The beginning of 2018 marked an important event in vaping history. It was then the first portable dab rig (or at least the first modern portable dab rig) was introduced into the market. Puffco paved the way for intelligent and advanced technology to take vaporization that actually merges desktop-like performance in a portable form factor. The first device in this category, even before it was a category, was the Puffco Peak. It had all the makings of a technologically advanced vaping unit and at one point was dubbed “the future of cabbing,” a befitting moniker for such a revolutionary work from some of the most inventive and ingenious minds in the vaping industry. However, like all things that rely on technology, the path it paved was meant to be trodden. And, like all forms of gadgetry, the devices in this platform was meant to evolve.
The Old
The Puffco Peak made headlines in almost all forms of media when it was announced. More so, during its release, it blew the minds of many consumers giving them the true definition of portable desktop vaping. Many consumers were confused; it brought the elements of a dab rig, an e-nail, and a portable vaporizer in one odd looking device. Not only did it combine these significant elements but it did so in an advanced, tech-savvy fashion. Others were elated, some were overwhelmed, still many were glad and happy at the arrival of the Puffco Peak. Nevertheless, what felt unusual quickly became everyone’s paradigm of what was to be the dawn of the portable dab rigs.
The Puffco Peak is triangular in shape and its form gave it a stable posture; it was designed to be used in a way that its size will not interfere with it being a portable device. It can be used singlehandedly or with both hands holding the Puffco Peak. Although portable, the Puffco Peak still carried weight and a substantial bulk. It measured 7 inches high and had a 2.75-inch base, it’s a full-fledged desktop rig but it was free from its tethers. It did not rely on a wall adapter but instead used a smart battery pack that allowed users to carry it during sessions where they can comfortably find a spot to plat themselves on or conveniently pass it around making it the perfect tool for vaping your favorite concentrates during parties and or when partaking in a group session. The battery charges in as fast as 2 hours (decent enough for a device this large) and gives about 30 dabs in a single charge. It took consumers to the peak of their highs by unlocking the true potential of their select concentrates not only for casual and recreational use but also for medical purposes. The Puffco Peak had 4 unique user settings aka temperature profiles the various heat settings make the Puffco Peak a versatile dab rig since you can get various results out of the concentrate’s reaction to different heat settings. It’s powered by an intelligent battery that is capable of calibrating the temperature of the vaporizer and automatically adjusts the settings to prevent excessive heat that may burn your concentrates and eventually damage the quality of your sessions while still maintaining fidelity to your selected temperature profile. You can say that the Puffco Peak was made for connoisseurs as it was designed to keep a stable vaping temperature that facilitates improved flavor while still providing you with visible and dense cloud yields.
If you want fast results, then the Puffco Peak will please you with its 20-second heat-up time, comparable to some of the fastest heating portable devices on the market today. This is one of the main reasons medicating patients choose to keep a Peak in their home because not only is it reliable but it’s also fast acting. Those who need immediate relief from pain and other medical conditions curable or manageable through wax concentrate consumption.
Apart from these, the Puffco Peak had, what in our own humble opinion, would be minor features. These include the following.
- Water filtration
- Borosilicate glass pieces
- Ceramic-based heating element
- LED lights
- Haptic feedback
- Robust silicone base
The New
Soon after its release companies and manufacturers started looking into this platform and wanted to create versions of their own that function, if not similarly, closely to the Puffco Peak. One of the newest players in the portable desktop rig platform is the Carta Vape Rig by Focus V. This new portable dab rig takes on a very similar approach as the Puffco Peak, however, because it’s seen how the market has played and how consumers reacted to and received the Puffco Peak, Focus V managed to tweak some of the components of their Carta Vape Rig.
For one, the Focus V Carta Vape Rig sports a removable, rechargeable battery. This was one of the major advantages the Focus V Carta Vape Rig had over its competitors and, of course, the Puffco Peak. While the Peak remained free from the shackles of a wired electrical connection and enjoyed the freedom of a wireless power source, it was still bound to a certain lifespan that its battery can provide. After such a time, the battery will start to die down and you’re due for a recharge. It’s all well and good since a few dabs from the Peak will be enough to put you down but what if you’re in a place where there’s no power source to recharge your unit? What if you’re in a party where you find yourself in a large group session and your battery just dies on you? This is where the Focus V Carta Vape Rig’s replaceable batteries come into play. Like what you’d do with a portable device, what the Carta asks is only that you bring around spare batteries. As soon as the one on the portable dab rig dies down, all you’ve got to do is to remove it and replace it with a new one. The more batteries you have the longer you’ll stay in session.
Another notable feature we’ve seen on the Focus V Carta Vape Rig is its downloadable smartphone application. While the Puffco Peak had mind blowing temperature profiles and an intelligent battery that calibrates the temperature in between sessions, the Focus V Carta Vape Rig beats the living life out of the Puffco Peak’s temperature adjusting features. The Focus V Carta Vape Rig developed a downloadable mobile phone application where users can easily customize the temperature on their Focus V Carta Vape Rigs. It's as simple as downloading any other application on the app store and the interface of the application itself is pretty much straightforward. The downloadable app lets you customize the temperature settings allowing you to enjoy a personalized vaping session, something other vaporizers with only preset settings simply can’t provide.
Lastly, one of Focus V Carta Vape Rig’s major advantage in the portable dab rig game against the Puffco Peak is versatility. It's capable of vaporizing both herbs and concentrates allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds. You can indulge in some of the most satisfying flavors of the unique terpenes found on your favorite botanical herbs while you can also partake in the highly potent vapors found from wax concentrates. With the Focus V Carta Vape Rig, there’s no sacrificing one aspect of vaping just to get what you want.
Here are some of Focus V Carta Vape Rig’s minor features.
- Borosilicate glass pieces
- USB-charging
- Water filtration
- Haptic feedback
- LED lights
Both the Puffco Peak and the Focus V Carta Vape Rig comes with a slew of accessories including a travel kit so you can take these portable dab rigs in fashion. However, the Focus V Carta Vape Rig can be used in conjunction with different glass bubblers and heating cups to alter and customize your overall vaping experience.
Final Thoughts
Both devices show exceptional advantages especially in terms of performance. However, in our own humble opinion, the Focus V Carta Vape Rig comes out slightly better than the Puffco Peak because of the abundance it offers in terms of overall customizability. Nowadays, consumers want products that give them a wide range of options – sort of a be-all end-all type of product and the Focus V Carta Vape Rig kind of checks all the boxes in that category.
We can say that the Focus V Carta Vape Rig can cater to a wider range of consumers especially those that price value above all else. Let’s face it, the portable dab rig platform is not for the weak of heart and definitely not for those who have limited resources. The price point of portable dab rigs ranges anywhere from $300.00 to $400.00. The Puffco Peak is priced at $380.00 while the Focus V Carta Vape Rig sells for only around $250.00. Surprisingly enough, the Focus V Carta Vape Rig offers more than what the Puffco Peak has only at a fraction of its cost.
