Arizer ArGo vs Davinci IQ – Bite-Sized Portables!

Updated: October 6, 2023
Vapor Quality

Being high-end ultra portable vaporizers, the Davinci IQ and Arizer ArGo are direct competitors with one another. With Arizers sturdy reputation and DaVinci’s intuitive engineering, it’s a hard choice to make between the two. In this head-to-head, we check out the Arizer ArGo vs Davinci IQ to see which one claims the title of the best small portable vaporizer.

If they might be your first portable vaporizer, do head on over to our Dry Herb Vaporizer Buyers Guide to help you get started with some useful information!

Arizer ArGo vs. Davinci IQArizer ArGo vs. Davinci IQ Review


argo mouth pieceVapor Quality

The ArGo has nice, crisp, flavorful vapor. The cloud production is really solid and the all glass vapor path gives the vapor a completely unaltered experience like all the other Arizer’s devices such as the Air provides. Working off a hybrid heating system, the ArGo uses whatever amount of material you have very efficiently!

The DaVinci IQ, on the other hand, has hands down the best conduction vapor from a portable, in my humble opinion. With that being said, conduction vapor has different traits than hybrid or convection heating. Conduction vapor feels heavier or more robust. Meatier in a way. Convection is lighter, fluffier and brighter. Think of it as a thick vanilla pudding versus a fluffy vanilla whipped cream. They’re both delicious, though some people may have a certain preference.

The IQ doesn’t work particularly well with half-packed chambers though. A bit of an upset since the chamber capacity is pretty large at around 0.2-0.4 grams, depending on pack density. There are glass spacers available which remedy this problem, however, it’s a cumbersome solution when out and about.

The IQ also features a neat little flavor chamber. The premise of it is it lies in the middle of the vapor path and can be loaded with any herb like lavender or chamomile. That herb will then add some ‘flavor’ to the vapor, and then accumulate some reclaim on it. Depending on the herb chosen, you can opt to then vaporize the herb with reclaim for a particularly interesting experience!

The vapor from both units are certainly very good, however, I like the glass vapor path and vapor qualities just a little more from the Argo than I do the IQ. The flavor chamber is a nice addition for me, though many people never use it or find it to not be worth the effort.

davinci iq front display

Manufacturing Quality

Both of these units feel great! The ArGo carries Arizers highly renowned reputation followed by great customer service and solid build quality. The ArGo also comes with a handsome amount of accessories with a standard toolkit, charger, manual, plenty of spare screens, a carrying case, two stems with caps, and of course the ArGo and battery itself.

The IQ has a lovely finish to it and feels rugged in the hand. After initial quality control issues early into its release, the IQ has proven to be a pretty reliable little unit just like the Zeus Arc GTS Hub. With that, the accessories given are quite similar to what you’d get with the ArGo, though the extended mouthpiece also doubles as a 10mm water pipe adapter too!

The IQ also has a huge amount of innovation in its design. The flavor chamber, zirconia vapor path, Bluetooth app, unique display, etc. There was a lot of thoughtful engineering put into this device and it certainly shows.

While the ArGo feels good, it doesn’t feel ‘great’, and the rubberized coating on it falls short to the beautiful construction of the IQ. Loading the chamber on the IQ is easier, the included flavor chamber is a nice touch, and overall the IQ feels more intuitive than the ArGo. My point goes to the IQ. for build quality!

Ease of Use

Both units are relatively easy to use once you’ve set them both up. The IQ powers on with a side button, and loading the chamber is done by flipping open the bottom chamber and sliding your material in. After that, just set your temperature and away you go.

The ArGo is similar however in order to load the unit you need to either slide in a pre-loaded stem or take out the stem and load it with material, then reinsert it. For this simple fact, I find the IQ easier to use since the chamber is self-contained in the unit itself.

While I actually prefer the loading method of the ArGo when at home and for desktop use, when on the go, it’s better to have a self-contained chamber for simplicity purposes.

Cleaning both units isn’t too difficult, though the ArGo wins handily for cleaning. Since the chamber is self-contained in the stem itself, simply popping it into a small glass of cleaning solution will clean it out in a moment notice. For the IQ, the mouthpiece, chamber and flavor chamber are all pieces you need to service the same way it needs to be done for the Davinci Miqro.

As the IQ is easier to use and the ArGo is easier to clean, I give them a tie in this category.

davinci iq with armor case

Portability

The biggest selling point for both of these, they’re both incredibly portable. The ArGo is Arizers solution to the problem with the Arizer Air 2 by including a mechanism that hides the fragile glass stem. While it’s a handy feature, it doesn’t quite compare to not having that problem in the first place.

With the ArGo, you need to remove the stem entirely to load more material or swap the stem, while the IQs bottom just flips open, revealing your herb chamber. This is much easier when out and about and my preferred way of use since there’s no need to remove the stem in order to load in a new bowl.

The IQ wins for portability definitely.

argo & davinci iq with charger

Battery Life

Both units carry a pretty solid battery life. The IQs included 3500mAh battery bests the 3000mAh battery from the ArGo just slightly, though they both get about 5-8 sessions per charge, depending on heat settings and session times used in contrast to Arizer Solo 2‘s 20 sessions.

Being 18650 compatible and swappable, they both are practically identical in the battery life field and yield a tie in this category.

Discreetness


Both units are rather discreet and work well at being stealthy hitters similar to the LITL 1. The IQ does feature a handy little stealth mode which disables the LEDs, though it’s not entirely all that useful anyway since it hides entirely in your hand anyways.

These are both very discreet vaporizers and almost identical in size, so they yield yet another tie in this regard.

davinci iq temperature display

Temperature Flexibility

Both the Go and IQ have precise temperature control. The ArGo adjusts using the OLED display and has a temperature range from 128-428°F/53.3-220°C. It’s incredibly easy to turn it on, set your desired setting and go!

The IQ, on the other hand, has a temperature range between 350-430°F, or 176-221°C. You can adjust the temperature with the up-down rocker switch and the chosen temperature will display on the unique 45-LED ‘display’.

To add to that, the IQ uses what’s called ‘Smart Paths’. In essence, it’ll start at one of the four preset temperatures, and gradually increase over the length of the session by 20°F. You can also configure these Smart Paths to your own liking with DaVinci’s Bluetooth app. For those who love to bump up your heat setting throughout the session, having this done automatically is a very nice feature unlike the Firefly 2 Plus that heats up instantly!

It’s really hard to pick a concrete winner between the two. Based purely off temperature range, the ArGo would win with the lower minimum heat, though the IQs Smart Path is a feature I personally really love and give the point to the IQ – only barely though.

davinci-iq-front display

SHOWDOWN


Choosing between these two is really hard! While I love the vapor quality of the ArGo just a little more than the IQ, the innovative features of the DaVinci has me reaching for it more often. The integrated 10mm WPA, better construction of it, flavor chamber possibilities and beautiful design makes me feel as though it’s a better product.

Don’t get me wrong, the ArGo is still wonderful and a robust little unit, though I feel Arizer could’ve engineered a better solution to the glass stem predicament that the Air/Solo faced. The amount of thought and effort that went into the IQ definitely shines above many vaporizers. If you are looking to buy the Davinci IQ in Canada after reading the review you can visit our store now.

If you’d like to see another comparison, check out our recent showdown between the Zeus Arc & DaVinci IQ and to see how these 2 units stack up against the field, be sure to check out our Portable Vaporizer Ranking Chart.

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About Author
Avatar for Alex Karakatsanis

Alex is a cannabis enthusiast, long time vaporizer lover, writer and filmmaker. He is also a board and video game nerd with a penchant for hosting a weekly board game night. Partygoers have been heard saying things like “is anyone else going to show up?” and “I don’t think I can make it next week”. He strives to make people laugh at every opportunity and sees cannabis as a helpful tool in doing so.

The reviews and ratings are based on personal and decade-plus of industry experience. Such content is based on the opinion of the Editor/Author. They are solely provided as a basis for research and should be used only as guidance. We encourage thorough research by all visitors to attain the most objective viewpoint before purchasing.