The Volcano Hybrid Vs Arizer Extreme Q – Value or Luxury for your Desktop Vaporizer

Desktop Vaporizers are far fewer in comparison with their portable vaporizer counterparts. With portable herb vaporizers you can go down a rabbit hole doing research, given the wide assortment of makes and models, to see which vaporizer is best for you. With desktop vaporizers there are only a solid handful. However like portables, desktop vaporizers do run the gamut of quality and price. 

The Arizer Extreme Q and Volcano Hybrid are two of the highest quality desktop vaporizers representing  two sides of the cost spectrum. The Extreme Q is priced under Arizer’s  portable blockbuster the SOLO 2, at $169.99. The Hybrid Volcano on the other hand is currently the most expensive vaporizer, desktop or otherwise at $700.

The benefit of these two vaporizers (and desktops in general) is that you do not need to worry about charging or battery life. Desktops plug into the wall for infinite power. Also the Volcano Hybrid and Extreme Q are dual function vaporizers, allowing you to inhale from a whip or filling a bag which captures the vapor. 

The Extreme Q is on the much smaller end and weighs considerably less. It does not feel or try to be engineered to Volcano Vaporizer specifications. it’s smaller size gives it a good and fast heat up time. It also can be put away with one hand for quick clean up. 

Given how light weight the Extreme Q is, it’s not ideal to keep out on display. It tends to tip over, especially when the bag and elbow joint or whip sit inside the cyclone bowl. Since alot of the parts are glass on the Q, they break alot easier than those of the Volcano Vaporizer.

The Hybrid on the other hand is rather heavy and sturdy. The herb chamber locks into place so with a bag or a whip left in place and out on display you don’t need to worry much about it falling over with something so simple as nudging the coffee table. 

Storz & Bickel have also added a detachable power chord on the Hybrid Volcano mitigating some of the risk from tripping over the chord and sending the vaporizer to the ground.

This is another facet where the Volcano Hybrid handedly wins over the Extreme Q. The Extreme Q was built to function and Arizer designed the most economical well functioning desktop vaporizer, then cut costs on things like proprietary packaging opting to use just a plain brown box and bubble wrap for the accessories. The Volcano Hybrid comes in much cleaner refined proprietary packaging.

Personally I am not one to care about packaging and would imagine alot of people could care less what box their Vaporizer comes in, if they could get it for $50 less.

Both Vaporizers can be operated manually or with the included remote (on the Extreme Q) or the Smartphone app (currently unavailable on IOS, but can be operated via web app) for the Volcano Hybrid. 

Desktop vaporizers by their nature are less intuitive than their portable counterpart. On the Extreme Q you have a power button and a mode button that will let you choose which setting (Fan, Timer or Heat) you want to adjust using the up and down buttons. The timer key on the Extreme Q just lets you set an auto shut off. Personally I find it to be the most useless given the fast heat up time.I never leave the Extreme Q on between sessions with large breaks. 

The Volcano Hybrid’s interface is a tad easier to understand. You press the heat button, use the temperature buttons to select your temp and then hit the fan when you want the fan on or not. The App offers some complexities which we won’t get into here, but can also be used just for normal everyday control, just like the Extreme Q remote. 

The Extreme Q and Volcano Hybrid are similar concepts in how you load and use. As mentioned there are more moving parts with the Extreme Q and some of the various and sundry parts (like the potpourri warmer) confuse one upon opening. Once these are out of the way however you realize it’s as simple as filling your herb chamber (Cyclone bowl in the case of the EQ) and inputting on your bag or whip. With the Extreme Q you must add a glass elbow to the cyclone bowl to be able to fill the bag. So there is an extra step there.

What is great about desktop vaporizers is the ability to accommodate large groups of guests. You can pass around the bag or whip at a party and both the Extreme Q and Volcano Hybrid make for good party hosts. 

When drawing from the whip on both vaporizers you can draw with fan assist or not and both provide the same ease of obtaining vapor. The vapor on the Extreme Q is good but not amazing. Whereas the Volcano Hybrid vapor is next level. It is like being hit on the tongue with a pillow of texture and a crisp flavor that no other vaporizer can replicate.

One little neat trick you can do on the Extreme Q is to instead pack your herb into the small bowl which connects to the elbow for the bag or whip instead of placing it direct in the cyclone bowl. This enables greater convection vaporization and allows you to microdose. For the Volcano Hybrid, Storz & Bickel has the Hybrid Chamber reducer, should you not want to fill the chamber full. 

Opting for the bag is a different story. The fan power on the Extreme Q is not up to par with the Volcano which can fill a bag in around 30 seconds. Again the vapor from the Extreme Q  far exceeds what I would expect from a vaporizer priced below $200. However  we are comparing the most economical desktop vaporizer to the absolute best, 

On the Volcano Vaporizer –  One of my favorite things to do in college was to load up a giant 10′ foot party bag and pass it around at house parties. You would have some difficulties filling a bag this large with the Arizer Extreme Q and the bags are more there for personal use , to fill and chill. I never use the bags on the Extreme Q and opt for the whip 100% of the time. 

Another thing to consider is if you ever want to vape concentrates or wax. The Extreme Q currently only accommodates flower and while the Volcano is primarily designed for herb it can do both.

Arizer’s concept with the Extreme Q is the same concept as the Volcano Hybrid. A heating element that pushes or draws hot air through the herb (convection vaporization) so one can inhale the vapor. However the raw materials used and the expansion on the design concept are where the two diverge.

Arizer uses a ceramic heating element and all glass pieces for the herb chamber, mouthpieces, elbow joints. It is just a lightweight heat gun element with some controls on it that was designed well and in turn gives out great vapor.

The Hybrid then goes the extra mile by snap in place features such as the locking herb chamber and bluetooth technology. If Elon Musk designed a vaporizer it would be the Hybrid Volcano – That is roughly the level of refinement that goes into the device. 

It should also be noted that these materials ,and how they interact with the herb at high temperatures , have been scientifically researched giving  clearance for the Volcano Hybrid to be considered a medical device in Canada, the EU and Israel, where it is called the Volcano Medic.

The fact that both vaporizers come with 3 year manufacturer’s warranty and most people get well over 6 years from them (Speaking of the Volcano Classic and Digital since the Hybrid was just released)  without any issue speak to how well both vaporizers are made. 

Desktops do the trick of standing the test of time and these are two of the standouts in the space with no need to worry about how long your vaporizer investment is going to last. This is particularly impressive for the Extreme Q given the simplicity and cost of the device , you would assume it to not have the same life expectancy as it’s most premium counterpart – The Volcano Vaporizer.

Both the vaporizers come with great warranties backed by reputable companies. You will not get burned like those who bought a $729 Herbalizer, only to see Herbalizer go out of business. Arizer and Storz & Bickel are not only two of the top manufacturers of dry herb vaporizers , but they are legitimate companies who will be around for years to come.

When Choosing between these two vapes, I assume you have deduced that a desktop vaporizer is right for you. If not you  need to first ensure a desktop vaporizer is a good fit. You can only use it at home and it takes up quite a bit of space compared to a portable vaporizer. You can also find yourself  putting it away and taking it out alot if you live in cramped quarters or are in non 420 friendly territory.  Lastly the process is a bit more involved with a handful of moving parts. 

Then you need to ask yourself. Am I okay with dropping $700 on a desktop vaporizer ? 

If you are tickling the idea of trying out vaping, then I would say don’t go straight for the golden goose. The Arizer Extreme Q will give you a great feel for what vapor is like versus smoking. 

The Hybrid Volcano is going to be the best vaporizer your money can buy, but if it ends up you don’t like vapor at all, or don’t like the desktop set up,  then there will not be any difference between the Arizer Extreme Q and the Volcano Hybrid.

Don’t get us wrong there are plenty more great desktop vaporizers out there. We have decided between comparing the Volcano Hybrid and Arizer Extreme Q  as they are two of the most popular desktop vaporizers and they are on opposite sides of what you will be shelling out to own one. If you are looking to save some money on these two or any other vaporizers, do check out our wide selection of refurbished vaporizers.