How it Rated: 94%
The Volcano Classic remains the king of vaporizers because quality endures.
A vaporizer like this is an investment, think: long-term. It might not in your budget, but regular smokers will love this because it’s efficient in extracting every last drop of THC from your herb. It’s built to last for years, unlike so many poorly-made products these days.
Plug in. Turn it on. Grind herb to fine consistency. Load and wait for the bag to fill with vapors; once full release the bag and pass around your group to enjoy the cool vapors. Easiest vaporizer to use in large groups because of huge bag capacity. Also you can make custom bags that hold even more vapor!
Very modern looking with its German design. The unique volcano shape is well-designed, functional, interesting to look at and easy to carry. The temperature controls work very easy. Its small details go appreciated and noticed.
Made for years of enjoyment. Very stable and solid. Thank Ze Germans.
Simple setup: Plug it in. Turn it on.
Bag is farily easy to work once you get the hang of it. Loading herb is fast work after a few bowls, too.
Grid fine, suck vapors by the bag full. Take as big of a hit as you can. Better tasting and for your lungs than hits from the bong.
Bags are re-usable to a point, and screen clean-up only takes a minute.
Grind your marijuana finely and this unit will be very efficient. Over the long term you’ll be saving at least 15% of the herb smoked in a bong or pipe.
Change screens when they get clogged. Replace bags as needed.
How to Use the Volcano
A full balloon bag, the most efficient way to capture vapor, is about 2 feet long. Nothing is wasted or lost, and herb is efficiently used-up in about 3-5 full bags.
This orange valve ensures no vapor is wasted and balloon bags attach tightly onto the Volcano vaporizer base. This mouthpiece is well-designed so it’s easy to hold between you fingers, and has a very nice spring-loaded feel when pressing against your mouth and lips, almost pushing vapor inside.
A simple knob twist can increase or decrease the heat intensity. Turn the heat down if your herb is looking too dry and nearly burnt, or turn the heat up if it’s still green after a full bag.
The balloon bag is completely filled with thick, rich vapor in under 30 seconds. Each bag can be re-filled 3-5 times before reloading bowls with fresh cannabis. And bags can be used hundreds of times before they get too sticky and need replacement.
The Volcano’s digital temperature buttons make fine-tuning heat intensity easy and accurate.
Low Maintenance
Over time and use, the vapor bags will turn brown and become too sticky to use. Also screens get clogged and less effective with use and need clearing with a brush every so often, and replaced after heavy long-term use. That’s it, really very simple and requires almost no cleaning, just replacement bags and screens.
The Downsides: large size, high price and bag use
Like all things in life, the good comes with some bad. The bags are crinkly, loud and not environmentally friendly. The Volcano is also the largest vaporizer around — a foot tall, and nearly 3 feet with an inflated bag. But cons can also be pros; the large bag, while a hassle for one, is perfect for sharing with friends and lasts several hundred uses before replacement.
Volcano Classic vs Volcano Digit
What’s the difference? Classic uses a knob to control temperature, less precise but easy to use. The Volcano Digit vape has a digital LED display with buttons to dial exactly the temperature that works best with a specific herb — some strains are more delicate than others. If price is an issue, save $150 and get handy with the knob. If precision is your thing, don’t bother with the Classic knob, go digital.
“Yeah, the primary downfall of the digit is it takes the *very* reliable rock solid construction and design of the Volcano vaporizer, and adds electronics that can and will fail. Not worth it to me on general principle. Took me about a month to really understand the volcano, now its easy to get whatever kind of dose I want out of it, be it a medicating low heat dose, or a high heat get stoned as hell dose.”
— Caprican, SF bay area
grasscity.com forum member
The Stats
- High-quality German parts and design
- Durable, made of stainless steel
- Easily adjust temperature for the herb (266-446°F / 130-230°C)
- 3-year warranty
- Specs: 8×8 inches square • 3½ Lbs
The Bottom Line
The Volcano vaporizer has unmatched efficiency and will last for many years of service. If you’re a daily smoker or smoke with friends often we recommend it over all other options. Our advice? Go with the Volcano Classic (over the Digit or Hybrid Volcano vapes) and save yourself $150+. The knobs are easy to adjust and there’s less that can go wrong.
About my Volcano vaporizer review
You made it to the end—I appreciate that! I worked hard to make this Volcano vaporizer review the best on the internet 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. Vapor.com has top-notch online customer service and I’ve recommended shopping with them for years. Plus they are an authorized dealer for Storz & Bickel so you get a legit warranty.—Vape-Nation
Guide to Vaporizing
Weed Calculator