While California just legalized weed and everyone is still celebrating their newly official freedom, it’s important to remember that some people had to spend their holidays at their parent’s house on the east coast where they still use the term “pot” and remind me I “smell high” after every hug.
So, while all of you were rolling fat blunts with your landlords and bosses in celebration of your newfound liberation after the ball dropped, the less fortunate still had to figure out how to get high in their old bedroom without smoking up the house or waking up the dogs on the way out for munchies — though the latter is definitely a more specific and isolated concern.
Thankfully, I had the assistance of the Firefly 2 on my holiday break, one of the most technologically advanced cannabis accessories the world has ever seen.
This vaporizer is unreal, people — like it may actually be from the future. An accompanying smartphone app allows for precise temperature control and the fine-tuning of device settings, including calibration that will help you secure the rare combination of a perfect hit and optimal battery life.
Using heat-sensitive touch sensors on the sides of the device, the Firefly 2 (finally) does away with the one-button, three-and-five-press systems that have flooded the market. You set the temp with a simple slider in the app, then wait just three seconds and you’re pulling surprisingly full-bodied rips from the Firefly 2’s comfortable mouthpiece.
Beyond the ingenuity and ease of use, the Firefly 2 is absolutely beautiful. From the packaging to the futuristic design, to the beyond intuitive controls, it’s not totally surprising to learn the device was brought to life by a former Apple design manager.
Interchangeable faceplates allow for user customization and outfit matching — if you’re into that sort of thing. The unit I’ve been reviewing is equipped with an “oak” top panel, so if I’m hitting it in public and someone shoots me a weird look, it’s quite easy to pretend it’s one of those old wooden train conductor whistles — I just have to make the noise on my own, so hopefully we get deceptive fake-out sound effects in the Firefly 3.
As far as power supply, there’s some positives and negatives (that was a battery joke).
While the battery life duration left a little to be desired, I realize this could be due to my frequent enjoyment of the Firefly 2 — really couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately, because the device charges in a cradle not dissimilar to my old LG VX6000 flip phone, you cannot vape whilst charging. However, the kind people at Firefly are generous enough (jk, the device sells for $330) to include a spare battery that you can charge within the device. The manufacturer also sells an external battery charger so you can always have extra juice handy. On average, I’m getting about 3 to 5 full sessions with each charge, depending on how much standby time in between and how much I’m packing into the chamber, as more material means more hits and, in turn, more power consumption.
Typically, portable herb vaporizers are trash. They require lots of finesse and prep work to grind the flower to the exact level the device prefers; they’re difficult to clean and not always satisfying to hit. However, the Firefly 2 was a breeze to pack and use. Because the device is designed like a bowl, the entire chamber and vapor channel can be cleaned easily with the included kit or isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel. The chamber is about the size of your standard glass bowl as well, so it’s nice to be able to pack a little bit of flower in there, get 3-4 solid rips, and then come back later to pack and repeat. With enclosed chambers, it can be difficult to tell how much flower is left unvaped and you end up wasting some of your precious cannabinoids every time.
The best part of the Firefly 2 is its versatility, though. By simply dropping a small circular steel heating pad into the bowl, you instantly transform your flower vaporizer into one of the best portable concentrate solutions I’ve ever tried. The Firefly 2 works so well for vaping wax, it’s surprising they don’t market that aspect of it more aggressively. It was amazing how effectively the Firefly 2 heated to the full temperature in just a measly few seconds, allowing for 5-7 full-flavored hits with every small dab pack. The buildup of my live resin inside the device does get pretty messy after a few sessions, but it’s all exposed rather than inside your pen, so it’s extremely easy to clean.
While the price tag of the Firefly 2 is fairly steep for a portable vaporizer, the quality and craftsmanship alone make this worth a shot — not to mention the next-level performance. Post-holiday sales on a few vaporizer outlet websites will help you save a decent chunk of change, so do your research and maybe spend your savings on an external battery charger, some bonus faceplates, or all the extra wax and flower you’re going to need once you fall in love with the Firefly 2.
credit:marijuana.com
