VAPMAN Vaporizer Review

Updated: October 6, 2023
When we got word around the wire that the Vapman was making a comeback, we instantly had Vietnam-style flashbacks to as far back as 2013 when these were all the rage. Lithium-ion batteries have since progressed leaps and bounds since then and such types of torch-powered vaporizers have for the most part taken a back seat to the modern vaporizers of today (mostly thanks to their high learning curve). But now it seems that the Vapman is back and while it looks to be sporting a classy new wooden finish, we’ve yet to find out if this thing is worth the trouble of buying and learning to use. Find out with us right down below!

Vapman Vaporizer 2021 Review

VAPMAN Vaporizer Review

How it Works

Initially conceived as a battery-free, butane powered conduction vaporizer that specializes in small on-demand hits, the original Vapman was a novel concept for its time that proved to be a decent alternative to other vaporizers of its era.

The new Vapman gets brownie points for its fancy packaging and documentation that does a good job of explaining how to use it. Nothing about Vapman’s design is self explanatory and you’ll likely rely on the manual and a plethora of Youtube how-to’s just to get started with this thing. A tiny torch also comes bundled with it, which is a nice touch as well.

Vapman Temperature Flexibility

Temperature Flexibility

The Vapman is purely torch powered and doesn’t have any onboard electronic controls for easily controlling the temperature of your sessions. We can confidently say though that this vaporizer really only has three actual “settings”: barely any vapor, good, and completely burnt. The Vapman requires a high learning curve which might be discouraging to less patient connoisseurs as it will inevitably produce lackluster results during its first few sessions.

Overheating the copper element which radiates heat through the herb chamber is way too easy and eventually results in burnt, toasty, and basically combusted dry herb. While we’re confident that with time it’s possible to perfect the heating technique to get more consistent results, the entire way this thing works isn’t up to our alley, unfortunately.

Vapman Bowl Vapour Quality

Vapor Quality

It’s not necessarily all bad though as we were able to get a couple of good sessions out of the Vapman, and with time we’re pretty sure the process can be perfected to get more consistent results out of this oddball of a vaporizer.

But is it worth it though? Even when hitting the sweet spot, vapor flavor is at best comparable to devices such as the Mighty+ or the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, both devices which are a lot easier to get consistently good results out of. So we’re really not sure if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to using the Vapman.

Vapman Bowl Vapour Quality

Manufacturing Quality

Niggles with ease of operation aside, the Vapman does exude a unique charm thanks to its choice of materials and one of a kind form factor. It’s built with an attractive Mica wood exterior and lined with a copper heating element which serves to radiate heat from the torch into and through the herb chamber.

While one of the advantages of the Vapman is it’s a lot less likely to break or fail due to the lack of electronic components, we’re not as confident when it comes to the finish of the Mica wood which lines the entire exterior of the Vapman. Exposing it to moisture or overly humid/dry environments might lead to the wood cracking or warping over time but only long term use will tell.

Vapman PortabilityPortability

The Vapman is conveniently compact and easily tucks away into any bag pocket ready for a camping trip or hike (which we feel is the true purpose behind this type of vaporizer). It’s torch powered operation means you won’t have to worry about having a power source nearby, making it an ideal tool for the avid camper or hiker that likes to enjoy their herbs in its natural habitat.

While it’s described as an on-demand vaporizer, the Vapman will require practice for you to get to the point where you can just whip it out and fire up a bowl in a jiffy without much hassle. And even then, it’s not as quick or consistent as modern battery powered vaporizers such as the Zeus Arc S Hub which allows for quick and easy pre-loading of ArcPods or dosing capsules for easy toking on the go.

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Ease of Use

The setup, while remarkably simple, is offset by it’s challenging heating process. The Vapman opens up into halves: the top half which acts as the chamber cover and mouthpiece, and the bottom half which serves as the herb chamber itself with the copper heating  plate underneath that lines the bottom of the base. A steel sleeve is also included and helps when loading the herb onto the chamber for relatively less mess.

After loading the herb onto the chamber, remove the sleeve, then twist the cover/mouthpiece onto the base, locking it into place. All that’s left is to heat the copper nub at the bottom of the base to the right temperature (easier said than done) then inhale directly from the mouthpiece on top.

While the process sounds very straightforward on paper, actually executing it in real life can be a challenge. Unlike the Dynavap, the Vapman doesn’t have a click mechanism to let you know when the ideal temperature has been reached. This makes it quite difficult to get your herb up to temp without burning it in the process.

Vapman DiscreetnessDiscreetness

Despite it’s small form factor, the Vapman is far from discreet. It’s unique form factor is bound to catch lots of unwanted attention when used in public so we can’t recommend it for stealthy vaporizing. While the device itself is tiny by itself, it still requires the use of a torch which might lead to unwarranted conclusions we’d rather not discuss here.
Vapman Overall Experience

Overall Experience

The Vapman is a unique device, and while we’re definitely happy to see it make a resurgence, we’re not quite sure where its place is in the vaporizer market. A lot of more affordable or similarly priced home and portable setups are capable of outputting the same amount of vapor quality with much less effort involved.

Compatible with ZEUS Iceborn
This vaporizer is compatible with the ZEUS Iceborn, a revolutionary new vapor cooling system engineered by Canadian vape manufacturer ZEUSArsenal. The Iceborn is designed to produce cooler draws and bigger clouds when connected to your vaporizer. The vapour produced is ultra smooth and crisp and because of ice cooling, instead of water filtration, there is no loss of efficiency. The ZEUS Iceborn adds an additional 2 points to the vapor quality score of this vaporizer and is a highly recommended vaporizer accessory.

Its lack of reliance on batteries is noteworthy and reminds us a lot of the Dynavap which notably does a similar job of vaporizing dry herb albeit with more consistency and ease. The Dynavap is also less than half of the price of the Vapman which leads us again to question who exactly will purchase this unique yet misplaced vaporizer in the current era of vaporization.
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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.