Kandypens K-Vape Pro Review: Dry Herb Vaping on the Go

What is it?

What's in the box?

The K-Vape Pro comes in a nice corrugated white box branded with the Kandypens "K". Everything you need to begin vaping dry herb is inside except the herb, and isopropyl alcohol (more on that later). Here's what's included:

Although two mouthpieces come with the kit, I don't currently see them sold separately on the KP site. Normally you can buy the mouthpieces for their devices separately in case you need a third, fourth, etc. Also, unlike many other KP devices, this kit only comes in all black. I'm surprised it doesn't come in other colors, but I would choose black even if I had other options!

Product features

The vape pen (battery device)

The vape pen itself is operated by one button with adjustable temperature in four presets with corresponding LED colors. The button is almost flush-set, but it's raised just enough to be able to feel it without looking. It's responsive and clicky.

The four preset temperatures and color coding:

The battery device has an automatic cut-off at the five-minute mark to save battery juice and to keep your material from being over-cooked while not in use. The max time I've recorded for heat-up time is 34 seconds, and that was at 428F (blue).

Ceramic chamber

Mouthpiece

This is what makes the device shine over similar devices with a mouthpiece directly over a ceramic chamber. First of all, the mouthpiece is very comfortable to use. It's a thick glass and it has flattened sides that transfer little to no real heat. It also feels durable. I've dropped mine a couple of times with no signs of cracks or chips. Part of the durability of the glass is also aided by the anodized aluminum base that holds the secret to the K-Vape Pro vapor path.

On the underside of the mouthpiece base is a showerhead-like screen that helps to disperse the heat of the vapor. But the vapor doesn't simply go straight up to the mouth after that. Inside, sitting above the screen is a "honeycomb" piece that sends the vapor on a zigzag path to further cool it.

How to use

First, take off the mouthpiece. To remove it just pull up and twist a bit on the glass portion; to put it back on, just line it up and push down until you feel it catch. It's held on firmly by a little tab.

Next, get out your grinder. Grind your material into a fine consistency, and then load it into the chamber. You don't need to pack it super tightly. I prefer to add around 0.3 grams and tamp it down a tad. Then put the mouthpiece on.

Turn on the device with a quick five-click press of the button. To select your desired temperature, hold the button down for long presses and watch it scroll through the different settings. If you miss the one you wanted to stop at, it will round-robin.

The device needs a short time to get to temp. At the highest temp it takes right around 30 seconds, and less for the lower temps. While the device is reaching temperature, there will be a row of LEDs flashing on the front side of the battery. Once they stop flashing, you're all set to go.

How does it perform?

I can typically get about three good sessions out of a single 0.3-gram pack. I like to start out at green (375F), then onto red (400F), and then I finish it off with a session of blue (428F).

I get no hot spots on the herb, and I don't even need to stir it. The airflow is nice and smooth; not tight, but not too lose either. Kandypens says it's a mix of convection and conduction heating.

The vapor production is low. That's a con. The effects were solid, on the other hand, were solid for this class of devices at or slightly under $100.

The flavor on the K-Vape Pro is about average for a ceramic chamber device, although the clever design of the vapor path and mouthpiece elevates the experience. As with all devices used with dry herbs, the mouthpiece can positively or negatively affect the perception of flavor. With the K-Vape Pro, it's positive. If you have good-tasting herb, the K-Vape Pro will allow you to taste it relatively well. If your herb is schwag, no device will make it taste otherwise.

Battery and LEDs

As difficult as it was for me to keep tabs on how many sessions I got out of one charge, I did it! At 428F (blue), I got 11 five-minute sessions. That's just about a full hour of total vaping time. I use another portable of a comparable size that gets about four sessions before needing a charge. Although the other one has a replaceable 18350, I prefer the comfort and security of a battery like in the K-Vape Pro that I know is going to last a long time. 1100 mAh is a nice-sized battery for this device.

But, the battery takes a long time to charge. I tried to clock it but I kept missing the end. It's at least a couple hours, but maybe even closer to three hours. The device is fully charged when all LEDs are lit. The last LED seemed like it took forever to turn solid! Luckily it has pass-thru charging so you won't actually have to wait to use it if it's charging.

How to clean

WIth a ceramic chamber, it's best to keep it brushed out after a session... but it will remain easy to clean with basic maintenance. The mouthpiece is trickier to clean. Of course, a brush, a cotton swab, and some iso will work wonders for you. But make sure to pay close attention to how the internals of the mouthpiece are put back together.

The mouthpiece has a section that houses the screen that gets unscrewed (there's only two that comes with the kit). When you unscrew it, make sure the screen doesn't fall out and go to your nearest floor vent! And there's also the white plastic piece inside that you have to keep tabs on. With all those pieces, you can clean them with iso and be back to like-new condition.

The cool part of KP including a second mouthpiece on their kits is that when one is dirty, you can reach for the clean one and get to business.

Note: Before I use a portable vaporizer like this, I like to take everything apart, clean it down with isopropyl, and then repeat that a few times. Then I do a "burn-off" where you allow the device to cycle through a few sessions with an empty chamber.

Pros / Cons

Verdict

What I like most about the K-Vape Pro it is the even heating, the long-lasting battery, and the nicely designed mouthpiece. And especially that there's two of them included in the kit. I wish I could get that same mouthpiece on other devices!

For those on the fence, the KP warranty on the battery is there as an added bonus. There's normally no other option but to buy another if yours stops working, which can happen in the world of vapes. Kandypens provides their products with a warranty on the electronics failing if you need that extra push. Then again, I was sent mine for free... but it worked as intended. It could've been better, but it wasn't half bad either.

How has your experience with the K-Vape Pro been?