Which portable vape should you buy?

When people start looking to buy their first portable vaporizer, two vaporizers are brought up in conversation more times than not are the XMAX V3 Pro and the Pax 3.

The XMAX V3 Pro has been a staple of the best budget vaporizers for a while now due to having a lot of features that increase its usefulness and overall value & The Pax 3 of course has been a top performer back in 2016. So, let’s see which vape will be better for you!

XMAX V3 Pro vs Pax 3 Specs + Ratings

XMAX V3 Pro

Pax 3

Material Compatibility Dry Herb + Wax Dry Herb + Wax
Pass through charging No No
Swappable Battery Yes No
Charge Time 2 Hours 1.5 Hours
Charging Port USB-C Charging Dock
Battery life 45 Minutes 1.5 Hours
Heating system Convection Conduction
Heat up time ~20 Seconds 30 Seconds
Temperature control Precision Pre-sets + Application
Temperature Range 212°F – 428°F / 100°C – 220°C 360°F-420°F / 182°C-216°C
Oven Size 0.25 0.4 grams
Vapor path way Isolated steel + ceramic Isolated Metal + Rubber
Accessories Mouthpieces Chamber inserts + Mouthpieces
Vibration Alert Yes Yes
Motion sensor No Shutoff timer, Battery indicator, Simon-Says Game
Warranty period 1 Year 10 Years
Price 104.95 CAD 254 / 208 CAD
Coupon Code
Ease of Use 10/10 8/10
Vapor Quality 8/10 7/10
Manufacturing Quality 8/10 9/10
Ease of Cleaning 8/10 6/10
Portability 8/10 8/10
Durability 8/10 10/10

Key Features Comparison

There are a couple of important key comparisons and contrasts, let’s quickly summarize them before we get into the rest of the review.

XMAX V3 Pro Key Features

  • V3P On-Demand Heating
  • V3P Dosing Capsules
  • V3P User Interface and Precision Temperature Control

XMAX V3 PRO ON DEMAND MODE

Pax 3 Key Features

  • PAX 3 Application
  • PAX 3 Durability
  • PAX 3 Chamber Size

pax 3 600x600 application

Kit Comparison

XMAX V3 Pro Kit

Pax 3 Complete Kit

1 x MAX V3 PRO Vaporizer 1 x PAX 3 Unit
1x 18650 Battery 1 x Multi-tool
1 x Wax Cup for Concentrates 3 x Screens
1 x Cleaning Brush 1 x Flat Mouthpiece
1 x USB-C Charger 1 x Raised Mouthpiece
1 x User Manual 1 x USB Charging Dock
1 x Cotton Swabs 1 x Concentrate Insert
1 x Alcohol Prep Pads 1 x Half-Packed Oven Lid
1 x Regular Oven Lid
1 x Maintenance Kits

Convection vs. Conduction

  • The XMAX V3 Pro uses a convection heating system that will heat the air that passes through the chamber. As a bonus, this style of heating will allow you to take on-demand hits, you’ll only be extracting your THC when you inhale. This can be a huge benefit for anyone that doesn’t like to waste any herb.
  • The PAX 3 uses a large 0.4g conduction oven that runs up an isolated air path through the body of the device before you inhale from the rubber mouthpiece.

XMAX V3 PRO CONVECTION AIRHOLES

Vapor Quality

  • With the XMAX V3 Pro, you’re going to have less draw restriction, which will let you inhale for longer

Since the convection oven is quite powerful on its own, the longer you inhale means the bigger your clouds are going to be. The longer your session goes on also means the more that your stainless steel oven is going to heat up. So, even though the oven chamber is half the size of the PAX 3’s, the clouds are denser and you’ll be able to extract the bowl much quicker.

  • With the PAX 3, the conduction oven will work best with a tightly packed bowl of a medium grind.

Conduction ovens will work best with a tight pack since there will be less empty surface area. These ‘cold zones’ will create an uneven extraction that will leave you with green bud even after you think that you’ve finished your session. Despite a well-packed bowl, the PAX 3 can be a bit hit or miss as the screen and air path are prone to buildups and clogs that can make inhaling difficult. This can also happen if you mispack the bowl, so it can be a bit beginner unfriendly. If you spend the time with proper maintenance and finding the perfect application settings for yourself though, the PAX 3 can be a lot of fun!

XMAX Tips and Tricks

For the XMAX V3 Pro, since the airflow is so free, we recommend picking up the XMAX V3 Pro Silicone Adapter which will give you a 14mm and 18mm port to pair with vape bubblers and bongs. They’ll let you take longer hits and will make your sessions one or two hits total because of how much THC you’re getting from inhales. The best pairing right now would probably be the 14mm MEGA globe whip bubbler as it will have the most surface area for cooling, as well as a flat base and unique matrix bubbler.

X Max v3 Pro with glass adapter

ABV / Extraction Comparison

While both vaporizers will provide you with awesome dark brown and well-extracted AVB (Already Vaped Bud), we give the nod to the XMAX V3 Pro because its sessions are much quicker. For a fully extracted bowl, no matter the size, you can expect the process to take at least ten minutes. As they both do a great job though, overall, it comes down to just personal preference.

abv

Suitable substances

In this regard, both vaporizers will be able to do loose flower and concentrate as well with their included accessory of wax cup for the V3 Pro, and the concentrate oven for the PAX 3.

  • The XMAX V3 Pro Wax Cup is a small bowl you’ll insert into the chamber that will allow you to vaporize concentrates without any risk of having the dab melt into the oven and causing damage to the device.
  • The Pax Concentrate Oven insert goes in place of the normal oven and will is specifically made for use with concentrates. Just be wary that it doesn’t quite get hot enough to properly vaporize your dab, and will create one hell of a mess to clean up afterward. It does a decent job, though, and is a nice addition to the overall PAX 3 Complete Kit.

wax options

Portability

For portability, the PAX 3 is king – The XMAX V3 Pro doesn’t even come close. The PAX 3 uses a thick metal body and hidden mouthpiece design that has been proven over time to be virtually indestructible. As great as the XMAX V3 Pro is in its own right for portability, you simply won’t be able to fit it into your pockets and palm like you’re able to with the PAX Vaporizer.

  • XMAX V3 Pro 6in x 1in / 105g
  • PAX 3 3.9in x 1in / 93g

Where the XMAX does a small boost to its portability is the fact that it uses dosing capsules. You’ll have one wax cup, and will be able to pick up a pack of 5 XMAX dosing capsules which will help you to reload and keep our chamber clean.

xmax v3 pro vs pax 2

Battery Life Comparison

  • With an impressive battery life for both its release and in modern times, the 3500mAh of the Pax 3 will give you around 80 minutes of life time which is more than enough for even heavy users to get through a few days of use.
  • The V3 Pro has a decent 2400mAh battery, but you’ll only get about 45 minutes of runtime from it due to the oven being more powerful.

There are pros and cons to each device though, so let’s review them:

  • The XMAX has much more modern USB-C charging and a swappable 18650 battery
  • The PAX uses an outdated charging dock, so if you lose it you’ll be SOL and be forced to buy a replacement part

Pax 3 Charging method

Build Quality Comparison

For comparing build quality, let’s begin with the fact that a tremendous amount of effort went into making each kit. While the PAX 3 might be focused on overall longevity, app functionality, and consistency, the XMAX V3 Pro opted to get as much vapor quality out of a budget vaporizer as possible. Again, it comes to preference on what type of sessions you’ll be having.

pax 3 review build quality

Ease of Use Review

Each vaporizer is quite simple to use as all that you’ll have to do is load the chamber under the mouthpieces, and turn the device on with the power button.

With the PAX 3, while you’ll be able to pair the device with your phone on the application, the actual user interface has four pre-set heating options which you can access by pressing and holding the power button down.

With the V3 Pro, the OLED screen will let you control the temperature and swap to on-demand heating by pressing the up and down arrows at the same time. As previously mentioned, the only place where they really differ is the airflow, as the PAX 3 can be hit or miss, whereas the V3 Pro will almost always be restriction-free.

pax 3 vs xmax v3 pro chambers

Cleaning Comparison

  • The PAX 3’s cleaning is mainly focused around its oven screen and air path. Due to the design, a lot of resin is going to get clogged up fairly quickly. For the airpath, you can use the included plunger, and for the oven screen, your best bet is going to be vape cleaning sticks and vape cleaning wipes which you can find in our Vape Cleaning Bundle.
  • As for the XMAX V3 Pro, you’ll be able to do easy maintenance by using a vape cleaning wipe on the mouthpiece screen when you begin to see resin on it. For more thorough cleaning, you’ll be able to fully disassemble the mouthpiece to access the winding ceramic airpath which will help to cool your vapor before you inhale. As you’ll get quite a lot of resin there, our pro tip is to use a dab tool to scrape it out and use it with the wax cup in your next session!

xmax v3 pro vs pax 3 cleaning

Community Consensus

Whenever people ask for a recommendation for a first unit or a budget unit on forums /r/vaporents or F**KCombustion, the V3 Pro is always going to be near the top of the list. It simply just performs well beyond its $100 price tag. For the PAX 3, the same forums have mixed feelings. While some users are die-hard fans that swear by it, others dislike how seemingly costly the unit is for its performance.

Warranty

The PAX 3’s 10-year warranty can be a huge selling point for some people as all they want is something that won’t quit on them, no matter what. The XMAX V3 Pro has a one-year warranty, and not one of the hundreds of devices we’ve sold have had an issue yet. Still, the PAX 3 is going to be much more resistant to the wear and tear of daily life.

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, these are two great portable dry herb vaporizers that will make different kinds of users happy.

  • I’d recommend the XMAX V3 Pro to any vaporizer beginners because there’s simply no way to go wrong with it. Once you do get the hang of it, there are tons of included accessories to help you customize your sessions!
  • I’d recommend the PAX 3 to vapers that care less about vapor quality, and more about having a highly portable and durable device. This would be a great vape for hikers or big city users that just need to get a discreet session in, or for those that know it will be taking a beating.

I hope you enjoyed reading it and hope this blog has helped you with deciding on your next vaporizer!

Also be sure to check out the new Pax Plus, or read our Pax Plus Review to see how it compares to the Pax 3!

pax 3 vs xmax v3 pro colorful

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