Pax 2 Vaporizer Review

Very fast warm-up, good battery life, smaller, lighter and far easier to clean than most portables. Read this Pax 2 vaporizer review to see how it improves where Pax 1 falls short.

Last updated: January 24, 2018
I updated the price of Pax 2 to reflect the newest model: Pax 3. Twice as fast to warm-up (20 seconds) and offers a larger oven capacity, app controls with Bluetooth, and vibrating feedback, see my Pax 3 review.

Pax 2 won’t rip bong-sized hits like the Mighty or Crafty, but it’s tiny package and no moving parts make it a very streamlined and easy to use option that’s basically foolproof.

The original Pax by Ploom was kind of a let down over time, major design flaws slowly revealed themselves over months of regular use, but Pax 2 has been refined in all the right areas. Pax 2 feels like the vaporizer Ploom wanted to make from day one.

What’s better in version 2?

The mouth piece no longer sticks or causes the entire thing to fail. It’s far easier to clean. The oven chamber size is larger. The battery is much longer-lasting between charges. It’s smaller and lighter. On and off is more intuitive. Pax 2 is a thoughtful and major upgrade.

Fast relief

I’ve been using Pax 2 for about 6 months now and from a cold start to fully hot and it’s ready to go in 45 seconds. I have to pack it first otherwise it gets too hot while I’m in the middle of filling the bowl; it’s that quick to warm up! An impressive upgrade from Pax 1, but even compared to other vaporizers like Mighty and Crafty, it’s super fast.

Green light means go.

How to Use Pax 2

Pax 2 is sleek and easy to hold.
Under the mouth piece is the vapor path hole.
The mouthpiece has two small pathways for air. Easy cleaning with just a rub of alcohol.
Open Pax 2 from the bottom and just push on one side to pop the magnetic bottom off.
The oven is deep but small compared to Crafty or Pax 1.
Fill the oven just about to the line. This bowl is fairly full.
Take slow sips and gently inhale a steady stream of air through the mouth piece hole. Long, slow sips work well.
Repeat until cached and be aware on lower temp settings you will likely need to stir the bowl once or twice.
Done and toasted to a nice light brown. This was on the 2nd highest temperature so there’s some room to go.
Charging is annoying to line up the charger pins to the back of the Pax, or bump it off the charger.

How the Pax 2 vaporizer Rated: 89%

Looking for something small and easy to use? Pax 2 is a solid choice. If you’re a heavy smoker looking for a medical-grade portable you might be happier with the Crafty or Mighty.

Value: 9

$280 is on the medium-high end for a portable, but this is also one of the fastest, smallest and easiest to use portables. So you pay a little extra for the smaller size at the cost of really large clouds like the Crafty, Mighty or a desktop unit.

Ease of use: 10

Fast warm-up, especially compared to the original Pax or Crafty. The single button interface makes it easy to use, but a little cryptic to change settings, which you don’t need to do often.

Design: 9

The design is thin and light compared to most portables, and it’s a significant upgrade over the original Pax. The rubber mouth piece is easy to clean and feels nice and soft on your mouth. The battery design isn’t great as it easily slips off, which I feel could be improved in future designs.

Durability: 9

I’ve managed to drop this unit a handful of times and it’s doing just fine. I keep it in my pocket with keys and other things as well, so it takes a fair beating and seems to do well.

Setup: 8

Easy to turn on, one button operation once you’ve configured the temperature you like for a given strain. (Updated Jan 2018: Took 2 points off for slow warm-up compared to other portable vapes).

Loading: 9

The magentic back is a breeze to operate but I usually have to spend a few seconds jamming a finger or the door into the oven to pack down my herb and get shake some of the lose herb into the oven chamber.

Hits: 7

Pack it tight and you get larger hits of vapor. It’s not a monster for hits, but it’s pretty strong for such a little package. Larger vapor hits than a Magic Flight Launch Box, but not as big as Crafty/Mighty or even an Arizer Solo.

Clean-up: 9

Emptying the bowl usually requires a tool since I tend to pack it tight, which is somewhat annoying. The bowl is deep, so sometimes stuff gets stuck in the rounded corners, but comes out easily with a small screw driver or tooth pick type tool.

Efficiency: 9

I find Pax 2 very efficient since it’s such a tight package there doesn’t seem to be much waste due to the vapor path design and new simplified mouth piece.

Maintenance: 10

Wow that Pax 1 mouthpiece was a pain to clean! But this is a snap! Just pop it off and wipe it down with a little ISO alcohol — done. After 10-20 uses you’ll want a pipe cleaner for the vapor path, that’s it.

The Downsides

The charger connection is easy to bump and disconnect, however I appreciate the design that went into the plug-free body. The main downside is if you’re expecting bong-sized hits from this little device I would point you to a Crafty and you’ll be much happier.

Maintenance

This is where Pax 2 really shines, just wipe the mouth piece after every two uses. After 10-20 sessions you’ll want ISO alcohol and a pipe cleaner for the vapor pathway and the oven, but that’s it really. Very easy and minimal maintenance like the Arizer Solo. Cleaning the Mighty and Crafty are tedious and messy in comparison!

The Stats

good temperature control: 370-410°F
10-year warranty
Dimensions: 3.8 inches tall, 1.2 inches wide, ⅞ .85 inches thick

Pax 2: $280

The Bottom Line

Pax 2 is worth your time and money. This new version is a significant upgrade with a better designed mouth piece for better airflow, a longer-lasting battery and the whole unit is a snap to clean. If you’re a heavy medical marijuana user (multiple times a day) then Pax might not deliver the large clouds you’re used to with a desktop vaporizer, so give Mighty or Crafty a look. Otherwise, Pax will not disappoint most folks.

You made it to the end—I appreciate that! I worked hard to make my Pax 2 vaporizer review the best on the internet by making it useful through careful research, taking helpful photos and lots of personal hands-on testing over months of regular medical marijuana use. If you like my work, consider buying from my referral link so I can keep this site going. VapeWorld has top-notch online customer service and I’ve recommended shopping with them for years. Plus they are an authorized dealer for Pax/Ploom so you get a legit warranty.

—Vape-Nation