The plethora of vaporizers available can seem daunting to the newcomer, while some units obviously offer improvements over other vaporization methods, most vape choices come down to personal preference. One popular option vapers find themselves debating is Whip-Style vs Balloon Bagging. Note that both varieties are really only applicable to desktop vaporizers.
Whip-Style: The Original Vape
When vaporizers first hit the market, the box and whip style was the most commonly utilized. While eschewing portability, the unit promised a healthier alternative to smoking. The methods of heating in early vapes was less sophisticated than it is today, some basically surmounted to a soldering iron surrounded by a wooden box with a hose attached. While these boxes were more of a fire hazard than a vaporizer, they did establish the whip convention that’s so popular today.
Flash forward to today. Desktop vaporizers now come in an array of building materials with true convection heating. While it's not uncommon to see desktop vapes with advanced features such as accurate, digital temperature control, ceramic or other high-quality heating elements, the delivery system of the Whip has remained largely unchanged. The staying power of this vapor delivery system makes finding replacement parts a breeze.
Anatomy of a Whip
Vaporizer whips are composed of three main parts: A ground glass wand, a tube of varying length and a glass mouthpiece. The wand serves as the chamber or atomizer for your vape material. The wand will often feature a screen that holds what you’re vaporizing, and the wand fits snugly to the heating element. Glass is used due to its high temperature threshold. The whip is made of medical-grade tubing, which accommodates a length of any size. This tubing, which extends the vapor path to cool the vapor, is easily replaceable. The mouthpiece completes the vapor path and is made of high-quality borosilicate glass, ensuring a tasty hit.
Balloon Bag Vaporizers
The Volcano Vaporizer, still widely considered the gold standard, is the archetype for balloon bag vaporizers. It introduced forced-air convection, utilizing a fan to pass heat along the vape material for even distribution. Since its introduction, many other manufacturers have utilized similar technology to deliver pure, flavorful vapor. Forced-air convection is uniquely efficient, extracting only the essential ingredients for your vaping pleasure.
One drawback to the balloon bag vaporizer, is the bag is generally a proprietary piece exclusive to the manufacturer. While this makes for a consistent vape while using a brand of balloon vaporizers, you cannot mix and match parts as you can with the whip variation. The basic parts involved in bag vaporization vary from unit to unit but work on the same principle. There is a mouthpiece, often containing a valve mechanism to regulate the volume of vapor inhaled. The bags are made of a heat-resistant plastic, which is extremely durable. The bag and valve connect to the heating element through a glass tube or high-grade plastic socket. The fans do the work, so when the bag is filled, you can vape at your leisure.
In the vape market there’s no such thing as the best vaporizer, as there’s no accounting for taste. The best medicine --other than what your vaping--is knowledge. Keeping informed on your options is the best way to find the vape that works best for you. Still can’t decide on balloon-bag or whip-style vaping? Vaporizers like the Vapir Rise don’t force you to make a choice, offering both methods. The choice is yours.
