Choosing the right vaporizer: session or on-demand?

Are you considering buying a vaporizer but unsure which device to choose? Much depends on whether you prefer long, relaxing sessions or quick, intense inhalations throughout the day. Many often ask us what to choose – a session vaporizer or on-demand. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide for you. Enjoy the read!

What will you learn from this article?

👉 What are the main pros and cons of session devices?

👉 What should you know before choosing an on-demand device?

👉 Who should opt for an on-demand vaporizer versus a session vaporizer?

Table of contents:

The choice between session and on-demand vaporizers is crucial

The distinction between session vaporizers and on-demand vaporizers is extremely important. Before deciding to purchase a specific vaporizer, it’s essential to understand how these two types of devices work. This knowledge is crucial because knowing the advantages and disadvantages of these two inhalation styles is very helpful when selecting a device.

Whether you choose a convection or conduction vaporizer, electronic or butane-powered, the inhalation style offered by the device will determine many important factors, such as efficiency and the speed of inhalation. What distinguishes session vaporizers from on-demand ones? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these devices?

Session vaporizers: convenience and ease 😎

Session vaporizers are primarily characterized by the need to use the entire chamber content in one inhalation session. It is not advisable to interrupt it and finish later. This is because session vaporizers are usually devices that operate based on conduction or a combination of conduction and convection.

These types of devices heat the herb through contact with the heated walls of the heating chamber. If you interrupt the inhalation, the herbs will continue to be heated while the chamber cools down, causing the active compounds to be wasted. If you decide to return to the interrupted inhalation after some time, the herbs will be reheated, negatively affecting the vapor’s taste.

Using a session vaporizer can be compared to smoking a joint – you need to finish it entirely. It continues to burn between puffs, and extinguishing it and relighting it later will waste part of the content and the flavor.

For this reason, you should not interrupt a session inhalation with session vaporizers. Session vaporizers are also somewhat less efficient because the herbs are heated even between inhalations, leading to the waste of some active substances.

Before you decide…

A session vaporizer is a much better option for outdoor inhalation because, in 99% of cases, it does not require stirring the chamber, which is necessary for on-demand devices.

Stirring doesn’t look discreet and can result in losing the chamber’s contents on a windy day. Session vaporizers are, therefore, much more convenient to use – after reaching the set temperature, you can just take consecutive puffs without worrying – until the herb is fully consumed.

These types of devices are also generally much easier regarding the inhalation technique and more closely resemble “smoking.” All this makes a session vaporizer a much better solution when planning inhalation in a larger group or outdoors.

Session vaporizer: for whom and on what occasions? 🥳

If you plan to use your vaporizer with friends, a session model will work much better. These types of devices are generally much easier in terms of the inhalation technique, so you won’t have trouble teaching your friends how to use them.

Session vaporizers are better suited for inhalation in larger groups because they are designed for multiple consecutive puffs, which on-demand vaporizers typically handle less well. In such situations, they may overheat, require frequent refilling of the chamber, or simply run out of battery.

Lucas Cysewski – CEO and Founder of VapeFully

Using a session vaporizer closely resembles smoking a joint, so it will also work better for people who prefer longer smoking sessions.

Finally, if conserving material is not your absolute priority, but you highly value comfort and ease of inhalation, then a session model will also be a much better choice. Using this type of vaporizer is simply more convenient, requires less attention, and is therefore much better suited for, for example, watching a movie or at a party.

On-demand vaporizers: efficiency masters 🏃‍♀️

On-demand vaporizers are most often convection devices, although there are a few exceptions to this rule. They are characterized by two things. Firstly, they heat up instantly (in a few seconds) and cool down just as quickly.

Secondly, the herbs are heated only when you take a puff. The combination of these two features has very specific consequences. Since the herbs are not heated all the time (as in session devices), much less active substance is wasted, resulting in significantly better overall inhalation efficiency.

Moreover, the instant heating and cooling allow the inhalation to be interrupted and resumed later without any loss in efficiency. On-demand devices enable quick inhalations – you can take a few quick puffs of vapor in the time most session vaporizers would still be warming up. This makes them a good option for those aiming for quick inhalations.

What should you keep in mind?

Despite their great efficiency, on-demand vaporizers have some drawbacks. The first is the need to stir the chamber every few puffs – this is not very convenient, especially outdoors.

The second drawback is that on-demand vaporizers are usually convection devices – these types of devices generally require more power to operate, so they deplete the battery faster. However, manufacturers are increasingly better at addressing this problem. Vaporizers with large batteries are already appearing on the market. If you are interested in outdoor inhalation, choose a vaporizer with a replaceable battery or one that can be quickly charged via USB. Then you only need to carry a power bank.

On-demand vaporizers: for whom and on what occasions? 🚀

On-demand vaporizers are devices designed primarily for solo inhalation. They are not suitable for group inhalation – using an on-demand model with two people is the absolute maximum.

This type of vaporizer is also not a good solution for impatient people or those unwilling to put in a bit of effort to master the vaporizer’s operation. On-demand models are generally more demanding than session models regarding operation and inhalation techniques. When choosing this type of model, you need to be aware of this.

However, if you are open to learning about vaporization (it’s part of the fun!) and are looking for a device for individual inhalation, then an on-demand vaporizer will reward you with exceptional efficiency and material savings.

The ability to take just 1-2 puffs is excellent for busy people who want to supply themselves with cannabinoids throughout the day but don’t necessarily have the time or opportunity for a long session with the vaporizer.

The ability to interrupt inhalation and finish it later promotes material savings – you can freely take, for example, two inhalations with the same material, whereas a session device would require two fillings of the chamber.

Lucas Cysewski – CEO and Founder of VapeFully

The main factor contributing to the efficiency of on-demand vaporizers is the fact that the herb is only heated for a short time and not between puffs – this allows for better utilization of the substances in the vaporized plant material. So if you want to use as little herb as possible – an on-demand vaporizer will definitely be a better choice.

Session or on-demand vaporizer – which will be better for you? 🙃

As you can see, both types of vaporizers – session and on-demand – have their pros and cons. Which type will be better for you depends on your preferred inhalation style. For those who enjoy more puffs in one sitting, we recommend session vaporizers, while those who value quick inhalation should consider on-demand vaporizers. However, regardless of which vaporizer you choose, we are confident that it will bring you a lot of joy!

If you still have doubts or are undecided – write to us, and our qualified experts will be happy to provide you with professional, free advice!