Crafty+ (Plus) Vaporizer Review – Worth The Hefty Price Tag?

Updated: March 14, 2024

The new Crafty+ promises better battery life, improved performance, and a few other finishing touches while still following the same formula. How well does the new Crafty Plus perform in person? Check out our Crafty+ review here for more info!

If this is your first dry herb vaporizer, check out our nifty best cannabis vaporizer ranking to help you understand more about what you’re getting into!

While we hoped that they fix the Crafty original design drawback, that one they left, unfortunately. Below we will show you exactly what it means to you, and what alternative routes you can consider.

Crafty+ vaporizer Review

Crafty+ vaporizer heating coils

How it Works – Does the Crafty+ function the same?

Similar to its original brother, the Crafty+ changes almost nothing in its operation. The single button is responsible for turning the device on, off, and adjusting the temperature.

The Crafty+ is considered a 3rd Generation vaporizer since it comes with capsules, however, the Crafty does not come with everything out of the box,  you will have to purchase the filling kit separately for the capsules, making the priceyness of the Crafty even more pronounced. If you’d like to take a look at another 3rd generation vaporizer that does come with the necessary tools right out of the box, take a look at the Zeus Arc GTS.

The new Crafty+ weed vape technically now has three temperature settings to choose from – two programmable in the app, and one which will rise to the max temperature with a quick triple-press.

Loading the chamber with a good pile of a medium-fine ground cannabis or one of the Crafty capsules is a breeze and then you’ll just want to wait for it to heat up before taking a draw.

The low draw resistance makes taking a hit a simple process, so there aren’t really any difficulties in getting it working just right!

Crafty+ vaporizer detached

Crafty+ vaporizer power control

Temperature Flexibility – Does the Crafty+ it have a higher max temperature?

As we touched on earlier, the Crafty+ now has three temperature settings you can cycle between. The smartphone app can allow you to choose any temperature between 104-410°F, which translates to 40-210°C.

Two settings can be programmed to any of these and stored on the device locally. The third setting is locked at maximum temperature.

For all practical purposes, we find this to be adequate since most people only cycle between a few different temperature settings anyways.

So sure, the temperature control is really adequate and will satisfy most. We’re a bit sad that deeper temperature control isn’t available and that the highest temperature is also the same. Meanwhile, a unit like the Utillian 722 was released about a month earlier and comes stock with pre-set temperatures and offers users a higher max temperature for better extraction, especially for extracts.

When it comes to the Crafty Plus for use with concentrates, we’d really have liked to see the max temperature be a bit higher as well. It gets a passing grade, but we’re not impressed by any means.

To learn more about other convection-style vaporizers you can check our best convection vaporizer ranking here.

Crafty+ vaporizer mouth piece

Vapor Quality – Is the vapor better on the Crafty+?

The Crafty+ is one of the best cannabis vaporizers around for vapor quality. The Mighty has been known as king for delivering consistent, powerful, and flavourful hits.

We’re glad to report that the Crafty Plus is even a step above this! It’s nothing groundbreaking, but certainly, an improvement can be felt. The new heating tech clearly seems to be doing its job.

The Crafty+ is a hybrid style cannabis vaporizer meaning it uses a combination of convection and conduction, to learn more about that you can visit our article here.

The hybrid of conduction and convection heating is still there, but the heater seems to keep up with heavy pulls much better and provide a little more ‘oomph’ than before.

One matter that we didn’t really think about much till Tools420, another major vaporizer reviewer mentioned it, is the extraction efficiency. The crafty plus is pretty awesome at flavorful extraction, but the top temperature is relatively low. That results in herbs not being fully extracted. So make sure you are ok with a little higher wastage/cost, if you choose to go with the crafty+.

 

 

Still, the Crafty+ has pretty great taste, solid smoothness from the cooling unit, and effortlessly puts out hugs clouds of potent and powerful vapor. Second to almost none, the Crafty+ knocks it out of the park, and if you’re serious about performance, the Crafty+ is guaranteed to satisfy.

Crafty+ vaporizer front display

Manufacturing Quality – Is the build quality improved?

Makers of the legendary Volcano vaporizer, Storz & Bickel has gained a solid reputation as a very good manufacturer. Still made in their state-of-the-art facility in Germany, the Crafty+ retains the medical certifications that its brothers have and hasn’t changed much.

While the body has had a slight ergonomic and visual redesign occur to it, we don’t doubt Storz & Bickel did more than their due diligence and learned from any past mistakes however, we are not a big fan of the plastic chassis. When it comes to manufacturing quality, in your hand it just doesn’t feel as nice as a Zeus Arc GTS.

 We are a bit disappointed to report that in the box, S&B has included fewer accessories than before. In the box, you’ll now find just the Crafty+ itself, a USB-C charger, spare o-rings, spare screens, 2 concentrate pads, a dosing capsule, a quick start guide, and safety instructions alongside a 3 year warranty.

They used to include a cannabis grinder, loading tool, and cleaning brush which were really nice touches and served their purpose! It seems they decided to leave those out to reduce the retail box size and maybe profit more. We’re sad to see these tools go but considering vaporizers already save you money, you shouldn’t be too upset about the few missing tools. To learn more about this you can check out our Save money with vaporizers page.Crafty+ vaporizer heating chamber

The blue ring you can see around the heating chamber is called a seal ring, these are replaceable if you purchase a seal ring set. Another important replacement you may need is the screen you can see in the image, you can also purchase that here.

Crafty+ vaporizer usb slot

Battery Life – Did they increase battery life?

With the latest iteration of the Crafty+, we finally get a USB-C charging port just like the one on the Davinci IQC. Thanks to this, the Crafty+ now charges up significantly faster than its older versions shaving off approximately a third of the charging time.

Somehow, they managed to almost double the battery life of the previous unit! Now, users can expect anywhere between 5-9 sessions per charge, depending on how they are vaporizing cannabis. The new battery life is a huge step up from the previous Crafty lineup which struggled to put out 4-5 sessions per cycle. The new charging time is also cut down to roughly 1 hour as well, which is a nice improvement.

We’re also unlikely to ever see a removable battery from any S&B device since that’s just how the Germans are with their device protocols. If a removable battery is something you’re looking for you might want to take a look at the Airvape Legacy Pro which provides similar quality vapor.

Crafty+ vaporizer with armor case

Portability – Is the Crafty+ smaller?

Just as portable as ever although not as portable as the LITL1, now you can forget your power bank and charger at home with the new battery upgrade! The Crafty+ carries the same dimensions and weight of the old unit, which means it fits into any pocket and bag with ease and takes up as little weight as possible.

Given it’s compact size, the Crafty+ also fits perfectly in carry cases similar to the Zeus Armor Case for that extra bit of protection when on the go.

Not only that, the super-durable PEEK plastic body is about as rugged as you can get for a portable cannabis vape. Taking it out to the ski slopes or out for wild excursions shouldn’t be a threat unless it involves water.

Also, the Dosing Capsule system is a terrific way to carry a handful of sessions with you on the go, foregoing the need to reload a chamber each time – just pop in a new capsule and vape away!

Without a doubt, the Crafty+ is one of the best portable cannabis vapes on the market, and if you’re someone who’s constantly out on the go, it’s definitely a solid option.

Crafty+ vaporizer tank

Ease of Use – Has anything been updated?

Just like all the other vaporizers in their lineup, Storz & Bickel always has user experience in mind and the Crafty+ is definitely simple to use. One-button operation, easy to load, Dosing Capsule system and super easy to draw from, the Crafty+ puts out top-notch performance each and every time.

You can even be pretty negligent with grind and pack technique and completely neglect any complex draw technique – you’ll still get solid performance without worry. Using the optional Mighty & Crafty filling aid speeds thing loading side of things even further.

This means that sharing with friends and strangers isn’t a hassle at all since you’re not having to coach them on how to hit it. The wide-open draw of the Crafty+ also doesn’t have you feeling like you’re sucking on a frozen milkshake-like with the original Arizer Solo.

Cleaning is a bit easier now with the updated ceramic coated filling chamber that comes with the new Crafty+. A cotton swab dipped in iso is good enough to make quick work of any build-up and grime on the bowl and a quick brush cleans the screen easily enough, but the entire cooling unit is best to be soaked in a glass of iso. Just ensure you remove all o-rings before doing this and don’t leave it in for too long!

Crafty+ vaporizer in hand

Discreetness – Does the Crafty+ produce the same smell?

The Crafty+ is entirely matte black and is roughly the same shape and size of a typical e-cig, which makes for a pretty solid stealthy option. The heat-up time will still take around a minute and the unit does put out quite a noticeable amount of smell, as with any cannabis vaporizer.

Still, aside from some super stealth units like the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, the Crafty+ is what we feel to be the perfect balance between size, stealth, and raw power.

Design Drawback

Crafty design drawback

One thing we can mention about the Crafty that really doesn’t help its case is that we can find a  gap between the heating chamber and the chassis as shown in the image above. We didn’t have an aged Crafty to show for comparison but you can clearly see that it has the same extra space as the Mighty. This space risks particle build-up over time and can really start to accumulate smell, not to mention it is almost impossible to clean. In the image, we can also see the Utillian 722 which in comparison does not have this issue and has a magnetic top as opposed to a screw-on top.

Crafty Plus Full Kit

Overall Experience – A Worthwhile Upgrade?

We’re a bit conflicted! The Crafty+ boasts tremendous power and performance; however, we really wish they made a few other improvements.

A higher maximum temperature like the 722 vaporizer which is able to pump out the clouds for both cannabis as well as cannabis extracts. The aforementioned 722 is also significantly cheaper than the Crafty Plus but offers comparable convection vapor.

In future versions, we’d like to see something like an OLED screen as well as full temperature control without the use of the app. But for now, it seems like the Mighty+ will continue to the full-featured flagship device in Storz & Bickel’s lineup.

As it stands it’s a great update that brings the Crafty on par with the rest of the marketplace today.

Looking to give your old Crafty+ a much needed  overhaul? The Crafty Wear and Tear set comes with all the requisite parts needed to get your trusty Crafty+ back to brand new and optimal running condition.

Make sure you stock up on dosing capsules for the Crafty as well! If you have questions about our Crafty+ Vaporizer review or just want to let us know what you think, feel free to drop us a comment below! Thanks for reading and as always, keep vapin’!

If you happen to still be on the fence on whether vaporizing is healthier than smoking, check out our inside scoop with a bonus video demonstration of how these two methods of heating dry herb differ inside your lungs!

Score 8.6 Awesome

Pros

  • +

    Compact size and fits easily into pockets and bags.

  • +

    Dosing capsule system for on-the-go use and clean vaporizing sessions.

  • +

    A ceramic-coated filling chamber makes cleaning easier.

  • +

    Enhanced battery life with USB-C charging options than Crafty.

  • +

    Renowned Storz & Bickel quality of vaporizers with medical certifications.

Cons

  • -

    Feels less premium due to the plastic chassis.

  • -

    The gap between the heating chamber and the chassis can accumulate particles and odors.

  • 8.6
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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.