Arizer Solo 3 Review

Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer introduction and overview

Introducing the Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer, the latest portable dry herb vaporizer from Arizer.

The original Solo model from Arizer first launched in 2011 and has earned its success as one of the most reliable and recognizable portable vaporizers for dry herb in the market.

The Solo 3 is the latest version of the Arizer Solo vaporizer line with amped up battery life (with USB-C charging), faster heating time, doubled chamber capacity, and many more features.

While the Solo 3 dry herb vape adds so many performance driven features, it keeps the original flagship features that made the Solo vaporizer line so successful: convection heating, precise temperature control, and an all-glass vapor path.

With North American engineering and user experience in mind, the Arizer Solo 3 truly is the new King of the North (for all the Game of Thrones fans out there).

Arizer Solo 3 vs Arizer Solo 2

The previous Arizer Solo 2 vaporizer model is an award-winning portable dry herb vaporizer, offering several features giving a great vaping experience overall. The Solo 3 beefed up its bells and whistles, and maintained the key features that made the Solo 2 such a popular vape.

Arizer Solo 2 original features, maintained on the Solo 3:

• Isolated airpath
• Convection heating Chamber
• Precise temperature control
• Pure borosilicate “Glass Aroma Tube” vapor path (mouthpiece)
• Designed, engineered and quality controlled in Canada

Arizer Solo 3 NEW features:

• USB-C charging
• Instant-Heating Ceramic Convection Technology
• Upgraded XL Glass Aroma Tube pod system with 0.6g herb capacity
• Session Mode: three (3) customizable temperature pre-set options
• On-demand Mode: five (5) pre-set temperatures (not customizable)
• User-friendly operating system & large LED color display
• Automatic display and control inversion

Best flavor and vapor quality by far

The Arizer Solo 3 brings remarkable vapor flavor from three (3) key features: isolated airparth, convection heating, and glass mouthpieces.

The Solo 3’s isolated airpath ensures that the air drawn into the vaporizer remains uncontaminated by any electrical or mechanical components. This maintains the purity of the vapor produced.

Convection heating in the Solo 3 involves heating the air, which then circulates around the dry herb, vaporizing it without direct contact with the heat source. This method, known for its gentle and gradual heating, allows for more nuanced terpene extraction, resulting in richer and more flavorful vapor compared to conduction heating.

Glass mouthpieces on the Solo 3 offer superior vapor flavor and purity. They are easier to clean than plastic counterparts and enhance the vaping experience, akin to sipping Coca-Cola from a glass bottle for a more refined sensation compared to plastic or metal alternatives.

Pure Borosilicate Glass Aroma Tubes

One of Arizer’s signature vape features is the Glass Aroma Tube mouthpiece, made of pure borosilicate; a type of medical-grade glass made of silica (silicon dioxide) and boron trioxide

What makes borosilicate so special?

Borosilicate is durable glass that is resistant to damage from extreme temperature changes, which the scientific literature says is due to a “very low coefficient of thermal expansion,” (I’m not a scientist, I’m just a guy with a keyboard).

Borosilicate has benefits of being easy to clean and corrosion resistant, allowing the vapor quality to remain pure, smooth and flavorful on the Solo 3.

XL Glass Aroma Tube pod system: Twice the chamber capacity, longer sessions

One of the most notable upgrades to the Solo 3 is the new XL Glass Aroma Tube pod system.

The original Arizer Solo devices had chamber capacity of 0.3g dry herb, while the Arizer Solo 3’s new XL pod system has a capacity of 0.6g dry herb (x2 more than the original).

Though not explicitly mentioned, Arizer’s XL pod system appears to be Arizer’s answer to the “3rd generation vaporizer” tag of having an integrated pod system with the device. If this means we’re getting 0.6g capacity dosing pods, I am definitely all for it.

The Solo 3 vaporizer is also compatible with the original size Solo Glass Aroma Tubes, catering to the needs of both heavy and moderate users alike.

Hybrid heating chamber, improved 10 second heat up time

The Solo 3 vaporizer features a NEW fast heating system called, “Instant-Heating Ceramic Convection Technology”. Its fast heat up time fully heats the chamber in 5 to 15 seconds, with an average of 10 seconds of heat up time.

This new instant heating ceramic convection technology classifies the Arizer Solo 3 a hybrid vaporizer heating system: 80% convection and 20% conduction.

Offering the best of both worlds, convection heats the air, providing smooth and flavorful vapor, and conduction heats the chamber, providing consistent heating to help fully cook through your herb and finish your session.

A hidden talent: the Solo 3 handles ground OR whole bud

The Solo 3 has a hidden talent of vaporizing whole, unground herb, if you ever find yourself without a grinder. It’s still capable of fully extracting your bud, and producing massive vapor clouds, regardless of your unshredded bud being fully intact.

NEW vibrant LED display

Arizer has revamped the Solo 3 with a sleek and vibrant LED display. This new interface is interactive with customizable settings, and also easy to read, boasting beautiful aesthetics.

During session mode, the temperature is displayed through a color-coded arch: white represents the default temperature, orange indicates temperature increase, and blue signifies temperature decrease.

It looks cool. It’s a lot nicer than the previous Solo vaporizers.

Automatic display and control inversion: Easy experience with a bong

The Solo 3 vaporizer’s “automatic inversion” means the temperature display and controls will flip when the device is turned upside down.

Automatic inversion is really useful when you are using a bong. Auto-inversion makes your vaping experience so much easier as the display AND controls are appropriately flipped when the vape is upside down on top of a bong. Automatic inversion is optional and can be turned on and off in the settings.

Arizer first introduced automatic inversion on the Arizer Air MAX vaporizer. However, the Air MAX features auto-inversion on the display only, and NOT the controls. The auto-inversion was improved to invert the display AND the controls on the Arizer Solo 2 MAX and the Arizer Solo 3 vaporizers.

Bong usage: On-demand mode

On-demand mode is a new feature on the Arizer Solo 3 that works really well on a bong. When you activate on-demand mode, the chamber heats up to your desired temperature, and your desired session time (ranging between 5 and 25 seconds).

Works great for a quick bong hit or a BIG bong hit.

Good airflow, but has room for improvement

The airflow on the Solo 3 vape is good, but admittedly was not noticeably improved. The airflow on the Solo 3 is a move sideways more than an upgrade from the Arizer Solo 2. Improved airflow would be a great next step in the Solo vaporizer line’s future upgrade.

In Arizer’s defense, there are a lot of powerful upgrades in other areas that the Solo 3 excels in, so let’s appreciate it for what it’s got.

3 hours of battery life with fast USB-C charging

The Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer offers convenient USB-C charging, fully charging the battery in under 90 minutes, with pass-through charging capabilities enabling vaping while it charges.

With a powerful battery, the Solo 3 vape battery provides up to 3 continuous hours of use in session mode or over 100 on-demand draws per charge.

Putting the 3 hours of continuous use into perspective, you can sit through the entire Oppeheimer movie, or one Lord of the Rings movie for the entire film without needing to charge the battery. Also, pair it with pass-through charging and your vape is basically on steroids and unstoppable.

Having the Solo 3 vaporizer with you would definitely make these movies more interesting.

Loaded with features…

The Solo 3 is loaded with impressive features, including instant-heating ceramic convection technology, automatic display and control inversion, and the borosilicate XL glass aroma tube pod system.

It’s highly versatile and customizable; offering precise temperature controls, haptic feedback, LED brightness customization, and the ability to switch between session and on-demand modes with temperature presets and adjustable session times, among other customization options.

…Yet ideal for set-and-forget convenience

Simplify your vaping experience by using your Solo 3 in session mode, the standard method of vaporizing dry herb. The customizable settings are nice to have and are more for experimentation with your vape if you’re feeling a bit quirky.

Overwhelming at first…

As a professional vape reviewer (meaning I test vaporizers for my job, instead of for enjoyment), trying to learn every aspect of the Solo 3 in a short period of time was overwhelming and exhausting.

The Solo 3 has accomplished a lot of big things in its power and performance, which are both phenomenal, but it comes with trade-offs in other areas, like convenience and portability.

Power-on command, inconvenient with no customization

Despite the extensive customization, the power on command uses a tedious child-safe lock puzzle, and unfortunately, does not have customization options to change it.

The Solo 3 is turned on by holding the M button, releasing, then clicking LEFT, UP & RIGHT one after the other.

It is good for child-safety, but it is inconvenient, tedious and frustrating that it’s unchangeable. Arizer should have added customization for the power-on command for those of us that want the easiest vaping experience possible.

Some alternative Solo 3 power-on customization suggestions:

• Holding the M button and UP (+) button together, like the Solo 2 and Air MAX
• Clicking the M button five (5) times fast, a standard on most devices
• Ability to change the unlock code or remove it altogether

A quick note: This power-on command may be a non-issue to new vape users who purchase the Solo 3 as their first vape. I’ve tested a lot of vaporizers so I notice more details and I tend to get exhausted easily (call me a tweaker, because I am tweakin’).

Quickly to intuitive (where it gets better)

Once you’ve mastered the controls, like the power-on command, you will find solace in how well the Solo 3’s vapor production and battery life perform. It really is a breeze to work with once you’ve figured out your style of vaping.

Session mode is the default vaping method, and all the other customization options simply add more fun to your vaping experience once you’re ready to level up your vape game.

The whole world inside the Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer will be ready for you to explore once you’re ready to embark on the quest.

Portability & Size

With its exceptional performance, the Arizer Solo 3 is a large, heavy-weight “portable” vaporizer. It does fit nicely holding it in your hand, and its heavy weight makes it feel like a true premium dry herb vaporizer.

The Solo 3’s big and clunky size takes its portability rating down a notch, but it still works great for when you’re hanging out around the house. It is still “portable” and is designed to travel with, and I can recommend a portable carrying case accessory to make your life easier.

The F20 Portable Carrying Case has a belt clip, and is easy to bring around with you in your car. Easily fit your Solo 3 vape with your Glass Aroma Tubes (safely secured in the appropriate sized Arizer PVC Travel Tubes) with your other vaping or 510 thread battery accessories all in one, portable place.

It’s important to note that the Solo 3’s limits on its portability score is a natural trade-off to exceptional performance in battery life, XL chamber size and instant heating ceramic convection technology. (It would not be the same vape if it was smaller.)

If you are looking for a more portable vaporizer than the Arizer Solo 3, check out the Best Portable Dry Herb Vaporizers blog page for more vaporizers best suited for your needs.

Value for money

The Solo 3 by Arizer’s first natural competitor is the Venty vaporizer by Storz and Bickel. Both vaporizers are new in 2024, and have their own unique strengths, with the Solo 3’s competitive advantage being its high quality manufacturing and performance at a lower price tag than the Venty.

Some users even prefer the Arizer Solo 3 for its aluminum body and its all-glass vapor path, whereas the S&B Venty is built with plastic and uses a plastic mouthpiece; top quality, medical-grade plastic to be fair, but I digress.

Where the Venty shines, and charges a higher price tag, is its impressive adjustable airflow, reaching a maximum airflow volume of 20 liters per minute. The Venty’s airflow destroys everything else, that’s just insane.

Arizer vaporizers are engineered in Canada, whereas Storz & Bickel vaporizers are engineered in Germany, with reliable warranty service from both manufacturers. You’re getting quality vaping equipment with both devices, with the lower price tag going to the Arizer Solo 3.

Top tier manufacturing quality

Like all other Arizer vaporizers, the Arizer Solo 3 is manufactured with North American standards with 20 years of manufacturing experience from Arizer.

All Arizer vaporizers are engineered and designed in Waterloo, Ontario in Canada, which Waterloo is considered the Silicon Valley of Canada.

Effortless cleaning, low maintenance

The Solo 3 is super easy to clean, thanks to the Glass Aroma Tubes that hold your dry herb. Simply remove the aroma tube and dump out the cooked herb with a stirring/loading tool, and rinse with isopropyl alcohol and salt. Fully submerge the aroma tube in iso in a bowl for 10-20 minutes.

You can soak a cotton swab in iso and scrub out the grime if that makes things easier. A useful cleaning kit is our Cleaning Bundle which has cleaning iso cotton swab sticks and cleaning iso cotton wipes, convenient in one item. Cleaning iso sticks work cleaning off grime in the aroma tube and in the chamber of the Solo 3.

During my usage, I’ve found that the vaporizer maintenance kit pairs excellently with these stems. The brushes are sufficiently long to reach the bottom of the glass stems, effectively cleaning away any grime.

DO NOT RINSE VAPORIZER WITH WATER because it can break the vaporizer.

The following items are included in the Solo 3 Vaporizer kit

• 1 x Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer
• 1 x Arizer Solo 3 owner’s manual
• 1 x USB-C charger (5v, 3A)
• 1 x USB-A to USB-C cable
• 1 x Air/Solo Glass Aroma Tube (90mm)
• 1 x Air/Solo Frosted Glass Aroma Tube (14mm adapter)
• 4 x Air/Solo silicone stem caps
• 4 x Air/Solo screens
• 2 x PVC Travel Tube (90mm)
• 2 x PVC Travel Tube (70mm)
• 1 x XL Glass Aroma Tube (90mm)
• 1 x XL Frosted Glass Aroma Tube (14mm adapter)
• 1 x Stainless steel stirring tool

Arizer Solo 3 tips & tricks

• Utilize the on-demand mode of the Solo 3 with a bong or water pipe, employing the “automatic inversion” feature to seamlessly adjust the display and controls while the device is upside down.
• When loading your glass aroma tube, press and twist it into the ground herb in your grinder for easy loading.
• Install and remove the glass aroma tubes keeping the device upside down to ensure the flower doesn’t spill out.
• Arizer Solo and Air vaporizers all have the same heating chamber size/circumference, so if you have an older Solo or Air device, the Glass Aroma Tubes are universal and will fit the Solo 3.
• Vaporize your dry herb still in bud form (unground), and still produce thick clouds.

Arizer Solo 3 Pros & Cons

Arizer Solo 3 Pros:

• Exceptionally strong battery with 3 hours of session mode usage
• Very fast heat up time: instant heating ceramic convection technology
• Borosilicate glass aroma tube mouthpieces provide pure, smooth and flavorful vapor
• Massive XL aroma tube chamber size of 0.6g (largest capacity in the market so far)
• Versatile vaping experience with session mode OR on-demand mode

Arizer Solo 3 Cons:

• The power on function is tedious and not customizable
• Large, heavy size is less portable, less discrete than other vaporizers
• Borosilicate glass aroma tubes tend to break relatively easily
• Airflow has room for improvement
• Price point be out of some users’ budgets

Comparable devices

• S&B Venty
• S&B Mighty+
• Zeus Arc GT3
• Airvape Legacy Pro
• Arizer Air MAX
• Arizer Solo 2 MAX
• Arizer Solo 2 (legacy)
• Arizer XQ2 (home-use only)

Conclusion & Recommendations

I love the Arizer Solo 3. The Solo 3 is a beast-mode vaporizer with remarkable vapor and strong performance with its new instant heating ceramic convection technology, updated from the Solo 2.

The Solo 3’s powerful, long-lasting battery life and new XL Glass Aroma Tube pod system are two huge competitive advantages, putting the Solo 3 in the spotlight, in front of many other dry herb vaporizers for the heaviest cannabis users. It really is a BEAST.

My romance with the Solo 3 takes a breather with its inconvenient power-on command, which I admit, you get used to, and its massive body limiting its portability and discreteness, which is also a natural trade-off to its exceptional performance.

The Arizer Solo 3 is definitely one to consider if you are a daily, heavier vape user.