AirVape Legacy Vaporizer Review | On Demand Convection Simplified

The AirVape Legacy has been discontinued for the upgraded Legacy Pro.

The AirVape Legacy is the newest vaporizer from AirVape (Parent Company Apollo). The Legacy is a portable convection vaporizer for dry herbs, but it can do concentrates too. It’s standout features are it’s fast heat up time (15 seconds),  pure convection heating which preserves more of your herb and seriously long battery life.

While the concept is much  like the Firefly 2+, the design takes a bold move with it’s exterior. The Legacy is covered in Hemp and Vegan Leather. This gives the appearance of what one may think is an aftermarket case. While this undoubtedly helps with protecting your hands from heat and the unit itself from scratch marks if you don’t like the look of the AirVape Legacy there is not much you will be able to do about it. I would also venture to say over time that this hemp / leather finish could fade and not look as James Bond like as it does fresh out of the box.

On the insides,  the Legacy utilizes a 24 karat gold plated heating chamber which feeds to an all glass vapor path then hits your lips through the ceramic mouthpiece. 

I have not seen a gold plated heating element in any of the vaporizers we sell at To the Cloud Vapor Store, in doing some Physics research for the AirVape Legacy review, it appears that gold is a very good conductor of heat, much more so than Stainless Steel. That being said this is only a plating, so part of me thinks this may just be a marketing tactic to differentiate the Legacy Vaporizer from the rest.

The glass vapor path is a removable glass tube which can be accessed (along with the battery) by removing the battery door. I do like the ability to remove the glass piece, but when you do you will see that your vapor travels only 90% through the glass and the rest travels through the body. So it cannot claim a 100% all glass vapor path like you get with something like the Arizer SOLO 2.  

The removable ceramic mouthpiece is one of the better features on the Legacy. I like how they take a page right out of Firefly’s book but improve it tremendously. The rubber stopper ensures no leakage; the mouthpiece screen makes so no particles come through and the ceramic material enhances flavor while keeping the vapor cool.

The battery in the Airvape Legacy is the industry standard, 18650. The battery is removable for less down time and at 3000mAh packs a punch. I have been liking the removable 18650, it permits minimal downtime if you have spares ready to rock and they are interchangeable with other vaporizers, like the Arizer Air 2  which have them as well.

Above the heating element, attached to the top of the Legacy’s lid, is a removable rubber gasket which works as a directional airpath (feeding the vapor into the glass pathway) and seal for the chamber. During cleaning this has fallen off a few times. While this is heat rated material, I would have liked to see something more quality. 

The Legacy’s lid is attached making unloading and reloading your herb easy and hassle free. On AirVape’s predecessor, the AirVape X, I would misplace the magnetic mouthpiece while loading and unloading. 

Despite all the great and not so great things about the AirVape Legacy’s build, this vaporizer is an absolute unit. It is made well, feels sturdy and has a luxurious aesthetic 

• Fully charge the vaporizer upon receipt  
• Grind, open and input your herbal blend 
• Turn the unit on by pressing the power button 3 times 
• Adjust to your desired temperature using the side controls 
• Inhale when your temperature is reached

Session Mode maintains the heat throughout the session, allowing you to obtain good vapor anytime you pull. In session mode you can select your Legacy to have an auto shut off of 3, 5 or 10 minutes. 

To adjust the auto shut off timer press the power and the temperature up (>) button simultaneously 

On Demand mode lets you get that oh so coveted on demand convection vapor. This will only engage the heating element when you press the home button and is great for lounging and taking hits at your own discretion. 

To enter on demand mode, press both the up temperature (>) and down temperature (<) simultaneously. 

*If you are inactive in session or on demand  mode the Legacy will automatically power down after one minute. This firmware feature does wonders for battery preservation. 

One of the features people love about on demand vaporizers is the micro dosing capabilities. You can pick the vaporizer up, take a puff or two and put it back down. The AirVape Legacy comes with a netted basket for the purpose of letting you effectively pack enough for 1-2 hits. While the Legacy’s on demand feature would let you take 1-2 hits using the normal chamber, doing so would require you to pack the entire bowl full for optimal results.With the basket you can effectively pack for 1-2 hits with a pinch of herb.

Where the AirVape Legacy really sticks out is it’s consistent vapor production. One of the biggest complaints with on demand convection vaporizers such as the Firefly 2+ and Ghost MV1 (of the now out of business Ghost Vapes) is the lack of consistency in vapor production and the constant adjustments you need to make to get a satisfying amount of vapor.

Both the on demand and session modes of the AirVape Legacy give great clouds with a simple pull. Pulling low and slow for 5 seconds will give you best results but there are not many tips and tricks needed to get optimal vapor production.  

The first few hits with the AirVape Legacy Vaporizer are amazing. While you do have to be mindful to not increase the temperature above 410 °F when vaping herb, the Legacy’s flavor seems to fade fast. At 400 °F I am getting the burned popcorn taste around the 8th hit. Whereas with other convection vaporizers the flavor is solid up until the 11-12th hit. One possibility could be that I am getting a greater volume vapor from the Legacy and thus the flavor diminishes faster. That being said, if your first priority is flavor, the Firefly 2+ is the way to go, The Legacy will win on ease of use and volume. 

The Legacy also offers a good vapor texture that is very light compared with pure conduction vaporizers, which can offer greater vapor volume but a harsher texture. The AirVape Legacy will not become harsh in texture until the flavor turns. So it does pump out some good clouds, with a very subtle feel. If the Legacy had the flavor to match it would be a serious contender for a top spot.

The insanely long battery life is a huge plus on the AirVape Legacy. On a full charge you can get up to 20 sessions (on demand mode). Given the long battery life I wonder why they did not just make it with an internal battery, despite removable 18650’s being a feature customers have been clamoring for in new and updated vaporizers.

While this is a stylish vaporizer, it is missing the hip factor of syncing via an app. While Vaporizer apps have been banned by Apple, there are workarounds as Storz & Bickel showed us with their web app. I will say however , vaporizer apps are not that necessary. Most apps can only perform a limited number of features. The AirVape Legacy is a very functional and easy to use portable vaporizer and it’s good to see Apollo didn’t add an app for the sake of having an app. 

At first glance the AirVape Legacy appears easy to clean,  but with all the moving parts, such as the mouthpiece, comprising a screen, rubber seal and actual mouthpiece, which must be disassembled, cleaning is tad more involved than other portable vaporizers. The benefit where you can change out your own battery or remove the glass vapor path, makes disassembling and cleaning more involved than vaporizers where all this remains internal. 

I liked the AirVape Legacy, but failed to fall in love. However for those who are considering a new portable vaporizer, I would still give this one a buy recommendation. 

While it is not the most lightweight or discreet vaporizer out there, it still can be thrown in a backpack, a purse and even a larger pocket with ease. During my review of the Legacy Vape I brought it with me to walk the dogs, sat on the patio and watched football while drinking some beers and then threw it in my sweats for some Sunday laundry. This can be done with most, if not all portable vaporizers and I wouldn’t tout Airvape’s new vaporizer as something special just because it’s portable, but for my next point. 

The battery life is insane and the heat up time is near instant (15 seconds). I am getting 16  sessions on a single charge. This is where I love this vaporizer. As mentioned above you can take most portable vaporizers outside, to the garage, down the street to the bar, yadda yadda. But nothing is a bigger bummer than being at a Jack Johnson concert and your Firefly 2 battery dying. Not only is the battery life insane but you can swap the 18650 out yourself. 

The ease of use, no learning curve (for session or on demand convection vapor) and consistent vapor is where most of my conviction comes in recommending the AirVape Legacy.  While  other vaporizers that offer these features have better overall vapor quality, they have subpar battery life and provide inconsistent vapor production. The AirVape Legacy is built solid and offers consistent vapor output every single time. 

The Legacy is best suited for someone who wants to get the job done. I would not recommend this vaporizer to a grower or terp lover. It’s going to be the consumer who wants convection vapor with as little fuss as possible and likes the GQ aesthetics. 

Among the competition in the $250 price range, the Legacy Vaporizer is good in all regards but not a winner in one (besides battery life and heat up time).

If our AirVape Legacy review has made a believer out of you, we would love to have you as a customer. To the Cloud Vapor Store offers a 60 day trial period and lifetime trade-ins on every vaporizer we sell.