Being one of the most prestigious vaporizer brands, Pax is easily recognizable for its elegant and sleek designs. Apart from that, Pax introduced pioneering technology to its products that allowed the company to surpass all its competitors in no time.
So if you are looking to get a vaporizer, the choice is obvious — Pax is the best option in my opinion for a number of good reasons.
Which model should you get, though? Pax 2 and Pax 3 look nearly identical. But is there anything that actually makes a big difference between the two, except for the price tag?
New PAX 3 vs PAX 2 Price Comparison
As far as the price is concerned, we can’t deny that it’s one of the factors that make the biggest difference between the two devices.
Pax 2, for example, comes with a 2-year warranty and in a brushed texture, and it will cost you $149.99. On the other hand, Pax 3 Basic costs $199.99. This device doesn’t come with a concentrate lid and you can only get it in matte texture.
However, Pax 3 Complete Kit, the most expensive of them all, costs a total of $249.99, but it comes with a concentrate lid. To top it all off, you even get to choose between glossy and matte finish.
Still, the price doesn’t have to be your main criterion when making this decision. Namely, there are a few other aspects that make Pax 3 sound like a better option. Let’s see what they are.
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Pax 2 | Pax 3 | |
Color Options | Onyx, Silver | Onyx, Sand, Burgundy, Sage (1st editions included Matte Rose Gold & Matte Teal as well) |
Warranty | 10 Year Limited | 10 Year Limited |
Device Temp Settings | 4 | 4 |
App Temp Settings | 0 | 60+ |
Dynamic Heat Modes | No | Yes |
Temperature Controls | Device Only | App & Device |
Vibration Notifications | No | Yes |
Works with Flower | Yes | Yes |
Works with Concentrate | No | Yes (w/ insert adapter) |
Battery Size | 2,600 mAh | 3,500 mAh |
Sessions per Charge | 6-8 | 8-10 |
Charge Time | 120+ min | 90+ min |
Dimensions | 4"h X 1"w X 1"d | 4"h X 1"w X 1"d |
Oven Capacity | .3 grams | .3 grams |
Temperature Range | 360-420F | 360-420F |
Avg Heating Time | 45 sec | 20 sec |
App Support | No | Yes via Bluetooth |
Bluetooth Range | No | 10ft |
Purchase | ||
Herb CEO Rating | ||
PAX 2's faults aren't in the quality but in the extra time it takes to charge and heat, which means total fewer sessions. Missing app support and concentrate insert functionality not a big deal as regular vape pen cartridges offer more variety, less mess. | PAX 3 is the winner because it charges the fastest, heats the fastest and provides the most sessions. The concentrate insert is messy (we'd prefer just using a vape pen anyways) and there is no more Apple app support, keeping it at 4.5/5. |
Battery Life
If you already own a Pax 2, then you’re well aware of the fact that it features a 2,600 mAh battery. That seems pretty amazing, until you realize that Pax 3 features a battery that packs 3,500 mAh. Cool, right?
But, why do you need a vape with a superior battery? Well, to begin with, a stronger battery allows for 110 minutes of active vaping to Pax 3 users. Compare that to Pax 2, which will allow you for 90 minutes of active usage. Catch our drift yet?
On top of that, Pax 3 even charges faster. While it takes two hours for Pax 2 to charge, Pax 3 will be ready to use in an hour and a half.
You’d have to be really dense not to admit Pax 3 is superior in this respect. But the real question is — is this a dealbreaker for you?
Mouthpieces and Vapor Path
We can’t deny that both Pax 2 and Pax 3 were made from high-quality materials. Namely, they both feature stainless steel vapor paths and chambers. In addition to that, both devices come with two mouthpieces — a flat and an elevated one.
Temperature Options
In terms of temperature, Pax 2 and Pax 3 are on equal footing, given that they both have a range of 340–420°F. The only difference is that Pax 3 will heat up faster — but more on that later.
The bottom line is that both devices will be able to heat up your herbs without major problems.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Both the older Pax and the new Pax flower-friendly vapes have the exact same internal oven engineering and thus cleaning is the same for both models.
This means you’ll have to clean:
- Under the rubber mouthpiece at the top as resin and ABV moisture will collect there
- The oven, to remove ABV build up and toasted flower material. The oven is metal so this is pretty easy with a metal pick of some kind
- The inhalation tube that connects the oven to the mouthpiece can collect organic material tar and should be cleaned with a pipe cleaner. (Pax provides a thicker bristled metal cleaner as well but regardless you’ll eventually need to hit up your local tobacco shop to get more strong pipe cleaners).
That’s about it. even with heavy daily use you should only really need to clean your Pax once a week or so.
With moderate use we’ve found that once a month has been sufficient, although sometimes cleaning more frequently is necessary if you are sharing your device (to keep it sanitary) or vaping at higher heats (causing more tar/oil build up).
Portability
When it comes to vaporizers, size really is an incredibly important factor. Really, who’d like a bulky vaporizer that they can’t just pick up and take with them? That’s right; nobody.
Generally speaking, Pax vaporizers are significantly smaller than Arizer vapes, for example.
If you’re looking to compare Pax 2 or Pax 3 to some other device, that should give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect. Both of these vapes are just right in terms of size. They’ll fit right in the palm of your hand, almost as if they were made for it.
LED Lights
It’s quite difficult to imagine a vaporizer without LED lights nowadays. They indicate when the device is heating up and when it’s time to take a hit. Usually, the light is purple during the heating process, and it turns green when the temperature is just right.
But that’s not all. LED lights are also used to indicate the temperature mode — the colors range from yellow (low) to red (high).
Needles to say, both Pax 2 and Pax 3 feature LED lights that make using them fun and easy.
Color Selection
We can pretend all we want that the color selection isn’t an important factor, but that would be a lie. All Pax devices are stylish and elegant, and the same applies to both Pax 2 and Pax 3. So, in this respect, you can’t really go wrong with either of the devices.
Lip Sensing Technology
The last but certainly not the least feature we’d like to mention is the Lip Sensing Technology.
It basically ensures that the heating elements in the vape are engaged only when you lift the vaporizer to your mouth and start drawing. That, in turn, results in the battery not draining too fast. Plus, there’s no way your herbs will overheat.
Both Pax 2 and Pax 3 boast this innovative feature, which is a huge plus.
So far, it seems that Pax 2 and Pax 3 are quite similar, right? That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as we’re going to analyze those similarities in greater detail soon. But before that…
Pax 3 Basic vs Complete Kit
To further complicate things, there are two versions of the Pax 3 device: Basic and Complete Kit. So what’s the difference?
Well, the Basic Pax 3 comes with a charger, flat and raised mouthpieces, and a cleaning kit. But for an additional 50 bucks, you can get a Complete Kit, which has accessories that are worth around $100, give or take. They include:
- stylish carrying case
- half-pack oven lid that allows for more effective heating if the device is only half-filled
- portable multi-tool used for stirring, emptying the oven chamber, and packing down your dry herbs; it comes on a keychain, which is pretty handy.
In our opinion, if you’ve already decided on breaking the bank, spending an additional $50 isn’t going to hurt much. We can’t deny that these accessories are actually useful, so you won’t probably won’t regret making that decision.
But it’s time to go back to our main point — let’s talk about how Pax 2 and Pax 3 are alike.
Things That Pax I & II Have In Common
Size and Texture
First of all, if you pick up and compare these devices side by side, you will easily notice that they’re identical in both size and weight. Both models are a perfect fit for any hand.
Aside from a slightly shinier finish that Pax 3 boasts, the feel when you hold either of the models is pretty much the same. Given that they’re not bulky, you shouldn’t worry about them being uncomfortable to hold.
Battery and Temperature
As you’ve probably already established on your own, one of the greatest perks of both Pax 2 and Pax 3 is their exceptionally long battery life. And even despite the fact that they won’t require 5 charges a day, it’s good to know they don’t take forever to charge. Their durability gets an A+ from us.
Another proof that neither of the devices will disappoint is the identical temperature range that they feature. So they will perform equally well when heating up your herbs.
Oven Size
This may come as a shock to some of you, but Pax 2 and Pax 3 actually have an oven of the exact same size. They can both hold about 0.3 grams of dry herbs.
It would be safe to assume that, when main specs are nearly identical, 99% of people would opt for the cheaper product, right? Well… What if you’re the 1%?
Although we agree (to an extent) that Pax 3 barely even differs from Pax 2, we don’t want to claim that getting a Pax 3 is completely pointless. That is, at least not until you’ve had the chance to compare how they differ.
Main Differences Between Pax 1 and Pax 2
Heating Options
One of the biggest differences is that, although it’s still quick, Pax 2 has a significantly slower heat-up time. While Pax 2 needs about a minute to heat up, Pax 3 takes around half the time.
In addition to that, it takes only a couple of seconds for Pax 3 to get back to the initial temperature. You have to admit that only makes this device more impressive.
Another thing to note is that Pax 2 has only four pre-set temperatures: 360, 380, 400, and 420°F. Granted, we already said that Pax 3 features that same range. But what’s really cool is that you can set it to any temperature within that range.
Additional Conveniences
Additionally, when it comes to conveniences, Pax 3 seems to offer a few more than Pax 2.
One of the perks is haptic feedback, a feature that doesn’t exist on Pax 2. It basically means that your Pax 3 is going to vibrate twice — once you’ve turned it on, and once it’s ready for use.
Sure, it’s probably nothing crucial, but it’s nice to have a feature that allows you to do other things instead of glancing at the device non-stop.
In addition to that, the concentrate lid is a feature that is lacking both in Pax 2 and Pax 3 Basic Kit. You’ll only find that in Pax 3 Complete Kit.
Still, we feel obliged to remind you that the Complete Kit costs $150 more than Pax 2. Keep that in mind, will you?
Warranty
Believe it or not, the biggest difference between Pax 2 and Pax 3 isn’t hidden in any of the shiny features we’ve discussed so far. The biggest difference lies in the warranty that comes with these two devices.
Some of you may (or may not) know that Pax 2 used to have a ten-year warranty. However, that has been shortened to only two years. Take a wild guess — where did it go? That’s right. It went to Pax 3, which now proudly boasts a 10-year guarantee.
If you were looking to get a Pax 2, this could be a dealbreaker for you, and we totally understand why.
Even though the device looks promising in terms of quality and durability, any number of things could happen to it.
Enjoying an additional eight years of warranty gives you some peace of mind, whereas two years seem like nothing in comparison.
Pax 3 App
Unlike Pax 2, Pax 3 comes with its own app. It allows users to further tweak some settings in accordance with their preferences.
Additionally, you can trigger special modes and games at the touch of a button, which is really cool!
All you need to do is connect your Pax 3 to your phone using Bluetooth, and you get to fully experience the privileges of having a more recently designed device.
You might know that, in November 2019, Apple decided to remove all vaporizing apps from its store. Of course, that included the Pax 3 app as well. Although the company planned on an extended ban, the application was made available for Apple desktop users shortly after.
Currently, the app exists on Play Store as well, so both iOS and Android users can get it, which is pretty awesome.
The Bottom Line: Pax 2 vs Pax 3?
As we previously mentioned, some may argue that all these similarities and differences are insignificant to an everyday vaper. Still, we’re sure you’ll agree it’s nice to know what both devices have to offer.
For Pax 2 Owners Considering Upgrading:
We think it’s only fair to point out that, if you already own a Pax 2, it’s probably not that necessary for you to make the switch to Pax 3. That is, unless you believe the upgrades are an absolute must-have.
If you are a Pax 2 owner the only things you’re really missing out on is the bigger battery, the quicker heat up time and the more total cycles you get per charge.
So, if you only take your Pax out when you’re on the town or at work or hitting a party for a quick in-between rip, then your Pax 2 will continue to satisfy you.
For Heavy Hitters:
However if you live somewhere you can’t smoke or are just a heavy hitter, then the bigger battery and quicker heating of the Pax 3 will probably be worth the money, although if you’re ripping it all the time, investing in a table-top vape might be more prudent in the long-run.
Conversely, if you’re looking for something to really hit home at the end of a long day you might want to consider getting into the world of cannabis extracts, specifically the waxes, shatters, budders etc. These concentrates pack a flavorful punch via electric dab rigs which, have quite a few models similar in quality and style to the Pax handheld vape.
For First Time Buyers:
Still, if you’re looking to buy your first Pax vape, then why not splurge a bit and get Pax 3? Online vape mega-retailer Grasscity often has both Pax 2 and Pax 3 in-stock and available for immediate sale. Many brick and mortar stores struggle to keep full Pax kits in stock due to high demand and relatively limited releases.
Pro savvy shopper tip: If you can time your purchase to align with a holiday you’ll be able to save even more money.
The bottom line is that both Pax 2 and Pax 3 feature ingeniously innovative technology, and they come with really cool additional features. So, whichever you decide to go for, we’re sure you’re in for a high-tech vape session!
