There are approximately 10 billion different kinds of vape pen, and this year we tried all the major brands to find the best vape pens for CBD. Instead of choosing a single winner, we’ve broken down our best-of list into five categories (plus the worst).
- Easiest to Use
- Best for Travel
- Best Value
- Best Battery (just the battery, minus everything else)
- Best Overall Quality
- Worst Pen
We pick the products we like: no kickbacks or greasy deals. What you are reading is real and written (albeit poorly) by real people. Be at peace.
(To all brand representatives, we do take bribes, but they must be paid via check & money order only. Thank you.)
Vape Pens Are One of the Best Ways to Get CBD
There are many ways to consume CBD, so why vape? Well, it’s actually one of the best methods available to us — if not the best. That’s for a few different reasons.
Vaporized CBD Takes Effect Instantly.
Inhalation is efficient and fast-acting. By efficient, we mean highly bioavailable. As we mentioned in our blog on MCT oil, “bioavailability” refers to the proportion of a substance that is available for your body to use. Low bioavailability is bad; high bioavailability is good.
When it’s inhaled as a vapor, CBD has a bioavailability of around 50 – 80%, according to recent studies. That’s higher than any other form of CBD — including tinctures, edibles, or smoking flower.
Vaping also works fast. Vaporized CBD travels quickly from your lungs into your bloodstream, skipping digestion and the liver.
With all that speed and efficiency comes flexibility. Pairing one of the best vape pens with CBD gives users a lot of control over their experience.
Some Things to Keep in Mind When Shopping for the Best Vape Pens
We’re looking at reusable vape pens — also called vape batteries. More specifically, we’re reviewing vapes that use 510 thread-compatible cartridges. “510” means it uses 10 threads at 0.5 mm per thread. 510 batteries are compatible with just about any THC or CBD cartridge, including all Green Lotus CBD Vape Carts.
Avoid Disposable Vape Pens
You’ll often see disposable vape pens on the market, which come preloaded with CBD oil and must be thrown away when the oil runs out. We wouldn’t consider any disposable product in our list of best vape pens.
What about value? Nope. Disposable pens typically run around $20-25, a hefty price when compared to reusable vape pens, which cost about the same at the lower end and can be used again and again.
Disposable vape pens do not recycle. Our single-use CBD vape carts recycle quite well. We have no use for disposable pens, but that’s okay because the enmity, we’ve heard, goes both ways.
Don’t Be Cheap. Invest in Usability.
A cheap vape pen will often last as little as a month before breaking down on you. Some of the brands that we’ll get into down below offer warranties of 1 year or more years.
If you use CBD with any regularity — say, as part of your daily wellness routine — go for a quality option.
CBD Likes Precise Voltage & Temperature Settings
We also recommend pens with multiple temperature settings.
With CBD, you tend to get the best combination of flavor and maximum cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids at low to mid-range temperatures, but you’ll want to feel it out depending on the kind of CBD you’re using.
When you look at the best vape pens, the majority with have temperature controls, with the notable exception of the CCell Palm.
Burn CBD too hot, and you will cough. CBD can bite, believe us.
Finally, The Best Vape Pens of 2021
In our exhaustive search for the best current CBD vape pens, we looked at several factors — experience, cost, ease of use, design, and battery being foremost among them. The results are a comprehensive study that is extremely scientific.
These are the 5 best (and 1 worst) vape pens, broken down into different categories.
1. Easiest to Use — CCell Palm
If you don’t know anything about vape pens and don’t want to learn, the CCell Palm might be right for you. This sleek, sturdy device doesn’t have any confusing options that could get between you and quick vaping.
It’s inhale activated, meaning it will only produce vapor when you draw from it, so there’s no need for a bunch of buttons. And it has magnetically attaching atomizers, so you won’t even need to screw cartridges in.
The CCell Palm is simple and brainless. Not to mention affordable at $24.95.
2. Best Vape Pen for Travel — Vessel Expedition Trail Edition
Of course, we had to try Vessel’s “Expedition Trail Edition” pen. Forget travel; Vessel went full-on Lewis & Clark do America – winter 1804, expeditions, trails.
Is it a joke? No, the Expedition is all business.
The pen is rugged, compact, and lightweight. A 300mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery provides about a week of light use from a single charge (which puts the Expedition in the running for best battery, as well.)
We also like the design, which maximizes airflow for a smooth, easy vape experience.
Overall, it’s an ideal, if somewhat expensive choice for someone wanting a hit of Vibe CBD Hemp Oil wherever their travels have taken them — whether that’s the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro or outside a bus station in Newark.
For travel, the Vessel Expedition Trail Edition is one of the best vape pens on the market this summer.
3. Best Value — Yocan Uni Pro
The Uni Pro isn’t a pen, exactly. It’s in the “box” category of vape devices. But it’s still small, and it has some great features.
We were surprised that the Uni Pro’s 10-second preheat option worked well with full spectrum hemp oil. CBD oil vape carts overheat much faster than their THC or tobacco counterparts. So, we inhaled slowly and ended up with a clean and balanced draw with plenty of flavor.
The OLED display is more robust than that of any of the other devices here, with voltage and battery clearly displayed. The voltage, by the way, is customizable, rather than coming in 3 or 5 pre-set options.
Most importantly, it’s only $25, which is pretty cool, considering a lot of people on the Internet and around the office think it’s one of the best vape pens for the money.
4. Best Battery — Cartisan Black Box
The Black Box is ideal for people who want to go a long time between charges, which are done via USB.
Its 900 mAh battery will last for days and days, even if you’re frequently vaping. Some folks have even managed to go two or more weeks out of this thing. A simple LED battery life indicator lets you know when it’s time to charge.
Airflow is not quite on par with other options, so if that’s a primary concern, we recommend going with another device. But construction is solid, and it fits short and tall vape cartridges. Cartisan Black Box is among the best vape pens for battery life and dependability.
5. Best Overall Quality — PCKT Two
This is a recent update to the popular PCKT 1-Plus. The new addition has a lot of features, and frankly, we like all of them. With five heat settings, you can find the right temperature for your CBD of choice.
PCKT 2’s 660 mah battery comes in just behind Cartisan Black Box as one best on the market, and it charges quickly. And it can be either inhale- or button-activated, depending on your preference. Like the CCell Palm, the PCKT 2 has a magnetic adapter.
One thing we’re still trying to figure out is this vape’s “haptic feedback,” which gives the user information about things like battery, dosage, and cartridge errors through vibrations. Good, but not quite iPhone. This feature can be turned off if it’s not for you.
PCKT 2 vapes are one of the more expensive options at around $75, but the 1-year warranty lessens the risk, should you get a faulty one. PCKT 2 is our overall winner for the best vape pens of 2021.
6. Worst — BIC Ballpoint Pen
The BIC Ballpoint Pen is by far the most affordable option here, with a 10-pack setting you back just $1.48. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, BICs don’t seem to be compatible with any type of vape cartridge.
We’re going to soldier forward and keep trying to vape out of these things, but so far they’re a major disappointment. Wish us luck!
Your friends,
Green Lotus