Pax 3 vs Crafty

This will be a comparison between the Pax 2 and the Crafty portable vaporizers. The Pax 2 is one of the smallest, lightest, and easily concealable portable vapes on the market. While the Crafty offers a full temp spectrum (104F – 410), produces extremely smooth/cool vapor plus more efficient and consistent with my herbs.

Pax 3 vs Crafty
Pax 3 vs Mighty
Below I’ll break down all the pros/cons, explain the different charging systems, go over the temp options and talk about some of the cleaning/maintenance involved with both the Pax 2 and Crafty.

Update: This review is for the Original Crafty Vaporizer, not the Crafty+ Vaporizer. While they are similar in functionality, the new Crafty+ features some pretty good upgrades. Check out my Crafty+ Review for all the details.

Also, the Pax 3 vaporizer is out now and I have a full breakdown between the Pax 3 and Pax 2 if you wanted to check those out. If you aren’t quite sure which portable vaporizer you want, I recommend checking out my top portable vaporizer list for more options.

The information below is accurate but the pricing may not be. Click the shop links to check prices. Shop Crafty Links will take you to the new Crafty+. Comparison continued…

The Pax 2 is a bit better in the heat up time department, it comes with a 10-year warranty, and it’s still the most portable/concealable vaporizer currently on the market. The Pax 2 is my go to vape for outdoor activities especially in group scenarios.Pax 3 review

In the end, both of these vaporizers are very good and you will be happy with either one.

Size & Portability
Pax 2 Crafty Side View
Pax 2 Crafty Side View
The Crafty is the slightly larger unit at 4.3”H x 2.2”D x 1.3”W and the Pax 2 comes in at 3.87”H x 1.21”W x .085”D. The main difference in the size category is the weight; The Pax 2 weighs roughly 92 grams while the Crafty is around 136 grams.

Mind you both of these are actually really light for a portable vaporizer. By comparison, the Firefly weighs 241 grams, the Ascent weighs 192 grams, and the Mighty weighs 230 grams.

The main thing you’ll notice in size the bulkiness to the Crafty. You can still fit it in your pocket but it’s definitely not the streamlined smooth design of the Pax 2.

Batteries and Charging System
Both battery systems are good for today’s charging capabilities. The Pax 2 comes out on top as far as average continuous use. They also upgraded the battery compared to the original Pax so it will pretty much crush the Crafty in continuous use.

Pax 2 Crafty Charging Systems
Pax 2 Crafty Charging Systems
However, the Crafty can vape a full oven quite a bit faster than almost all portables including the Pax 2. So the Crafty still vapes a good volume of herbs per charge despite medium to low continuous use time.

Neither units use replaceable batteries but both offer the option to charge via USB. I just picked up a battery pack off amazon for around $25 and it will charge both of these units from dead multiple times over. I definitely recommend this option if you are going to be taking it on long day activities.

*Pro-Tip: If you already have the original Pax, you can use the old charging base cord to plug-in directly to the new charging system so you can charge via home outlets.

TL;DR: The Pax 2 has longer battery life, both will charge about the same speed and both can be charged via USB.

Pax 2 Crafty Chambers
Pax 2 Crafty Chambers
Chambers, Heating Elements and Vapor Paths
The Crafty is a hybrid unit so it uses both conduction and convection heating methods. It will use a slight amount of conduction in the beginning to heat the chamber and mostly convection from then on out.

The Pax 2 is 100% conduction and definitely the less efficient model of the two. The Pax 2 will hold quite a bit more herbs which some people like and some don’t. It’s completely up to you and what you want out of a vaporizer.

The Pax 2 chamber is huge. I can get about .25 grams with a medium-coarse grind and if I run it through the MFLB Finishing Grinder, I can get upwards of .4 grams into the chamber. This is a lot for one person unless you’re a heavy user (likes yours truly) or going to be passing it around with friends.

There are a few different methods to use smaller loads in the Pax 2, one company came out with a “sandwich” that is basically a stainless steel press to eliminate all the extra space in the chamber. This allows for smaller bowls for 1 or 2 people and doesn’t make it quite as wasteful. I am currently doing some testing on a few different methods of partial loads. I’ll update the Pax 2 review and this review as soon as I finish up.

One of the biggest differences between the Crafty and Pax 2 is the amount of resistance during draws. The Crafty has one of the most free-flowing vapor paths of any portable currently on the market. Whereas the Pax 2 has a lot of draw resistance if you don’t draw slow.