PRIMA: A Heating Chamber Like No Other

A Heating Chamber Like No Other

Vapir has been a front runner in the industry for many years now because of their tried-and-true N02 portable, and their steadfast stationary, the VapirRise 2.0. The Prima is already making news at Globe Newswire and expectations are high. Vapir just recently went public and is making history by being the first vaporizer manufacturer to do so. We’re big fans of the VapirRise because of its robust manufacturing, satisfying vapor and options. In fact, the Vapir N02 was one of the first handheld vaporizers in the market, and at the time of its inception, this unit was dominating the market. Even Joe Rogan and Willie Nelson had one.

However, as newer and smaller portables entered the market, the N02 has become increasingly less competitive. Originally we gave the VapirRise 1.0 a mixed review because of some features that needed attention. After Vapir successfully implemented the changes with the VapirRise 2.0, we’ve been crossing our fingers for them to release a new portable that could also take back the portable market by storm. Well, just recently, our vape-prayers we’re answered when Vapir announced the Prima Vaporizer and boy were we excited to test out this one. So today, we will give all you connoisseurs a full review of the Vapir Prima Vaporizer and let you in on what this stylish, portable and versatile new unit is all about before its official release in September!

Review: Vapir Prima Vaporizer

How it Works

To load the Prima Vaporizer and get your session started, just pull off the back ‘cap’ to expose the heating chamber. Use the little scoop provided to load your ground botanicals into the heating chamber, or apply a small amount of oils to the mesh screen at the bottom of the chamber, then put the cap back on. To turn the unit on, hold the button on the top of the unit for 3 seconds and the first temperature button will blink orange. The Prima has 4 pre-set temperature options which you can toggle between by simply pressing the button. Once you’ve chosen your temperature setting, the lights indicating your desired temperature will flash orange and consecutively turn solid green until the unit has reached its heating level. Once all the lights that correspond to your pre-set temperature setting are solid green, your unit is heated and you are ready to vaporize!

Temperature Flexibility

Although the Prima does not offer precise temperature control like their first portable, you do have 4 different temperature settings to choose from. Now, it is common knowledge in our industry that heating chamber temperatures are often inaccurate to the precise degree listed, but Vapir has done a great job of being transparent about this fact by listing the pre-set heating levels and their temperature ‘intervals’.

Level 1 provides a temperature range between 350° F – 360° F ( 176.67° C – 182.22° C )
Level 2’s range is 365° F – 375° F ( 185° C – 190.56° C )
Level 3 provides a range of 380° F – 390° F ( 193.33° C – 198.89° C ) and their highest heat setting
Level 4 is a range between 390° F – 400° F ( 198.89° C – 204.44° C )
Therefore, similar to the VapirRise, the Prima caps out at 204° C and the range of temperatures limits your ability to customize your vapor quality, especially if you are trying to get the most out of your oils and concentrates. With that said, Level 4 does provide surprisingly satisfying draws.

Vapor Quality

Under all the bells and whistles, if a unit doesn’t provide good vapor, you are likely to revert back to combusting or switch to a unit that does its job, so good vapor quality is key. Now, with the VapirRise 2.0 offering some of the best tasting vapor among low-temperature stationaries, we were pretty confident we could expect similar vapor from the Prima, and we were right! Despite the Prima’s narrow low temperature range, the vapor was phenomenal; flavourful and consistent, on par with the best on the market. If you were to set a top notch portable like the Mighty at the same temperature setting as the Prima, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. However, connoisseurs who pine for thick clouds, dense vapor and the ability to vapor step, may find the Prima’s vapor a bit too wispy for their liking. But we’re sure all connoisseurs will agree that the vapor produced in the Prima’s range is as flavourful and satisfying as you can get in a portable. Good airflow, airflow hole in cap. In addition, the Prima has excellent airflow and low draw-resistance due to the air holes located in the cap and unique vapor pathway design.

Manufacturing Quality

Vapir’s manufacturing quality has only improved with each new product they release. We were very impressed with the VapirRise 2.0 and the Prima scores even higher in this category due to its stylish design, high-quality components and excellent attention to detail. First off, the unit looks and feels amazing. It is very ergonomically designed, fitting perfectly in a clenched hand and the mouthpiece feels natural in shape to draw from. The Prima’s body is made of brushed aluminum and is extremely robust; even after accidently dropping it off a table, it survived without a scratch. The seams between the cap, mouthpiece, battery and button are flawless and flush, sealing in any excess odor and confirming that the Prima was made with care and precision. The Prima also has a unique heating chamber which flows the vapor up through a screen and small silicone path before it journey’s through its stainless steel vapor pathway. The high-quality stainless-steel vapor pathway, not only cools the vapor but can also be easily removed and cleaned so you can keep your unit in tip top shape. One downside to the Prima however, is the fact the end of the unit, where the heating chamber is located, becomes extremely hot when in use. Vapir counters this by providing a custom silicone sleeve to fit over the cap, but when the rest of the unit also increases in temperature during the session, the cap only does so much. With that being said, more heating insulation around the chamber would dramatically increase the size of the Prima, so this ‘con’ must be accepted in relationship to the Prima’s many ‘pros’. Another element worth discussing is the Prima’s packaging. It’s pretty basic and has no cohesion with the other Vapir units. With that said, Arizer has been a market leader for years now too, and still sells outstanding numbers of their products in cardboard boxes; so, it really is the ‘inside that counts’. Overall, the manufacturing quality of the Prima is supreme and this claim is backed by Vapir’s generous 5 year warranty which includes 2 years on the battery.

Battery Life

The Prima Vaporizer has one of the most unique and convenient battery systems we’ve seen in a while. It appears to be a custom battery, due to its quick-slide design, which allows you to replace it with ease. However, when we took the battery apart, the ‘custom’ battery actually holds a 3200 maH Lithium-ion battery which gives you between 50-70 minutes of continuous use on the highest heat setting. We were able to get 10 consecutive sessions at 5 minutes a pop and on some of these sessions, we extended the auto-shut off by by an extra two minutes, by pressing the button. In addition the fact you can easily swap out the battery means that if you are willing to invest in an additional battery, you can always have another pre-charged and on-hand for around 2 hours of use. This ‘charge & swap’ battery system can be seen in other high-tech gadgets such as the Cyborg Gaming R.A.T Mouse and Vapir is the first to offer such a convenient battery system in our niche industry. This means that neither this mouse nor this vape is subject to down-time as long as you have a second battery charged and on hand.

Portability

Unlike larger ‘portable’ units like the Vapir N02 or the Mighty, the Prima Vaporizer is truly a unit you can take anywhere on the go. It is small enough in size to be conveniently transported and its heating chamber design means it can be easily pre-loaded without fear your botanicals will spill or shift outside of the chamber. It is also a nice, curved compact shape, with no mouthpieces or extra bits sticking out so it can easily be pocketed or thrown in your bag.

Ease of Use

This unit is very similar to the Arizer Air in terms of its ease of use. The use of only one button to turn the unit on and toggle between temperatures is a great way to keep things simple for operating. However, memorizing the sequence of clicks and what the LED lights mean, gets a bit confusing, which means you really do need to read the user manual to know which lights are blinking, and why. Loading of this unit is extremely convenient because of the little scoop provided and the fact the heating chamber is low and the unit stands on its own. In addition, cleaning and maintenance is super simple because of the easily removed stainless steel vapor pathway, mouthpiece and silicone screen holder inside the cap. Charging and replacing the battery is also super convenient due to its quick-slide and ‘charge & swap’ design.

Discreetness

The Prima Vaporizer does quite well in this category, on par with units like the ZEUS Smite. It can be almost fully concealed in your hand and the LED lights can be easily covered when in use. Unlike most vertically designed portables these days, the Prima is drawn from horizontally, meaning it is a bit more obvious that you are sipping from something other than a soda pop. Despite this, the Prima is one of the lowest odor unit’s we’ve tested in a while, adding points to its already discreet design. This is due partially to its unique heating chamber design/ excellent airflow and partially because the vapor produced is not overly dense and dissipates very quickly upon exhale.

Overall Experience

Unlike the intial mixed reviews of the VapirRise 1.0, the Prima is a great unit which we genuinely enjoyed testing. It is a huge step up from Vapir’s N02, and is it has real potential to not only compete, but outperform other units in the $250 – $299 range, due to its stylish design, ease of use and supreme vapor quality. This is one of the only 3 portable vaporizers that we have EVER given a rating above 9/10 to. The Prima is set to be officially released in September so if this unit looks like a front-runner to you connoisseurs out there too, stay tuned to hear more from us about its imminent launch!

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