Vaporbrothers Blog

Choosing the Best Whip for Your Vaporbrothers® Vaporizer

2025-08-09T05:57:08-05:00

Vaporbrothers® Whip Guide – Find Your Perfect Vapor Experience

The perfect vaporizer whip can transform your Vaporbrothers experience, boosting flavor, vapor density, and ease of use. Whether you choose an all-glass whip for pure, clean taste or an EZ Change whip for quick tip and tubing swaps, knowing the differences between whip types will help you get the most from every session.

Choosing the Right Whip for Your Vaporbrothers Vaporizer

The biggest factor in choosing a whip is your vaporizer type:

Hands Free – Connects with a 16mm ground glass taper and stays in place while you draw.
Hands On – Held against the heater during use. This style can be used with Hands Free vaporizers, but you’ll need to keep it in place while inhaling.

How to tell if you have a Hands Free model:
If your current whip has a red “HOT” or “CAUTION” emblem and locks onto the heater with ground glass, it’s a Hands Free model.

About the Easy Screen Changing (EZ) Whips

Easy Screen Changing Whips are designed to come apart quickly, making cleaning simple and replacing worn parts effortless (see diagram below). EZ Whips are available in glass, ceramic, or a hybrid that blends both materials. Each EZ whip uses .625" screens, including our custom made ceramic screen. for an even smoother vaporizing experience.

Ceramic and Glass EZ Hands-Free

Ceramic and Glass EZ Hands-On

About the EZ Change Material Options

Glass Whips
For most vaporizer fans, glass is the go-to whip material and for good reason. It is sleek, clear, and satisfying to watch your vapor build up. The transparency is not just for show as it lets you keep an eye on your herb’s color so you can tell exactly when it is ready for a stir or done for the session. Our hands-free glass tip is precision ground for a snug fit on hands-free vaporizers, and the craftsmanship is top notch with glass that is free of internal stress. Over time, fine residual oil will collect inside, and it can be saved and reused. Just remember that glass is glass, so avoid bumping it against hard surfaces.

Ceramic Whips
If you want something tougher, ceramic is your friend. This vaporizer whip type can handle more bumps and knocks without the drama. It is not indestructible, but it is far less likely to shatter into many sharp pieces. Inside, ceramic has a slightly rougher texture than glass, and since it is opaque, it keeps its little secrets, meaning you will not always see when it is time for a cleaning. Some might call that blissful ignorance, but your flavor will thank you if you keep it fresh. Durable, low maintenance, and with its own laid back style, ceramic is the “chill” option in the whip family.

Hybrid Hands-Free
Hybrid Whips bring you the best of both worlds by pairing a strong ceramic handle and mouthpiece with a crystal clear glass tip. The glass tip offers precision and lets you watch your herbs as they heat. The screen is easier than ever to swap out and clean, and the EZ Change Whip design lets you replace just the part you need if something wears out or breaks.

Hybrid Hands-Free

Hybrid EZ Hands-On

About the All-Glass Whips

The "All Glass Whip" is our original style, with the screen held snugly inside a glass groove instead of being easily removable. If you want quick screen changes, choose the EZ Whip instead.

All Glass Whips can be cleaned by drawing boiling water through, soaking in alcohol, or by turning the vaporizer to a higher setting and pulling hot air through the whip. They are simpler than the newer EZ Whip models but require special skill to change the screen. Choose the All Glass Whip if you prefer simplicity over versatility. The bowl is wider at the bottom and holds more herbs, giving you a slightly different experience.

The Mini All-glass Whip, sold separately, is a favorite for personal sessions. It does not fit over or grip the heater, and its smaller inner diameter stacks the herbs taller, making each draw more efficient with less material.

All-Glass Mini Whip uses .625" screens; all other All-Glass Whips use .725".

All Glass Whips are available in Hands Free, which works with Hands Free vaporizer models, or Hands On, which was formerly known as the OG Standard.

Watch this YouTube video from Vaporbrothers: How to change the screen in the All-Glass Whip.

Why Tariffs Are Hitting Our Prices

2025-04-28T18:49:26-05:00

We want to explain why some of our prices have changed, and why they might continue to shift around from time to time.

The short version is: Tariffs.

Tariffs on goods from China hit us hard when they first jumped to 25% under Trump’s first administration. They were fully enacted during Biden’s term, pushing us right to the edge of insolvency.

We source some of our most important supplies from close partners in China, where many of the technologies we rely on were originally developed. Our main product is made here in our workshop, but many key materials and components necessarily come from overseas. For example, our Baltic Birch grows in Baltic countries. Even when we buy parts here in the USA, they’re usually made overseas anyway.

Imagine paying an extra quarter of what you already spent on materials—just in tax. That’s the reality we’ve been living with for the past few years under the 25% tariff . This year, it got worse: The tariff now forces us to pay more in tax than the value of the items themselves. For example, when we resupplied our special silicone material this March, we had to pay 145% of the material’s cost just for the tariff.

To stay in business, we must charge enough for our products to cover what it costs to make them , so certain prices are going up significantly. We will keep everything as affordable as possible and offer discounts and specials continually.

Even though there’s talk of tariffs going down eventually, the situation isn't simple. We buy custom parts in bulk- enough for one or two years at a time- to make sure we can stay stocked. If we had to pay a 145% tariff when that shipment arrived, that cost is baked in for the life of the inventory. So even if tariffs are lowered later, the costs we already absorbed stay with us.

On top of that, we’re doing everything we can to maintain relationships with our factories. Some of these partnerships are over 20 years deep. They helped us develop the intricate ceramic and specialty components that define our products. Keeping production going means hard negotiation just to make sure they don't drop us for bigger customers. It's a constant balance between ordering enough to keep production alive and not overextending ourselves.

We’re not giving up. We’ll keep working with our partners, absorbing what we can, and adjusting where we have to. When we can offer discounts, like add-ons bundled with vaporizers and whips, we absolutely will.

Thanks for sticking with us. We’re proud of what we make, and proud to have you along for the ride.

Review of Vaporbrothers in Australia - Thermal Extractions

2024-01-03T17:41:50-06:00

Review of Vaporbrothers in Australia - Thermal Extractions

Thermal Extractions has tested a wide range of vaporizers and is a great source of info for people who are wondering how they differ. Check out the review they did of our VB1.5.

Pros and Cons of High-Tech Vaporizers

2023-02-27T08:13:47-06:00

Pros and Cons of High-Tech Vaporizers

When it comes to vaporizers, there are many different options on the market, ranging from simple and analog to high-tech and digital. In this blog post, we'll be exploring the pros and cons of high-tech vaporizers, with a focus on desktop dry herb vaporizers including the popular Volcano vaporizer compared to the simple, yet effective, Vaporbrothers box vaporizers.

Pros

One of the main advantages of high-tech vaporizers, like the Volcano, is that they control their temperature well. They're often designed as "set it and forget it" type devices, which means they don't require a lot of technique to use. All you need to do is follow the instructions, figure out how to set the temperature, and let the device do it’s thing. The superior temperature control of high-tech vaporizers ensure that the herbs will not get too hot or burn. This can be particularly helpful for elderly or medical patients who need a light mist that is easy to inhale.

High-tech vaporizers are often built with good quality materials and may be supported with replacement parts and accessories. Temperature control is precise and easy to set, which means that you can customize your experience to your liking.

Cons

One of the drawbacks of high-tech vaporizers is that they can often be overemphasized on "low temp vaping," which can result in weak and unsatisfying results. While the temperature control is precise, the beneficial components of the herbs are not always fully extracted when the temperature is held constant. This can be a significant downside for users who are looking for the full benefits of their herbs.

High-tech vaporizers can sometimes require an app to operate fully, which can cause delays in the user experience. Additionally, they're not always intuitive to use, are bulky, and awkward to load. This can make them less appealing for users who want a more straightforward and user-friendly experience.

Volcano Vaporizer

The Volcano vaporizer is a top-of-the-line product that fills a bag with pure vapor. It is built solidly inside and out, and the company has a high reputation.

One of the main advantages of the Volcano is that it is effective and easy to use. The temperature can be set precisely, and it does not drift off target. It's quite a luxury to take the bag of vapor to someone in another room; something you can't do with our desktop vaporizers.

However, the Volcano does have its drawbacks. It's air pump motor is not silent and the crinkly plastic bags can be awkward to use. Additionally, it disappoints some users by using up a lot of herbal material and giving an underwhelming feeling. Without a good supply of organic botanical blends, you might find the homogeneous tasting vapor to be ultimately unsatisfying.

Vaporbrothers Vaporizer

In contrast to the high-tech Volcano, the Original Vaporbrothers vaporizer is a simple, low-tech device that is known for its tasty and effective hits. While it may take some time to learn the breath and rhythm of vaporizing with the Original Vaporbrothers, users often report more benefits over years of use. Medical patients have reported feeling more relief when using the Original Vaporbrothers compared to more modern vaporizers.

The Vaporbrothers vaporizer is unobtrusive, intuitive, and efficient with small amounts of organic botanical blends placed in the vaporizer whip. It produces a dense, sweet tasting vapor immediately, without any of the motor or plastic noise associated with the Volcano.

The temperature can be changed across a wide range, allowing the user to decide between an expansive true-vapor experience.

Another advantage of the Original Vaporbrothers is that it does not rely on plastic or metal components, which can add an unwanted taste to the vapor. Instead, it uses natural temperature resistant materials such as ceramic and glass and a wooden housing that handles being warm without outgassing a chemical smell.

Vaporbrothers wood is Low VOC and won't contribute to the taste. We use a custom designed ceramic heating element which provides clean and flavorful vapor, as opposed to the metal heating elements on many high-tech vaporizers that cause hits that taste a bit like metal.

Conclusion

While high-tech vaporizers like the Volcano offer many benefits, they also have their drawbacks. Users may find that they do not provide a satisfying feeling, or that they are not intuitive to use.

For those who prefer a simpler, low-tech vaporizer, the Original Vaporbrothers is an excellent choice. Often people get both the versatile vaporizer and the stationary workhorse. Ultimately, the choice of which vaporizer to use will depend on personal preference and individual needs.

Conduction vs Convection Vaporizers: What Vaporbrothers Recommends After 25 Years

2023-01-11T08:26:48-06:00

The Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Vaporizer for Dry Herbs

Choosing the right vaporizer comes down to understanding how each type works and what it is actually designed to do. You may have seen vape pens, portable herb vaporizers, or desktop vaporizers that you plug in at home. By the end of this article you will know exactly how each type works, what the tradeoffs are, and which one is right for you.

How Does a Vaporizer Work?

There are two ways to heat herbs: combustion and vaporization. Combustion burns the material directly, producing smoke and byproducts. Vaporization uses gentler heat methods, either conduction, which heats material by direct contact with a hot surface, or convection, which passes hot air through the material (the method used by Vaporbrothers), to release active compounds as a clean vapor mist without burning anything.

An herbal vaporizer is a device that applies this gentle heat to dry herbs or their extracts, delivering a fine vapor mist you inhale while leaving the spent herbs behind. Vaporizers can be classified based on their form factor and how they heat the material. Some are designed for waxy or oily extracts only. When designed for dry herbs, they extract the oils and moisture content and deliver a fine mist to the user. This article covers all three heating methods — conduction, convection, and radiation — along with form factors and a side-by-side comparison to help you choose.

Heating Methods: Conduction vs Convection vs Radiation

The most basic classification of vaporizers is how they heat the material. The methods below all refer to vaporization. Combustion is not a vaporization method. It is what vaporizers are designed to avoid.

Conduction

Material sits in direct contact with a hot surface, usually a heated metal or ceramic bowl.

Best for: Oils and wax concentrates. A dab pen works by conduction.

Not ideal for: Dry herbs. The edges overheat and burn while the center stays cool, resulting in wasted material and a harsh taste.

Convection

Warm air is drawn through the material, evaporating oils and moisture content evenly.

Best for: Dry herbs. Heated air extracts the full flavor and potency without burning the plant material. Hits taste like fresh herbs.

Not ideal for: Wax concentrates, which do not allow air to pass through easily. The VB1.5 addresses this with an optional concentrate whip tip that holds a concentrate disc, so hot air can pass over the concentrate.

Radiation

Uses light energy to heat material. A unique and rare method.

Best for: Niche applications. Examples include the Aromed vaporizer and certain portable devices from PRRL Labs, which combine convection and radiation.

Not ideal for: Most users. Radiation vaporizers are extremely rare and largely absent from the current market.

Portable Vaporizers vs Desktop Vaporizers

Portable Vaporizers

Battery-operated and hand-held. Most use conduction heating for oils. Some use a flame.

Pro: Convenient for use outside the home. No cord needed during use.
Con: Limited battery life, often only a few sessions before recharging.
Con: Battery and space constraints force design compromises, sacrificing vapor quality for portability.
Con: Portables designed for dry herbs using convection tend to run out of battery quickly and struggle to produce consistent vapor.
Con: Most portables wear out within a year of regular use.

Desktop Vaporizers

Plug-in units that sit on a flat surface. Use convection heating for the best dry herb experience.

Pro: No battery constraints. Always ready and consistent.
Pro: Larger, more refined heating elements produce stronger, fresher-tasting vapor.
Pro: Built to last. Well-maintained desktop vaporizers work year in and year out.
Pro: Higher-priced portables do not outperform a well-designed desktop.
Con: Requires a power outlet. Not suitable for use on the go.
Con: More parts to keep clean, though this is offset by the superior vapor experience.

A Deeper Look: Conduction vs Convection

Conduction

Conduction vaporization applies material directly onto a heated surface such as a ceramic bowl or metal coil. It works well for oily substances that vaporize efficiently on heated surfaces. However it is not suited for dry herbs. The edges of the herb overheat and may combust while the center remains unvaporized, resulting in wasted material, a burnt taste, and a harsher experience.

An important note: certain metals outgas toxic materials at high temperatures. Before buying any vaporizer, know what materials are inside the heating element and vapor path.

Convection

Convection vaporization pulls heated air through the material, evaporating oils and moisture gradually and evenly. Think of a convection oven or air fryer. Both use heated air to produce their effect. For dry herbs, convection delivers cleaner, better-tasting vapor with less waste than conduction.

Convection is not ideal for wax concentrates, which do not allow air to pass through easily. However the VB1.5 ball heater option offers a practical solution for concentrate users who want the benefits of a desktop vaporizer.

Why the Vaporbrothers VB1 Is the Best Convection Vaporizer for Dry Herbs

The Vaporbrothers VB1 is the original desktop dry herb vaporizer, established in 1999 and refined over more than 25 years. Here is what sets it apart:

100% convection heating — herbs are never in contact with a hot surface
Natural Mineral ceramic heater — dense, non-porous, non-reactive, custom-designed for vaporizing
All vapor path materials are glass, ceramic, and silicone — no plastic contact at any point
RoHS-compliant electronics — lead-free, selected for inhalation safety
16mm heating element with whip for maximum surface area and efficient extraction
Narrow whip options available for even more efficient use of material
Warms up in about 5 minutes
Built in Los Angeles, CA — designed to last decades, not months
Limited Lifetime Warranty

Which Vaporizer Is Right for You?

If you want...	Choose...
The best vapor from dry herbs at home	Desktop convection vaporizer (VB1)
Portability for use outside the home	Sidekick V2 portable herb vaporizer
Vaporizing oils and wax concentrates	Conduction-style device or VB1.5 ball heater with Concentrate Tip
Both dry herbs and concentrates in one device	VB1.5 ball heater option with optional Concentrate Tip

We would love to hear your thoughts. Direct any questions or comments to us here.

Can you can get around no smoking rules by vaporizing?

2022-03-01T02:00:00-06:00

Can you can get around no smoking rules by vaporizing? Sometimes...

Our excellent New England rep Chris @cwellington413 was at a hotel that required him to sign saying they can charge $250 if they think he smoked in the room. Well, not a problem if you vaporize, right?? Vapor smells faintly of potpourri, so it shouldn't trigger fines ever. And unlike vape pens, there is no fragrance making a smell.

Chris says his vaporizer makes a very good travel companion. It's wonderful dense yet non-smoky vapor doesn't leave odor behind. At most, people may think there was an accident with some potpourri.

Featured in this pic is one of our new powdercoat green boxes with a hybrid glass/ceramic easy whip. Looks clean........

The coolest review!

2022-02-16T20:26:00-06:00

The Stoner Mom seshed with a Vaporbrothers unit and the result is so cool and informative!

She has a great blog and podcast that you can listen to at her site.

Stoner Mom has helped evolved the perception of cannabis to be like your evening cocktail. Check out her podcast archive here.

We found an herb portable we like almost as much as our own vaporizer

2021-09-16T03:08:00-05:00

Portable vaporizers that work with herb (flower) are so difficult to get right. The most popular brands that do herb portables have some benefits, but also struggle to give good tasting hits. Batteries die quickly, apps are complicated, vapor paths get clogged, and the herb often ends up being charred.

Since our founding we've been asked to make a portable. Sadly, after inventing the vapor box, we've become married to the incredibly dense and sweet hit that it gives. Portables are more complicated than what we are set up to build ourselves. They have to be made extremely efficient in their energy consumption, since they are limited to the power of a battery. To design an herb portable means taking deep compromises that make the taste more burned and the hit weak. Thankfully another company in our industry has gone through the effort to build a decent portable with minimal drawbacks, and we prefer to feature their vaporizer to you.

SSV Sidekick are moderately priced and come in two versions, V1 and V2. Check out our Sidekick models here. (We recommend the V2 for its simpler large battery)

3 Types of Portable Vaporizers and why we only sell 2

2021-08-27T03:15:00-05:00

Besides the desktop vaporizer that we build ourselves, we offer portable vaporizers made by companies that we trust. Most portables on the market don't work well in our opinion, so it's hard to find one that does all of what we want it to.

Our main requirements for a good portable are:

No plastic smell or taste. Made in America usually helps in this department, but a commitment to safe materials and design are essential.
Minimal restriction to inhalation. We can't stand vaporizers that require you to sip the vapor super slow, or ones that require you to draw strongly. It needs to be an effortless inhale.
Dense and flavorful hits that rival our own desktop vaporizer. If an herb portable gives hot and transparent vapor it's not good enough. Only a few herb portables have ever given good hits for long in our opinion.
No complicated button presses, no requirement to use an app to operate.
Easy to clean. Clogged parts cause loss of performance.

Overall we consider that portable vaporizers could be divided into 3 distinct groups:

1) Herbal portables (for "loose leaf herbs" or "Flower")

Herb portables are the hardest to design and rarely work well. SSV Sidekick seems to work the best at the characteristics that are important to us with its complete lack of plastic smell or taste, decent vapor hits without air restriction and completely cleanable airpath. Older portables like the Magic Flight or Pax take a lot more effort to get a decent hit, and sometimes give no discernable hit at all. We only carry herb portables that work well for us and are the favorite of past customers.

We're excited to carry DynaVap which is a flame powered device that doesn't make you inhale the exhaust of the flame. It is a true vaporizer that uses any flame to heat to temperature, indicating with an audible click when it's ready for you to take the flame away. Draw slow and steady and get great tasting vapor. The hits are small but the efficiency is extreme, using only a fraction of what other vaporizers use.

2) Portables for extracts (wax, shatter, and other non-liquid extracts), including dab pens

Dab pens often work well with minimal learning curve. Most brands in the market use materials we don't trust to get hot, such as plastic, teflon, or shiny metals that break down during use. Kanboro's E-cube is much larger than a pen and gives a great traditional dab experience using ceramic, quartz, or titanium bowls and is easy to maintain. For cold start dabs, SSV Sidekick has an attachment that works perfectly.

3) Liquid (vape juice, cbd liquid, any liquid that flows at room temperature)

We don't carry any vape pens or accessories that work with liquid solutions. Vape pen liquids work with solutions that are manufactured by dedicated companies, and we are not familiar enough to have an opinion of the best brands or products.

We appreciate that many people have cut down or completely eliminated cigarette smoking by using vape pens with liquid. Sadly, the FDA deems vape pens as "tobacco devices," whether the pens work with nicotine or not. Oddly, the 2020 Omnibus Bill passed by Congress requires sellers of vaporizers that aerosolize liquids to register to pay stiff tobacco taxes in every state and to every tribal entity, which alone will bury a small dealer in paperwork. But worse, the bill attempts to require vape pen sellers to disclose their customer private records, which violates our ethics and likely protections of the US Constitution and our state's corporate code as well.

Since we don't deal in "tobacco products" we can't carry liquid vape pens of any type. If you are interested in vaporizing liquids, we suggest you try a tobacco store or retail "vape shop." If you do visit these stores, please inquire about the materials used inside the heating element and learn all you can about the liquid. Heating element wires should not be Nickle Chromium (aka "NiCr") and the wires shoudl be crimped and welded instead of soldered. As for the liquids, beware that some have been produced with chemicals you don't want to inhale, hence "the vape crisis." In our honest opinion, it's best to vaporize only 100% herbal product using the 2 methods above.

Running your vaporizer on 12V in an RV or boat

2021-04-26T23:07:00-05:00

This is how you run a vaporizer or any other appliance under 150W in a boat or RV or automobile.

An inverter is a power device that plugs into 12V lighter outlet and gives you 120V AC the same as what you get at home. The power you get from 12V batteries is severely limited though, as you'll run a battery down quickly if you plug ordinary AC appliances in. Select your inverter carefully.

Here is our recommendation for a 12VDC to 120VAC inverter if using for one VB1 Vapor Box Vaporizer. Wagan 150W Smart AC Inverter

We have used this one for years and even used to sell it ourselves. Our vaporizer boxes (VB1) draw about 30W continuously, and for a moment during initial startup they draw about 150W. The Wagan is able to handle the momentary full load just fine in our experience.

If you know you're going to be connecting more loads than about 100W, we suggest to get one of Wagan's larger inverters.

This Wagan 150W model is our favorite because:

1. Recently upgraded to a plastic housing which is light and doesn't scratch things in your car.

2. USB power plug is super convenient.

3. Does not have loud fan noise. No extra battery drain from running a fan. Most larger inverters have fans.

4. Has a simple 12V lighter plug instead of needing to be connected to your battery posts.

5. Does not overload as easy as inverters in the past. Simply alerts and shuts down if the power exceeds the limits.

Beware if you shop inverters online because they most often advertise power ratings over what they can actually handle. Get one that has at least double the capacity as the load you intend to use.

The All-ceramic Hands Free Whip is coming back

2020-08-05T01:09:00-05:00

Our ceramic whips allow you to bang them around without the fear of breaking glass parts.

In the past we had a ceramic version of the hands free tip, but had issues with how it didn't fit tightly on the vaporizer's heater. The way the handpiece should connect is with a perfect match of tapered surfaces, creating an air tight seal.

Being molded in ceramic, the hands free tips were slightly variable from piece to piece. We had to discontinue it once it became apparent that fixing the variances would take us away from the work we really needed to do at the time.

Lately though, a solution has been worked out through retooling and a precision grinding operation. The newly redesigned parts are being made right now and could be ready within a month. So we're bringing back the All-ceramic Hands Free Whip!

While digging through our archived samples we found a small bag of old ceramic whip tips. They are the type that are variable, so they don't fit so tightly. They are durable and loved by many though. We are putting these samples up in our clearance section until they are gone. Soon to be replaced with the new good ones!

The tips sold alone are available now for half their original price. Pick one up if you like. :)

Is the Postal Service slowdown affecting our shipments?

2020-08-02T22:11:00-05:00

US Mail has always had some unpredictability, with delays increasing dramatically since March 2020. Still, the majority of packages deliver on time and very few are ever lost.

This last week brought a new level in widespread delays, but it seems most packages are still getting through, not more than a day or two late.

We have been watching a few shipments that have been stuck in the mail for weeks. Once it's clear a package is taking entirely too long, we often decide to ship a replacement package. If you are not receiving your package on time, talk to us so we can look into it.

With no access to tax dollars or any bailout from the government, the Postal Service is suffering greatly during the crisis. We are not sure how bad it will get in the coming weeks or months. We can't imagine what damage could happen to our economy if US Mail fails, since most business in America rely on package delivery. UPS is no stranger to delay so it's not a guaranteed fallback. Delays affect not only our customers but our suppliers and their suppliers.

Did you know that US Mail has been around since before the country was founded? Check out this explainer video for the history of mail in the USA, with some insights about what new laws have held the post office back from innovating.

Need a mask? We are sewing...

2020-05-06T22:03:00-05:00

Our friends in Colorado are making masks so we asked to get some to offer to you!

Foxy Moron is hand made in the mountain town of Paonia.

See more of Foxy Moron's stuff at her instagram or website.

We have several sizes available here.

OCD hand washing methods for 2020 and beyond

2020-04-13T17:29:00-05:00

Who knew that obsessively washing your hands would become useful in today's world??

Washing off viruses is a bit hit or miss, unless if you have a thorough method.

Amazing how much of your hands remains unwashed if you don't do all these things methodically!

Here's another video more detailed: How to wash hands... WHO method

Stay safe!

And enjoy this other gif from someone who made good use of their quarantine time :)

Where are our products made?

2019-07-14T02:00:00-05:00

Whether a product is marked with "Made in U.S.A." or "Made in China" it's not necessarily entirely from those countries. The law allows just most or the biggest cost items to be made in the country claimed. If the components are mostly from overseas but the product is made here, it's properly termed "Assembled in U.S.A."

Our products come from everywhere, but with a focus on acquiring locally and assembling in our workshop here in Los Angeles, CA. Especially for vaporizers and glassware, we need total control over the quality and materials. We find that while parts and materials cost more here, their quality is more predictable and there is less shipping & trucking.

That said, a lot of components are better made overseas in specialized factories that are equipped to handle our requirements. Some Chinese factories are very good at figuring out the difficulties that normally drive us nuts. Their factories trade with each other, so items that would have taken months to locate and test out are found within a few phone calls to their compatriots. We find the people who figure things out all the way, create items that first seemed impossible, while maintaining a fair price through and through. Backed by extra testing and attention to detail, our overseas operations produce the quality components that make our business possible. We do spend a lot more in the U.S.A. than overseas though. Of course, Vaporbrothers mission doesn't really allow for sending jobs overseas. Anything that can efficiently be made in the U.S.A. is made here.
Although for most industries, even ones that claim "Made in U.S.A." include many overseas components. In today's world, most products sold in the U.S.A. come from overseas. A US company might honestly think they are 100% Made in the U.S.A., but they might be confusing where they bought the product vs where it came from. That screw they got from the local hardware dealer was not from here. As for raw materials like glass, ceramic powder, wood, electronic components - they are from all over the world- wherever they are produced, mined, fabricated, etc.

For our overseas sources, we take extra care to check them out. We visit factories for multiple days and maintain a close hand on the production and the materials they use. Anything that makes us cringe spoils the deal. For us to even consider a factory, we have to feel good about their ethics and how they treat their workers. We actually see very well treated workers, of course especially at the factories we chose. It's common that skilled workers help to fund their families and are held in high regard by their friends. At one of our factories, all the 20 and 30 somethings showed up on decked out Vespas and motorbikes. They were happy and confident- probably an effect of (or a contributing factor to) their being among the best paid in town.

In our economy, while many ask for "Made in U.S.A," there is not much demand for higher cost items. As our vaporizers are at double the price of our knockoffs such as Easy Vape, Vapor Daddy or "Vapor Box," we are often torn between quality and price. We chose quality while trying to keep price under control. Expect the best from us and look for the "Made in U.S.A." label- it's mostly made in the U.S.A., hooray!!

What to do if your ceramic parts start slipping off the hose

2019-01-15T19:20:00-06:00

From time to time our ceramic mouthpiece and handle may slip off the hose. Our hose is harder than normal and can squeeze the tapered end out too easily.

In our experience we see that it happens for two reasons:

The end of the hose is stretching out and getting loose - In that case just cut the hose shorter by an inch or so to refresh the connection.
There is a fine coating of oil that is making the ceramic to hose connection slip. - In this case clean the connection with Isopropyl Alcohol (we recommend 91%) and/or buy a new hose.

Oily surfaces are a result of vapor residue creeping up the hose. They also permeate the hose and ceramic to some extent. Silicone hoses (and whip grip as well) are susceptible to oil permeating all the way through. Soak in strong alcohol or replace the silicone parts every year or so.

Let us know at the contact page if this problem persists.

Vaporbrothers in Movies & TV

2018-12-31T03:52:00-06:00

The newness and unexpected amazingness of vaporizing meant that people wanted to add it to their creative ventures. Vaporbrothers vapor boxes were iconic for more than a decade, and showed up in various movies and TV shows.

In most of the cases we responded to requests for permission to feature the vaporizer. We were mostly willing, provided the vaporizer was not part of a product placement. (We were very anti-commercial when it came to the arts) Only for HBO's Weeds did we actually compensate for featuring us on screen, in the form of dozens of vaporizers for the cast and crew.

Here are some places where our vaporizer has been seen:

Movies

Alpha Dog (2006)

Appears in Johnny Truelove's house (Is that Neil Hursh?), and Justin's house on his dresser near the bar area.

String Theory (2002)

Directed by Jake Freydont-Attie and Josh Milrad

I'll See You In My Dreams (2015)

Shown without permission, but with our blessing after the fact!

This Is The End (2013)

Shown without permission, but with our blessing after the fact!

The Green Goddess (2016, unconfirmed)

Producer Marc Schultz sought our permission to include the vaporizer but we're not sure where it is in the movie.

Super High Me (2007)

Steve Perkins and Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction) shows Sarah Silverman how to use the vaporizer. As with most appearances on TV this was the producers' own idea and was done without our knowledge. Our permission comes after the fact though!

Weeds (2008-2012)

Featured 3 times between 2008 and 2012

Entertainment Tonight (2002)

Early painted version of our vaporizer (under serial #100) snuck into the background. Interview of Jake Freydont-Attie and Josh Milrad, possibly about their film String Theory.

Formula for Power Needed to Heat a Volume of Air

2018-05-01T02:00:00-05:00

We've had this formula kicking around since college days. Not sure if we're using it out of its useful range so might be good to check this with a valid source.

By this formula, where

Exit temperature is 500F (it's cooler than that by the time it soaks through the herbs)
Room temp is 75F
Normal inhale is .25 CFM (roughly 2 liters in a 15 sec inhale by our testing)
The thing being "cooled" is the vapor box's heating element and surrounding glass

P(W) = 169 * (.25) * ( 533K / 297K - 1) = 33.6W

We need about 34W to heat the air in a normal inhale... theoretically. (our normal is pretty big actually.. this could be cut in half) This puts the hits we like out of the range of a handheld battery.

After heatup our vaporizer runs at 34W, although this is kind of a coincidence because the user only inhales at this .25CFM rate for 7-10 sec and the heating ceramic and surrounding glass stores heat that it can give up during a longer vapor draw. If someone were to inhale constantly at .25CFM our vaporizer will consume something closer to 100W.

Joining hoses to make a longer one

2018-04-21T17:53:00-05:00

Our Whip hoses are 44 inches, which means they are pretty long for a vaporizer (over 3 feet). But some people have asked for longer.

If the vaporizer is on the table and the patient wants to use it without bending toward the table, a longer hose is preferable. Currently we don't carry our hose on rolls, so we can't custom cut you a longer hose. But you can take our existing hoses and join them together.

A user recently bought this one on Amazon and says it works well. The description is Polypropylene Plastic 1/4" Hose ID, Hose Barb Mender/Splicer/Joiner/Union Fitting Tubing Hose Adapter/Coupler. If you are looking for a hose and/or hose-joiner like this, please keep in mind a few things:

Plastic material is better than brass, since the brass is heavy and will knock around too much.
Our hose is a custom size, but the nearest standard is 1/4 inch inside diameter (ID). Our hose is about 1mm larger on the inside diameter, but most Vaporbrothers Whips and mouthpieces will still fit 1/4 inch hose.
If you buy hose from somewhere yourself, keep in mind ordinary clear vinyl hose is not very safe for inhalation. Our hoses are always custom formulated and processed in a way that minimizes chemicals gassing out during use. Buy something that advertises either "medical grade" or look for "vinyl alternates." If you care about having no toxins, consider our high temperature silicone hose, or buy 1/4 inch medical grade silicone hose.

Our Organic and Kosher certificates

2018-02-18T23:33:00-06:00

Vaporbrothers Herbal Blends are custom formulated by us using the highest quality organic herbs, grown and supplied by Mountain Rose Herbs of Eugene, OR. Our herbal blends have helped people quit smoking for 18 years.

Check out Mountain Rose Herbs' Organic Certificate and Kosher Certificate

Suggestions to enhance the vaporizer experience

2017-05-02T17:46:00-05:00

We just got an email from a person who bought his first Vaporbrothers box on eBay. It was considerably used but in good condition. He wanted to know how to find a screen to go in the glass Whip hand piece, and any other suggestions we had for perfecting the vaporizing experience.

If you buy a used vaporizer, feel free to send us a picture of the parts and get confirmation that it is indeed genuine Vaporbrothers. We can tell you if it's a Hands Free model (with the ground glass Whip/Heater connection) or a Standard (the OG style) Beware that fake / knockoff glass pieces are common and don't work as we designed. You can text your picture to our workshop at 310 618 1188 or email us.

If you think you need repair, fill out the service request form on our site and send your vaporizer to us. Vaporbrothers Repair

Make sure you have a clean Stainless Screen in the Whip (for All-Glass Whips such as this Hands Free Whip and this Standard Whip)

Most likely your screen needs to be cleaned or changed. A restricted screen makes it hard to inhale quickly and effortlessly. To clean, check out youtube, such as this one: https://youtu.be/p350nUvPHWg

Changing the stiff stainless screen may give you grief unless you study this video: Cleaning the whip and changing the screen

We only recommend stainless steel screens. Ours are burned in with a kiln so you don't get exposed to the chromium that comes normal store-bought stainless. Be careful to buy the screen that matches your Whip. EZ Change and Mini Whips use .625" All-glass Whips use .725" Example: https://www.vaporbrothers.com/Screens-75-Stainless-Steel-10-Pack_ProductID_8002

Consider buying an Easy Screen Changing Whip

The EZ Whip disassembles with a silicone grip piece. You can pop out the screens easily, and use a rigid ceramic screen we created just for this purpose. The Whip costs more to buy at first, but every sub-part is replaceable. We don't make you buy the whole thing again- just replace the parts you might break.

If you already have an EZ Whip, watch this video about maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRV-jiwZ5VE

Check out our ceramic alternatives for glass parts

Glass is wonderful but comes with the caveat that it might break, no matter how much quality we build into our components. Cleaning up broken glass is like having a mini haz-mat. It's very hard to break our ceramic pieces, as the material we use is 5-10 times stronger than porcelain. Life gets easier when you don't have to worry about the mouthpiece smacking itself on a hard table.

Note that EZ whip is available in ceramic, also mouthpieces.

Use our pick tool (or similar with a blunt base)

Packing down the herbs helps them not fall out when you connect the Whip to the vaporizers. See our pick tool here.

You can find picks like this from a hardware store but you'd have to blunt the sharp tip and unbend the curved shape so it fits into the Whip easily.

Watch videos on how to keep your Whip clean so it's easy to draw through.

Make sure you don't lose airflow over time. The vaporizer gives the best results when you inhale quickly and deeply (but also effortlessly). Clean out air restrictions in the whip (screen).

Personally, I just draw boiling water up into the Whip and expel it forcefully- seems to be the fastest way to clear the screen. Don't melt your hose doing this. Upgrade to silicone if you want to not worry about heat.

Here's a detailed video from a customer who uses hot water. https://youtu.be/p350nUvPHWg

You can also disassemble the Whip and soak in Isopropyl alcohol. We recommend 91% or better. You can use 91% on the vaporizer heater glass as well- just don't soak the electronics too much.

For more detail or to give us suggestions what to say here, contact us.

-Linus V.

Why does the heater point upward? (Long story short: it helps the wood box self cool- avoiding a metal housing and/or noisy fan)

2017-03-25T15:46:00-05:00

A customer letter we received today:

Vaporizer Improvement: kickstand

Jesse reported 8 hours ago (Sat, 25 Mar at 4:25 AM) via Feedback Widget

Vapor Brothers box vape is tits, but the angle of the glass joint sucks. I always prop it on a grinder, or paperweight of sorts.

I think it would be cool if there was a wooden kickstand on the back to prop it up.

Thanks for making a great product.

Jesse

Vapor Brothers replied in an hour (Sat, 25 Mar at 1:46 PM)

Ah, the age old question of "why does the heater point upward..."

I can help explain- the only reason we can have a wooden box, and no noisy fan is that the box cools itself by natural convection. Otherwise we'd need more vents, plastics maybe, metal shell, etc. Air rushes out the front where the heater is, pulling cool air into the bottom vents.

The top surface of the wood reaches 210F, which seems like a lot, but is designed all the way through to handle the heat. (high quality glues, not funky chemical stuff, low V.O.C. wood& finish). If you tip the vaporizer down, the temperature of the top will go beyond what we want it to be. We design our vaporizers to be left on indefinitely and never exhaust fumes beyond barely measurable amounts. The vaporizer is still meant to survive any angle though. So not to worry if you use a kickstand. Even if it fell onto the floor, sitting on its front it should not overheat any component to failure. But for long term use, and low/no offgassing, it's meant to sit in the upright position.

Dealing with the angled-up heater means you have to tamp down the herbs pretty well (helps if they're ground up) and maybe inhale slightly while connecting the heater. Any herbs lost are usually very slight.. Since the unit is far more efficient than smoking (or other vaporizers with larger bowls) we don't care if we lose a little.

Silver Surfer took our concept and solved the heater-up problem, but had to build in more expense and new problems, like use of aluminum, more exposed heating element... and not the nice looking/feeling wooden box that we like. So for it to stay how it is, the heater must angle up slightly. Does that help understand the background of our geometry? Btw, long story short, it's fine if you use a kickstand. Won't affect the warranty either.

With warm regards,

VB Support

Visit us at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Deep questions, concerns, observations? Talk to our founder Linus V on Facebook.

Chillbud Vapor Pen Review - VB Eleven Pen

2016-11-28T17:19:00-06:00

Check out this vape pen review from The Chill Bud.

The Chill Bud doesn't earn anything from the review or VB Eleven Pen sales - Completely independent!

An NFL Player Explains His Relationship with Alternative Medicine

2016-08-04T16:48:00-05:00

Cannabis and Holistic medicine helped turn his life around! Ricky Williams of the New York Saints opens up about his use of these beneficial treatments to lessen side effects and overuse of pharmaceuticals.

The NFL has remained vehemently against cannabis as medicine, preferring to push all types of legal drugs on players. Update: NFL Owners Privately Support MMJ

When it comes to beneficial herbs that show great promise with their afflictions, NFL players are woefully under prescribed and often suffer alone in misery. NFL players commit suicide at an alarming rate.

Read Ricky Williams' story in Culture Magazine here.

Use this device to test the temperature of VB2 and other e-nails and nails

2016-03-31T21:57:00-05:00

Need to know the temperature of your oil rig?

VB2's leidenfrost effect does not require any exact temperature; one reason why VB2 doesn't have a tight control of temperature or a digital readout. (it would also cost a lot and add plastic components to the unit)

Although, in some cases it's good to know what temperature you are running. Be careful not to confuse your heater temperature with what you want the oils to experience (Heater temp and the oil temp are hundreds of degrees apart) or compare our ceramic to metal nails directly. The rule of thumb for Titanium e-nail and nail temperatures is not the same for our ceramic disks, which need quite a bit more temperature to deliver the same amount of heat energy to the dab.

In addition, if you think your unit is having a problem, it's good to be able to share temperature readings with us so we can troubleshoot over email or phone.

The only type of sensor that we trust to measure heating surface temperature is a "Type K Thermocouple."

This thermocouple temp sensor sold here is an inexpensive version. (product number 8141) Please note it reads in Celsius. You don't have to remember school to convert the temp... Just double the reading to get the temp in Fahrenheit. Celsius is about 1/2 of Fahrenheit at high temperatures.

Beware of Infrared Guns

People sometimes use the ever convenient infrared gun to test the temperature of their rigs. Aimed at the hot spot it shows a temperature immediately- But we've never seen them read our heater reliably.

It seems that since infrared guns measure the average temp of a spread of surface area, they are being thrown off by the VB2 housing and other cooler parts near the heater. Even though the spread is relatively small, we find that the reading can be 200-300 degrees off .

This Omega brand temp sensor seems supremely functional- Best of both worlds? It does infrared AND K type thermocouple. If anybody tries this one, please let us know if it worked for you!

Vaporbrothers Blog

Choosing the Best Whip for Your Vaporbrothers® Vaporizer

Choosing the Right Whip for Your Vaporbrothers Vaporizer

About the Easy Screen Changing (EZ) Whips

About the All-Glass Whips

Why Tariffs Are Hitting Our Prices

Review of Vaporbrothers in Australia - Thermal Extractions

Pros and Cons of High-Tech Vaporizers

Pros and Cons of High-Tech Vaporizers

Conduction vs Convection Vaporizers: What Vaporbrothers Recommends After 25 Years

The Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Vaporizer for Dry Herbs

How Does a Vaporizer Work?

Heating Methods: Conduction vs Convection vs Radiation

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

Portable Vaporizers vs Desktop Vaporizers

Portable Vaporizers

Desktop Vaporizers

A Deeper Look: Conduction vs Convection

Conduction

Convection

Why the Vaporbrothers VB1 Is the Best Convection Vaporizer for Dry Herbs

Which Vaporizer Is Right for You?

Can you can get around no smoking rules by vaporizing?

The coolest review!

We found an herb portable we like almost as much as our own vaporizer

3 Types of Portable Vaporizers and why we only sell 2

1) Herbal portables (for "loose leaf herbs" or "Flower")

2) Portables for extracts (wax, shatter, and other non-liquid extracts), including dab pens

3) Liquid (vape juice, cbd liquid, any liquid that flows at room temperature)

Running your vaporizer on 12V in an RV or boat

The All-ceramic Hands Free Whip is coming back

Is the Postal Service slowdown affecting our shipments?

Need a mask? We are sewing...

Our friends in Colorado are making masks so we asked to get some to offer to you! Foxy Moron is hand made in the mountain town of Paonia. See more of Foxy Moron's stuff at her instagram or website. We have several sizes available here.

OCD hand washing methods for 2020 and beyond

Who knew that obsessively washing your hands would become useful in today's world??

Where are our products made?

What to do if your ceramic parts start slipping off the hose

Vaporbrothers in Movies & TV

Formula for Power Needed to Heat a Volume of Air

Joining hoses to make a longer one

Our Organic and Kosher certificates

Suggestions to enhance the vaporizer experience

Make sure you have a clean Stainless Screen in the Whip (for All-Glass Whips such as this Hands Free Whip and this Standard Whip)

Consider buying an Easy Screen Changing Whip

Check out our ceramic alternatives for glass parts

Use our pick tool (or similar with a blunt base)

Watch videos on how to keep your Whip clean so it's easy to draw through.

For more detail or to give us suggestions what to say here, contact us.

Why does the heater point upward? (Long story short: it helps the wood box self cool- avoiding a metal housing and/or noisy fan)

Vaporizer Improvement: kickstand

Chillbud Vapor Pen Review - VB Eleven Pen

An NFL Player Explains His Relationship with Alternative Medicine

Use this device to test the temperature of VB2 and other e-nails and nails

Our friends in Colorado are making masks so we asked to get some to offer to you!

Foxy Moron is hand made in the mountain town of Paonia.

See more of Foxy Moron's stuff at her instagram or website.

We have several sizes available here.