The Black Widow is a budget conduction vaporizer that can be tossed around without the worry of breaking easily. The metal alloy casing and durable mouthpiece make this vaporizer tough competition in the low-end vape category. The Black Widow is optimized for dry herbs but can also work with wax concentrates. Also, if this is your first dry herb vaporizer, you can learn the ins and outs of vaporizing medical cannabis by following our article.
Editor’s Note: Let’s face it, if you’re here, you’re looking for a great budget vaporizer, and while this device is certainly an option, we would highly recommend the Utillian 421 first. It sets the standards for what a budget vaporizer can be. You can also check out our list of what we think are the Best Budget Vaporizers on the market today, a great way to start your vaporizer journey.
If budget is not your top priority and you want a vaporizer that is flavorful and portable, you should check out our curated list of the best dry herb vaporizers. We have created the list after testing and comparing a lot of dry herb vaporizers. From budget-friendly options to high-end models, our ranking page provides a comprehensive overview of the best dry herb vaporizers currently available.
Review: Black Widow Vaporizer
How it Works
Not too many bells and whistles went into this vaporizer. If you’re looking for a straightforward unit that you can buy on a budget that simply gets the job does, the Black Widow fits the profile.
You can use wax concentrates by inserting the wax insert – to do so you will want to use one of the higher heat settings. Wax requires more extensive heat to vape properly than dry herbs. For dry herbs, you can play with the heat settings a bit more and use the lower 3 of the 5 to get more flavor out of your herbs.
The Black Widow uses a one-button design and has a standby mode. Once you click it on it will begin heating whatever is in the oven. To turn it on and off you click 5 times, to change temp you hold the button for three seconds.
Temperature Flexibility
The Black Widow has five preset temperatures to choose from. Low is set at 356F, Medium Low is set to 374F, Medium is at 392F, Medium High 410F, and finally, the Highest is 428F.
This range is a bit out of line with what we recommend for dry herbs, the low setting is too low and the high is too high, meaning realistically you will be using only 3 temperatures.
To switch between these five temperatures the Widow uses the standard one button design. Users looking for a complete temperature control usually tend to prefer units like the Crafty plus.
Vapor Quality
The Black Widow uses conduction heating just like the Davinci IQC to vape dry herb materials. Vapor production with the Black Widow is not at the same level as many of the mid-class to upper-class vaporizers, but that was expected. The Widow makes use of a ceramic heating chamber which is pretty deep and narrow. The narrowness of this oven chamber makes it generate a slight bit of convection heating since the heat rises in a more restricted space from the heated element.
The Black Widow oven stores about a half gram of material which is about average. Something I was personally unaware of actually when first looking into this budget device is that it also comes with a concentrate insert for waxes.
The metal mouthpiece is something that meets in the middle in terms of flavor. It’s a bit better than plastic, and not quite as good as glass. It is more durable than both but also conducts heat more so than glass. So this is something that will be a more personal preference.
Manufacturing Quality
For a budget vape, this thing is pretty durable. The outer finish of the Black Widow vaporizer is made of a quality aluminum alloy. This makes it strong and light to carry around with you. Inside the standard kit, you will find the device itself, cleaning tools, packing tool, USB cable and wall adapter, two mesh screens and the manual to learn addition safety and the operation procedures.
I have mixed feelings about the mouthpiece on the Black Widow. The mouthpiece is a step in the right direction as it is not made of flimsy plastic. However, it is also not made of glass either like the LITL 1, which helps to deliver the best flavor while also cooling down your hit even if it is only ever so slightly. The Widow’s mouthpiece is metal with a rubber stopper that sits in place using a magnetic connection.
Battery Life
For a budget device, I will have to say that the battery that comes with this unit is pretty good. An internal 2200mAh built-in battery is what powers the metal alloy conduction vaporizer. This battery is strong enough and lasts long enough to vape both dry herbs and concentrates thoroughly. The overall design being all metal does get pretty hot though. Users usually tend to prefer units with the all-glass aroma tubes like the one provided by devices like the Arizer Solo 2 that cools the vapors down before hitting the lips.
Portability
Any portable device that rocks a 2200mAh battery is designed to be portable. However, the dimensions of the Black Widow make it a bit large when compared to some of the ultra small portable devices.
The DaVinci IQ and the PAX 3 line of portable vaporizers are much more pocket-friendly than this one. The Black Widow has a weight of 190 grams and is 128mm tall, 44 mm wide, and 26 mm in depth.
Ease of Use
As mentioned earlier the Black Widow uses a 1 button design. The fact that there are only two ways to use this button either by clicking it 5 times to turn on and off or by holding it for 3 seconds for temperature, this device is rated very easy to use like the Utillian 722.
Discreetness
This particular dry herb portable device is not the most discreet unit like we have other units such as the Davinci Miqro. There are no special features that make it attempt to be discreet.
Some devices such as the PAX 3 have special modes that allow you to change the vapor profile for certain situations. This device, however, just has the 5 preset temperatures, and conduction heating.
The smell that comes off this is sheer potent smelling, and if you have this unit set to one of the higher temperatures than it will also potentially be giving off a burnt smell. The best you can do is keep it on one of the lowest heat settings and take quick light hits if you want to be discrete.
The size although bulky does fit into your pocket, the shiny casing and red black widow symbol might make it stand out a bit more than some of the other devices.
Overall Experience
The Black Widow presents itself as a budget-friendly option in the dry herb vaporizer market, and in some ways, it delivers. The straightforward, one-button design also makes it easy to use, especially for beginners. However, its performance is a mixed bag. The limited temperature flexibility, while offering five presets, doesn’t quite hit the sweet spots for optimal dry herb vaporization. The vapor quality, while decent for its price point, doesn’t reach the levels of more premium portable vaporizers. The metal mouthpiece, while durable, can impact flavor and heat. While the battery life is commendable, the device’s bulkiness and less-than-discreet design might not appeal to everyone.
While the Black Widow might be a starting point for those on a tight budget, it’s essential to consider other options in the same price range. For those prioritizing dry herb vaporization, we highly recommend checking out our Best Dry Herb Vaporizer ranking page. We have created a curated list of top-performing devices, including budget-friendly picks that offer better overall experiences. Thank you for reading this Black Widow Vaporizer review, and as always: Keep Vapin’!
