2024 is a great year for Cannabis. Desktop vaporizers are at the pinnacle of dry herb vaporizer performance. Thanks to recent advancements in Ball Vape technology, a new class of desktop vaporizers has blossomed and new vapor potency levels have been unlocked.
Whether you’re looking for a traditional tabletop vaporizer like the Volcano or a heavy-hitting vaporizer to use on a bong, this page will cover the differences and explain which desktop vape is right for you.
This guide covers several classes of cannabis consumption devices ranging from medical vaporizers to dual-purpose dab and vape setups. I’ve even highlighted special sections for the ball vapes, budget picks, best whip vapes, best dual-purpose vape, and best vape for bongs.
I’ve tested every desktop vaporizer, every ball vape, and every weed smoking machine.
Which type of Desktop Vaporizer is Right For You?
Desktop vaporizers have evolved into multiple formats and experiences.
Choose your vaping experience to match your style of use with the types of desktop vaporizers.
Tabletop / Whip Vapes
The conventional whip vape is a classic way to share with your friends at a sesh, or at your desk hot and ready for all-day vaping. I’ve outlined the best whip vapes down below.
>> Skip to Tabletop Whip Vapes
Bag / Balloon Vapes
The Volcano isn’t the only bag vape in town! Bags or balloons are a fun way to share vapor with friends and family.
Vapes for Bongs
Want to rip your dry herb vape through a bong or a bubbler? These vaporizers are designed to be used with glassware.
Table of Contents
- 1 Which type of Desktop Vaporizer is Right For You?
- 2 Best Desktop Vaporizers for BOTH Dabs and Dry Herb
- 3 Save 10% on Dab Ready + Terp Hammer
- 4 Best Whip Vape: 2023 Updated Vapor Brothers VB.1.5
- 5 Best Budget Desktop Vaporizers
- 6 Best Desktop Vapes for Bongs
- 7 Still Not Sure Which Desktop Vaporizer to Pick?
- 8 Log Vapes
- 9 Which Desktop Vape do I Use Most?
Best Desktop Vaporizers for BOTH Dabs and Dry Herb
Dab Ready + Terp Hammer = Terp Ready
The Dab Ready and Terp Hammer produce the ultimate desktop vape experience. They excel at both dry herb and dabbing. Bundled and sold together as the Terp Ready, it’s truly the first device that delivers a full and fantastic dabbing experience as well as a fast and flavorful flower vapor.
It’s also the first cordless ball vape!
The cordless vaporizer head rests in the Dab Ready’s hot coil where it’s heated safely behind a heat shield. The Terp Hammer is carefully removed and used to vape dry herb in a wireless form. This innovative design uses the most recent ball-vape technology, which means it’s filled with glass or ruby balls to amplify the power of the vape.
Great for dabbing and for dry herb!
Traditional Quartz Banger Dabs
The Dab Ready works with any standard 25mm quartz banger. Simply rest your bucket in the hot coil and wait a few minutes for it to heat up. It will keep your banger hot and ready until you’re ready to dab!
Powerful Dry Herb Vapor
The cordless Terp Hammer is one of the absolute best dry herb vaporizers available. This tiny little hammer filled with ruby balls packs more power than any vaporizer made before 2020.
Best of Both Worlds
The Dab Ready and the Terp Hammer together are the best desktop vaporizer. A single footprint that delivers powerful dry herb vapor comparable to all the modern ball vapes – but in a cordless format!
Ready for a dab? The Dab Ready has got you covered! Swap out the Terp Hammer for a quartz banger and you’re always just a quick pull of the banger away from a perfectly temped dab.
**2023 Vapezone Product of the Year^^
Save 10% on Dab Ready + Terp Hammer
Pick up a Terp Ready bundle and save 10%
The Terp Ready bundle comes with the Dab Ready housing, the Terp Hammer dry herb vaporizer (prefilled with balls), a quartz banger, and a marble. Everything you need!
Cannabis Hardware ZenLeaf
The ZenLeaf is similar to the DabReady but with heavy-duty aluminum housings and two different types of cordless ball vapes.
Zenleaf housings come in a few different configurations with and without PID controllers. The two cordless vape heads, Mary and Jane, offer two different experiences.
» See my ZenLeaf Review & Buying Guide
» Use code TROYTIME to save 5% on Zenleaf
Both ZenLeaf and DabReady use 25mm axial coils. The Terp Hammer will work in the ZenLeaf housings and both Mary and Jane will work in the DabReady. The ZenLeaf housings are heavy-duty and nice AF, but the handles get a bit hot and the coils aren’t as nice as the Dab Ready coils.
The DabReady and Terp Hammer were the first of this kind.
Other Desktop Vapes that “Dab”
While no other vape delivers true dabs like the Dab Ready, many desktop vaporizers and modern ball vapes can vaporize concentrates just fine when they’re added to the top of a dry herb bowl. TWAXing is simply adding a dab of your concentrates directly to a bowl of herb. The dab melts into the dry herb and vaporizes along with the herb. The vapor will last longer and be more potent than usual.
Best Whip Vape: 2023 Updated Vapor Brothers VB.1.5
In 2023 the VaporBrothers classic vaporizer box got a major performance upgrade.
The VaporBrothers VB1.5 has balls now! It’s a completely different experience than the original!
The updated VB1.5 from VaporBrothers keeps the same classic interface it’s had for more than 20 years. It’s a box with a dial and an enclosed glass nipple filled with balls. The whip connects to a bowl and the bowl connects to the glass nipple. As you inhale through the whip or a connected bubbler, air is heated by the glass balls and convection heat vaporizes the trichome heads right off your ground herb.
Vapor Brothers 1.5 is now a *Ball Vape*
The VaporBrothers VB1.5 can crank out powerful vapor with a fast inhale and a small bowl. At higher temps this vaporizer pushes the boundaries of inhaling directly from the whip – it’s extremely potent vapor without water filtration or cooling.
Connected to a Bong or Bubbler
With the included glass water pipe adapter (WPA) the VaporBrothers VB1.5 can easily connect to your favorite bong or female-jointed glassware. Water pipe adapters are available in both 14 and 18mm sizes.
The updated and more powerful VB1.5 also comes in new finishes and colors! These desktop vaporizers will fit any decor or mood. The wood and the black are timeless classics and will always look good.
The Updated VB1.5 is $399, CLICK HERE to go directly to the VaporBrothers website.
Other Whip Vapes
The Whip has been the traditional format of the desktop vaporizer for decades and there are several great options. Whip vapes can be very convenient for both solo use and seshing with friends. Whips are easy to pass around a circle or even connect to a bong.
I like the Vapor Brothers VB1.5 because it hits hard using small amounts. It’s a ball vape in whip vape format. It’s great for microdosing. The Volcano Hybrid and Arizer EQ are both great whip vapes, but they don’t have the power of the VB1.5
Best Volcano Vaporizer: Volcano Hybrid
The Volcano is an iconic desktop vaporizer that is immediately recognizable by any stoner. The recently updated Volcany Hybrid adds whip functionality and hybrid heating for more potent vapor. The Volcano Hybrid is the highest-class desktop vaporizer on the market.
Volcano Hybrid can be used with a whip or as a bag vape!
Bags or Balloons are a fun way to share vapor with friends or pass around at parties. The Volcano Hybrid delivers one of the classiest and most luxurious vaping experiences around.
Volcano Hybrid Vapor Bags
The Volcano Vaporizer fills bags or balloons of vapor. Volcano Bags are both a fun and functional way to deliver delicious vapor.
The Volcano Hybrid puts out more potent and punchier vapor than the original Volcano Classic and offers one of the most unique and luxurious vaping experiences.
Volcano Powered Whips & Bongs
The Volcano Hybrid whip can be connected to a bong with a simple whip adapter (not included) – using it with forced air is super fun!
The Volcano Bag valve itself forms a pretty good seal with 18mm female glass joints, but it’s not as much fun as using the whip connected to a bong.
Why Volcano?
The Volcano paved the way for every other vaporizer on this page and will forever be an iconic piece of stoner history.
Also – it’s a fantastic way to vape weed. Volcano bags are a fun and unique way to share, plus the vapor is never hot like other desktop vaporizers.
The Volcano Hybrid is a powerhouse of a vape and can easily serve as a personal or a party vaporizer.
Volcano Hybrid vs Classic
The 2019 updated Volcano Hybrid is notably different than the Volcano Classic.
The Hybrid adds conductive heating to its already powerful convection heater. This hybrid heating produces more potent vapor and faster extraction.
The Hybrid can fully extract a full bowl in one or two bags without using high temperatures. The Classic needs 3-5 bags.
Where to Buy Volcano Vaporizer
Beware of counterfeit Volcano vapes! It’s one of the most faked products. The following are all confirmed authorized Storz & Bickel retailers:
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- Planet of the Vapes
- Vapor.com
- Direct from Storz & Bickel
Planet of the Vapes is the best online store to buy a Volcano vaporizer. They have the best price and they offer a 14-day Satisfaction guarantee on all of the vaporizers they sell, and they don’t sell trash.
POTV only sells positively-reviewed, high quality dry herb vapes.
Volcano Classic
The Classic Volcano is a pure convection vape that only works with bags. The Classic won’t work with the whip or with a bong, but the bags can be adapted to glassware with ease.
I really like the Hybrid a lot more than the classic, but my casual stoner friends really can’t tell the difference.
Best Budget Desktop Vaporizers
These are the cheapest desktop vaporizers that don’t compromise on vapor quality or material safety. Arizer *dominates* the budget vape scene in both portables and desktops. All three of their tabletop models deliver essentially the same vapor, with only a small nod of performance increase on the latest XQ2.
Arizer Desktop Vapes
Arizer offers the most affordable finds with the Extreme-Q and V-Tower. These all-plastic tabletop vaporizers use a ceramic convection heater, a glass bowl, and a silicon whip.
Both the EQ and the XQ2 also have built-in fans to blow bags similar to a Volcano. It’s not as luxurious and easy as the German-made Volcano, but it’s 1/5th of the price!
The EQ and XQ2 include a remote that can be used to control the vape’s mood lighting, temperature, and fan modes.
The Arizer EQ is one of the best values around.
Is Arizer XQ2 Worth the Upgrade over EQ
The XQ2 is a nice aesthetic upgrade over the 13-year-old EQ, but the vapor and functionality are practically identical.
XQ2’s bowls are nicer and the remote is better, but $65 is a quarter ounce of good weed.
Side by side I don’t think I could identify the differences in vapor, so if you’re tight on funds spend the money on the EQ instead of the XQ2.
Arizer EQ is $134
The EQ is my pick for the best budget desktop vape for beginners. The affordable Extreme Q bundle includes everything you need. It’s a budget vape that packs massive value and multiple usage styles. It will blow bags, use a whip, or connect to a bong.
Don’t expect a Volcano experience from the Arizer. It’s 1/5th of the price – expect 1/5th of the Volcano experience.
Arizer Desktop Vapes Aren’t Heavy Hitters
The Arizer Extreme Q *can* put out thick and potent vapor – but using this vape to its fullest requires special packing techniques and inhale speeds. New vaporists and casual users won’t have any problems with the Arizer EQ or XQ2 but heavy users may find themselves looking to upgrade.
Keep scrolling if you’re looking for heavy-hitting vapes with open and fast inhale speeds.
Best Desktop Vapes for Bongs
Ball vapes are the bleeding edge of vape technology and are considered the strongest vaporizers available. These dry herb vapes can get you higher than smoking
Ball vapes hit hard and fast without compromising on flavor. The effects of ball vaporizers are stronger than smoke. The vapor from these powerful vaporizers is closer to dab vapor than other dry herb vapes.
Most ball vapes require a bong or a bubbler to cool the vapor because the convection heat is too intense for a direct inhale.
Best Desktop Vape for Bong: Terp Hammer
The Terp Hammer is my #1 Desktop Vaporizer and the most innovative dry herb vaporizer of the year.
It’s a full convection cordless ball vape that uses the Dab Ready or another 25mm coiled heat source.
The Terp Hammer / Dab Ready combo is the perfect desktop solution for the cannabis connoisseur.
Use code TROYTIME to save 10% on BUNDLES
>> See my full Terp Hammer Review
PID Powered Ball Vapes
If you’re cool with corded e-nail coils, the best way to vape through a bong is with a traditional ‘ball vape’. These vaporizers pack massive convection power and will milk a bong like no other vape!
If you *know* you want a ball vape, skip out of here and hit up my Best Ball Vape Page.
Mini Nail Flower Wand
The MiniNail Flower Wand can vape large or small amounts with ease and it produces massive clouds with fast extraction.
Mininail has the smallest PID on the market.
>> Buy directly from MiniNail for $299 – $320
If you already own a MiniNail Enail you can re-use your PID and just pick up the Flower Wand itself for $224.
Flowerpot TOMCAT
The Flowerpot TOMCAT combines two previous ball vapes, with two different bowl interfaces, into one single vape head.
The Tomcat is 2 vapes in one. The injector side is full convection and pairs with the Shovelhead bowl or a glass 18mm injector bowl. The diffuser side adds conductive heating and only pairs with the Shovelhead bowl.
I like full convection during the daytime for a more functional high. The added conduction with the diffuser side serves a more stoney and sedative stone – perfect for nights and weekends!
>> Buy the TomCat Essentials Bundle: $446
Use code TROYTIME to save 5%
Powerhouse Portables Vaporizers for the Bong
Modern desktop vapes have much more power than most of the best portable vapes, but a few portables stand out as suitable desktop replacements when it comes to vaping through a bong. These vapes are good enough to share, but may not offer enough power for daily heavy users.
TinyMight 2
The TinyMight 2 is currently the most powerful battery-powered portable dry herb vaporizer. This portable powerhouse can deliver more potent and terpene-rich hits than all of the non-balled desktop vaporizers on this page.
The TM2 also has on-demand mode and an ultra-fast 10 second heat-up.
Mighty +
Made by Storz & Bickel, the Mighty+ has been the #1 Best Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer for several years in a row now.
The Mighty delivers full and fluffy vapor with massive battery life. The Mighty+ is a great desktop replacement for casual around-the-house and on-the-go vaping.
>> Buy the Mighty+ from PotV for $320 + freebies
Or see my Mighty+ vape review to learn why it’s the #1 portable.
PotV LOBO
The LOBO is a little vape with a lot of punch. This convection-heavy portable vape has a removable battery for full flexibility and lifespan assurance.
The LOBO easily adapts to a bong using the PotV water pipe adapter and will crush a bowl in 2 or 3 big rips!
Still Not Sure Which Desktop Vaporizer to Pick?
This is a big decision, so take your time and don’t rush into it. Ask lots of questions and watch all of my videos.
Additional Vape Selection Criteria:
A Vape to Yourself
For casual vaping or all-day-use, vapes like the E-Nano or any of the Arizer vapes are perfect and affordable.
A Vape to Share
While the Arizer vapes are shareable, the Volcano shines in the sharability department. If your sesh involves bongs and bubblers, get a ball vape.
Vapes for Smokers
Daily cannabis smokers need a vaporizer that can deliver powerful hits and fast extraction. Ball Vapes deliver a dab-like hit from small bowls of dry herb.
Vapes for Bongs
Ball Vapes are *dominating* the desktop vape space when it comes to bongs and bubblers. Many prefer coiled vape heads over whips, but whipped vapes work well on bongs too.
Log Vapes
Log Vapes are a tiny sliver of the Desktop Vaporizer market. These wooden log-style vaporizers use an internal heating element to produce convection and they’re used with stems or on bongs.
Log vapes aren’t good for sharing, but they’re great for leaving on all day with minimal power use.
The Couch Log Vaporizer
The German-Made Couch Log is unlike other Log Vapes! The heater inside the Couch Log is filled with ceramic balls and it hits super hard!
The wooden barrel also pulls off to make the vape easier to use as a 14mm injector!
The CouchLog is expensive, but it’s *very nice* and it has features and functions that other log vapes simply do not have.
EpicVape E-Nano Log Vape
The E-Nano is an artisan vape with a refined experience and luxurious vapor.
EpicVape uses an all-glass stem and bowl to deliver the purest vapor. The E-Nano bundle includes multiple glass stems and a water pipe adapter to vape through a bong.
I recommend the XL version because it has more airflow and power.
Which Desktop Vape do I Use Most?
I test and review vaporizers for a living so sometimes I don’t get to choose which vapes I’m actively using.
But when I do, I’m reaching for ball vapes 99% of the time. The Dab Ready / Terp Hammer is my current favorite vape and I love the cord-free ball vape experience.
PID-powered ball vapes can still outperform the Terp Hammer, but the power compromise is worthy of being tangle-free.
The *only other* desktop vaporizer I reach for is the Volcano Hybrid – and that’s usually when I have friends over and they’re not used to smoking through a bong.
About best whip vape: is the SSV baller version competitive with the VB1,5 or not please ?
I was going to try the SSV upgrade, but then I noticed it’s using 6mm balls instead of 3mm. It’s going to be too open for me and the convection just won’t be precise and agile like the SSV43 mod.
I’ll probably try it eventually, but I’m not optimistic about it. Stick to the Vapor Brothers IMO.
Do a review for the cloud connoisseur omega
I wish the “cleaner” vapes like the Herborizer, Verdamper, Vriptech Wand etc weren’t so difficult to obtain or even discontinued. I would love to see more vapes in that style. Super clean , glass, air path. Great flavor, great hits etc.
You pointed out the Mary and Jane are packed with metal. A form of anti-engineering imo. Just think of the calories these heavy weights are pulling? This is where the Terp Hammer stands above.
100% agreed. I say the best heat transfer engineering comes with years of research & experience. This is where Old Head stands above.
Definitely end-game product engineering.