G Pen Elite vs. PAX 2: Products Comparison

If you’re in the market for a dry herb portable vaporizer, you might have come across the PAX 2 and the G Pen Elite. Both offer a variety of features that make vaporizing dry herb material discreet and easy. Which one is right for you? Let’s compare the two devices side by side so you can clearly see the features and benefits of each.

Design and Aesthetics Comparison

The PAX 2 is a compact portable vaporizer designed to be discreet and mobile. At 4″ tall and 1.2″ wide, the PAX 2 is easily carried in a bag, pocket, or the palm of your hand. Despite its small size, the device is tough and built to last, featuring an anodized aluminum body that protects the device from damage and distributes heat evenly, so it is warm, not hot, to the touch.

Designed with functionality in mind, the PAX 2’s stainless steel oven can hold up to 0.35 grams of material. The oven is located directly opposite the mouthpiece, keeping the heating element as far as possible from your lips. Between the mouthpiece and oven runs an isolated vapor path of surgical-grade stainless steel that offers quick delivery of high-quality vapor that cools while en route to the mouthpiece.

The G Pen Elite is bulkier than the PAX 2 at 4.5″ tall, 1.5″ wide and a full inch thick. While it is less compact than the PAX 2, the G Pen Elite does feature an LED display that shows chamber temperature and battery life. It also boasts a large oven that can hold up to 0.5 grams of material. The ceramic oven heats material evenly at a full 360° and achieves vaporization quickly, in as a little as 30 seconds.

How Both Vaporizers Work

The PAX 2 is a dry herb portable vaporizer that uses conduction heating, a method by which your material is warmed directly by physical contact with the heating element. PAX 2 employs lip sensing technology to avoid overcooking your material; when you remove your lips from the mouthpiece, the device lowers oven temperature to preserve its contents. Temperature continues to drop by about 9°F for every 20 seconds of inactivity in order to not waste the dry herb material inside. The PAX 2 heats to your selected temperature in less than a minute, as indicated by the four-petaled LED display on the battery. The device consistently provides smooth draws and a pristine vapor quality session after session.

The G Pen Elite features a ceramic oven that surrounds the material to achieve even heating and rapid vaporization. The device employs conduction heating. Unlike the PAX 2, the G Pen Elite does not feature an automatic cooldown function. It will power down after 40 seconds of inactivity, but you must watch to ensure you don’t overcook your material by pumping up the temperature prior to automatic shutdown. However, the wide temperature range allows you to experiment with a variety of flavor profiles and vapor quality.

Ease of Use

The PAX 2 is designed with user experience in mind. It is a highly intuitive device from start to finish. Simply pack your ground dry herb material into the oven and replace the oven lid. Power on your device and allow it to heat to your selected temperature setting. Once heated, the device’s LED indicator will turn green to signal it’s time to inhale. The PAX 2’s temperature will change dynamically based on whether you take big “rips” or light “sips,” providing enough vapor based on the temperature of the material itself. All of the PAX 2’s functionality is controlled by a single button located under the mouthpiece, making it easy to power the device on and off, as well as cycle through the available temperature settings.

The G Pen Elite relies on three buttons: a power button on the front panel and two temperature setting buttons on the side of the device. The oven is located beneath the mouthpiece, which must be completely removed to pack your material. Once your ground dry herb material is loaded into the chamber, you can replace the mouthpiece and power on the device by clicking the front panel button five times. If you fail to initiate heat-up after powering the device on, it will shut down after 40 seconds; if heat-up is initiated, the device will automatically power off after five minutes of inactivity. To select your temperature setting, use the side buttons to cycle degree-by-degree through the temperature range. To vaporize your material, hold down the front panel button for one second, release, and wait for your device to heat. The LED display will indicate when the selected temperature has been reached.

Battery Capacity and Life

The PAX 2 features a lithium-ion battery that lasts for multiple sessions on a single charge. Once the battery is depleted, you can easily recharge the device by placing it on the cradle at the end of the USB charger that came with it. The device is held in place on the charger by a magnetic connection. The PAX 2 takes about two hours to fully charge.

The G Pen Elite instruction manual recommends charging the device for a minimum of three hours. To charge, connect the USB charger that comes with the vaporizer to the base of your device. Once fully charged, the G Pen Elite can last multiple sessions.

Temperature Settings

The PAX 2 offers four different temperature settings across a range of 360°F to 420°F. Lower temperatures help preserve flavor and conserve material, while higher temperatures excel at producing large, dense clouds.

• Low: 360°F (180°C)
• Medium-low: 380°F (193°C)
• Medium-high: 400°F (204°C)
• High: 420°F (215°C)

The G Pen Elite boasts a wide temperature range of 200°F to 428°F (93°C to 220°C). The device can be set to the precise degree using the two side buttons; the currently selected temperature will be displayed on the LED indicator adjacent to the temperature select buttons.

Maintenance and Warranty

The PAX 2 requires cleaning every few uses, which is a straightforward and easy process. Remove the oven lid, screen, and mouthpiece and use the included pipe cleaners or brush to clear out the vapor path. The oven lid and oven can both be cleaned with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol. Never submerge your device or oven lid in alcohol or any other liquid; instead, gently clean the oven and oven lid with the cotton swab. Allow all components to dry fully before reassembling your vaporizer. Each PAX 2 purchase comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

The G Pen Elite must be cleaned immediately after every use. Use the cleaning brush included with the vaporizer to brush off residue that gathers around the connection of the mouthpiece and over the filter screen. Consider pre-heating the device before cleaning to make it easier to scrape off any residue. To clean significant residue buildup, remove all three components of the device’s mouthpiece and soak them in rubbing alcohol or run them under hot water. The G Pen Elite comes with a 1-year limited warranty.