Pax 3 vs Arizer Solo 2 – Portable Vaporizer War

Updated: October 6, 2023
The Pax 3 and the Arizer Solo 2 are part of the newest generation of vaporizers, and they both offer a bunch of impressive features. If you’re looking for a premium, top-of-the-line vaporizer, these are two that you want to check out. Whether it’s the exceptional vapor from the Solo 2 or the extreme portability of the Pax 3, there’s something here for everyone.

Today we’ll find out which unit you should buy based on what consumers find important when purchasing a device for vaporizing cannabis.

Pax 3 vs Arizer Solo 2
Pax 3 vs Solo 2


Arizer Solo 2 with aromas tubeVapor Quality

The Pax 3 vaporizer is capable of delivering good vapor, but it is certainly not the best. Not much changed to the heating chamber between the Pax 2 and the Pax 3, it is still conduction based and made out of stainless steel. From experience, we find that flavor from the Pax 3 starts out rather tasty, but very quickly diminishes.

The stainless steel heating chamber also tends to stain and promote build up much more quickly than ceramic or glass, which results in a burned flavoring if the unit is not constantly kept clean.

In contrast Arizer Solo 2 vaporizer features glass stems which hold your herbs while they inserted into the heating chamber. Glass does a much better job at retaining the flavor of your herb over the duration of the session and does not get dirty as quickly. The end result is an extremely flavored filled session from the Solo 2.

I especially like the Solo 2’s long glass stems. These give the vapor ample time to cool before reaching your mouth, throat, and lungs, which leads to more enjoyable draws. The Solo 2’s vapor is noticeably cooler than the Pax, especially if you take a fast draw.

The draw resistance for the Solo 2 has been much improved over the original Solo, which had a bit of a milkshake quality to the draw. We can confidently say those days are over with the Solo 2, which has a much more free-flowing draw which results in massive clouds.

Arizer Solo 2 profile shotManufacturing Quality

These are both very well built, and they’re also packed with great features. They also have great warranties. The Pax 3 has a 10-year warranty on all defects in materials and workmanship. Arizer is a bit more specific with their warranty, offering lifetime coverage on the heating element, 2 years on general workmanship, and 1 year on the battery.

The Solo 2’s biggest strengths are the digital screen and its battery. The screen allows you to easily adjust the temperature in one-degree increments, while the battery offers a full 3 hours of use per charge. I don’t really have any complaints about it.

The Pax 3’s biggest strengths are its tiny size and slick design. It’s also more “advanced” than the Solo 2, thanks to the app and the lip sensors that adjust the heating depending on if you are drawing or not.

While the sensors are nice, I’m not sure the app really makes it more enjoyable to use. Just like those we surveyed when discussing Bluetooth Vaporizers, I prefer having all the functionality built into the base unit, or at least most of it like with the Davinci IQC. The Pax only has four temperature levels accessible from the base.

Again, these are both well made. The Solo 2 is better though, and seeing as I still have my original Solo, I’d expect it to last longer.

Arizer Solo 2 with hand removing stemEase of Use

In this round of the Pax 3 vs Arizer Solo 2 we found that both of these vaporizers are very easy to use. The Pax 3 doesn’t actually have a button in the traditional sense. To control it, you click the mouthpiece down. One click turns it off or on. Pressing and holding will enter the temperature selection mode. Once you do, you can press the button to toggle through your options.

You can check your battery level by shaking the device. There are other controls built in based on how you move it, but I won’t get into those here. Additional settings and the ability to adjust the temperature precisely are accessed via the app.

The Solo 2 is more straightforward. There are three buttons, one in the center and an up and down arrow. Pressing and holding the up and center button turn it on.

Once it’s on, pressing the up arrow will heat it to the last temperature used. You can adjust the temperature in one-degree increments using the arrow.

When it comes to cleaning its really no contest, the Solo 2 is by far easier to keep clean. Once the tubes start to get dirty just toss them into a cleaning solution or 99% alcohol and all the oils should just melt away.

The Pax 3 requires a bit more aggressive approach to cleaning because of the stainless steel heating chamber and is almost impossible to get 100% clean. Oils tend to build up rather quickly around the edge of the screens and if not cleaned frequently will start to harden. The result is a cleaning regiment that requires q-tips, alcohol, and any sharp poking device you can find. Yea, it is not fun. If you’re interested in a one-button operation system, you could also have a look at the Utillian 722.

Pax 3 with Zeus Armor CasePortability

This really isn’t a contest. The Pax 3 is arguably the most portable herb vaporizer on the market. It’s small, easy to hold, and comfortable in your pocket. There isn’t any glass or materials that will break easily, and the battery life is good. Not to mention purchasing the Pax 3 complete kit will include a carrying pouch making it even easier to transport with you. If portability is what you are after, you won’t go wrong with the Pax 3.

The Solo 2 has glass stems, which makes it significantly less portable. They are an extra piece you have to carry, and you also have to be careful not to break them. While it does have excellent battery life and a carrying case that comes with it, it still can’t compete with the Pax 3. The Zeus Arc GTS Hub is a great pocketable vaporizer that you should definitely check out!

Arizer Solo 2 with chargerBattery Life

The Solo 2 easily beats the Pax 3 on battery life. It provides up to 3 hours on a single charge, which translates to about 18 ten-minute sessions. The Pax 3 manages about an hour and thirty minutes per charge, which translates to about 8 sessions.

The Pax 3 is fairly average when compared to the competition at the same price, but today it happens to be up against the king of portable vaporizer battery life.

Pax 3 in a handDiscreetness

Once again, we have a very clear winner. The Pax 3 is much more discreet than the Solo 2, for the same reasons that it’s more portable.

The size makes it easy to completely conceal in your hand, while the Solo 2’s glass stems make it very visible when you are using it.

The Pax 3 also offers a stealth mode, which disables the lights and changing the heating profile to aggressively cool between draws, which should help you stay even more discreet.  The DaVinci Miqro is something you could carry around your hand making people believe that it’s a thumb drive, go check it out.

Arizer Solo 2 digital displayTemperature Flexibility

While they both offer good flexibility for finding the best vape temperature, the Solo 2 wins this category because it offers full temperature control from the device itself.

The Pax 3 only offers 4, although it is cool that it automatically cools the chamber if you aren’t actively using it.

Like I mentioned before, you can adjust the temperatures using the app, I just don’t find that very convenient and it maxes out at 215C.

The Solo 2, on the other hand, beats the Pax 3 by 5 degrees, maxing out at 220C.

If you’re looking for something at a much lower price, and with on-demand heating, have a look at the Dynavap M.

Pax 3 vs Solo 2 WinnerSHOWDOWN

The Solo 2 is our winner.

It also happens to be one of the best portable vaporizers ever made in my opinion, and is also something dicussed in more detail in our Solo 2 review. Between the excellent vapor production and the amazing battery life, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Whether this would be your first vape or an addition to your collection, the Solo 2 is a good buy.

There are only two areas where it doesn’t perform that well, and they happen to be the biggest strengths of the Pax 3, portability and discretion. If you are looking for a vaporizer that you can carry around with you everywhere, the Pax 3 is an excellent choice. Especially if you want to use it in public without having everyone know what you are up to.

If you know what you need, choosing between these two shouldn’t be hard. Either way, you are getting a premium product!

We’ve also made some recent changes for this year’s best portable vaporizer rankings so you should definitely check that out if you’re looking for the latest scoop on what to get right now!

If you’d like to see another comparison like the Pax 3 vs Arizer Solo 2 showdown, check out our recent showdown between the Arizer Air vs Arizer Solo 2 and to see how these 2 units stack up against the field, be sure to check out our Portable Vaporizer Ranking Chart. 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.