Arizer Solo 2 Max Review – The Next Standard in Herb Vapes

The Arizer Solo 2 Max is a 2024 upgrade of the Solo 2,  one of the best selling portable herb vaporizers and widely to be considered of the best during the late 2010’s and early 2020’s. Since it’s 2017 release the Arizer Solo 2 has been a vaporizer we highly recommend to our customers for checking all the boxes of what the majority of casual vaporizer users are looking for: Good vapor quality, handheld unit, easy to use and a price point that won’t break the bank. 

The Arizer Solo 2 Max provides everything which has made the Solo 2 a staple in the herb vaporizer market with some minor improvements to take us into 2024 and  beyond. While these upgrades are no reason to throw away your Solo 2 (if you already have one) it is nice to see Arizer upgrading their hardware to be in line with current models. 

The SOLO 2 Max has a faster heat up time, inversion display [for use with the included water pipe adapter], now charges with USB-C instead of an AC outlet chord and has an improved ceramic heater. 

Users who already have the Solo 2  know what a dependable and quality vaporizer it is. And this review will likely not provide much value for them. However if you are new to Arizer or vaporizers in general, another thing we harp on with every vaporizer review is  when a new model comes out, the previous generation becomes cheaper. The Arizer Solo 2 shares many common functions with the Solo 2 Max, for that reason we will compare and contrast the Solo and Solo 2 Max throughout this review so you can further decide between the Solo 2 or Solo 2 Max. 

We do not know the price yet which is kind of cool for this review as I can offer where I would put it at after testing and using for a few  weeks. The original Solo 2 was $269 when released in 2017 and oddly enough that was considered quite the bargain. However that was at the height of the vape/green bubble. The Arizer Solo 2 MAX should be priced smack dab at $199.99. Given the Arizer Solo 2 is $135.99 there just are not the magnitudes  of improvement to warrant pricing this at $269.

The Arizer Solo 2 Max comes in a more design forward and compact packaging, setting it apart from its predecessor the Solo 2 which felt very boxy almost like it was not a high end electronic device.  

With rising inflation and heightened shipping and storage expenses, manufacturers have embraced more efficient packaging solutions. Arizer’s tetris-like compartmentalized packaging concept not only enhances the vaporizer’s premium appeal but also offers customers improved convenience for storage and travel. 

• Solo 2 MAX 
• Glass Aroma Tube 
• 14mm Arizer SOLO/ Air Water Pipe Adapter 
• PVC travel tubes 
• USB to USB-C Cable 
• USB Wall Adapter 
• Stirring Tool 
• Screen Pack 

It is about time Arizer ditched some of the more impractical accessories which were  included with every Arizer Vaporizer such as the belt clip case, potpourri dish and corresponding free sample of Lavender. Freebies are a nice gesture but what comes with the Arizer Solo 2 Max is much more practical than the Solo 2 accessories, especially the water pipe adapter. The water pipe adapter will really let you take large purified hits through any 14mm female water pipe and until now was sold as an aftermarket piece for the Solo and Air series Arizer Vaporizers. 

The Arizer Solo 2 Max is made from the same durable components which have made Arizer Vaporizers some of the most long lasting. The body is an anodized aluminum alloy, the stems are borosilicate glass and the heating chamber is stainless steel. The heating element is a ceramic heater. This combination of top-notch materials ensures the Arizer Solo 2 Max is both a reliable and safe choice for herb vaporization enthusiasts.

One unfortunate thing which I have never liked is that the stem for the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max is also 4.4”. That means when using, the thing is 9” tall. This can be a tad unwieldy and just odd looking when hanging out or walking the dog. Thankfully all Arizer Air series and Solo series have interchangeable glass and there are plenty of 3rd party options for different accommodating glass stems. The trade off with the shorter glass stems being hotter vapor. The longer stems really do provide cooler and smoother vapor. 

The Solo 2 Max utilizes mainly conduction heating. The predominant amount of the vapor production comes with your herbs in the Solo glass stem’s direct contact with (and heating from the side of the glass) the stainless steel plate. Convection heating is present to a lesser extent. There are small holes which pull air from the ceramic heater up through the stainless steel and through your herb as you draw. So for all intents and purposes hybrid heating (convection/conduction) is correct.

The Solo 2 Max offers a variety of commonly found settings which you can adjust in the user interface. These include switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius, turning the alert sounds on/off and adjusting the screen’s brightness. Nothing too fancy here like Bluetooth connection or RGB lighting patterns like on the Puffco Peak Pro. 

To adjust your settings in the Solo 2 Max press the home button to move between sound alert, power on countdown, F° or C°,  LED brightness and session timer. Using the up or down buttons to adjust the setting of your choice. 

Personally these settings can fluster me sometimes when I session with any Arizer portable vaporizer and get stuck in a perpetual loop of settings. However you just need to have some patience and in three seconds the Solo  2 Max will return to your temperature settings (home screen).

The Solo 2 Stem can accommodate about .15 grams of dry herb. You can fit .2 grams but It’s important to note that overpacking the stem will lead  to greater draw resistance. On the flip side of this packaging too loose leads to you getting “cookies” little herb particles in your mouth when inhaling. The included screens which fit into the glass stem are nice little additions to mitigate these unwelcomed treats. 

From a cold start out of the box the Solo 2 Max took 41 seconds to reach 400°F. 

That was certainly a fluke as everytime after that heat up time was much faster. After some night time sessions and waking up the next day and passing it off to a coworker, he clocked 26 second heat up time on the Solo 2 Max and 34 seconds on the Arizer Solo 2. 

All in all the Solo 2 Max is no slouch with an average 30 second heat up. 

Playing around with it I am getting a sense there is more than meets the eye. I briefly turned it on the 2 Max ran up to 127°F really quick. I put my pinky in the heating element and it burned. I am a chef by trade and have rather calloused fingers. That was alot hotter than 127°F. You do not burn even the most baby of fingers at 130°F,  which leads me to believe this heater definitely has some improved juice.

The Arizer Solo 2 Max is very much a session vaporizer. It’s not ideal for micro-dosing or a quick 1-2 hits. You’ll have much better luck using something like the Tinymight 2 if you want a vaporizer you can pick up for a quick hit here and there. 

As the name implies, the Solo 2 Max is going to be more of a personal use vaporizer. Something you unwind on the couch with or a nightcap laying in bed. 

The Solo 2 Max also picks up some steam mid session with the best vapor production coming after it has had some warm up time. To get really large hits with the SOLO 2 Max we recommend inhaling slow and long for 4-5 seconds. For those who do not have the lung capacity for this, waiting 20 or so seconds between hits will allow the herb to milk in the chamber for an easier inhale. 

With .15 grams of herb at 375°F you can expect about 10 good hits. The great thing about the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max is you can kick it up 400°F or above and get a few more puffs. At your own peril of course as by then it can become hot and chokey. 

As it pertains to your sessions, the Solo 2 Max has an auto shut off which can be adjusted in one minute increments from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. I found a 5 minute session to be more than sufficient unless I was engaging in some other activity.

The Solo 2 Max provides a solid combination of both flavor and texture with a slight leaning towards being more texture (volume) forward. The flavor that you get while the vaporizer ramps up does get lost when you are pumping out clouds mid session. The vapor production comes easy and the texture is smooth given how robust the clouds are. 

For some reason I feel the Solo 2 Max provides a tad bit better vapor quality over the original Solo 2. I can’t quite put my finger on the how or why or even if it’s placebo. The unit feels like it retains more heat or is heats more efficiently than the original Solo 2. I did not notice this difference with the Mighty to Mighty+ or other upgraded models of a similar degree. 

While the vapor quality is good it does start to degrade around draw 8. I am not placing it in the excellent category of Mighty+, Venty or ball vapes which give amazing and consistent draws from start to finish. However the price of the Solo 2 Max also needs to be taken into consideration. With the aforementioned vaporizers you are paying up for a luxury vaporizer which are nearly twice the price of the Solo 2 Max.

While the Solo 2 Max does have USB-C Charging it still took us 2:25 minutes to get a full charge. This was with the included cable. I would assume this could vary if using a fast charger. 

One downside with the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max is the lack of a removable battery. There must be something to be said about the internal batteries of the Solo model however as the vaporizer overall is much preferred to the other Arizer portable vaporizers in the Argo and Air Max & SE which have removable batteries. 

Despite the lack of a removable battery, the Solo 2 Max does offer pass thru charging meaning if you are like me and always forget to charge your vapes, you won’t be disappointed when you go for a bed time session and have no juice. You can plug it in and session away. The USB-C cable included is 3 ½ feet in length which is more than enough to provide the reach you need if using the pass thru charging feature. 

While Arizer states the Solo 2 Max provides 3 hours of session timing this can vary. If running back to back 15 minute sessions at 400°F then you will only get 100 minutes. However if picking up once or twice a day for a 5 minute session, then yes you are getting pretty unparalleled battery life which comes out to over two and a half hours of session time. Even if taking your sweet time between hits you will likely never need more than a 10 minute session. 

One feature missing from the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max is the inability to get a succinct number pertaining to the battery life if not charging. There is a battery icon display which in theory should  give you an idea but we have noticed that is pretty off from what the number is when plugged in. For example it appears the Solo 2 Max has 75% battery life left but when plugged in that number was only 47% percent.  You must plug it in to charge to get the corresponding number, ie.) 52%, 15% etc.

With the sequence of needing to press the home button and up button at the same time,  the home (m) button to switch between settings the long countdown until your unit powers on,  I cannot give it an outstanding rating for usability. However with an LED display it is no task to figure out. 

The design is very intuitive  and once the vaporizer gets humming, getting vapor is a breeze. When the Solo 2 came out I referred to it as the Jitterbug of vaporizers. The Jitterbug being an easy to use cell phone designed for seniors. The Solo 2 is vaporizer is what I would recommend my grandpa getting if we was looking to foray into herb vaporizers. It is one of the easiest ones to operate and provides some of the best no frills vapor.

Like most good portable vaporizers out there on the market, the Solo 2 Max is not ideal to throw in your pocket. I like to use mine when just unwinding on the porch but predominantly it sits on my night stand and I rip it while watching Netflix before bed. There are some budget options if you must be portable but the trade off is going to be inferior vapor quality. The PAX Plus currently holds the title for best pocket portable and it’s been that way since the very first Pax. 

You could not ask for a better model to clean the Arizer Solo line up. My guys love when we get this back under the trial period and have to clean them. Why ? Because you really only need to clean the stem and the chamber. There cannot be an easier vaporizer to clean. Hit the stainless steel chamber and stem with some Isopropyl alcohol wipes or give it a boiling water bath and you are pretty much good to go. The nicest thing about the cleaning being a breeze is you can keep it clean and keeping it clean translates to better tasting sessions and function.

The Arizer Solo 2 Max comes with a 2 year warranty on the unit with a lifetime warranty on the ceramic heater. If it is anything like we have seen from the Arizer Solo 2 you will not be needing to utilize the warranty at all. Arizer is a pioneer in the herbal vaporizer space and has been pumping out some of the most popular herb vaporizers since 2005. They are a brand who stands by their vaporizers and a brand we have trusted since we started To the Cloud Vapor Store in 2015.