PAX 3 Vaporizer Review | Why It’s Better than the PAX Plus

We reviewed the PAX 3 Vaporizer years ago. At the time of its 2016 release it was the best portable herb vaporizer around. Compact, Intuitive and boasted some cool new technology for the time. Over the years PAX Labs made updates to their flagship portable herb vaporizer but after the PAX 3, PAX just has not lived up their former reputation.

Long story short, PAX , along with the herbal vaporizer market in general, saw a precipitous decline in demand for their vaporizers along with some other head winds.

Ultimately PAX did end up releasing some new vaporizers in the PAX Mini and the PAX Plus which are nowhere near as good as the discontinued PAX 2 and PAX 3. In an effort to update our content from time to time we  want to preface our PAX 3 review and let you know if you can find old stock of this device somewhere it is better than the newly released PAX Plus.

The PAX 3 was the third release in a series of high-end portable vaporizers from PAX Labs, previously known as Ploom. This model introduced several new features, including the ability to vaporize concentrates (with the concentrate insert) , enhanced motion sensing, advanced heating profile algorithms, and integration with a smartphone app, all contributing to a significantly improved vapor experience.

Opening up the PAX 3 you are met with a handful of new editions: The PAX multi-tool, the half-packed oven lid, and concentrate canister lid (which allows you to now enjoy concentrates and oils in the PAX). On the surface, the extras appeared kind of gimmicky, but as you will see, they were borne from customer feedback and they work really well. These accessories are all still standard issue with the new PAX Plus Vaporizer. 

The multi tool – I have found this to be incredibly useful-  the stirring tool allows for an easy way to discard your vaped herb from the chamber after use, while the rubber stamp gives you a perfect fitting pack. Better yet it works for the PAX 1, 2 & 3.

The half-packed oven lid – Not packing your chambers full in any vaporizer can lead to poor sessions. Herb will flounder about while you draw and will not heat evenly. With the half-packed oven lid you can fill the chamber only halfway and get a great session without having to worry about repacking during your session.

The Concentrate Insert – The PAX 3 has an accessory which enable concentrate capabilities. This insert will work in the PAX 2 as well and is a simple accessory. It must be noted after all these years, it is no good and you are much better off buying a $20 Boundless Terp pen for much better dabs. 

The packaging and unboxing of the PAX 3 exude the elegance of a high-end luxury gadget. While it resembles a more polished version of the PAX 2, I believe that the design of the PAX 2 has a slight edge. The first edition PAX 3 featured a glossy finish, in contrast to the brushed aluminum of the PAX 2. Personally, I prefer the brushed aluminum look, but when comparing the two side by side, the differences are quite subtle. Ultimately PAX did rework the finish over the life span of the PAX 3 making it more suitable to the elements  than the first edition polished version.

Unfortunately  the PAX Plus opts for much cheaper packaging and after removing the sleeve you are getting a plain brown box. This is certainly a cost saving measure from PAX’s design team to make the PAX Plus packaging as cost effective as possible. It is crazy to think opening the older PAX 3 vaporizer side by side with the new “updated” PAX Plus. A consumer who is not in the know would think the PAX 3 to the be the upgrade and the PAX Plus to the be the older version.

The PAX 3 is very intuitive and given the PAX Plus is just a remake of this device with no Bluetooth, it also as intuitive, if not more, so given you do not need to screw around with an app. from taking out the box , you know where to put your herb and you know where to draw from. The PAX 3 is no different from the PAX 2, PAX 3 , PAX Mini or PAX Plus for the concept and procedure in how you use it. 

Packing your herb

The chamber can hold about .25 grams for a full pack and about .15 grams with the half-pack oven lid. When using alone I use the half-pack oven lid as it provides me with more than sufficient draws for personal use. If you are going to be occupied and unable to discard your already been vaped (ABV)  herb or pack another chamber, or are using with a group, you should opt for the regular oven lid and pack the chamber full.

Hitting the button on the mouthpiece will turn your PAX 3 on, while pressing down another two seconds allows you to select between the temperature settings by clicking through.

• Top left green light  360°F
• Top two yellow lights  – 380°F
• Three orange lights   – 400°F
• Four red lights –  420°F
• Four blue lights  – Custom setting

You can customize your 5th setting via a combination of the app and device. Hold your device up to your smart phone and adjust the temperatures on your PAX 3. You will notice the temps changing on your app as you move from one to another. Once you have found your desired temperature shake your PAX 3 and you will have set your custom setting.

 Drawing

The PAX 3 comes with a flat mouthpiece already on the unit and a raised mouthpiece which you can find in your cleaning kit. The flat mouthpiece is the favorite of the vapor community as the raised mouthpiece on the PAX 2 was known to produce vapor that was a bit too hot. They have made some changes to the raised mouthpiece on the PAX 3 but it still does produce vapor which is a bit too hot for my liking.

 When drawing from the PAX 3 ensure the device is showing a solid green light demonstrating the device has reached the set temp. A slow 3-4 second draw is recommended to get a good pull of vapor.

 With a fully packed oven, you can expect to get 25 good draws from your PAX 3 ( starting at a medium temperature and ending high). This is where I recommend using the half-pack oven lid if you don’t want to pack the chamber 100% full.

 The half-packed oven lid is a great feature to enhance the vapor quality and preserve your herb for personal sessions. It allows you to maintain a tight pack throughout draws using a much smaller amount than what would otherwise be required. With the half-pack oven lid I can get 10 or so good quality draws around 400°F.

Flavor

The PAX 3 provides  good flavor. Although it is nothing on par with something like the Venty, it works. The PAX 2 and PAX Plus will give you the same flavor which is also good but not blow your socks off. The trade off is the PAX offers the ultimate in pocket portability. It is about as good as it gets for something you can toss in your pocket and not have to worry about. . 

As the session continues is where the PAX 3 turns a corner with the flavor of the vapor. Your last few hits the vapor will begin to taste like burned popcorn, while the taste may go a little south towards the end you are still getting functional vapor.

This is to do with the PAX 3 being a conduction vaporizer where the portables boasting the best flavor (Mighty & Firefly 2)  are convection vaporizers. Conduction – With your plant exposed to the heating element directly- flavor integrity degrades at a more rapid rate in comparison to convection.

 Texture

Much like the flavor, the PAX 3 also provides a good texture of vapor. The first three to four hits are silky smooth with the texture going south on a half-packed oven lid around hit 8 or 9 and getting a bit hot on my throat.