Pax 3 Review

The Pax 3 Vaporizer only has a few upgrades installed compared to the Pax 2 Vaporizer. There was a feature that allowed users to adjust settings on a smartphone application for Apple users. However, in 2019, that application has been restricted for new installations meaning people who are trying to download the application now wouldn’t be able to use this functionality.

The Pax 3 has been in the market for quite some time now, and it is also considered to be one of the safer portable vaporizers you can find as well as being the most popular in the US and Australia. Its design has a matte finish look, improved functionality/upgrades but, most importantly, the ability to vape concentrates if you have the complete kit. Additionally, it is equipped with fast heat-up time, uses haptic feedback as always, smart oven technology, and an application for easier adjustments (again, if you get it today, sorry to say you can’t install the app anymore).

So. Much. Better. Now!

On the surface, there’s not much of a difference between the Pax 2 and the Pax 3, it’s still the same small and discreet looking device which you could carry it in your pockets and bags without any struggle. The things to note are the incremental upgrades and changes made to the user interface, battery life and an all-in-one form factor capable of producing the same dense, pure vapour like all of Pax vaporizers. Furthermore, the Pax 3 is around 4 inches tall, with an oven that holds one-third of a gram and with that you’re looking about 15-25 draws from a fully packed oven for a longer session. As always, Pax vaporizers have this nice feeling when you have it in your hands with the weight and an aluminium shell with a matte finish, and you also have 4 colour options to choose from: Black, Silver, Gold and Teal, my favourites the Teal because it looks way more aesthetic.

Size Specifications
Height	3.87 in / 9.83 cm
Width	1.21 in / 3.07 cm
Depth	.085 in / 2.16 cm
Weight	3.28 oz / 93 g

 

Complete Kit VS Basic Kit

Now a lot of people have asked me what the difference is between the basic and the complete kit, does it work differently or does one have better upgrades? Which leads to a lot of misconceptions about the Pax 3 Vaporizer. So here’s the deal, regardless of which bundle you go with, it doesn’t mean the device would perform differently, the 2 main differences these bundle would have are the accessories that come with it as well as why it comes with it. The accessories in the Basic Kit are the simple and usual accessories you need for dry herbs, on the other hand, the Complete Kit offers extensive accessories which could allow you to vape with dry herbs *and* concentrates. Now if you look at the table, the tools and accessories that come with it in the complete kit have the Half-Pack Oven Lid and the Concentrate Insert (this is primarily used for Concentrates). 

What’s in the box
	Complete kit	Device only
PAX 3	✔	✔
Charger	✔	✔
Flat Mouthpiece	✔	✔
Raised Mouthpiece	✔	✔
10 Year Warranty	✔	✔
Cleaning Kit	✔	✔
Standard Oven Lid	✔	✔
Half-Pack Oven Lid	✔
Concentrate Insert	✔
Extra Screens	✔
Multi-Tool	✔
Soft Pouch	✔

The Real Deal (Concentrates)

Normally, you wouldn’t be able to use the Pax 3 Vaporizer to vape concentrates and rather than re-designing its core functionality, Pax decided to add a new accessory which gives people the ability to vape concentrates. So all you need is the concentrate insert that fits into the oven and you got yourself a Pax 3 Concentrate Vaporizer.

Vapour Quality

The Pax 3 vaporizer packs a punch depending on which temperature setting you to go for, generally, there are 4 temperature settings you could use, personally, I found that the first 2 to be more subtle and gradual whereas the last 2 settings seem to pack more punch. Overall, the Pax 3 Vaporizer gives off a very dense vapour that is actually quite smooth and delicious.

Temperature Setting

Temperature

360° F / 182° C

380° F / 193° C

400° F / 204° C

420° F / 216° C

Easy to Use

 

As mentioned, the first 2 temperature will give you that tasty and light vapour which is nearly transparent in the eyes of the user so you’ll mostly feel the vapour and taste and the last 2 temperature setting will produce more dense vapour with a stronger punch due to the heat production and personally feels like I’m being hit in the throat with intense force as I’m vaping it. My advice is to go with your own pace and not rush the herbs or concentrates and just go with your own personal preference on the temperature settings. Now I cannot stress this enough, many have asked me how to deal with the heat produced on the mouthpiece and device. Reasons, why Pax is considered to be the safer option to choose for a dry herb vaporizer, is because the oven is located at the bottom of the device away from the mouthpiece and cools down the vapour extremely well as if you’re sucking on a straw.

Pax has always made their products simple to use, I mean, who wouldn’t like that. A single button which is embedded in the mouthpiece controls everything and the flower petal lights indicate your settings. Pressing it once turns it on and off, hold the button down will adjust the temperature and that’s it. The bonus feature is the haptic feedback where you shake the device which will either check the battery like or exit temp mode and it’ll vibrate when it’s ready.

Smart Device 

The Pax 3 actually works like your smartphone, you press the power button to turn on your phones and do what you got to do with it. Like the Pax 3 Vaporizer, the device will shut down by itself after 30 seconds and the process kicks in whereby the temperature drops. Pick it back up and put your lips on the device, the Pax 3 will boost the temperature to your setting instantly. How is it doing this is because conduction vapes like Pax 3 cook the herbs once you pack them in and it is designed with an accelerometer and lip sensing technology which the device uses to tell if you’re using the device or not.

Impressive Battery Life

 

In this process, I actually used a timer to tell me how long the device would work when I use it. The result shows that it can last up to approximately 3 hours on a full charge since I only use the first 2 settings so I’m not using a lot of battery or power. In terms of charging it actually takes about the same time as when you’re using the device, for instance, if you use it for say 1 hour, it’ll take that time to charge fully with the USB Dock Charger, in all honesty, I wasn’t too worried on the charging because it does its own thing but the battery life while using it has definitely impressed me.

Materials and Durability

Like any other products by Pax, they use medical grade materials used in hospitals and is considered to be safe to use for vaping. The heating element is a non-ceramic tuned thin film heater which is bonded with the oven and on the surface of the device. Moreover, the draw is depended on the amount you fill in the oven if the oven is too packed you would expect a tight draw and that isn’t a problem at all. However, my advice would be to use the Half-Pack Oven (if you get the Complete Kit) just to help preserve your herbs because in my opinion, there’s no point using too much of your herbs in one session, and as I’ve said before, go with your own pace if you are vaping the herbs yourself alone. In terms of durability, the Pax 3 is more durable than it looks, the outer shell is anodized aluminium which is tough and protects the surface from scratches, cracks or dents.

Final Thoughts

On a scale of 0-10, I rate it at an 8. The Pax 3 may have better improvements compared to its predecessors however I still think that they could have done better improvements on it. Let’s start off with the controls, in my opinion, I have a love-hate relationship with the way it’s controlled with a single button on the mouthpiece, and I always find devices with a plus/minus button to be much more convenient and easier. Next, is my concern with the battery being built-in, I just think that devices nowadays should have a removable battery so we have to worry about replacing the entire device when it’s malfunctioning because it takes a long time for Pax to send a replacement which is about 1-2 months but in terms of safety, devices with the built-in battery could cause physical damage if not taken care of properly, even if the device has a failsafe system, I would rather be safe than sorry. Finally, the option to choose your own temperature setting, now don’t get me wrong, I think the 4 preset temperatures are still good but I just think that the Pax 3 should’ve been more flexible with its temperature, I firmly believe that different people have different preferences and that includes temperature. Overall, the Pax 3 vaporizer is a great device, and I would still highly recommend this product over alternatives in the market.

Check out other products such as Mighty Vaporizer