Pax 3 Review: Most Elegant & Stylish Portable Vaporizer

Editor Note: This review was originally published on June 28, 2018 and updated on May 19 2020 for accuracy, comprehensiveness and freshness.

Among dry herb aficionados, PAX vaporizers have long held a position as the “iPhones of vapes.” Until the first PAX vaporizer appeared on the scene, most dry herb vapes looked fairly utilitarian – almost like consumer electronics from the ‘80s.

Checkout: - Best Dry Herb Vaporizers 2020

The original PAX changed all that by giving people a vaporizer that truly looked like a modern mobile device.

While a traditional vaporizer gave the user nothing but a power button and some temperature controls, the PAX had a hidden control button and a friendly “flower petal” display.

It even had some simple built-in games. It changed the character of the vaping experience and made it exciting and fun. The PAX also carried a price tag significantly higher than those of other vaporizers.

The original PAX vaporizer was wildly successful, and it was followed by the PAX 2 and PAX 3. In this PAX 3 review, we’ll discuss the new features of the latest offering from PAX Labs. Most importantly, we’ll help you find the answer to the one question that everyone asks when they see the high price tag: Is the PAX 3 vaporizer really worth it?

What’s Included

The full PAX 3 kit includes the following:

• PAX 3 vaporizer
• Two mouthpieces
• USB charging cradle
• Cleaning kit
• Standard oven lid
• Half-pack oven lid
• Concentrate Insert
• Extra Screens
• Multi-Tool

In comparison, the PAX 3 Device Only (Basic Kit) is cheaper and includes only the vaporizer, the two mouthpieces, the USB cradle, the standard oven lid and the cleaning kit. We definitely recommend opting for the full kit if you can afford it. We’ll explain shortly why the extra accessories are so worthwhile.

Features and Specifications

The PAX 3 vaporizer has all sorts of amazing features. We want to start off with all the specifications so that you can get a good overview of all the technical things first. Then, we can move on to the overall user experience of the PAX 3!

Pros and Cons of the Pax 3 Vaporizer

The PAX 3 is a great vape, that’s hard to deny. But all good things come with a few bad things, and that’s true for the PAX 3 vaporizer too. So in order to give you a clear view of these, here’s our PAX 3 pros and cons:

Pax 3 Performance

A vaporizer’s performance is incredibly important to keep in mind. While a vape may look extra fancy and cool, the performance is really what we’re all after. So let’s take a look at the PAX 3’s overall performance, shall we?

1. Oven Heating

While the PAX 3 isn’t quite an on-demand vaporizer, its oven performance is really remarkable for a portable vape of its size. While you’ll still want to time your sessions for when you have a few moments to sit down and enjoy your experience, there’s a lot less waiting with the PAX 3 than there is with other vaporizers with similar capabilities.

You can take your first hit just 22 seconds after pressing the button – that’s fast! The stainless steel oven does an excellent job of heating the material evenly and thoroughly, ensuring that you can get everything out of your herbs without pausing to stir the oven.

Checkout - Pax 3 vs Pax 2 Comparison Here>>

2. Efficiency

The fact that the oven heats so efficiently allows the PAX 3 to conserve your material in a way that other portable vaporizers can’t match. One of the biggest problems with most portable vaporizers is that the oven stays on and continues heating your material even when you aren’t inhaling.

That leads to waste - some of the compounds in your material simply vaporize into the air. PAX 3 has the ability to detect your lips and it boosts the oven temperature when you’re inhaling and cools the oven when you aren’t.

Since the oven heats so quickly, the response is almost instantaneous during your hits. Many PAX 3 owners have commented that switching to the PAX 3 has allowed them to get their desired results while using far less material. Thanks to its efficiency, you may find that the PAX 3 pays for itself after a few months!

Pax 3 vs Arizer ArGo vs DaVinci IQ 2

The PAX 3 is really great when we look at it on its own, but how does it compare to other similar portable dry herb vapes? Well, here is a comparison between the PAX 3 vs Arizer ArGo vs DaVinci IQ 2 vaporizers for the best examples of PAX’s peers.

Pax 3 Vaping Experience

The PAX 3 is not like other dry herb vaporizers. You’ve probably already realized that, but we feel it’s important to get that point across. The vaping experience with the PAX 3 isn’t like what you might have experienced in the past.

The goal of the PAX 3 is to deliver exactly what you want without you needing to think about it. Once you’ve chosen your favourite Dynamic Mode, you can interact with the PAX 3 just by pressing a single button.

There’s no need to constantly fiddle with controls or adjust temperatures – it’s a vaping experience that’s as simple and convenient as the smoking experience once was. So, what is it like to vape with the PAX 3?

Controlling the PAX 3

The PAX 3 has just one button under the mouthpiece. Press the mouthpiece to turn the vaporizer on and off.

When the light turns green, the oven is ready to go. To change the temperature, press the button for two seconds. Press the button briefly to cycle between the pre-set temperatures.

When you reach the desired temperature, either shake the PAX 3 or press the button for two seconds again. That’s it! You can access the other controls through the iOS/Android mobile app, which connects to the vaporizer via Bluetooth.

Through the mobile app, you can customize the vaporizer’s temperature settings and toggle between the different Dynamic Modes. Once you’ve set the PAX 3 up the way you like it, there’s no need to interact with the device at all except to turn it on and off via the top button.

The Pax 3´s Dynamic Modes

The PAX 3 has five vaping modes that automatically adjust the oven temperature while you vape. Different people want different things out of their vaping experiences, and the beauty of the PAX 3 is that you can have the experience you want without constant manual temperature adjustments.

All that you need to do is select a Dynamic Mode using the PAX mobile app. The vaporizer does the rest!

• Standard Mode: In this mode, the PAX 3 operates at a single selectable temperature. Lip detection is active, and the oven automatically cools when your lips aren’t touching the mouthpiece.
• Boost Mode: In this mode, the PAX 3 maintains a higher overall oven temperature to maximize vapour production.
• Efficiency Mode: In this mode, the PAX 3 ramps up the oven temperature a bit more slowly when your lips touch the mouthpiece to prevent wasting any of your material.
• Flavour Mode: In this mode, the oven of the PAX 3 becomes more responsive. The oven heats more quickly when your lips are touching the mouthpiece and cools more quickly when you aren’t inhaling.
• Stealth Mode: In this mode, you can vape more discreetly. The oven maintains a slightly cooler temperature, and the lights on the outside of the device aren’t quite as bright.

Cleaning the PAX 3

If you’ve used other high-end vaporizers, you know that they aren’t always easy to clean. When cleaning involves disassembling multiple parts or removing delicate glass stems, it can sometimes be difficult to work up the motivation to clean your vaporizer – and if you don’t keep it clean, you won’t have a good experience.

The simple oven design of PAX 3 is one of its best features. To clean the PAX 3, all that you need to do is:

• Soak the screen, mouthpiece and oven lid in a bit of alcohol.
• To clean the inside of the vaporizer, dip one of the included pipe cleaners in alcohol and run it through the vapour path.
• Rinse and dry the parts.
• Turn the PAX 3 on for a few minutes to evaporate any remaining alcohol residue, and you’re ready to go!

Checkout - Pax 3 Complete Cleaning Tips

The Hidden Features of the PAX 3

The PAX 3 includes some fun light shows and simple games to keep you and your friends entertained during vaping sessions. To access the hidden features:

• Hold the PAX 3 horizontally and rotate it three times.
• To cycle between the different party modes, just rotate the vaporizer three times again.

PAX doesn’t talk much about the hidden modes in its vaporizers, preferring to let users discover the fun on their own. Should you buy a PAX 3 just to explore its hidden features? Probably not – but we think you’ll have a lot of fun with them!

Pax 3 Accessory Guide

PAX 3 has a wonderful variety of different accessories and spare parts that the user can buy and keep on-hand to be prepared for switching up their sessions or repairing a damaged or old piece. Here is what PAX offers for the PAX 3.

1. Pax 3 Half-Pack Lid

PAX vaporizers are so efficient that many people find they can get all the enjoyment they want without using a full oven of material. In the past, people would get their PAX vaporizers to accept less material by wedging pipe screens into the ovens.

With the half-pack oven lid, that’s no longer necessary. Simply replace the standard lid with the half-pack lid to reduce the size of the vaporizer’s oven.

2. Pax 3 Concentrate Inserts

Unless you already own a dedicated wax pen, the concentrate insert is the biggest reason why you should buy the full PAX 3 kit rather than the device only. By replacing the standard oven lid with the concentrate insert, you can instantly convert the PAX 3 into a wax vaporizer.

To use the concentrate insert, remove the lid and place a pea-sized dab of wax in the middle of the oven. Set the PAX 3 to its highest temperature and enjoy it. A wax concentrate will turn to liquid when heated, so keep the PAX 3 upright when using it for dabs.

3. Pax 3 Flat Mouthpiece

Both the PAX 2 and PAX 3 vaporizers are equipped with raised mouthpieces, but many users prefer the feeling of vaping with a flat mouthpiece. Many believe it fits the overall design of the PAX vapes much more naturally, and that it is better to vape with it. So definitely get the flat mouthpiece if you want to try it out!

4. Pax 3 Multi-Tool

The PAX Multi-tool is a little tool that allows users to fully pack the PAX 3 chamber, and also helps you unload your product from the chamber when you’re done. It’s a nice addition made especially for the PAX vapes, and we highly recommend it for a discreet on-the-go experience. It even comes on a keychain!

5. Pax 3 Mini Charger and USB Charger

Both are chargers you can use when connected to an AC adapter or a car adapter for ultimate ease and convenience. The Mini Charger is smaller and shorter, and the USB charger is standard size.

6. Pax 3 Mouthpiece Lubricant

The mouthpiece can become, well, less soft and silky over time. But with the mouthpiece lubricant, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. All you need to do is oil it up a little bit, massage it in a bit, wipe it off, and your mouthpiece will be as good as new again!

Who is the Pax 3 For?

The PAX 3 is perfect for anyone seeking a small, compact vape that can still pack a punch for its size. Also, if you’re a person seeking something more than your average dry herb/concentrates vaporizer, the PAX 3 offer all you’re looking for and more.

With fun hidden games, different vaping modes, and even the half-pack lid insert, your vaping experience will be versatile and super fun all the time. However, the price isn’t the most accessible, and we will say that you might have to save up for the PAX 3.

Who is the Pax 3 Not For?

As you may have gathered already, the PAX 3 is a small portable vape. So for those looking for something bigger and more ‘hardcore’, you might want to check out something by Storz and Bickel or even the Ghost MV1 since they’re probably better for you.

It’s also important to note that while the PAX 3 vape is compatible with concentrates and wax, it isn’t necessarily the best concentrates vaporizer. So if you’re into dabs, check out the Dr. Dabber Boost Black Edition or some of our Dab Rigs for a better dabbing experience.

So, Is the Pax 3 Worth It?

Functionally, the PAX 3 is superior to virtually any other dry herb vaporizer on the market because of its fast oven heating time and conservation of material. With a full oven, we can virtually guarantee that you’ll get more out of the PAX 3 than what you experience with your current vaporizer.

Thanks to the efficiency of its oven, the PAX 3 can also allow you to get the same experience you currently enjoy while using far less of your expensive herbs. Using less material means that you’ll save money. In that light, the price of the PAX 3 seems more than reasonable.

The PAX 3 also beats other vaporizers in terms of style. Few other vaporizers are as small and pocketable as the PAX 3. Nothing else feels as good in the hand, and the battery life – up to 10 sessions per charge – is remarkable. With its one-button operation, using the PAX 3 is as simple as smoking.

If you like to fiddle with temperature settings constantly while you vape, the PAX 3 may not be the best vaporizer for you. If you’re the type who likes to “set it and forget it,” though, you’ll find that the PAX 3 has the potential to transform your vaping experience. We love PAX’s vision of what vaping ought to be in the future.

We believe that PAX 3 is absolutely worth the price!

This trusted information is sourced from the manufacturer and our own experience with Pax 3 vaporizer.