Arizer XQ2 Review

Is the Arizer XQ2 worth it?

The Arizer XQ2 has arrived, and we couldn’t be more excited to give you an in-depth review to help you see if it’s right for you!

• Arizer has been steadily improving its desktop vaporizer designs since the release of the original V-Tower over 15 years ago, and now we have the new version for you to see!

Off the bat, you should know that this is a high-performance vaporizer that will keep beginners and vape connoisseurs happy with massive and flavorful hits without breaking the bank – Let’s get into it!

Arizer XQ2 Specs

What’s in the kit?

• 1 x Multi Purpose Heater
• 1 x Power Adapter and Cord
• 1 x Remote Control
• 2 x Glass Connoisseur Bowls
• 2 x Tuff Bowl Grips
• 1 x Glass Aromatherapy Dish
• 1 x 3′ Silicone Whip
• 1 x Glass Mini Whip w/ Dome Screen
• 1 x Frosted Glass Balloon Mouthpiece
• 1 x Balloon Connector
• 2 x Balloon Bags
• 1 x Balloon Cap
• 1 x Air Filter W/ Cartridge
• 1 x Stainless Steel Stirring Tool
• 1 x Flat + Dome Screen
• 1 x Aromatic Botanical sample
• 1 x Owner’s Manual

How the Arizer XQ2 works

The Arizer XQ2 has a simple user interface and remote that makes it easy to use and understand all of its functions. 

• As a desktop vaporizer, the XQ2 must be connected to a wall outlet to operate correctly using its Arizer XQ2 Power Supply Cord
• For inhale methods, you can choose to either inhale from the silicone whip or fill balloons with the fan.

How it cooks your weed

The XQ2 Glass Connoisseur Bowl is placed right on top of the heating vent, which will then will slowly extract your THC for you to inhale through the whip or balloon.

The XQ2 uses convection heating that blows hot air up through the ground cannabis that you have loaded in the chamber. 

With either the remote or user interface, you’ll be able to set the temperature anywhere you’d like between the range of 122-500°F (50-260°C).

It takes about 3-4 minutes to reach optimal temperatures in the bowl, but after that, it’s time to enjoy your session!

Choose between Whip or Balloon

Once you have your bowl loaded and your XQ2 has reached its set temperature, it’s time to attach either the whip or balloon bag to the top of the chamber!

• The new 360° swiveling head includes a three-foot silicon whip and glass mouthpiece for hookah functionality
• The easy-to-use balloon system with an included seal cap on the other hands also makes sharing vapor with friends a breeze!

Let’s take a quick look at how you can set up either option.

How to use the Arizer XQ2 Whip

To use the whip, you’ll need to place the whip kit onto the glass bowl using a temperature between 170C-220C (338F-428F). After waiting 3-5 minutes while your bowl preheats for better vapor quality, you’ll be able to take long and slow draws full of terpenes!

• If you want easier inhales, you’ll also be able to turn the fan on so that vapor starts pouring out of the mouthpiece on its own. 

Arizer Glass Whip Mouthpiece

How to use the Arizer XQ2 Balloons

To use the Arizer Balloon Bags, you’ll be attaching the mini glass whip (the bent glass with an elbow) to the glass bowl and then place the Arizer Balloon Mouthpiece onto the female port on the top of the glass elbow piece.

There are many different ways to fill the balloon, so there’s a lot of room for customizing settings like heat, bowl mode, and fan to perfect your sessions over time!

• A popular balloon set up to try it with the temperature set to 380F° / 193°C, and filling the bag on the low fan speed

Keep in mind that the higher you set the temperature, the more thick your balloon bag will be with vapor.

Compared to the previous model of the Arizer Extreme Q, one of the best upgrades to the balloon is an included cap so that you can take your filled balloon from room to room without wasting any vapor.

Two bowl sizes

The glass bowl comes in two sizes which will let you choose between more flavor or more cloud production. In simple terms, it just means that the glass divider isn’t set in the middle so you can choose to have your herb further from the heat with less capacity, or closer with more weed capacity. While both bowl sides produce excellent airflow, the larger ‘Cloud’ chamber may be better for parties, bag-filling, or heavy users.

• The Cloud Side is the larger option, and the glass screen will be closer to the ceramic heating element.

For most people, this will be the preferred chamber side. This option will produce powerful hits and clouds with up to 1.5g of cannabis if you fill it to the top.

• The Flavor Side will have a smaller bowl size but is better for micro-dosing or cooler inhales.

The glass screen will be further from the heat, and the chamber size is reduced to about 0.3g. This will be a better option for users who prefer flavor over massive clouds.

Improved Remote Control

With improved remote control, you’ll have access to more accessible settings control with better signal reception. The new remote now operates the fan control, audio levels, LED lights, temperature settings, power, auto-off timer, and three pre-set modes. All of this makes for a great and user-friendly desktop experience.

The older remote could be super confusing to beginners due to having too many options, so it’s nice to see that Arizer listened to community feedback to implement a good upgrade.

Arizer Extreme Q remote (left) vs. Arizer XQ2 Remote (right)

Flavorful Vapor Quality

With a newly upgraded fan and isolated air path on the XQ2, you’ll have noticeably better vapor quality during your whip and balloon use! There’s also a new XQ2 replaceable air filter as an accessory to compete directly with the Volcano Hybrid.

Overall, we found that most temperatures will produce similar results and flavor, with the only real difference being a slowly filled bag being more ‘milky’ because of the more concentrated vapor. While the XQ2 significantly improved its vapor quality, it’s still a little behind the Volcano, especially since it fills the balloon twice as slowly.

How to use the Arizer XQ2

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details for you connoisseurs or prospective buyers still reading our review!

1. Load your glass bowl with a coarse grind of your favorite cannabis strain.
2. Turn the XQ2 on with either the remote or power button on the user interface.
3. By default, the XQ2 will automatically begin heating to the last set temperature, which you can adjust with the up or down arrows on the remote or device.
4. Wait 2 minutes for the glass bowl to heat up and produce the best vapor quality for your balloon or whip.
5. Use the Arizer Glass Mini Whip Kit to fill balloons, or use the Arizer Elbow Adapter for the Arizer Silicone Whip

Overall, it’s extremely easy to use while still having enough customizability to satisfy the connoisseurs in the crowd.

On the user interface buttons on the actual vaporizer, there are six pieces of information to know:

1. Power button – One press will activate the XQ2 unless the delayed 2-second start-up time is selected.
2. Settings – Press the Settings Button will access the menu. You can press the up and down buttons to navigate to the desired setting. Pressing the setting button will be used as the ‘select’ button. Selecting an option will return you to the default temperature display screen. Other options you’ll have access to are the LED lights, screen brightness, volume settings, temperature alerts, auto-off timer, temperature display, and the delay start option.
3. Fan – Pressing the fan button will switch between low, medium, high, and off. You’ll also be able to do the same things on the remote.
4. Navigation buttons – The up and down buttons are used to navigate the menu settings and options. You can also hold them simultaneously to change temperature increments from 1 degree to 10 degrees.
5. The user interface is the remote control signal receiver between the power and settings buttons.
6. On the screen, you’ll see the set temperature on the bottom right and the actual temperature in the middle. The new screen is now easier, brighter, and more understandable!’

How to use the Arizer XQ2 for aromatherapy

When the XQ2 is not being used as a Weed Vaporizer, it doubles down as an aromatherapy device!

• Add your favorite rinds, such as orange peels or scented flower pedals to the included glass aromatherapy dish to add a great scent to any environment.

Other botanicals that the Arizer community recommends include lavender, chamomile, or mint leaves – Our personal favorite at the Tools420 office is banana peels!

Is the XQ2 vaporizer portable?

At 7 inches tall and wide at the base, the XQ2 is very portable as a desktop vaporizer, especially since it only weighs about a pound compared to the Volcano Hybrid, which weighs around seven pounds.

Still, having capped balloons makes it a perfect option for parties or sharing with friends since you’ll be able to take them from room to room without worrying about wasted vapor. 

Arizer Extreme Q vs. Arizer XQ2

• The main difference between the EQ and XQ2 is the new glass bowl style, the inclusion of rubber grips, and the improved balloon design.

While the XQ2 is now much easier to use, the vapor quality is only slightly better. Because the XQ2 is a little more money than the original, we’d pick the new version over the EQ any day of the week.

You can read more about this comparison in our Arizer Extreme Q vs. XQ2 Review.

How to clean the Arizer XQ2?

The main thing to keep clean on the XQ2 will be all of its glass accessories.

• Knocking out debris after a session will always be the best practice to prevent resin buildup.
• About once a month or after noticing decreased airflow, you can put your dirty glass pieces and screens into an isopropyl alcohol bath for 30 minutes.

Afterward, gently scrub and rinse off any remaining alcohol with hot water.

You might also notice your whips and bag quality decline over time if you are a heavy user. However, you can always pick up more for cheap if you want to avoid cleaning them in something more potent like Orange Chronic. 

Periodically, you may also consider changing the air filter accessible by the removable lid on the bottom of the XQ2.

Three Year Warranty

The XQ2 carries a lifetime warranty on the heating element and a limited 3-Year warranty covering parts and labor costs against defects. One thing to know is that the glass is not covered under warranty. The glass pieces are made from borosilicate and are very prone to shattering if dropped, so you’ll want to have the Tuff grips on the bowls at all times to reduce the risk of breaking or accidental dropping!

Tips and Tricks

• You can choose to heat soak your bowl for up to five minutes before beginning your session to prime your dry herb
• The balloon bag mouthpiece uses a 10mm male port which you’ll be able to use as a bong adapter for a 10mm bubbler
• Change out your air filter once a year to ensure the best vapor quality
• Heavy users should pick up extra XQ2 balloons to fill multiple at a time
• Before throwing balloon bags out, you can salvage some of the resin buildups in the whip by cutting them open with scissors and then scraping the resin with a knife for your wax pens
• Use the Arizer Glass Stirring Tool in the chamber halfway through your session to get some fresh herb exposed to the heat

10mm balloon bag attachment

Pros

• Sleek and easy-to-use design
• Consistent vapor quality
• Tons of included accessories 
• Many settings to tweak and fine-tune for veterans
• 10mm mouthpiece balloons with included tethered cap
• The ‘Tuff’ grips make the bowls much safer to handle
• Lightweight desktop vaporizer
• Amazing kit value

Whip and Balloon Vapor Quality

Cons

• Glass parts are very brittle
• Slow balloon filling time compared to Volcano Vaporizers
• Balloons and whips can be hard to maintain for heavy users
• Vapor quality not on par with Volcanoes

Final Thoughts

As an upgrade over the Extreme Q, the Arizer XQ2 vaporizer has packed many new features into its kit while remaining affordable. There are lots of accessories to play around with sessions for veterans, and beginners will be able to have awesome sessions right out of the box as well.

Overall, the XQ2 is a great pickup for a cheaper alternative to the Volcano because it still packs a punch with its consistent vapor quality & It still sits near the top of our list of the Best Desktop Dry Herb Vaporizers.

If you’re still undecided, be sure to check out our more in-depth reviews:

• Arizer Extreme Q Review 
• Volcano Hybrid vs. Arizer XQ2

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions about our XQ2 review!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Arizer XQ2 smell?

Yes, the Arizer XQ2 smells quite a bit like roasting cannabis and won’t be discreet in your household.

What is the size of the Arizer XQ2 hookah whip?

The Arizer XQ2 comes with a 3-foot hookah silicone whip.

Is the Arizer XQ2 better than the DaBuddha vaporizer?

Yes, the DaBuddha has no precision temperature control, or balloon functionality, and is harder to use.

Is the Arizer XQ2 conduction or convection?

The Arizer XQ2 mainly uses convection heating, although you’ll get some conduction THC extraction after five minutes or so of heating as your glass bowl itself heats up.

What is the max temperature of the Arizer XQ2?

The max temperature of the Arizer XQ2 is 500° F / 260° C which is a temperature that people that only care about smoky clouds will enjoy.