Best Vape Pens for Vape Cartridges

What Is A Vape Pen?

June 08, 2020 0 Comments

SteamCloud Mini 2.0 kit

Quick Definition

The term vape pen refers to a product of several names, including a vaporizer, an e-cigarette, electronic vape, dab pen, or even just the simple term “vape.” Regardless of the name, all of these terms refer to the same basic product: a battery-powered device that heats either oil, dry herbs, or wax to create vapor for inhaling. The term “vape pen” often refers to the design of vape that looks like a pen (slender and in a cylinder shape), though it can refer to other vaping devices in general. 

Vape Pen Categories

Under the term “vape pen,” there are three major categories that you can count on finding: oil vape pens, dry herb vape pens, and wax vape pens. You will also find vape pens for hybrid use, so they can handle more than one particular substance. They come in a variety of styles, attachment designs, and available features.

Dry Herb Vape Pens

Dry herb vape pens are increasingly becoming commonplace in both online and traditional retail markets. They vary greatly in available features and designs and can be large, desktop devices or small, discreet devices that are easily portable.

Regardless of the specific model of dry herb vape pen you have, you can expect to find some common features. Most vape pens do not burn the dry herb to produce smoke. Instead, they use a process called convection to produce vapor. During the process of convection, the air in the heating chamber of a dry herb vape is slowly heated, which in turn bakes the dry herb inside. That baking process is convection in action and is what creates the vapor that is inhaled. While some dry herb vapes use direct heat to burn the dry herb and produce actual smoke through combustion, most use convection to produce vapor.

Dry herb vapes offer a lot of advantages over traditional smoking. The vapor produced is much less harsh on the lungs, which is appealing got those with sensitive lungs or users who are new to consuming dry herbs in any fashion. They are also much more discreet, as they do not require an open flame and vapor produces a much less potent smell than smoke. If you are brand new to shopping for dry herbs, a great place to start is the SteamCloud 2.0. It is designed to handle a number of attachments that give you access to vape not only dry herbs but also oils and wax concentrates.

Wax Vape Pens

Wax vape pens are devices that are specifically for use with wax concentrates. This is NOT to be confused with oils that are used in traditional oil vape pens, which absolutely are NOT to be used in wax vape pens. If you have confusion about whether or not your substance is meant for a wax vape or not, contact the manufacturer, the retailer you bought it from, or even reach out to us!

Wax vapes, like dry herb vapes, are increasingly growing more and more popular, and for a lot of the same reasons, too. Traditionally, consuming wax concentrates required a product called a dab rig (which looks and functions similarly to a bong). The key part of a dab rig is a dab nail, which is superheated using a blow torch. As you can imagine, this is an involved process that can be intimidating for beginners, is not at all discreet, and nearly impossible to travel with.

Wax vapes resolve all of the downsides of using a dab rig. They remain very discreet, much like their oil and dry herb vape counterparts. The entire process is self-contained in the vape (including the superheated dab nail, which takes the form of a quartz, ceramic, or titanium heating coil), so the process is much more discreet when using a wax vape. It is also easy to travel with a wax vape, and there is less of a risk of breaking or damaging glass parts like there is with a traditional dab rig.

Some wax vapes are specifically designed for use with wax concentrates. Others, like the SteamCloud EVOD, are designed to be compatible with a number of attachments, including those meant to vape wax concentrates.

Oil Vape Pens

Out of all the vapes on this page, oil vapes are likely the products you have seen the most. The first vaping product to get popular, they are used to enjoy a number of vaping products. This includes CBD oil, e-juices, flavored oils, and more! It is important to note that oils and e-juices meant for oil vape pens are not compatible to be used with wax vape pens.

Most oil vape pens are designed to give the user great flavor and huge vapor clouds. Many are popular as a smoking substitute and include nicotine, others just have tasty flavors, while others are used for treating certain physical or mental ailments, like CBD oils.

Vape pens can be as complex or as simple as you want them to be. Some are simple, small batteries that do not even have an on button. Instead, they begin heating when you take a hit from the pen (like the SteamCloud Stylus Pen). Others offer limited heating customizations, while products like box mods offer extreme customization. This includes a large range of precision heating options, and an LCD screen that displays battery level and temperature readings, and compatibility with power-hungry attachments, like those meant for vaping dry herbs or wax concentrates. If you are interested in an entry-level box mod, the SteamCloud Box Mod is an excellent place to begin!

Multi-Use Vaporizers

We have touched on this a few times, but it is worth giving a specific shout out to multi-use vaporizers. These are devices that have been designed with the ability to vape multiple different substances. Generally, this is through compatibility with multiple attachments that allow for dry herb, wax, or oil vaping. These devices are great choices for those brand new to vaping since they allow for trying several different substances without having to make substantial investments in multiple devices.

How to Use a Vape Pen

As you might imagine, using a vape pen is going to vary depending on the specific model and substance you are using. However, there are some general tips that hold true through most vape pens that can help put you at ease the first time you use your vaping device. Of course, your vape pen will come with an instruction manual, and you should always follow those specific steps when operating your device.

Most vape pens will turn on the same way; you will click the power button five times. This is a safety measure to make sure you do not accidentally turn your device on in your pocket or purse. Likewise, you will press the power button five times to turn the vape off. If your vape pen has a few bells and whistles, it will have a display screen that shows that it has turned on, along with information about the power level and whether there are any electrical problems. If there is no display screen, a vape pen will usually indicate it is powered on by showing a green light.

How to Clean a Vape Pen

How you clean your vape pen will depend on the specific model that you are using, but there are some general tips you can follow. An important tip that applies to all vape pens: NEVER submerge ANY part of the vape pen. Also, NEVER use rubbing alcohol or other cleaning chemicals when attempting to clean the inside of the pen. This can damage sensitive electronics and turn a simple cleaning into a search for a replacement part or a brand new vape!

For oil vape pens:

  1. Use a dry rag to wipe off any residue that may build over time. NEVER submerge ANY PART of your oil vape pen.
  2. If using a refillable tank, do your best to use a rag to wipe away outside residue. Eventually, the heating coils or rods in the tank will go bad and will need to be replaced.

For dry herb vape pens:

  1. The heating chamber will rarely need any significant cleaning. However, after finishing a vape session, be sure to dumb out any spent dry herb. We do not recommend storing dry herbs in the heating chamber of the vape.
  2. The mesh metal filter that separates the heating chamber from the vapor path and mouthpiece will need regular cleaning. A wire brush can be used to remove debris, or the filter can be replaced.

For wax vape pens:

  1. Wax vapes have the reputation of having the greatest potential for messes.  To avoid messes, always keep the pen upright, especially when the wax has been heated. Heated wax can make its way into the vapor path, cool, and harden. This makes cleaning extremely difficult.
  2. For occasional, light spills, simply use a dry rag to wipe away residue on the outside of the pen. If wax ends up where it should not be, powering the device on and heating the wax will return it to liquid form, making for easier cleaning. Be extremely careful when doing this, as you want to avoid burns and more spills.
  3. The inside of the heating chamber can be cleaned with a dry rag or Q-tip. However, heating coils will need to be replaced over time regardless of the cleaning done.

How to Charge My Vape Pen

Charging your vaporizer is one of the easier things you can do. Most of the vaporizers on the market will use a micro-USB connection to charge the device (though some smaller pens make use of a screw-in USB charging attachment). How long a vape pen takes to recharge will depend on several factors, including model and mAh capacity of the battery. However, you can expect at least 1-3 hours for most devices.

Unlike other electronic devices you may be used to charging, we do not recommend that you charge your vape pens overnight. This can hurt the overall life of the battery, but you also run a fire risk. These devices are small but are capable of significant power output. They should always be charged where they can be somewhat supervised.

What Are The Benefits of a Vape Pen

1. Healthier Method of Smoking

The vapor produce by vape pens is much, much easier on your lungs. You avoid a lot of the toxins and carcinogens that come with burning the dry herb and producing smoke. The vapor is also at a lower temperature than the smoke is, which makes it easier to inhale.

2. Discreet

Using a vape pen is far more discreet than traditional smoking. It does not require an open flame, many vapes have ambiguous designs (unlike the very identifiable designs of glass pipes or blunts), and there is no ash that you need to dispose of when you finish vaping. The vapor produced also dissipates much faster than smoke and has a weaker smell, which makes vaporizers ideal devices for indoor use. It also makes the smell practically undetectable if vaping outside.

3. Simple and Easy to Use

Vape pens are easy products to use. This is especially true when you are comparing dry herb vapes or wax vapes to glass pipes, bongs, or dab rigs. Vapes eliminate so many of the preparation and cleanup steps, and all you have to do to get started on most is just turn the device on. While there are some vapes that have a few more features and functions that will require getting used to, the vast majority offer an easy, simplified method of enjoying your preferred substance when compared to traditional methods.

Best Vape Pens - By Category

It is difficult to pin down a “best” vape pen since so much of what makes a product ideal depends on the unique needs of the customer. However, we do have a few favorites that are great starting points for shopping!

Best Dry Herb Vape Pen - SteamCloud Box Mod

Box mods can fit into any category since they are just a powerful battery with lots of features. However, if you want a premium vaping experience with prefilled cartridges, or you want the ability to buy attachments to enjoy oils, dry herbs, or waxes, then this box mod is a perfect choice. It has the power to handle dry herb attachments (the most power-hungry of all attachments), and its wide-range of precision heating options allow it to handle the low output required for oil vaping and the high output required for wax vaping. It is an all-around solid product that would fit in the home of beginners and veterans alike.

Best Wax Vape Pen - SteamCloud EVOD

The SteamCloud EVOD has a long-lasting battery and can work with all kinds of 510 thread vape tanks and cartridges. The twist function variable voltage allows you to customize your voltage settings more than the pre-set variable voltage setting vape batteries, such as the SteamCloud Mini 2.0. The SteamCloud EVOD is definitely longer in length than other vape pens, but the power capacity and customized voltage settings makes it totally worthwhile. 

Best for Oil and Cartridges - SteamCloud Mini 2.0

There are hundreds of different oil vapes that are available on the market, but the SteamCloud Mini 2.0 is a great choice for several reasons. The battery has enough capacity (650mAh) that ripping thick clouds all day will not be a problem at all. The attachment is built with 510 threading, so it can support most pre-filled cartridges and a number of different oil tanks. Its tank-like design makes for much easier handling than a traditional pen shape, and it offers three different temperature settings, so you can experiment and play to see which one works best for you (though we recommend starting at the lowest setting).

How to Fix a Vape Pen

If you are trying to fix your vape pen instead of buying a replacement, you may have options depending on the model of the vaporizer you have. Here are some common problems found in vapes and how to fix them.

Dry Herb Vapes - Clogged Filter Screen

The most common problem you will run into with dry herb vapes is a clogged filter screen. You will notice it is clogged if it becomes unusually difficult to take a hit and get any vapor out of the device. To fix this, use a wire brush to clean the screen or just replace the screen altogether!

Wax Vapes - Damaged Heating Coil

Since the wax concentrate used for vaping is placed directly on the heating coils, they are the most likely part to go bad. Symptoms include a deteriorating taste of vapor, long heating times, or the device simply not heating at all. Most heating coils in wax vapes can be replaced (especially in brands like Yocan). Buy a compatible coil from a reputable retailer and follow the instruction manual to replace the coil. We promise this process very simple!

Oil Vape Pens - Device Will Not Produce Vapor

Oil vape pens are probably the simplest of the three vapes. If you find that the device is not producing vapor, you can troubleshoot with these steps: 

  1. Make sure your oil vape pen is fully charged.
  2. Make sure the oil cartridge is fully connected to the vape battery (and make sure you have not over-tightened it).
  3. Try the oil cartridge in a different battery (if possible).
  4. Try a different oil cartridge in the same battery (if possible).
  5. If the problem is the oil cartridge, contact the retailer you bought it from for possible warranty or replacement options.
  6. If the problem is the vape battery, exchange the internal battery for a new one (if possible). If not, contact the retailer you bought it from for possible warranty or replacement options.

Where to Buy a Vape Pen

Vape pens are extremely common. They can be found in gas stations, vape shops, head shops, and CBD stores. You also have a huge variety of online vape shops to choose from, of course, including right here at steamcloudvapes.com! We offer FREE shipping on any order with NO MINIMUM ORDER REQUIRED. We also offer industry-leading customer service, and we will help you with any and all questions and problems you have. Have fun shopping on our site, reach out to use if you need product recommendations or have questions, and thank you for your business!

Written By: Matt H.





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