An important step, drying your herbs is imperative to ensure proper functioning of your "dry herb" vaporizer. You will get better vapor production from thoroughly dried herbs, as opposed to damp ones. As a general rule, of course, it is best to purchase herbs that have already been cured and dried for a number of reasons, like retaining the original smoothness, potency, aroma, and flavor. But if your herbs have not already been dried, see how bellow.

How to dry herbs for a vaporizer:

  • Putting your herbs, surrounded by dry tissue paper, in a glass jar with the lid off, or
  • In a container of rice, which will naturally absorb the moisture.
  • Another option is to put your herbs in a sealed brown paper bag for 6-8 hours, and then in a sealed plastic bag for 5-7 hours.
  • Put your herbs in a shoebox or bowl and leave them under a lamp or in a sunny window.

Note: Depending on the amount of moisture in your herbs, you may need to do this for several hours up to a couple of days.

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2. Grind Your Herbs - Finely

A dry herb grinder on a wooden table with shredded herbs inside

With drying process taken care of, finely grind the dry material, much finer than you are probably imagining right now. The finer you grind the herb, the more surface area you will create inside the heating chamber, the more evenly it will heat; which will produce a tastier, more satisfying vape. More surface area means that more heat can move through the material at once and deliver exceptional results. A common 4-piece grinder will usually do the trick and it will also leave you with tasty crystals that can be added to the bowls when enough have accumulated. A 2-piece grinder will often leave rather large chunks, which is counterproductive when you want to create more surface area, so try and go with a 4-piece. Avoid using shears or scissors. To learn more about the origin of a herb grinder, click here.

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3. Pack Tightly, but Not Too Tightly

PAX 2 heating chamber open with herbs loaded up

With your material ground finely, packing the vaporizer for herbs comes next. It can seem tempting to throw all of your material into the chamber and stuff it to the brim thinking you will get more out of it, but that is counterproductive. This will prohibit the necessary airflow from coming through the material which can reduce the vapor production and the potency of the vapor itself. Over packing also stops the heat from making its way across all possible surface areas, which is detrimental, as mentioned previously. This is especially true with convection vaporizers. Pack the ground material into the chamber about three quarters of the way full for best results.

With vaporizers such as the Pax series, you get options to use different-sized chamber "ovens" with some, and with others, you can simply fold up a screen, size it to the chamber, and then place it in there to help prevent filling the chamber with too much material at once. Just pack the oven about half-full to three quarters, and vape as needed instead of using a full oven pack each time.

female holding Pax vaporizer while packing in the herbal material and pressing down with her finger

Pack it in!

Those who enjoy an herb vape have the habit of pressing the herb down inside the vape, making it as tight as possible, thinking they will get more results with more herb; however, this will not be the case. Packing the chamber too tightly will affect the vapor quality by making it harder to inhale and by making the heating element work overtime to evenly heat the material. Keep the herb loose inside the chamber and don't pack it down with a lot of force.

Think about it like this:

Vapor is produced from the herbs you place inside. All vaporizers are not created equally and some will require a small bowl pack instead. This typically is only a requirement if you are using a vape with the heating chamber right below the mouthpiece. For instance, handheld vaporizers often have airflow that can be blocked by packing too tightly, so even though you are putting a lot in, you won't be getting a lot out. Find that balance between a tight pack without over packing.

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4. Inhaling & Stirring

Once you have packed your vaporizer the correct way--finely ground material packed tightly, but not too tightly--it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It is recommended that you take slow inhales, and give the heating element time to stir up some quality vapor. Inhaling with too much force will just pull the herbs up through the heating chamber into the filter and block the airflow, preventing you from getting the most vapor out of every hit. Aside from airflow, inhaling slowly also helps to keep the herbs and heating chamber at the right temperature. Inhaling too rapidly and too often will cool the chamber off, while also limiting how much vapor is being produced.

Inhale Lightly and Slowly - Get the Right Breathing Rhythm

A male taking a drag from Pax vaporizer while smoke is showing

Before you breathe in the vapor, exhale as much air as possible. Then, slowly inhale a few seconds before taking a draw from the mouthpiece to introduce oxygen with your hit. Hold your breath for a few seconds, suspending the vapor in your lungs to absorb everything you can before exhaling, letting nothing go to waste.

Stir it Up

Profile of a male taking a drag from pax vaporizer with vapor showing

Just like the grinding and the packing processes impact the vapor production, stirring the material does as well. Periodically using a stir tool or an impromptu tool like a paper clip or bobby pin to stir up the material in your dry herb vaporizer will help to expose new parts of the herbs to the heat, further expanding the available surface area. This helps deliver a more even heat, as opposed to only the outer edges of the pack, especially in conduction vapes.
One more thing--you have to remember that it does take a little time for the vaporizer to heat up. Constantly taking massive draws is only going to give you a little vapor and a lot of air. Give the vape enough time to do its job or you will just be outpacing your vape.

Make Sure You Are Always Vaping

The first thing you can do to preserve more of your material is to be sure you are never ever smoking your material. When it comes to vaping vs. smoking, combustion will always fry up your loose leaf much faster and cause you to lose out on many of the beneficial compounds. Plus, you don't get that precious ABV (Already-Been-Vaped) after you smoke; you only get unusable ash. Using dry herb portable vaporizers instead of smoking it will make much more efficient use of your loose leaf, helping you to cut down on your overall consumption and saving you herbage.

Reuse ABV - Already-Been-Vaped

ABV, or "already-been-vaped" loose leaf, is what comes out of your vaporizer after you have vaped it. The material will be darker than it was when it was loaded because the goodies have been sucked out of it. By taking the ABV out and crushing it up with your fingers, you are giving the dry leaf more surface area and can usually get one to two more draws from it after a bit of crushing.

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5. Keep an Eye on Temperature

Female is holding and looking into the magnifying glass

Another large factor in getting the most out of your vape is using the right temperature. Many portable vapes come with temperature control, or at the very least, more than one setting. It is good to start at a low setting and raise the temperature as the session reaches the end, stirring the bowl between temperature changes. Consider these temperatures if you want to get specific:

- 310 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit: This range is good for promoting relaxation, productivity, focus, and mild euphoria.

- 330 to 370 degrees Fahrenheit: This range is recommended if you want enhanced sensory awareness, mood elevation, functional relaxation, and moderate euphoria.

- 370 to 390 degrees Fahrenheit: This range is perfect for intense euphoria, meditation, sleep, and heavy relaxation.
Each kind of herb will vaporize differently, so controlling the temp and playing around with it is imperative to getting the most out of your experience every time.

Conduction vs Convection Guide to different Temperatures

When vaping, you want to keep the temperature as low as possible. Not only will this help preserve the flavor and minimize the risk of combustion in conduction heating vapes, it will help you to preserve your loose leaf, as you won't be depleting the chamber’s contents as quickly as you would on a high temperature. It is for this reason that we recommend a temperature somewhere between 311 and 330 degrees Fahrenheit when you are attempting to make your dry herbs last. Also, try to avoid conduction models altogether when you can, and go for convection that is a much more efficient and combustion-free way to vape your herbs.

With temperature in mind, note that raising the temperature above 390 degrees Fahrenheit puts the material at risk for combustion. Also, as stated, be sure the herbal material is finely ground, as this allows more hot air to pass into the chamber and reduce the combustion risk. Just do not overfill it; give it a nice, snug pack with a bit of give to it.

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6. Cleaning and Maintenance

Finally, if you want to ensure a good vaping experience, you need to be using a clean vaporizer. Big vaporizer or small vaporizer, this is universally important. Many materials produce sticky resins that cling to the walls and filters in the vape, narrowing or blocking holes completely. Cleaning the device helps maximize the airflow and deliver a great vape. It is recommended you clean it after every other use and always empty your vape after you have finished using it. Your handheld vaporizer will likely come with a cleaning brush that makes this an easy process.

Pax vaporizer being cleaned with a cotton swab

If you are using a vape pen or one of the vapes out there that have exposed coils inside of the heating chamber, it is imperative that you use something to stop direct contact with the herbs and the coils. Glass screens are the most efficient and popular methods of doing this, as it will not alter the vapor quality, but, most importantly, it will not conduct any electricity. Mesh screens have a tendency to do this, and so it is recommended that you use a glass screen to protect your coils.

- In this section, we are going to look at how to clean the Crafty & Mighty Vaporizers, but the information applies to all models. -
Your herb vape pen or vaporizer for wax will start to get gunked up with resin, which is tricky to get off once it develops. There are a few ways to do this: using an air duster and blowing out the elements of the vaporizer with compressed air will clean some of the vape, if not all of it, but it won't get in the nooks and crannies. You can also try to just wipe the handheld vaporizer down, but again, it won't hit every sweet spot. The best thing you can do, and the most efficient, is to use isopropyl alcohol, commonly known as rubbing alcohol. Let's take a look at the steps for cleaning with alcohol.

What You Will Need for the Isopropyl Method:

  • Paper towels--you will need one dry paper towel and one that has been dampened with water
  • Precision cotton swabs
  • A toothpick, stir tool, or needle
  • Isopropyl alcohol (Rubbing alcohol)

paper towel, Q-tips, Isopropyl alcohol bubbing alcohol, and wooden tooth picks

The parts that are going to need the most attention are going to be the top bit, or the cooling unit, and the screen in the bottom of the chamber. Brushing out the chamber after each use while it is still warm will reduce the need for frequent deep cleaning.

The cooling unit itself comes apart easily and in a few different spots. These can be cleaned with the rubbing alcohol and the cotton swabs. If rubbing alcohol just rubs you the wrong way--pun intended--you can also opt for warm water and dish soap. If you're feeling like you just don't want to clean your cooling unit, you can just replace it. If you do want to clean the parts, here's how:

A long cleaning brush inserted into a vaporizer to clean the wax and build up

1. Remove any large pieces and chunks with the orange scraper tool that comes with the Mighty or Crafty. Keep your paper towels below it as you do so, since the material has a tendency to go flying while you work. The parts that are going to need the most attention are the top bit, or the cooling unit, and the screen in the bottom of the chamber. Brushing out the chamber after each use while it is still warm will reduce the need for frequent deep cleaning.

The cooling unit itself comes apart easily in a few different spots. These can be cleaned with the rubbing alcohol and the cotton swabs. If rubbing alcohol just rubs you the wrong way--pun intended--you can also opt for warm water and dish soap. If you're feeling like you just don't want to clean your cooling unit, you can just replace it. If you do want to clean the parts, here's how:

2. Take apart the pieces and soak in isopropyl alcohol for 30-45 minutes. If you soak any longer than this you could end up breaking the plastic and reducing the lifespan of the mouthpiece and its parts. We recommend pipe cleaners for the nooks and crannies.

3. If Q-tips, cotton swabs, or pipe cleaners aren't cutting it, use a tiny bit of folded up paper towel wrapped around a screwdriver bit and get to work. Wet the towel first and use a twisting motion. This allows you to get in all of the crevices for a thorough deep cleaning.
Keeping your dry herb vaporizer clean is imperative to its long life and performance. It is simple to do and only takes a few minutes of your time, and keeping a vape around for years to come is well worth the effort.

Once you have followed all these steps, you will notice the true difference between vaping and smoking, and you will understand why it is so important that you pack the herbs in the manner detailed above! Dry your herbs for efficiency, grind them finely, pack them properly, inhale them slowly, and you are all set.

Next time you find yourself running low on your dry herbs when vaping, you can revisit these tips to help you get the most out of your materials. There are a number of ways to preserve your herbal material, and even use the dry herbs after it has already been vaped. Be wise with your usage and follow these ideas to vape efficiently every time! You'll be thanking yourself later.

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See other learning pages below:

VaporPlants Future of Vaporizers Icon

How do Vaporizers Work?

This guide covers the basic concepts, including the types of vaporizers found on the market today and how they work. A great start to begin looking for the right vaporizer for your needs. Whether you're looking for a vapor pen, a desktop or a portable vaporizer.

VaporPlants Intro to Vaping Icon

Choosing a Vaporizer

What kind of dry herb vaporizer is right for you? Is a desktop or a portable the best choice for your needs? Our buying guide for vaporizers will help you get the answers to these questions, so that you can get the absolute best vaporizer.

vaping vs smoking guide and studies

Vaping vs Smoking

Is a vaporizer a healthy alternative to traditional smoking? When you light a cigarette, you instantly begin to produces smoke with a variety of potentially toxic materials inside of the wrapper.

VaporPlants Convection vs Coduction Icon

This Years Winners

Today's top rated vaporizers are more advanced than ever before, but top vaporizer brands aren't finished innovating. In this article, you'll learn about what the next big things will be in the vaporizer pen and desktop vape market.

Some Final Thoughts

Bullseye target with a dark striking it

- Set your expectations. Before you ever take your first puff, set your expectations with the type of vape and material that you have. You need to make sure you know what to look for and are ready to find the taste you like the best by exploring the options available to find your preferences. All it takes is a little exploration and research on the unit in particular that you want to buy to help you achieve your goals when vaporizing.

- Research Different Herbs and Concentrates. Not all materials are made equally.

The same goes for concentrates. Waxes and oils have stronger concentrations per gram, leaving you with a wide variety of tastes and aromas that only take a few drips or dabs in order to give you the same effects of dry herbs. It is important to find the right one for you in order to fully enjoy your vaping experience.

Get a good vape Know your vape

If you are still using e-cig-style vapes, you are missing out on the world of portable and desktop vaporizers. Do some research, read and watch vaporizer reviews, and speak to others in the vaping community to see what might work best for you. The best part? You can often get a great vape at an affordable price.

The construction of your unit plays a big part in flavor, vapor production, and the ability to choose your perfect temperature. You can find vapes built for extra flavor, vapes made for huge clouds, and vapes that do all of the above!


Drawing of a female is reading a manual while wearing glasses

Once again, Read the Manual

While it may seem like common sense, it’s worth mentioning that before doing anything else, you should read the manual that came with the vaporizer. Each individual vape is different, and you need to know what sort of vaporizer you are dealing with, like whether it is conduction or convection. You should also be familiar with things like the temperature settings or special features such as automatic cleaning, heating, and other unique functions of your vape.

Your vaporizer for dry herbs is just like any other possession that is important to you. It must be well kept and must be used in the proper way in order to get the most out of it. By taking these tips into consideration, you can continue to enjoy your favorite flowers to their fullest potential and know that you are also using them efficiently!

How to Spot a Fake Vaporizer

It's natural to want to get a good deal when you're shopping for vape pens or portable dry herb vaporizers, but bargain hunters need to beware. There are a number of shady dealers out there selling counterfeit vaporizers that are little more than junk and passing them off as vapes from top brands like Storz & Bickel, Pax Labs, and Atmos Rx.


So how can you know if what you're seeing is real or not? Here are some telltale signs of a fake that you can spot online before you buy.

1. Vape Is Being Sold on a Marketplace Site.

Stores like Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, and Ali Baba are not authorized to sell most brand name vaporizers like Storz and Bickel and Atmos Rx. If you see a vape being sold on one of these stores, just look elsewhere; you're probably not seeing a genuine model.


2. Vape Doesn't Have a Warranty.

If you ever see somewhere that a vaporizer pen or portable is being sold without the usual manufacturer's warranty, run the other way. All top brand name vaporizers have some kind of warranty. The only way that a retailer wouldn't be able to offer that guarantee is if the product was fake or had been used or reconditioned. In any of these cases, you don't want to buy the vape.


3. Page Is Full of Spelling Mistakes.

A page that is written in poor English and is full of spelling mistakes is probably the work of an overseas counterfeiter. While one stray error may happen on a reputable website, badly mangled English should be a cause for concern.


4. Seller Won't Send You Images of the Actual Product.

If you decide you want to try and buy a vaporizer from a marketplace, contact the person and ask for time stamped photographs of the product in its packaging. Ask for the packaging to be photographed from every angle and then compare the images to images of the boxes online. You'll often be able to see differences right away. If the seller won't send you photos, that should be a major red flag.


5. Seller Has Negative Reviews.

Whether you're shopping for a vaporizer on a marketplace store or on a website, take the time to either check the ratings for the seller or to google the store and look for vaporizer reviews from customers. Counterfeiters will usually have bad feedback on Amazon, and you may find reviews online about untrustworthy online stores.


6. Store Doesn't Pass a Background Check.

When in doubt, do a background check! Just find the vaporizer brand's official website and send them an email. Ask if the website or seller is an authorized dealer.


How to Get the Best Vaporizer

If you want to be sure about the vaporizer you're buying is real, the best thing that you can do is buy from a dealer that you know is authorized. VaporPlants.com is an authorized stockist for every brand whose products are sold here, making us a trustworthy store for buying vapor pens and desktop and portable dry herb vaporizers.


You can check out our online store to see our product selection or contact us for assistance selecting a vaporizer.

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