62 million smokers and vaping enthusiasts reached since 2015!

G Pen Elite Review

Dave Kriegel
June 21, 2016

Intro

Grenco Science is probably best known for their Micro G Pen, an ellipse-style vaporizer pen for wax/dabs that took portability and discretion to a whole new level. Next they released the G Pro, a portable herbal vaporizer for about $100.

Now introducing the G Pen Elite, the first “G Pen” (not counting the G Pro) in the line that is geared specifically for dry herb. My first thoughts are how does this one compare to the G Pro, and what are you getting for the extra $70 besides an original design? Let’s dive in and see what the ol’ Grenco scientists cooked up…

Save 10% on the G Pen Elite below using our coupon code: V360

Notable Remarks

Aesthetics

Grenco Science G-Pen Elite
Grenco Science G-Pen Elite

The G Pen Elite doesn’t really look like anything else in this market, but it does look like something you would use to trim your mustache. Grenco put in the actual research and development to create this product, as opposed to going with pre-existing designs. It comes in all black, and has a sleek, modern look to it. The oven is narrow and deep, and it looks like they took a few design cues from the Pax. The screen is easy to read due to the brightness of the display. The G Pen Elite feels ergonomic in the hand, yet lightweight at the same time.

Build Quality

Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Mouthpiece and Chamber
Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Mouthpiece and Chamber

Like many portable vaporizers, the GPen Elite does contain plastic components, however Grenco is claiming theirs to be “food-grade”, whatever that means. The herb chamber is made of that shiny, glassy type of ceramic and the rest is made of aluminum-alloy and silicon rubber.

It feels solid, there are no moving parts when you shake it around. (Except for some button rattle, and I don’t know why reviewers make such a big deal about that anyway) It appears to be able to withstand a fair amount of abuse, but you’re not going to be chucking a $170 unit around too much anyways, right?

Overall I would say the GPen Elite is well-constructed and to be honest with you, I have had great experiences with the quality of Grenco products in the past. They tend to last a while from my personal experience. I am still using the G Pro that I purchased two years ago to this day.

Vapor Quality

Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Chamber
Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Chamber

The actual quality of vapor was nice. Ceramic chambers seem to be the way to go when it comes to herbal vaporization. They tend to heat the herbs evenly and provide awesome flavor, in my opinion. There may be a little bit of a break-in time, but once the chamber is primed after the first session or two, you’ll be getting some extra-tasty cloudage from the G Pen Elite.

Convenience

Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Screen
Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Screen

The G Pen Elite is about as convenient as the MigVapor Matrix and even the G Pro. It’s large chamber will give you a good amount of usage before refilling, and I have gotten roughly 2-3 complete cycles of vaping with one packed chamber at around 420 F.

Is there a better temperature to vape your dry herbs?!

The size and weight of the Grenco Elite makes it easy to conceal and transport. The ability to customize temperatures may be a positive for some people, but, for me, I just crank it all the way up to 420 F and let it rock. Sometimes I’ll do 428 F at the very end of a session.

The GPen Elite charges with a standard Micro USB connection. and best of all is its pass-thru functionality after the first few minutes of the charging cycle! Like many of these vapes, it turns off automatically after about five minutes.

I just don’t like how you have to hold the button for five seconds after turning it on. I know that only takes an extra few seconds, but in the middle of a session, it can be pretty annoying!

Value

Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Kit Content
Grenco Science G-Pen Elite Kit Content

Ok, so for $170 it is a lot more than the G Pro, the other herbal vape by Grenco. Aside from the research and development of this product, you are paying that extra dough for upgraded flavor, a larger herb chamber, better battery life, and an excellent LED screen with battery-life indication.

Those are a lot of added features, not to mention it just looks plain badass. Grenco was aiming for the jugular on this one. They saw how widely popular the Pax has become and created a product that would rival it in performance, for nearly half the price!

I am very interested to see how this is going to impact the dry herb vaporizer market. So far I have been hearing mostly great things about this product from people that have been using it. If you want a Pax, but say “hell no” to the price tag, then have a look at the G Pen Elite.

Of course the original Pax is only about $30 more at this point, so that might be another good option for some of you.

Likes

  • Heats up relatively fast (About 1-2 minutes)
  • Original and sleek design
  • Big ceramic heating chamber
  • Low-maintenance cleaning
  • Efficient vaporization
  • 1-Year Warranty

Dislikes

  • Have to hold down power button for five seconds to initialize the heating process
  • Mouthpiece can get hot at higher temperatures after extended sessions
  • Not ideal for shared sessions due to mouthpiece design (which requires you to put your whole mouth on it)

Verdict

So I have been using the G Pen Elite for the past week or two, quite a few times and found this device to be both reliable and effective. I love the fact that it can actually be used whilst charging, just not for the first 15-20 minutes or so, much like an iPhone.

The battery life is impressive; you can have a whole bunch of sessions before you even think about charging it so it can get even the biggest vaper through the day.

All in all, I liked this product, but does it perform that much better than the G Pro? Yes, not by that much. They are both great vapes so I would recommend the G Pro instead for anyone who doesn’t have the extra $70 to spare, but still wants a true herbal vaporizer. The Matrix is also a great alternative for $150.

Update: I should mention that if you use the coupon code “V360” you will save 10%, which actually brings the price to $153, or about half the price of the Pax 2!

That being said, if you want the latest cutting edge technology in portable herbal vaporization from the scientists who brought you the G Pen, then I suggest you join the ranks of the Elite.

Save 10% on the G Pen Elite below using our coupon code: V360

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dave has always had a passion for helping people quit smoking. As a former smoker himself, he knew how hard it could be. As soon as he learned about vaping, he instantly became obsessed with it and helped many people stop smoking. Vaping360 has given Dave a platform to do this on a much larger scale, by educating the public about the wonders of vaping. When Dave is not writing he is either listening to music, performing it, or cruising around on his Penny board.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
3 Comments
most voted
newest oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
RPadTV
RPadTV
6 years ago

The design and packaging are pretty slick. The tube reminds me of Uwell packaging.

Frank
Frank
6 years ago

You only have to hold it down for 1 second. Not 5. I have found even half a second to do the trick to start heat up. Idk where you pulled 5 sec from