Crafty + Vaporizer Review

At the cost of £203, the Crafty + isnt what you would call as a cheap dry herb vaporizer. With a premium price tag, the unit must have a premium build and features, and it does to some extent. However, the Crafty + comes with a few features that make this a must buy.

Pros

• Has a powerful heater that warms up quickly
• Exceptional battery life (worth 7 to 9 sessions)
• Same size as the previous Crafty
• Stellar vapour quality

Cons

• Inadequate temperature control options
• Expensive
• Comes with fewer accessories
• A non-removable battery that you can only charge using a Micro-USB

Vapour quality

The Crafty and the Mighty (with Mighty being the bigger of the two), have garnered the reputation for being the best vaporizers on the market. Only a few competing units such as the powerful Pax 3  and the Zeus Arc  can match the performance of the Crafty and Mighty. With a strong foundation, Storz & Bickel opted to keep things the same. As such, the cooling unit, the bowl, and the hybrid heating tech are the same as those used in the previous generations.

The most noticeable difference with Crafty + is its ability to get up to the max temperature much quicker. It takes approximately 1 minute for the Crafty + to warm up, which is noticeably quicker than the previous generation of the crafty. The circuitry and or the heating tech has been improved considerably in the Crafty +. What does this improvement mean for your overall experience?

Well, the experience is much better. The improvements to the heating system are noticeably better but it is not overwhelming either. It can push out more power, allowing the vaporizer to keep up with the massive draws with ease.

On the taste front, there is no significant change. The taste is comparably the same as the original, which is good for users. However, it does not produce the best flavour when compared to other high-end products such as the Arizer Solo 2 and the Firefly 2+.

All things considered, how different is the unit in reality? Only time will tell the full story of the Crafty +. However, our experience indicates that the unit is easier and better to use than the original Crafty. It feels better than the Mighty, obviously without the cooler vapour produced by the Mighty extended cooling unit. The Crafty + does power the bowl much faster and heating up much quicker. Also, you get the same battery life despite the improvements.

While budget dry herb vapes get the job done, they cannot go head-to-head with the premium vapes such as the Crafty +. If you have the cash, splurge out a bit more and purchase the high-end vapes, especially is getting a quality experience is essential to you.

Temperature

One of the biggest complaints Crafty users had was the inability to control temperature without the use of an Android/iOS app. You will be disappointed to note that this issue has not been solved. The severity of the problem has been lessened. You get 3 pre-set temperatures that you can choose from. While the temperature control capability is not as great as other vapes (including budget one) that have full temperature spectrum control, it is still better.

You can program the first 2 settings via the app. The third setting is designed for higher temperature, raising the temperature up to 410 °F/210 °C. The strategy behind the two programmable settings is the satisfy the needs of most vapes users who mostly only utilise two temperature settings.

Update:

With the recent ban of vaping-related apps on the App Store, Volcano Hybrid and Crafty + do not have iOS apps. To solve the issues, Storz & Bickel recently announced the creation of a website that will help control your devices via Bluetooth functionality.

Moreover, you can use the Bluenet app to access Storz & Bickel. The web app will help you control Crafty +, Crafty, and the Volcano Hybrid vapes.

Build Quality

The Crafty + has not strayed away from the body of the original, and understandably so. It is a terrific body choice owing to its lightweight and durable properties. The body also has excellent cooling properties, exceptional durability, and stunning looks. Moreover, the device has medical certification, making it hard for the company to move away from the body. That said, I prefer a ceramic or all-glass vapour path that preserves the herb flavour.

Storz & Bickel is renowned for its excellent customer service and reliability. You can trust the company not to throw an unreliable product on the market. They take all their products through the typical German process. With the above in mind, we cannot doubt the longevity of the Crafty +. Moreover, the product comes with an excellent warranty.

However, the unit comes with less out of the box than your used to. You get a charger, the charging cable, spare o-rings, and a dosing capsule.

Storz & Bickel used to include a grinder, a brush, and a loading funnel with the Crafty. Sadly, you do not get these accessories.

User Experience

The Crafty + is quite similar to the old model. It is designed with practicality and ease of use in mind. Filling the chamber and drawing is easy. Sharing your vape with a stranger or friend will not be a problem. Additionally, the body design has been refined and feels a tad better in the hands, while looking slightly more attractive.

Cleaning the Crafty has never been easy, and you can expect the same user experience in the Crafty +. A small brush can clean the cooling unit effectively, and with ease, you still have to deep clean the unit every once in a while. While cleaning is a pain, you should always clean for the `long-term durability of the unit.

Soak Q-Tips in isopropyl alcohol and give the areas with a build up a gentle scrub. For an even cleaner cooling unit, soak it in isopropyl alcohol for 5 to 10 minutes and after that clean it. This is a more involved process than it is in cleaning other vapes, but you have to do it.

Storz & Bickel Crafty + Top Cleaning Tips!

Use isopropyl alcohol with over 90% purity (you can get this in most pharmacies)
Clean the hard-to-get places with cotton swabs
Deep clean the vape every 10 sessions
Clear the screen of debris after a few sessions.
Remove the o-rings in the cooling unit, soak it in isopropyl alcohol for about 10 minutes, and then swirl.

Portability

Sticking to the current formula, the Crafty + has the same portability as the old unit. It is small, durable, and light to carry around. You can toss the Crafty + in any bag or pocket and not worry about damaging the unit while moving around. In many regards, it is the perfect portable herb vaporizer for outdoor lovers. If you want to carry your herb vaporizer on your skiing, hiking, or other outdoor adventure, the Crafty + is the perfect unit to buy.

We certainly recommend this unit for individuals interested in taking their vaporizers outdoors. Moreover, you can use the dosing capsule to re-fill and reload on the go. You do not have to worry about reloading the chamber.

Battery Life

The Crafty + has an improved battery life compared to the original model offering 7-9 sessions on a single charge. This is almost twice as much battery life the original model got. This is a testament to the new circuitry and heating elements. Unfortunately, the battery is non-removable. You should also note that battery life is dependent on usage habits.

Verdict

The Crafty + vaporizer is somewhat a mixed bag of good and bad. It has significant improvement on the battery life front and heat-up time. However, the marginally better temperature controls and slight improvements in performance leaves a lot to be desired. On the design and body front, it feels better, but only slightly so.

As such, we can certainly say it is a far better model than the previous generation that is Crafty. However, it is not as much of the upgrade that we were looking forward to.

All things considered though, it is the perfect replacement to the Mighty. Until Mighty + comes to market, the Crafty + is the best portable dry herb vape you can purchase now.

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