iolite (portable) vaporiser review

[Weird Jimmy]

I had no idea what forum to post this in, so I hope this one is cool...

I had the pleasure of using my buddy's iolite vaporiser last night and I liked it so much that I wanted to give it an endorsment. I'll also try my best to give it a thorough, objective review, so here goes...

The first thing I saw was the little carrying case that housed it (it's a portable unit), which seemed nice enough. It was basically a nylon, padded, square shell that zipped around three sides. The inside held the iolite on one side and some accessories on the other side.

The vaporiser itself was very inconspicuous looking. I thought it looked like a sleek two-way radio, and my wife thought it looked like a cell phone. My buddy has the all black one but it comes in a bunch of different colors. compared to other portable units I've seen, this is one of the best looking, I'll post a pic...

The loading of the pot looked super easy. The mouth piece is connected to bowl that pulls off of the main body of it, then it's packed and put back in place....

Now the lighting of it was one of the things that I liked the most about it. It uses a flameless butane catalytic heater; no batteries, no cords. It's activated by pressing a button at the bottom of the iolite, then you see a little orange light come on and start to hear a hissing sound, once the hissing stops it's at prime temp and ready to be hit... the thermostat turns the heater back on when the temp starts to drop a little, and off again when it's back to where it needs to be; it's pretty slick...

All those other things are nice, but does it work?.... like a dream my friends. Nice, pleasant tasting vapor followed by such an awesome high (g13 haze), and hardly any smell. The pot browned but never burned; mission definitely accomplished.

I was pretty much sold on the thing after using it. I checked a few websites that sell it, and they sell from $200 to $250 which seems like a great price compared to other vapes. My buddy also mentioned that when I buy one, to buy it from an authorized dealer. He said the company won't honor the two year warranty if you buy it from someone who's not authorized....

Sorry if that didn't sound too objective, but I really liked the thing. If you're in the market for a vaporiser, definitely take a look at this one. If anyone has any specific questions, I'll do my best to answer....... shit, my browser's not letting my post a pic, but just google 'iolite vaporiser' if you want to look at it or read more about it.

 

[Son Of Fongool]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up! It's a bit difficult to find decent reviews of all the myriad vapes out there. This one sounds really easy to use, which is nice because it seems like the major issues I've heard people talk about is how clumsy vapes can be to load and how precise the temp control is (or isn't).

How is the temp adjusted? Does it have a fan so it can blow up balloons?

Price wise I'm not sure what to think, for $299 you could get a V-tower extreme! Not portable, but absurdly feature packed (remote control, blows up balloons, etc.) I suppose you pay for portability...

 

[Weird Jimmy]

Yeah you're welcome. Like I said, I really liked using it so I thought I'd try and turn some people on to it.

...the temp control is built-in to the thermostat, so it's definitely lacking a precise user controlled temp. But the temp that it was running seemed to be doing fine on it's own.

it also doesn't have forced air, so it won't blow up any bags or balloons. It's really more of a portable unit that could easily be your everyday vape.

One thing that really sold me on this particular unit though was that I could envision myself being at a football game or in line at an amusement and still be smoking whenever, pretty much wherever, while being totally inconspicuous as to what I was doing. There's no smoke and the smell it produces isn't a typical burning marijuana smell. It's great.

.... but if you're looking for more of a home unit that will blow up bags, this isn't the one you want... I actually want both!!!

 

[Mr. Bongjangles]

One thing that really sold me on this particular unit though was that I could envision myself being at a football game or in line at an amusement and still be smoking whenever, pretty much wherever, while being totally inconspicuous as to what I was doing. There's no smoke and the smell it produces isn't a typical burning marijuana smell. It's great.

Really? The vapor from any vaporizer most definitely smells like *the dank* and would get you in some serious trouble at a football game or whatever. Heard specifically that the iolite is a fail for public use as far as smell is concerned, and it only makes sense if it is a half decent vaporizer.

Are you an authorized reseller of these things or are you just deluding yourself about this?

 

[Lord Doobie]

total waste of $300 unless your a MMJ user that absolutely needs portability
biggest forum I've seen on vapes is www.fuckcombustion.com
some of those vapes go for $500
I made my own for less than $20 and it's every bit as good as the high-priced spread
I'm not MMJ needing a portable vape so if I'm out and about, I'll just smoke a joint

 

[Weird Jimmy]

Really? The vapor from any vaporizer most definitely smells like *the dank* and would get you in some serious trouble at a football game or whatever. Heard specifically that the iolite is a fail for public use as far as smell is concerned, and it only makes sense if it is a half decent vaporizer.

Are you an authorized reseller of these things or are you just deluding yourself about this?

lol, did I write anything in this thread that would lead you to believe that I'm a dealer of these things? If I did, then that wasn't my intention. I'll try and be more clear: I don't even own one of these things. I had a good experience using one over the weekend and I shared that experience in this thread. I mentioned purchasing one from an authorized dealer because they offer a 2 year warranty while unauthorized dealers can't offer the same thing.

Now I'll try to explain some more details from my experience and why I'd be confident using it outdoors at a ball game or amusement park... when I used the iolite this weekend I was inside, at Christmas party of about 30 or 40 people. Pot smoking was definitely not allowed or accepted at this particular function, yet we managed to get high all night without hearing one word about 'a funny smell' or 'something smells like pot'... granted we were in another room, but that's something you just could not do with a joint or bowl. Too much smoke, too much smell.... not to mention that the guy who owns it has had it for two weeks and has already brought it with him to the movies and used it in the middle of a theatre without any problems. He actually had the unit in a small size soda cup with a lid on it with the nozzle sticking out of the lid like a straw. Every time he took a hit he looked like he was drinking his Pepsi.... and even if there was a noticeable smell, who cares? You're still not surrounded by clouds of pot smoke, nor do you have a joint or bowl burning smoke from your hands. This thing could be heating up in your pants pocket, taken out for 5 seconds to be hit, and then put right back in your pocket, all without breathing one breathe of smoke; try doing that with a joint some time.

Anyway take from this review what you want but I assure you I'm not trying to sell anything to anyone. If it was POS I'd tell you so.

 

[Weird Jimmy]

total waste of $300 unless your a MMJ user that absolutely needs portability
biggest forum I've seen on vapes is www.fuckcombustion.com
some of those vapes go for $500
I made my own for less than $20 and it's every bit as good as the high-priced spread
I'm not MMJ needing a portable vape so if I'm out and about, I'll just smoke a joint

that is killer man.. You should post some pics of your vape.. Did you engineer it yourself or did you find the plans on the website you linked? I'd love to try my hand at building one. Sounds like a fun project and the price fits right in my budget, lol.

 

[Son Of Fongool]

The other portables I've seen do not look so easy to use. Some of them even require you to heat the unit manually with a lighter!

So to me this sounds like a decent portable, the only thing killing it is the price and lack of temp control (though from the sound of it, it did a good job of browning, not burning but I like the flexibility of dialing it in myself).

If this thing were ~$130 I'd prolly spring for one. But for the price, I'd just spend the extra $50 and get a V-Tower with all the bells and whistles. Like Lord Doobie said, I don't desperately need the portability so the expense just isn't justified.

Not sure I would want to build one myself, but maybe Lord Doobie could share his plans and convince me?

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

I've owned mine for about a month now. I don't even smoke pot anymore. The taste of a pipe just grosses me out now. The one thing you definitely need to abide by with this device is to not use regular butane in it. It's the only downside to this. The differance using the Iolite with Calibri butane vs BenzOmatiC is amazing. It runs smoother, gives nicer vape results. I got mine from (no affiliation) the1darkside.com Super fast shipping, great guy to deal and his price is fair. He is an authorized dealer, however, I've never heard of anyone having any kind of warranty issues from Iolite. The one thing about that is they are made in Scotland, so warranty is a 3 week ordeal that requires some international shipping. I think most people that have poor results with this device are using either Ronson or BenzOmatiC butane. I could not believe the difference this made.. Anyway.. I'm stoned and rambling.. lol

mgk

 

[Weird Jimmy]

I've owned mine for about a month now. I don't even smoke pot anymore. The taste of a pipe just grosses me out now. The one thing you definitely need to abide by with this device is to not use regular butane in it. It's the only downside to this. The differance using the Iolite with Calibri butane vs BenzOmatiC is amazing. It runs smoother, gives nicer vape results. I got mine from (no affiliation) the1darkside.com Super fast shipping, great guy to deal and his price is fair. He is an authorized dealer, however, I've never heard of anyone having any kind of warranty issues from Iolite. The one thing about that is they are made in Scotland, so warranty is a 3 week ordeal that requires some international shipping. I think most people that have poor results with this device are using either Ronson or BenzOmatiC butane. I could not believe the difference this made.. Anyway.. I'm stoned and rambling.. lol

mgk

excellent dude, sounds like you like it as much as I did. The price is a little high, but there's no denying that the fucker works.

 

[Lord Doobie]

These 2 DIY will get you started...One's sitting right here at IC...they're not portable like the iolite but work just as well...perhaps better
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=129431
http://forum.grasscity.com/recreational-marijuana-use/151009-diy-vaporizer-plan.html

 

[Weird Jimmy]

These 2 DIY will get you started...One's sitting right here at IC...they're not portable like the iolite but work just as well...perhaps better
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=129431
http://forum.grasscity.com/recreational-marijuana-use/151009-diy-vaporizer-plan.html

have you made these? If so, which one do you prefer?

 

[Lord Doobie]

I goofed with the links but they're basically the same.
I built this one using a brass cap and a dimmer switch but I'm trying to use glass instead of brass so it's a work in progress
http://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/50819-diy-halogen-vaporizer.html
there's one using a soldering iron that seems to be getting good reviews but I don't have the link...just do a online search for "soldering iron vaporizer"
to me, the most important part is being able to adjust the heat...something some of the high-priced vapes can't do...they're set permanently to one temperature
spend some time, read up at www.fuckcombustion.com & compare with DIY...you may still want to buy a portable

 

[Weird Jimmy]

I goofed with the links but they're basically the same.
I built this one using a brass cap and a dimmer switch but I'm trying to use glass instead of brass so it's a work in progress
http://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/50819-diy-halogen-vaporizer.html
there's one using a soldering iron that seems to be getting good reviews but I don't have the link...just do a online search for "soldering iron vaporizer"
to me, the most important part is being able to adjust the heat...something some of the high-priced vapes can't do...they're set permanently to one temperature
spend some time, read up at www.fuckcombustion.com & compare with DIY...you may still want to buy a portable

yeah I'll try to check that site out today.

I'm pretty sure I want the iolite for a portable, but I also want a home unit. I've heard good things about a whip style called the easy vape.

 

[Irie_Lion]

If u lookin for a home unit i'd go with the Extreme....all the options whip, balloon etc..at a decent price. I used an iolite once and was pleased with it as well. Reminded me of a toy cell phone lol...

 

[Weird Jimmy]

If u lookin for a home unit i'd go with the Extreme....all the options whip, balloon etc..at a decent price. I used an iolite once and was pleased with it as well. Reminded me of a toy cell phone lol...

yeah, I thought it looked like a walkie-talkie. It's an all plastic body but it's still pretty sturdy.

I'll have to google the Extreme. I was actually looking at a whip style called the easy vape. It's got some good reviews from what I've seen and it's $139.

 

[Lord Doobie]

just go to www.fuckcombustion.com
they rate and discuss all the vapes on the market but beware
some are set to a certain temp permanently like Purple Days

in short, most vapes are a racket

 

[BlueMonk]

Really? The vapor from any vaporizer most definitely smells like *the dank* and would get you in some serious trouble at a football game or whatever. Heard specifically that the iolite is a fail for public use as far as smell is concerned, and it only makes sense if it is a half decent vaporizer.

Are you an authorized reseller of these things or are you just deluding yourself about this?

I was suspicious at first of the OP's objective after reading the glowing review started as a new thread when there are others already out there. But I gotta agree with him on the smell. The smell it exudes has fooled my friends. It is not perfect for stealth. But it is pretty damn good.

 

[speedemon]

Great add to make: 12" aquarium air hose with a bit of insulation tape wrapped around one end a few times (to make a tight fit) and inserted into the plastic screw in pipe, then get a mug of hot water dip the other end of airline into hot water for about a minute then push in the little white mouth piece into that end. Hey presto a cooler smoother inhaler. Here is a pic: