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Arizer, a renowned name in the aromatherapy vaporizer market, offers an impressive range of desktop and portable vaporizers that cater to the needs of both beginners and experts. In this article, we compare two of the most popular Arizer portable devices, the Arizer Solo 2 and the Arizer Air MAX. We've selected winners for each category to help you decide which one is right for you. It's a close one!
Arizer is a true pioneer in the vaporizer industry. Established in 2005, this Canadian company is world renowned for offering high-quality products at reasonable prices.
Over the decade, Arizer continuously improve and innovate their products, releasing a series of these popular portable devices:
2011 - Arizer Solo
2014 - Arizer Air
2017 - Arizer Air 2 and Arizer Solo 2
2022 - Arizer Air MAX
Will we see an Arizer Solo MAX soon?
Watch Pocket Oven's Chief Baker unbox the Arizer Solo 2. Find more unboxing videos on our Instagram page.
What's Included In The Box?
Both Arizer devices come with similar items apart from some key differences. Most notably, the Glass Aroma Tubes or airpaths serve different purposes. The Solo 2 comes with 2 long Glass Aroma Tubes; 90mm and 110mm. These are great to deliver cool and smooth vapor. The Arizer Solo 2 also has a handy Carrying Case included. The Air MAX has a 70mm length tube as a mouthpiece and a 14mm frosted tube which is used to connect to a water or glass piece.
Arizer Solo 2 |
Arizer Air MAX |
1 x Arizer Solo 2 |
1 x Arizer Air MAX |
We think the Air MAX comes with a kit that can fit more purposes and promotes portability!
Winner: Arizer Air MAX
Arizer Battery Life & Charging
The battery life of a vaporizer is an essential aspect, as it determines the device's portability and convenience.
Arizer Solo 2 has a long-lasting battery life of up to 3 hours, which is perfect for extended sessions. In fact, the Solo 2 actually has a smaller capacity battery at 3400mAh compared to the Air MAX's 5000mAh. However, the cleverly engineered Arizer Solo 2 requires a lower power output thus giving it a longer battery life. The Arizer Air MAX has a slightly shorter battery life of up to 2 hours, but it makes up for it with its faster charging time thanks to the USB-C charging port. The Arizer Air MAX features a replaceable 26650 Li-Ion battery too, so you can keep an extra battery charged to double your usage time.
Full charge on the Arizer Solo 2 takes about 150 minutes vs the Air MAX's 105 minutes. Both devices offer pass-through charging feature, allowing you to use the device while it's charging.
Winner: Arizer Solo 2
Design and Arizer Vaporizer Controls
Both the Air MAX and Solo 2 vaporizers have similar design features, including a wide temperature range, adjustable shut-off timers, and OLED displays. However, the Air MAX offers a Dark Mode display option, and automatic screen inversion.
Oven Capacity: The Arizer Solo 2 is designed with a slightly larger oven capacity of 0.3g compared to the Arizer Air MAX oven size of 0.25g. Both devices largely use the same technology, although there have been improvements in the Air MAX, learning from previous Arizer Air models.
Vapor Path: The Solo 2 and the Air MAX uses the Arizer's original glass pod system, which is crucial in delivering high quality cooled vapor in the all-glass vapor path. The Solo 2 edges slightly with its longer aroma tubes.
Weight & Portability: The Arizer Solo 2 weighs 210g while the Arizer Air MAX comes in at 160g. The Air MAX is slightly taller than the Solo 2 measuring at 12.8cm vs 11.3cm. However, the Solo 2 is wider making it slightly awkward in pockets.
Screen Inversion: Since the Air MAX is designed to also connect with water/glass pieces the screen would flip when you hold your device upside down. Very helpful! The Solo 2 does not have this feature.
Dark Mode: The Air MAX has two display modes: Normal Mode and Dark Mode, while the Solo 2 does not offer a Dark Mode. Dark Mode dims the screen, uses smaller symbols on-screen and lowers the volume. Great for discreet sessions!
The less spoken benefit to having 2 modes is actually the ability to store two preset temperatures ie. one in each mode. This would save you time adjusting between temperatures you regularly use.
The rest of the features are largely similar, as follows.
Device Controls: The Arizer Solo 2 and Arizer Air MAX both have a single Menu (M) button and a plus (+) and minus (-) buttons. They both use an OLED display screen but the Arizer Solo 2 has a much larger one.
Audio / Beep: Both vaporizers have three volume settings for its Beep function and can also be turned off.
Automatic Shut-Off Timer: Both vaporizers have an automatic shut-off timer safety feature, which can be adjusted between 5 – 15 minutes in one-minute increments. The default setting is 10 minutes.
Temperature Range and Control: Both the Arizer Solo 2 and the Arizer Air MAX uses a hybrid convection-conduction heating system with the same temperature range, 50°C - 220°C (122° F – 428° F). You can adjust the temperatures on both devices in 1-degree and 10-degree increments, extremely convenient. Remember, low temperatures offer more flavour and higher temps produce thicker vapor.
Celsius or Fahrenheit: Both vaporizers allow the user to switch between Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Winner: Arizer Air MAX
Heating Performance & Airflow
The heating performance in both devices is of high quality and very little separates them.
The Arizer Air MAX, being much newer than the Arizer Solo 2 has an upgraded ceramic heater and improvements to airflow. Arizer have been previously known for their relatively restrictive airflow but the Air MAX has upgraded air intake ports which allow more air into the oven and provide greater convection heating. The draw is less resistive compared to the Arizer Solo 2.
The larger ceramic heater and improved airflow make the Air MAX better at retaining heat and producing denser vapor. However, some users have complained that the 70mm glass tube is too short for higher temperatures as the vapor travels a shorter distance compared to the 110mm Glass Aroma Tube in the Arizer Solo 2.
Although the Air MAX takes about 1 minute to heat up compared to the 30 seconds heat up time on the Solo 2, we find the material vaporized more consistently in the Air MAX.
Winner: Arizer Air MAX
Arizer Warranty and Replacements
Based on our experience, Arizer vaporizers are some of the most reliable vaporizers in the market. High quality materials combined with clever design sees some of the lowest return and defect rates across all brands. Both the Arizer Solo 2 and the Arizer Air MAX have a lifetime warranty on the heating element, as well as a limited 2-year warranty for defects in workmanship or materials. The Solo 2 edges it slightly with a 1-year warranty on the battery, whereas the Air MAX's warranty excludes the battery. Glass is not covered by the warranty. Get in touch with us if you are facing any issues with your device, you're taken care of with us!
Winner: Arizer Solo 2
Which Arizer vaporizer is the best?
Choosing your Arizer aromatherapy vaporizer boils down to personal preference. Both the Arizer Solo 2 and the Arizer Air MAX are excellent vaporizers that have their strengths and weaknesses. The Arizer Solo 2 has a longer battery life, a bigger oven capacity, and focus on conventional aromatherapy vaporization using glass mouthpieces.
The Arizer Air MAX, on the other hand, has an updated ceramic heater and airflow improvements resulting in a smoother draw. This Arizer vaporizer is also designed to connect to water pieces with the included adapter and automatic screen inversion. Additionally, the removable battery and USB-C charging port make it an easier device to use.
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