Zeus Smite Plus vs Airvape XS - Conduction Cage Match

The under $250 market for vapourizers is getting increasingly impressive. At one time, this price range meant making huge sacrifices. As we’re about to see, it’s becoming very competitive and there are some premium vapourizers to be had at these prices. Two of the best are the two in this showdown, the ZEUS Smite Plus and the Apollo Airvape Xs. You may be saving money just by choosing either of these two, but we’re about to help you even more by showing you which one of these is the better vapourizer…

Smite+ vs Airvape XS

Vapour Quality

The Smite Plus offers a good blend of flavour, density, and smoothness. It’s performance is best at mid to low temperatures, but this is true of almost all vapes. Even at high temperatures, the performance is a lot better than most.

The heating chamber is made of ceramic, and the mouthpiece is made from silicone. There is a glass mouthpiece that you can upgrade to, but that will cost you a little extra.

The vapour production from the Airvape XS is also very good. Like the Smite Plus, you are going to get the highest quality vapour when using this at mid to low temperatures.

My experience suggests there is a bit more of a drop of at higher temperatures with the Airvape Xs than there is with the Smite Plus. This is because the Airvape XS has a much shorter vapour path than the Smite Plus.

If you like vaping at higher temperatures, this may be enough to make the Smite Plus the better buy.

Manufacturing Quality

The overall build quality and range of features for the Smite Plus is extremely impressive for an under $200 unit. For starters, it has a digital display that allows you to adjust the temperature in one degree increments. The vapour production is excellent and it heats your herbs evenly, even when you don’t stop to stir it. The exterior finish also feels nice in your hand.

While all of the things I’ve already mentioned are great features, I’ve saved my favourite two for last. I like when vapourizers have a longer mouthpiece because it gives the vapour more time to cool.

Even a few centimeters can make a big difference compared to drawing from directly above the heating chamber. The problem with mouthpieces is that they are inconvenient when you are transporting the vapourizer. The Smite Plus has one, but it is stored completely inside the unit. I find this incredibly convenient.

The other thing I love about the Smite Plus is the battery life. This thing can last over 2 hours on a single charge! This puts it up there with the Arizer Solo 2 as the best vapourizers in this regard. For the price, you can’t beat it.

The Airvape Xs is also a very fine piece of machinery. The most impressive thing about it is the size. From the front, the Airvape Xs may look like an average vapourizer. But as you turn the Airvape Xs to the side, the thinness is almost unbelievable. It almost doesn’t even make sense that they were able to fit all the necessary components inside it, but they obviously did.

The machining and materials are all excellent. The vapour pathway is ceramic, stainless steel, and glass, plus a very small amount of silicone from the mouthpiece’s seal. I really like the way this feels, and it’s very convenient to carry.

Like the Smite Plus, the Airvape Xs also offers a digital display with full temperature control. The battery life isn’t nearly as good, but that’s because they had to have a battery specially made to fit inside.

Ease of Use

Both of these vapourizers are very easy to use. The process is as simple as filling the chamber, turning the device on, and setting your temperature. While the buttons are in different spots, they’re the same concept.

One for toggling the power, and two others that are for adjusting the temperature up or down.

You shouldn’t have any problem figuring out how to use either of these very quickly.

Portability

The shape of the Smite Plus makes it easy to carry, plus the fact that the mouthpiece can be stored away inside the unit is incredibly convenient. When you factor in the long battery life, this becomes a great option for taking on extended trips away from power.

The thinness of the Airvape Xs is a huge strength in this department. You can put it in the pocket of your pants and it just feels like you slipped a phone in.

However, the Airvape XS is not without its issues in the portability department, the main issue is that the mouthpiece is only secured in place by a rubber grommet. This makes carrying your Airvape XS in your pocket while loaded a dicey situation.

The mouthpiece has a tendency to pop off the device while in your pocket, pouring your herbs into the aforementioned pocket, which is not ideal.

This is why we like the Zeus Smite Plus’ design of having dedicated storage for the mouthpiece and a sliding cover for the herb chamber better. Couple this with nearly double the battery life of the Airvape XS and it is clear that size alone does not determine portability.

Sure the Airvape XS is smaller than the Smite Plus, but it also has some inconveniences that make it less than ideal for pocket travel. This can all be rectified by purchasing the Airvape XS hardshell case, but this means an additional cost for extra convenience.

Battery Life

The Smite Plus beats the Airvape Xs easily in this category. In fact, the upper limit of the Smite Plus’s battery life is twice the length of the best you’ll get from the Airvape Xs.The Smite Plus will last up to two hours on a single charge, while the Airvape Xs will only get you 40 minutes to an hour. The super thin design of the XS comes with trade offs, and this is the main one.

Discreetness

You really won’t have a hard time staying discreet with either of these, but the Airvape Xs has a slight edge because it’s thinner.

It’s not much of an advantage, but it’s really the only thing that distinguishes one from the other.

Keep the temperature low and the draws short, and you’ll be able to keep a low profile with either.

Temperature Flexibility

Both of these vapourizers offer a very convenient way to adjust the temperature in one degree increments.The Smite Plus has a larger range though, which earns it the win in this category. You’ll be able to get it a little hotter and a lot cooler.

SHOWDOWN

The ZEUS Smite Plus is the winner of this showdown!

For being under $200, these are two fantastic vapourizers. The Smite Plus packs a bunch of premium features into a simplistic design, leading to an easy to use yet versatile portable.

You get full temperature control, a gigantic battery, and a mouthpiece that stores away inside the rest of the vapourizer. Let’s not forget the great vapour quality as well.

The Airvape Xs isn’t far behind, and the thin design may be reason enough to buy it depending on what you are looking for from a vapourizer. The only thing I don’t like about it is the short battery life, but others may not appreciate battery life as much as I do.

There are good reasons to get either of these, but I think the Smite Plus is the better all around vapourizer and the better buy for most people.

Still think you like the Airvape XS is better? Everyone has their own personal preference and if you are looking to grab one get it directly from our store.

If you’d like to see another comparison, check out our recent showdown between the Utillian 720 & Boundless CFX and to see how these 2 units stack up against the field, be sure to check out our Portable Vaporizer Ranking Chart.

Zeus Smite Plus vs Airvape XS – Conduction Cage Match