Volcano Hybrid Review – An in Depth Look at Storz & Bickel’s Newest Volcano Vaporizer

The wait is over, literally, the Volcano Hybrid heats up in a tad over a minute meaning you will no longer sit idly by for 4 minutes plus –the heat up time on the Classic or Digital Volcano to reach temperature. But there’s a plethora of new features on the Volcano Hybrid besides the heat up time.

The new model, the Volcano Hybrid, marks the third iteration of the Volcano Vaporizer. The Hybrid comes  12 years later after the Digital Volcano was released. The original Volcano (Classic Volcano) was crafted back in 2000 by Markus Storz and Jürgen Bickel , who are still leading the company through innovation to this day, even after the Canopy Growth Merger.

Due to Storz & Bickel’s long history of Germany made quality vaporizers, customers are willing to pay the steep $699 price. The price and being 12 years between this model and the Digital Volcano leaves people asking, “What exactly has changed from the previous model to the new Volcano Hybrid?”.

Touch Screen Capability – The Volcano Hybrid features a new touch screen that enables you to modify the temperature as well as see an accurate digital image of the temperature you’ve selected. Granted the Digital Volcano did have up and down buttons to change the temperature, the touch screen buttons are much more modern and require less pressure to adjust the temperature and have fan settings.

Bluetooth Flexibility – The new Volcano Hybrid is equipped with the ability to connect to Bluetooth, which allows for remote customization when you download an app on your smartphone. The phone app will allow you to perform and manage regular functions like power, fan speed, and temperature. This is also great for fighting counterfeits. An issue that fortunately has only plagued the Mighty and Digital Volcano, but will make the Volcano Hybrid near impossible to counterfeit.

Another cool feature with the Storz & Bickel app is you can add your Crafty and your Hybrid to the same app so there is no need for an app for each vaporizer.

Hybrid Inhalation System –  The most noticeable feature is the Whip-Style draw now added to the Hybrid. You can still use the Hybrid the old-fashioned way with the bags, but having both functions is an excellent addition for vapers who are just laying back solo or were annoyed by the sound and the process of using a vapor bag. Once the Herbalizer went out of business, we got a lot of calls over what high end desktop utilized a whip for easy instant vapor. The Hybrid really improved on methods for vapor delivery and as well heat up time.

10x Faster Heat-Up Time –  The Volcano Hybrid-only takes 40 seconds to heat up. Thanks to Improvements to the internal specs, the Volcano Hybrid will heat materials 10x faster than before. Under the hood, the Volcano Hybrid stores a double helix heating mechanism and some extra horsepower which enables quicker heating times even when compared to the previous Volcano variants. It will be interesting to see with this extra power and more intricate insides if it will cause greater defects in the Hybrid units, but so far so good.

Automatic Shut-off – After 30 minutes, the Volcano will automatically shut off. This is a great safety measure that is not present on the Classic but was introduced on the Digital Volcano. Auto shut-off will really help mitigate wear and tear on the unit as there are more internals with the Bluetooth and improved heat up time.

The Volcano Hybrid comes with what you’d expect and more. This has been the Storz & Bickel Standard to include more than you need to get going and let you customize or choose accessories from there.

Something fundamental to most vapers is the quality of the vape produced. When talking about the pure volume of vapor and flavor, the Volcano Hybrid, like its predecessor, is practically impossible to surpass. It produces large quantities of fresh, crispy and misty vapor at lower temperatures and dense vapor that really highlight a plant’s complete flavor and body at higher temperatures.

You can control just how much vapor it makes by using the Hybrid’s fan. It’s simple if you desire more, switch on the fan. Want less? Turn it off or switch it down.  Here you can fill for Volcano bag quicker or with more dense vapor according to how you like it.

The Volcano Hybrid also gives the owner the ability to use the fan to drive the device when it’s in whip mode, which provides the Hybrid with an added punch that is great for when you and your buds are all just hanging out. It’s easy to pass around and share.

This is something which Storz & Bickel really took from the likes of the Herbalizer and Arizer Extreme Q. You can draw from the whip without assistance or you can turn on the fan, use less breath and let the vapor flow into your mouth. This however can be a double edged sword as many who have issues inhaling or difficulty breathing can benefit from the fan assist, ultimately  need to inhale the vapor to get the effects.

In the end, like its predecessor, the Volcano Digit, the Hybrid is a complete beast when it comes to vapor production. Nothing else in the world of desktop vaporizers can hold a candle to this vaporizer in this context. The amount of quality is why customers cough up and pay top dollar for one and these modifications allow you to customize your vapor with an extra added level than previously offered.

While the Volcano Vaporizer is not the easiest to use out of the box, it’s widespread notoriety mean more have familiarity with the device. With the Hybrid let’s add in the fact that customers will still have support for the Volcano’s old school way of vaporizing, its balloon system, so while you may have to get accustomed to the new features and controls, the classic method and approach of using the unit remains the same.

The Volcano has also released an iPhone and Android app, which you can download via the App Store and Google Play for free. The phone app has been mentioned already, but it’s worth talking about how this enhances usability for an owner.

***The app is totally not essential but will enhance your experience with the Hybrid.

Once the app is installed, it has four main settings:

1. Main Controls – This gives you swift access to the Volcano Hybrid’s main settings, such as power and temperature control. Thanks to the app you can adjust the settings on the Hybrid wirelessly, so now you don’t even have to touch the Hybrid itself.

2. Settings – Inside Settings, you can control the more in-depth settings of the Volcano Hybrid such as fan speeds and the shut-off times. Another programmable set-up features Workflows, which let you customize heating temperatures across, say, a 20-minute window of time.

3. Status – Status gives you an in-depth report at what the Volcano Hybrid is doing at any given time. The report will include info about the fan speed and temperature.

4. Information – On the information tab, you can find user-guides that will include helpful tips for getting the most performance out of your Volcano Hybrid system. Here, you can learn more about setting up Workflows on the Volcano Hybrid.

You’ll find that the new Hybrid is just as accommodating as it’s sister models, the Classic and Digit. You can either fill up a dosing capsule (with your chamber reducer)  and have a small session of 0.1-0.15 grams of flower, or use the regular chamber and fill it with half a gram for 4-5 bags.

Given the Hybrid utilizes convection heating the bowl can be removed between uses to keep your herb preserved. The bag also catches all the vapor, so nothing is lost. This is great if you end up vaping more than you can handle, you can hold it for later. But do be mindful after a few minutes in the bag , the vapor will get stale and nasty.

Once the unit is warmed up, either use a balloon and hit the air button or attach the whip and draw directly. Depending on the quality of your herb and the chamber size, you’ll get one full balloon and a half-filled one off of one dosing capsule, or multiple full balloons from a packed chamber. Using the Whip and a full chamber expect about 30 – 40 hefty draws. Again this can greatly vary with no fan assist, heat setting, consistency of pack, etc.

Don’t worry, old-time Volcano fans, you’re still going to enjoy the same conical shape. The dimensions are the same as with its predecessors at 8 inches tall by 7 inches wide and are estimated to weigh around 4 lbs. By keeping with the old design, Storz & Bickel maintains the Volcano Hybrid ‘s classic look which makes the long-time fans more familiar with the new variant.

The Volcano Hybrid will be replacing the Digital Volcano , but the Classic will remain in production. All Volcano Vaporizers are German made by the best company in the game and come with a 3 year warranty. The Volcano Hybrid price tag of $699 is where most people get hung up. The Hybrid is worth it if you want the best and have the money to spare. However, if you’re starting out and $699 is a lot of money  then you’re probably better off trying more affordable options, such as a used Classic Volcano. This will give you the same vapor quality just without all the luxuries offered by the Hybrid. However if you do want to start with the Hybrid, we do offer the option to return for a partial refund under the 60 day trial period.

After reading this article, you can probably tell that this wasn’t a minor update. The Volcano Hybrid vaporizer is a complete overhaul of the Digital Volcano. In the end, it’s faster, more powerful, and it features much-needed, new features like the ability to do whip-style vaping and control the device remotely via a smartphone app. With the Hybrid, the Volcano continues to be the pinnacle of vaporization technology.

Storz & Bickel have added some variation to the Volcano Hybrid with the onyx edition released September 2021 alongside the Mighty+ during the first ever Storz & Bickel keynote presentation. The Onyx edition Volcano provides the same great vapor and offers the same features covered in the Volcano Hybrid review in a matte black finish.