Arizer Solo 3 v2 Review – Is the Upgrade Anything Special ?

The Arizer Solo 3 hit the scene a year ago in April 2024. The Solo 3 drop was quite the surprise given its release so soon after the Solo 2 Max release which didn’t garner anywhere near the notoriety which the Solo 3 has received. But judging the Solo 3 on design alone, many thought it was going to provide a similar experience to that of the Solo 2 & Solo 2 Max with some additional updated features. However the Solo 3 far exceeded expectations and today is one of the top 3 rated dry herb vaporizers hanging out with the likes of the Venty and Tinymight 2. 

So we couldn’t be more happy to announce Arizer has released the version 2 Solo 3 which has added updated features to stay current with today’s tech but not different enough to have changed the name to the Solo 3+ or Solo 4.

This naming issue has been a long standing point of contention with new vaporizer releases. Many times newer releases which are not much different from the previous model but will add a + or a 2 to the title and voila all the sudden it is a new vaporizer. We saw this with the Firefly 2+, Mighty+ and a handful of other vaporizers. So we are happy Arizer has decided to just call this the version 2 Solo 3 instead of renaming it altogether. 

Not to ruin our Solo 3 v2 review but if you have already purchased the v1, don’t worry you didn’t get the v2. There is no difference in vapor quality and sessions. What is awesome here is you can send it in to Arizer for the software update which we have directions in the FAQ of our Solo 3 review. 

Arizer has priced new releases in the higher range akin to those of the 2014-2019 vape boom cycle when quality vaporizers sold for a premium. Vaporizer prices have dropped tremendously over the years while manufacturing costs have increased. Now we have another headwind with tariff musical chairs. Despite all that Arizer has priced the new Solo 3 v2  at the same price as the V1 Solo 3 – $344.99. While we are waiting to see further impacts of tariffs, this is in line with what a vaporizer of this quality costs in 2025. The Tinymight 2 $349, the Venty $449. 

You can save some extra money, getting the best price on the Solo 3 v2 at To the Cloud Vapor Store for $275.99. You will also get the option to return under the trial period, lifetime trade ins for store credit and a free grinder. Even without a discount, To the Cloud Vapor Store is the best option to buy the Solo 3 Online.

The Solo 3 packaging is nice and compact. Arizer has been going with the Tetris like compartmentalizing of the parts lately in their packaging. This makes taking it out and putting it back a pain but also saves on storage and protects everything. The Arizer Solo 2 packaging is humongous (left photo above) and allows you to put your vaporizer & glass tubes back in place with greater ease. If the Solo 3 had the same outlay with its increased size the packaging would be cumbersome to the extent of a desktop vaporizer by its size alone. I always joked the Solo 2 was packaged for my grandpa. 

The downside for me is I prefer to pack it up and put it away in between sessions. Something about leaving used glass stems full of resin on my coffee table is unappealing. Certain vaporizers have that aesthetic you can leave out, mainly desktop vaporizers,  but not the Solo 3.  If you are like me we recommend picking up a third party storage for your Solo 3 if you want an easy way to store between sessions.

• 2 x 90mm Glass Aroma Tubes (One XL)
• 2 x 14mm Water Pipe Adapters (One XL)
• USB-A to USB-C Cord
• USB Charger
• Stainless Steel Tool
• Owner’s Manual
• 4 x Filter Screens

These are the same parts you get with the v1 or v2. The Solo 3 adds in some upgrades in the accessory dept. with the water pipe adapter and increased capacity (XL) glass draws. It comes with all you would need plus some. And that “plus some” is functional and you will use it. It is not random vape accessories of old such as plastic grinders or dinky storage keychains. Also happy to see Arizer get rid of their belt cases and potpourri warmer they had with the Solo 2 like someone was going to toss their vape on their belt like a carpenter from the 1980s. 

Sturdy as it has been since the very first Gen 1 model Solo, the Solo 3 v2 is made out of an aluminum alloy casing, stainless steel chamber and ceramic heating element with borosilicate glass tubes. This build is not only durable but the high quality inputs lend it to making Arizer one of the healthiest herb vaporizers on the market. 

The design is simple and straightforward despite the operation not being so. The general concept remains the same from the original Solo to the Solo 3 v2. Likely when the Solo 4 comes out it will be the same. This is across the board for the Arizer portable vaporizers thus far.  Glass stem loaded with herbs goes into the heating chamber. Once it reaches temperature you inhale. 

In this regard the Solo model is a great vaporizer for not too many moving parts. You have your unit and glass tubes. Of course there are extras like the water pipe adapter and of course the charger but for a vaporizer that is top of the charts having two main parts is awesome.

The Solo 3 has an improved battery from the Solo 2 Max with a dual (non removeable)  Lithium-ion 18650 batteries. The v1 Solo 3 has the exact same batteries as the v2.

On the front of the unit you will find the screen and controls with the USB-C charging port on the backside of the unit.

The updated v2 Solo 3 has a more streamlined operation and it allows you to disable the lock. The lock which requires a button sequence to turn on the Solo 3 every time is seen by many as burdensome and a feature most wish was optional. Well now you can finally remove that lock with the Solo 3 v2.0.

The usability of the Solo 3 is two fold. It is an easy to understand and use vaporizer in its most basic form, but hard to dial in and customize between all the settings which you have to navigate through with button sequencing.

The Solo 3 functions with hybrid heating. A combination of conduction and convection where the herb is in contact with the glass which is directly heated by the stainless steel chamber (conduction) and hot air is also drawn through your herb from the ceramic heating element when you draw (convection).

The Solo 3 v2 claims to have a more streamlined operating system but this is a stretch. It  has the same amount of  presets which can also be customized to your desired temperature. You can access this by pressing the “m” button 2 times when the unit is on. The Solo 3 v1 & v2  have 3 customizable presets for session mode and 5 presets for on demand mode. On the v2 you can set the exact temp and time for your on demand mode whereas on the v1 you can only select from the 5 provided options for ten seconds. I oddly think the v1 wins here. I don’t need to customize my on demand temperatures when you give me 5 already. Ultimately when you vape with something like the Solo 3 you can change the temperature with the up down controls super easy. There is no need to have a plethora of presets. So not a huge upgrade in the least for the controls. 

For the controls I am still pretty confused and don’t feel this is anymore streamlined than the v1. This “new” streamlined operating system isn’t much of anything “new and improved”. The best part is you can disable the lock so you don’t need to perform the left, up, right press to power on every session. They should have just led with that. Everyone hates the lock on the v1. You can disable the lock on the v2. 

You would have thought there would be a simple firmware update to allow users to update their v1 Solo 3 to have these new Solo 3 v2 features such as one can do where the Peak Pro V1 has the same features as the Peak Pro v2 when adding the 3DXL Chamber.  In comparing the Solo 3 v1 & v2 there is not anything that much cooler for function and you’re not missing out on something more intuitive and easy to control. 

The Solo 3 is a great session vaporizer but not so good as on demand. What makes session shine with the Solo 3 is the consistent heating and ability to customize your session with your pack, draw velocity, temperature and what glass tube you are using. The XL tube is great as it allows you to put in a smaller amount of herb but loosely packed. At a lower temperature this lends to alot of flavor and no draw resistance. Packing the XL water pipe adapter and putting it in your water pipe at a high temperature will give you volume galore. You can also switch over to on demand mode mode to preserve your herb. It is a nice feature to have and spaces out hits when you want them but the Solo 3 really pumps in session mode.

Where I was saying I am not much of a fan of on demand mode and would not session with the Solo 3 this way is that you don’t just press the button for on/off on demand heat. You press the button and it begins to heat up letting you know when to draw. If you are looking for the literal on demand mode and were deciding between the Tinymight 2 and Solo 3, the Tinymight 2 has this feature.

Given all the variances with the session, on demand, regular size glass tube, XL sized glass tube, it is hard to say just how many draws you can get during a session and what sort. Filling the XL tube full (but lose) with about .2 grams I was getting an average of 15 hits before the herb’s flavor went south and I discarded it.

Another thing to note with the Solo 3 is that long sessions will get the vaporizer hot. After about 6-7 minutes I noticed the unit getting hot in the hand much like occurs with the Davinci IQ3. This is par for the course with units encapsulated in aluminum alloy.

The Solo 3 heat up time to 375 °F is 15 – 18  seconds.  The v2 performed better than the v1 but this could be due to the v2 being a much newer unit whereas the v1 we did the Solo 3 comparison with is about a year old. One thing to note about the heat up time (especially with those wanting on demand) is that the heat transfer still takes another 20 seconds or so to heat the herb and provide optimal hits. Another reason session mode reigns supreme with the Solo 3.  It gets to temperature fast but that doesn’t exactly translate to vapor production right away.

The Solo 3 chamber capacity is about .3 grams for the XL Glass stem and .15 for the standard size. Of course it can fit more but will affect draw resistance and vapor production.

The Solo 3 temperature range is 122°F (50°C) to 428°F (220°C). Not sure why any vaporizer goes as low as 120°F. If you were a fan of warming up some potpourri the Solo 2 dish warmer would be compatible with the Solo 3.

I don’t know how Arizer did it but this is some next level vapor both in on demand or session mode. It doesn’t make much sense as the design is the same as the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max which doesn’t give you a flavor profile or cloud consistency with that of the Solo 3. Whatever they did this vapor puts it almost on par with the likes of Storz & Bickel Vaporizers. While I wouldn’t give it an edge over any Storz & Bickel portable vapor, the range it has is impressive.  S&B’s portable vaporizer are going to give you one type of specific and consistent vapor from start to finish. With the Solo 3 you can customize it to the vapor you want. You can get great terpene flavors and misty texture with the on demand mode of the Solo 3. In session mode you can have a great consistent texture from start to finish and from there dial it up a notch for some very large robust hits. The issues I did have in the beginning with the Solo 3 was the run away sessions. I wasn’t paying attention or was just trying out different things and would get giant lung busting hits when I did not want them and vice versa. 

The Arizer Solo 3 is a much larger vaporizer than its predecessors in the Solo 2 and Solo 2 Max. This increase in size is attributed to the much larger battery. 

The Solo 3 is large enough with long glass stems that it makes it hard to pocket like you can the Arizer Argo. This like other Arizer portables (besides the Argo) will make it a good around the house or on a walk with the dog portable, but with its size and weight not something you would even want to take to a baseball game or camping trip.

The Solo 3 v1 charges via USB-C 5V , the Solo 3 v2 has updated UBC-C PD charging. These specifications can be sort of misleading as you do need to have the corresponding cable to get the benefits. Obviously this is included with the v2. 

When I charge my Solo 3 I just toss it on whatever cable is readily available. From dead to full the Solo 3 v1 can take 4 hours to fully charge if just using whatever USB-C cable I can find. The v2 with USB-C PD charging promises to take this to under 90 minutes and in testing with the compatible fast charger the Solo 3 v2 charged from 0 to 100 in 75 minutes. Again part of me is thinking this is just a rocking new battery which will degrade over time. However considerable less charge times with the Solo 3 v2.

 The Solo 3 has an incredible battery life. You are getting 30 plus sessions here. And these are long sessions. In on demand mode this battery can go for days on end if you are only doing one to two sessions daily. 

But wait there’s more. The Solo 3 v1 and v2 both offer pass through charging. Meaning you can use it while it is charging. Pass-through charging can be detrimental to the battery giving the v2 the edge here as the USB-C PD charging supports variable voltage and higher wattages. USB-C PD devices negotiate with the charger to pull exactly what they need. But again you need the correct cable (included with the Solo 3 v2 or equivalent) for these benefits.

So, is the Arizer Solo 3 V2 any better? Absolutely—but not by a wide margin. If you just picked up the Solo 3 V1 last week, there’s no reason to feel regret. The core design and vapor quality remain virtually identical. Heat-up times are nearly the same, and both models use the same parts and accessories. The Solo 3 V2 is more of a modern refresh than a full overhaul, but it’s great to see Arizer keeping the lineup updated with subtle improvements that enhance the user experience.