The IO Hornet is one of the most efficient dry herb vaporizers out there. It’s considered the best microdoser overall and the best ball vape by many. This vape proved that we don’t need big bowls to deliver big hits. The Hornet packs a massive punch with the tiniest amounts of herb.
The Hornet is remarkable for its performance and hardware compatibility. It’s a double-sided vape that fits all sorts of bowls.
It comes with three different bowls all provide slightly different vapor and effects. In this test I compare all three bowls, along with the black ceramic zirconia ZX bowl – just to fill the 4th row.
What I was Testing / What I was Not
To be 100% transparent this test was done to test my PFVS scoring sheet. I needed to confirm that this scoring system and the visual is capable of discerning subtle differences in vapor and tracking each hit.
I wasn’t setting out to figure out which bowl was most flavorful or hardest hitting, but the data was interesting enough to share.
I tried to use consistent dosing sizes, but I didn’t weigh anything. The Hornet was kept at 508F the entire time.
The Results
All four bowls perform miracles with microdose sizes amounts of herb, but the vapor was slightly different for each.
This test was performed as one big session. Eight bowls in a row.
IO Hornet Metal Bowl vs ZX Black Zirconia Bowl
The very first hit through the ZX bowl was the smoothest hit of the entire session. It was maximum smoothness with massive volume, flavor, and punch.
The Metal Conduction bowl was punchier, and while the flavor was different – it wasn’t any less flavorful. The 2nd hit on the metal bowl was noticeably smoother than the first hit.
On my 2nd time around with both of these bowls I over-packed the ZX bowl and combusted slightly.
ZX Bowl Verdict: It’s a great bowl, and a the ZX is a great vape. The vapor performance is similar to the IO Hornet’s glass injector bowl, but the ZX bowl delivers a smoother hit somehow. It’s not quite as flavorful as the glass, but it’s very similar.
IO Hornet Glass Stinger vs Glass Injector Bowl
Both of these bowls are extremely flavorful. The Stinger is a hybrid bowl with full heating – convection, conduction, and radiant. The Injector bowl is mostly convection, with some radiant heating on the top.
Both glass bowls hit with more flavor than than the metal conduction bowl and the ceramic zirconia bowl.
I may have exaggerated the volume of the stinger bowl hit, and the flavor of the Injector bowl hit – but in the moment they felt bigger and brighter than the rest.
The ZX bowl was slightly smoother than the glass bowls, but it was subtle enough to ignore.
Which bowl works best for the IO Hornet?
Each bowl has pros and cons.
I reach for the metal conduction bowl more than the others because I prefer punchy hits. The metal bowl is also the easiest to maintain.
The Glass Stinger bowl is a close 2nd favorite. This bowl can use the tiniest amount of herb and perform miracles with it. This bowl delivers maximum flavor and punch without slacking on volume or smoothness.. My only complaint with this bowl is dealing with the screen.
Glass Injector bowl is the fuller convection and fuller flavor option. What it lacks in punch is made up for in flavor. The full convection may lose smoothness points depending on terp burn, temperatures, and bowl density.
See my full IO Hornet Review to learn more
The IO Hornet is one of my top 3 ball vapes
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