Conduction vs Convection Vaporizers

Updated: October 6, 2023

How Do Vaporizers Work? (The Short Answer)

The process of vaporizing essentially boils down to a three step process.
1. Applying heat to your cannabis.
2. That heat extracts essential oils from your cannabis
3. Those oils then turn into gas molecules or vapor.
The result of this process is the formation of the vapor you inhale.
Vaporization vs Combustion

How are Conduction and Convection Vaporizers Different?

It is not a complicated process at all, and perhaps the simplest way to explain is with the graphic below. Combine that with the knowledge in the rest of this article and you’ll be an expert and saving money with vaporizers in no time.
Conduction vs Convection Explained
There are two types of cannabis vaporizers: conduction vaporizers and convection vaporizers. These two types of heating styles will make a drastic difference in the quality and flavor of the vapor produced. Our vaporizer buyer’s guide offers a good explanation.
It is important to know the differences between them so you can make an informed decision as to which vaporizer is right for you.
We’re going to touch on the science (just a little bit, I swear!) and then go over pros and cons of both as well as some popular vaporizers that fall into each category.

The Science: Conduction vs. Convection Vaporization

How Does a Conduction Vaporizer Work?

Conduction heat relies on the transfer of heat through direct contact. Think of a sausage in a pan on the stove. The pan touches the hot element, and then the sausage absorbs that heat because it is directly in contact with the pan.
Conduction Heating Explained

Conduction vaporizers will most commonly use battery powered heating chambers – think of the Zeus Arc S Hub or the Pax 3. You load your cannabis directly into the chamber, and when the chamber heats up, your cannabis heats up, releases the oils, and voila, vapor!

How Does a Convection Vaporizer Work?

Convection, however, relies on an element heating air that passes over that element. Think of that same sausage, but in the oven. There is an element at the bottom or back of your oven that heats the air inside the oven. That hot air cooks your sausage. In convection, air is used as the means of transferring heat to your sausage.
Convection Heat Explained
Convection vaporizers will either be powered by an internal fan like the Volcano Vaporizer or with the power from your own draws like the Utillian 722. Either way, the hot air moves through your cannabis, cooking and extracting vapor from it.

Pros & Con’s Of Conduction & Convection Vaporizers

There are pros and cons to both heating methods, so making the choice between these two vaporizing styles will depend on what matters most to you. Of course, the temperature you set your vaporizer is also important, be sure to check out our article on the best temperature settings for vaping to learn more!

Conduction Vaporizers: More Portable & Efficient Battery Life

Pros of Conduction Vaporizers

  • Smaller Footprint
  • More efficient; battery will typically last longer
  • Good vapor quality
  • Generally simpler to use

Cons of Conduction Vaporizers

  • Possibility of uneven vaporization

 

Collection of Conduction Portable Vaporizers

Conduction vaporizers are considered to be less efficient in vaporizing, since cannabis that is not directly touching the heating element will be unevenly vaporized.

Though this can be fixed by gently stirring your cannabis every so often to ensure every part of your batch gets equal “heat attention,” the cannabis directly in contact with the heating element will be at a higher risk of being over-heated, hence lowering the vapor quality.

The vapor quality of a conduction vaporizer is good, however, and if you stir your cannabis during a session, it will have no trouble extracting all of the essential oils from your herb to deliver you a quality session.

Conduction vaporizers do not need as much space to generate heat and therefore are significantly smaller than convection units. The above Zeus Arc is one of the smallest vaporizers available but can still put out big clouds.

Conduction units are also generally much simpler to use, as there is one less step in the heating process. Conduction allows for more efficient use of energy and these units generally last longer before the battery needs to be charged.

Good examples of conduction vaporizers are the already mentioned and depicted Zeus Arc GTS Hub, which is super portable, has a gold vapor path and some fantastic vapor quality or the Arizer Solo 2, an absolute workhorse of a vaporizer than can last around 3 hours of continuous use before needing a recharge.

Convection Vaporizers: Better than Conduction?

Pros of Convection Vaporizers

  • Better vapor quality
  • Better flavor
  • Better Airflow

Cons of Convection Vaporizers

  • Larger & Bulkier
  • Typically more expensive
  • Generally harder to use
  • Battery typically will not last as long

 

Collection of Convection Vaporizers

Convection vaporizers are a tricky customer. The only real thing that they boast is better vapor quality and better flavor, but at the end of the day, that’s really the biggest thing you want in a vaporizer.

It does come at a price though, a larger footprint is needed because convection needs extra space to generate hot air. And this need to generate hot air results in a a higher energy cost to the battery. Also convection vaporizers tend to be more expensive, but their cost has come down in recent years, with the Utillian 620 being one of the most affordable convection vaporizers to date.

That being said, the vapor quality of convection devices is typically outstanding, because of the ability to evenly cook your cannabis.

Of course, a lot of your experience is going to come down to the quality of the cannabis product you have, but a good convection device can make a world of difference in terms of flavor and vapor quality.

You can’t talk about convection vaporizers without mentioning Storz & Bickel. Their iconic Volcano reigns as the best convection vaporizer and even the best desktop vape on the market – and since it’s inception 20 or so years ago, they have taken their technology and shrunken it down into two awesome portables, the Crafty + and the Mighty.

Both of these devices are ranked as some of the best portable convection vaporizers on the market.

Conduction Zeus Arc GT vs Convection Utillian 722

Conclusion – Should you get a Conduction or Convection Vaporizer?

Of course, there are a ton of different devices on the market. All in all, it’s up to you to decide which heating style is best for you – I personally have a vaporizer from both categories.

Conduction units are handy to have if you plan on going out and using your vaporizer. They make great travel companions and because they are small, they can easily slip in your pocket.

Convection units tend to do better at home because of their bulkier size and larger vapor production. They are not as discrete as their conduction brothers, but do offer great vapor quality.

After all, it’s no fun cooking the same meal the same way every day, mixing it up is one of the best ways to keep things fresh.

There are plenty of vaporizers on the market to try, and the most important thing is to do your research! So congratulate yourself on taking the first step on the long journey towards the best possible vapor.

We hope you enjoyed reading our conduction vs convection vaporizing post! We would love to hear from you! Free free to leave a comment in the section below, you can do so anonymously if you like!

Thanks for reading and as always, keep vapin’!

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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.