Pax 3 review: Portable vaporizer for dry herb & concentrates

Choosing the perfect vaporizer can be a daunting task. With so many options available on the market, you really need to understand each product.

In this review, we break down one of the best dry herb vaporizers in Australia - the Pax 3. We’ll explain the features and even compare it to its popular predecessor, the Pax 2.

Before buying a Pax, this is a must-read. Find out everything you need to know about a product that reigns as one of the veterans of vaporizers.

Tip: If you’re still new to the world of vaping, check out our post on vaping and how to choose a vaporizer.

PAX 3 Review breakdown

When reviewing this product, we broke it down into five sections. We looked at the company that makes it, product features, pros and cons, the availability in Australia, as well as the cost.

About PAX

One of the things you should always consider when buying something is the company that made it. While some people may know this company as ‘Ploom Pax vaporizers’, they have since rebranded to simply PAX.

The company has 15 years of vaporizer manufacturing experience and is one of the key players in the industry. While the Pax vaporizers were their original claim to fame, they also created the trademarked “Juul”. You can trust this reputable company to build a high-quality vaporizer.

Pax 3 features

There’s no chance of finding the perfect product for your needs if you don’t take the time to read up about its features. Here are the most important aspects of the Pax 3.

1. Type of vaporizer

One of the main things that set the Pax 3 apart from its predecessors (as well as any other vaporizers on the market) is the ability to handle dry herbs and concentrates.

While dry herb vapes are great, sometimes you want to sample some concentrates too. Instead of needing to buy a whole other vaporizer, you can process both using the Pax 3.

The concentrate insert (requires additional purchase) can, however, get a bit hot. You might need to practice with the temperatures a bit before finding the sweet spot.

2. Accessories

There are two types of accessory bundles that you can purchase with this vaporizer. Either the ‘Basic Kit’ or the ‘Complete Kit’. The ‘Basic Kit’ comes standard and includes two mouthpieces (flat and raised), a USB charger, a maintenance (cleaning) kit, and the standard oven lid.

For a little bit extra, you can purchase the ‘Complete’ kit, which includes the half-pack oven lid, concentrate insert, multi-tool keychain, and three oven screens.

While you could live without the multi-tool keychain and oven screens, the concentrate insert and half-oven lid are two must-haves.

The large oven (0.5 grams) makes it difficult to vape small amounts of dry herb without the half-oven lid. And the concentrate insert is great because it levels up your dry herb vape.

3. Portability

One of the main things we liked about the Pax 3 was its design. This sleek vaporizer is indeed portable. It’s less than 10 cm long and only 3 cm wide, which makes it shorter than a pen and easy to store in your pocket or purse.

While size is important, it’s also about how easy it is to pop in your favourite dry herb or concentrate. The oven opens quite easily, and there is a large space for dry herbs. While it’s difficult to vape small amounts with the half-oven lid, it is great for long days of vaping without having to top up too many times.

4. Heating

In order to heat the herb or concentrates, the Pax 3 uses conduction heating. This means it uses direct heat (heated surface) to vaporize the material. This is slightly less effective than convection heating. However, it is also much more affordable.

As a result, you shouldn’t expect large plumes of smoke when using the Pax 3 vaporizer. This can be a negative for some people, but it also helps keep things discreet and at a more controllable level.

The conduction heater does heat the material quite quickly. After 22 seconds of heating, your dry herb or concentrates will be ready to puff.

This is also why investing in the half-oven lid accessory is important if you want to smoke smaller amounts. Because the heat transfers through contact, you want your dry herb to be packed properly into the oven.

5. Temperature range

The temperature range has stayed the same on the Pax 3. It remains between 182 - 215 degrees celsius.

What has improved greatly is the temperature adjustment functions. While the vaporizer still allows you to adjust between 4 heat settings using a button, they have gone a step further with the Pax 3 free mobile app.

You can use the app to adjust the temperature to the exact degree you want it. This can either be done in 1-degree or 5-degree increments. This will help you try out the effects of different temperature vaping with better accuracy.

6. Batteries & charging

What good is a portable vaporizer if it doesn’t last longer than a few minutes? The Pax 3 is well-known for its battery life and relatively quick charging. You should be able to use the vape for up to 2.5 hours (between 8 to 10 sessions).

If it goes flat, you should be able to recharge the Pax 3 within 90 minutes.

7. Extra features

In addition to the main vaporizer features listed above, the Pax 3 also includes the following:

• Warranty: There is a 10-year warranty available for manufacturing faults. This is much longer than most other vapes and an improvement from the Pax 2.

• Dynamic modes: You can select between 5 different settings using the app. Standard, boost, efficiency, flavour, and stealth modes allow you to cater your experience exactly to your preferences.

Pax 3 pros & cons

After testing out the Pax 3, we found the following list of its pros and cons.

Pros

• Highly portable & easy-to-use

• Long battery life & quick charging

• Can vape dry herb or concentrates (attachment needed)

• Large oven (0.5 grams)

• Free mobile app with temperature & mode adjustment options

• Discreet vaping experience

Cons

• Conduction heating can burn dry herbs if not careful

• Produces smaller plumes and milder experience

• Can only vape small amounts by purchasing a half-oven lid attachment

• Must be cleaned regularly

Frequently asked questions

Does PAX Vape ship to Australia?

Pax is a California-based company that ships throughout the world. While you can order from them directly, there are plenty of Australian online retailers who ship locally with stock on hand.

Is the Pax 3 worth the price?

The Pax 3 is a mid-range vaporizer, and prices may vary depending whether you go with the 'Basic Kit' or ‘Advanced Kit’. While it's a tad more expensive than entry level vapes, it is made of high-quality materials and was designed to last.

Considering it comes with a 10-year warranty, you can be confident that you’ll get a long life out of it if you treat it properly.

Pax 2 vs Pax 3: Which is better?

The Pax 3 was definitely designed to outshine the Pax 2. It came out relatively quickly after the Pax 2 but boasted an extensive list of improvements.

The actual heating type (conduction) and temperature ranges (182 - 215 degrees Celsius) are the same. The Pax 3 is better because it now allows custom temperature adjustments with the mobile app. Open the app and adjust the heat with either 1-degree or 5-degree increments. The Pax 2 could only switch between 4 heat settings.

The Pax 3 also allows for the vaping of concentrates, which is a major win. Throw in the longer battery life, quicker charging, and shorter heating times, and it’s an obvious choice.

Is a Pax 4 coming?

While it seems that PAX has definite plans for future products and development, there are only rumours about Pax 4.

While reviewing the Pax 3, it got us thinking about a newer version. Since this particular vape was released in 2016, an upgrade to this successful product is surely on the cards.

This might be disappointing for the die-hard fans, but at least the Pax 3 is still holding up well to its competition and remains one of the best vaporizers on the market.

Pax 3 review summary

Based on all of the aspects we discussed above, it should come as no surprise that this is a vaporizer recommended by many. It includes everything we look for in a vaporizer and is a nice upgrade from the Pax 2.

While it might not be the most modern vaporizer around, it still manages to hold its ground and is available at a decent price point.

If you’re considering vaping for the first time or want to access medicinal cannabis, remember to consult with a qualified medical practitioner beforehand.