XMAX V3 Pro Review: An Affordable Vaporizer with On-Demand Heating
What is it?
The XMAX V3 Pro is a portable convection-based vaporizer. It’s primarily designed for flower with an option for concentrates by way of an included wax cup. The V3 Pro is not quite a vape pen, but it does have a slim cylindrical form factor. The device is powered by a removable and rechargeable 18650 battery.
Building off the V2, the V3 Pro offers some great new features like on-demand mode, an LED screen and faster heat up and charge times. And it only retails for about $110, offering features that aren’t even available on some of the best portable vaporizers available right now.
The XMAX V3 Pro was sent courtesy of TopGreen for the purpose of this review.
Price: $109 (at TopGreen)
Colors: black, silver/blue
Specifications
- Battery capacity: Single 18650 battery
- Dimensions: 5.91 in x 1.05 in x 0.94 in / 150 mm x 25 mm x 23 mm
- Weight: 3.7 oz / 105 grams
- Temperature range: 212-428°F (100-220°C)
- Charging: USB-C
- One-year warranty
Kit contents
What’s in the box?
The XMAX V3 PRO vaporizer comes in a regular box, nothing too flashy. It includes the device with the battery installed, a wax cup for vaporizing dabs, a cleaning brush, a USB-C charging cable, a user manual, cotton swabs, and some alcohol pads. Very simple, clean, and straight to the point.
I don’t find the packaging particularly attractive, but I appreciate the practical approach that XMAX seems to be taking, and I’m more interested in how it performs—especially for the price.
Product features
The V3 Pro is a convection-based vaporizer capable of 4-6 minute sessions. But it also has an on-demand heating mode! It features a beautiful and bright OLED screen that resembles something you would find on a vape mod, which is pretty cool. It’s like we’ve finally come full circle.
The XMAX V3 Pro weighs in at 105 grams. It is 150 mm in height, 25 mm in width, and 23 mm thick. It houses a single 18650 and the battery door is held on magnetically. It feels very sturdy in the hand, even the glass mouthpiece option and water pipe adapter pieces feel nice and beefy.
The herb chamber is made of stainless steel and holds around 0.15 grams tops. It is compatible with POTV One dosing capsules, but they’re sold separately. I also received the glass water pipe adapter and a glass mouthpiece, which are also sold separately but so worth it (check the gallery for pics).
Other notable features include USB-C charging and heat-up times of 15-25 seconds. It has a temperature range of 212°–428°F (100°– 220°C) and is adjustable in 1° increments using the up and down buttons. Last but not least, the device is capable of passthrough charging.
How to use the XMAX V3 Pro
The interface on the V3 Pro is easy and intuitive. It doesn’t take much time to get acquainted with. The only thing that took some getting used to was taking slightly longer draws on it, but I’ll cover that in more detail in the performance section.
Here are some general tips for getting started with the XMAX V3 Pro:
On-demand mode
Session mode
Using the wax cup
How does it perform?
I tested the XMAX V3 Pro with both flower and concentrates. The airflow is somehow airy yet restrictive at the same time. Overall, it’s a solid flower vape, not so much for dabs from my experience. First I’ll describe the performance with flower, then with concentrates.
Flower
The V3 Pro only holds 0.15 grams max. I found myself doing more frequent sessions as a result of the smaller pack size. No biggie. It gave me time to play around with it and figure out what’s really going on with this thing.
With that said, the flavor was spot on. I was able to taste all of those terpy and gassy notes with one of my favorite strains, Tenscotti. The flavor with the plastic mouthpiece is decent but if you want to maximize the flavor with the V3 Pro, definitely upgrade to the glass mouthpiece option.
The vapor production wasn’t bad, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, it does require extensive draws. I think that has to do with the convection heating, but you can get still get some nice rips out of this thing. The vapor isn’t super dense, but it is satisfying when you take longer puffs.
Concentrates
I wasn’t so thrilled with the concentrate option for this device. I placed some of my Mandarin Cookies crumble in the cup and popped it in the chamber. Then I cranked it up to the max temp, in hopes of testing out the vapor production. I barely got any clouds, but the flavor was awesome. The wax melts into the lower part of the cup and gently vaporizes at a slow rate.
I'd much rather dab on a rig or with a good dab pen. I can see myself using the V3 Pro in the future for bud only, not so much for concentrates. However, I will probably still mix some dabs with some bud when I get my hands on some POTV ONE dosing capsules.
On-demand mode
The on-demand feature works! The first hit is usually a bit wispy, but that’s common. Once you get it started, you can actually get a few good rips out of a little bowl. It’s convenient when you are at work and want to step out for a few puffs, but don’t want to do a whole long session. It almost reminds me of the VLeaF GO, but a lot more high-tech and with way more battery life.
Water pipe adapter
I was very happy to receive the glass water pipe adapter. It plugs right into the device like the mouthpiece, but it has a 14 mm male joint. It pops right into most bongs, and it works well. I wouldn’t use it with dabs because it seems like it would get messy since it’s upside down.
I had a few really nice sessions on the bong with flower and the clouds were abundant, just not incredibly dense. I did on-demand mode with the bong too, but I tend to just put it in session mode and just rip it up. I love testing vapes this way so that I can watch the vapor forming.
Battery life and charging
The battery life on the device is very good. I typically get around 10 bowls out of a full charge using on-demand mode. (You can get more bowls if you only use session mode.) Since it’s an 18650, I highly recommend getting an external charger and at least one spare. If you carry an extra charged battery with your V3 Pro, you can get clouds for days—literally.
Despite having a USB-C charging port, the V3 Pro actually takes a while to charge. I clocked it at just under three hours. The good news is that it does pass-thru charging, so you can just use a power bank or plug it into a wall adapter, PC, or laptop.
How to clean the XMAX V3 Pro
Cleaning the V3 Pro is not a big deal. Just brush out the chamber and screen on the mouthpiece after every session to keep it running. For a deeper clean, you will have to soak everything in alcohol except for the device itself and the plastic mouthpiece.
Here are some tips for cleaning the XMAX V3 Pro:
Pros / Cons
Pros
- On-demand and session mode
- Durable construction
- Affordable
- Good flavor
- Fast heat up times
- Convection heating
- Pocketable design
- Bright OLED screen
- Replaceable 18650 battery
- Includes concentrate option
- Easy to maintain
Cons
- Chamber holds no more than 0.15 grams of flower
- Glass mouthpiece and water pipe adapter not included in the package
- Weak vapor production with concentrates
- Requires longer draws for a more satisfying cloud
- Takes nearly three hours to achieve a full charge
Gallery
Verdict
There is a lot to like about the V3 Pro. It’s not the best vape for dabs, it requires long puffs and the chamber is on the smaller side. But it makes up for that with great battery life and spectacular flavor. I wish it came with the glass mouthpiece, but I can’t complain at this very affordable price point.
All in all, the XMAX V3 Pro is a very impressive little gadget. It offers on-demand convection, an OLED screen, and it heats up in a matter of seconds. Practical, durable, easy to maintain, and affordable. I personally like it better than the Firefly 2+ for example, and it costs nearly a third of the price!
What was your experience with the XMAX V3 Pro? Leave a comment below.
Dave Kriegel
Vaping for: 10 years
Favorite products:
Favorite flavors: Biscotti, Oreo, Sour Diesel, Gumbo, Purple Haze, Galactic Zushi
Expertise in: Cannabis flower and concentrate vaporization technology
Dave Kriegel
I started my vaping journey over ten years ago, quitting smoking while developing a strong interest in the technology that made it possible. I proudly became one of Vaping360's earliest contributors in 2015. Since then, I have authored hundreds of articles and reviews on topics ranging from e-cigs to cannabis vaporizers. After a brief hiatus, I have returned to Vaping360 as a freelance writer to continue sharing my knowledge and expertise about vaping with the world. When not writing content, I enjoy riding my bicycle and working on music at my home studio.