US vaporizer company DaVinci are known for taking their time when it comes to developing a product. Their latest release, the DaVinci IQ vaporizer, is no exception. Nearly three years in the making, the DaVinci IQ is the first vaporizer on the market to feature a 100% ceramic airpath and is equipped with luxurious features.

DaVinci are known for their more affordable portables, the DaVinci and the DaVinci Ascent, and have comfortably occupied a spot in the mid-range market for years. Now, they’re aiming to redefine the premium vaporizer market with the luxe DaVinci IQ. The DaVinci IQ incorporates all the latest technology – fast heat up time, an easy to load chamber, replaceable 1850 batteries, USB charging and a Bluetooth smartphone app to boot. DaVinci are proving that they’re not messing around when it comes to keeping up with the industry standard. 

First Look: the DaVinci IQ Vaporizer

The first thing to notice about the DaVinci IQ is the sleek anodised aluminium shell embellished with a 51 LED light grid that changes to display your set temperature. It also features an easy to load ceramic heating chamber and the industry’s only 100% ceramic airpath, including the mouthpiece. The IQ resembles DaVinci’s previous offering the Ascent with a similar form factor, but with updated features that bring an old design into the future.

Img Source: http://www.davincivaporizer.com/iq-vaporizer

The DaVinci IQ vaporizer is smaller than the Ascent and super slim, measuring just 9cm high and 5cm wide, and the lack of a screen or retractable mouthpiece makes it even stealthier. Overall, this is the most sophisticated design we’ve seen from DaVinci yet.

DaVinci IQ Vaporizer Features

Pure Flavour

The IQ’s ceramic vapour path and mouthpiece perfectly preserves the flavour and aroma of your herbal blends. Ceramic has long been considered one of the purest materials used for vaporizing due to its ability to withstand high temperatures without breaking down.

There’s no shortage of vaporizers on the market that utilise a ceramic heating element, but many also incorporate metals and plastics either directly in the vapour path or around the heater.

The DaVinci IQ does not have a retractable mouthpiece. Instead, it sits flush with the top of the unit similar to the PAX 2’s flat mouthpiece design. This concept in the PAX 2 made it a super stealthy machine, however unlike the PAX’s soft silicone mouthpiece, the DaVinci IQ mouthpiece is made of ceramic. Our first thought is simply, ouch!

Would this get hot during use? Without being able to get our hands on the DaVinci IQ, it’s hard to say whether this will be an issue. Fears of burning lips aside, an all ceramic vapour path is a great concept and one we hope pays off in terms of vapour quality and taste.

USB Charging and Replaceable Batteries

User-replaceable batteries are quickly becoming an industry standard and we couldn’t be happier to wave goodbye to internal batteries that render your vaporizer useless when they die. Despite the fact that Arizer cottoned on to this years ago with the Solo, many in the industry have been slow to adopt this extremely important feature. Instead, many vaporizer owners have been forced to bear the cost of expensive battery replacement services or, worse, a new vaporiser.

The DaVinci IQ Vaporizer is powered by rechargeable 18650 Lithium-Ion batteries that are easy to replace. This allows users to always have a spare on hand. There has been no word yet on what kind of battery life users can expect from the IQ. The Arizer Air uses these same batteries and provides roughly 3-5 uses per charge, though it doesn’t waste any power on flashy LEDs or Bluetooth capability.

The DaVinci IQ charges via USB which is another feature we’re pleased to see becoming a standard. USB charging makes perfect sense in a portable vaporiser you need to take out and about. Users will be able to charge the IQ wherever they find an available port.

Bluetooth smartphone app

The DaVinci IQ vaporizer app will open up full digital temperature control and also allow owners to track their vaporizer usage patterns. The app can also reportedly turn the unit on and off and allow a few other customisation options.

Using an app to power your vaporizer was a cool novelty when Storz & Bickel first did it but now it just seems like kind of a ho-hum feature with Firefly, Vapium and Pax Labs also jumping on the trend with their latest releases. Nevertheless, many are choosing to go the app route in order to provide superior features and functionality while keeping the unit itself small and discreet. A Bluetooth app allows the user to access a range of additional features and settings without cluttering the face of the unit with buttons or bulking it up with added hardware.

Smart Path Technology

DaVinci are claiming the IQ has something called “Smart Path Technology” which sounds like a fancy way to say that the DaVinci IQ will allow users to select from a few special operating modes via the app. This supposedly works by allowing the user to select from three different functions – Smart Path mode, Precision mode and Boost mode. The Smart Path mode reportedly allows the user to save up to four favourite temperature settings for easy access during sessions, but there has been no word from DaVinci on what the other two modes will do.

10 Year Warranty

DaVinci are backing the IQ’s premium status with a lengthy 10 year warranty. Considering it looks set to share the top of the price spectrum with the PAX 3, Firefly 2 and the Storz & Bickle Mighty, this 10 year guarantee is a vote of confidence for those looking to invest in a premium unit that will stand the test of time.

What’s in the Box?

The Davinci IQ Vaporizer will not come with a whole lot of extra bells and whistles. DaVinci are including a glass adapter with the unit, which is great for those who like to customise their experience with a range of accessories. Otherwise, the DaVinci IQ will come with just the bare essentials for use.

Full Kit Includes:

• 1 x DaVinci IQ Vaporizer
• 1 x USB Charging cable (no wall plug, which would be nice to see)
• 1 x 10mm Adapter
• 1 x Herb Funnel
• 1 x Cleaning Brush
• Alcohol cleaning wipes