TL;DR: Which Is Best?
| Vaporizer | Best For | Main Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| DaVinci IQ3 | Best overall, best long-term buy, biggest oven, removable battery | Larger and heavier than a PAX |
| PAX Flow | Best airflow, easiest draw, most modern PAX feel | Gets hot, shorter battery life, sealed battery |
| PAX Four | Simple, compact, cheaper PAX option | Mixed reviews, sealed battery, dry herb only |
- If you want the fastest heat-up times and the most open-draw PAX, get the PAX Flow.
- If you want a cheaper, simpler PAX, the PAX Four makes sense.
- If you want the best long-term buy and the best flavor overall, get the DaVinci IQ3.
I’ve owned every single Pax vaporizer that has ever been released. I’ve also owned every single DaVinci IQ device that’s ever been released, and both brands make excellent vaporizers.
Pick up a vaporizer from either brand and you’ll get great vapor, simple-to-use settings, and plenty of bang for your buck.
However, there is a big difference between how they function as dry herb vaporizers, and most reviews tend to gloss over this. I want to make this one, single factor the focus of this comparison because I think it is super important.
It’s also the main reason why I recommend DaVinci IQ3 over all of PAX’s vaporizers to anyone that will listen to me. You see, the IQ3 has one thing neither of the PAX vaporizers can match: a removable 21700 battery. And that changes the whole argument.
These are all premium portable dry herb vaporizers. None of them are cheap. So when you’re spending this kind of money, I don’t just care about flavour, vapour production and how fast it heats up. I care about how long the thing is going to last.
And this is where the IQ3 pulls ahead.
Key Specs Compared
| Feature | DaVinci IQ3 | PAX Four | PAX Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Around $299 | Around $225-$245 | Around $275-$350 |
| Oven size | Up to 0.7g | Around 0.3g | Up to 0.40g, often closer to 0.3g in real use |
| Battery | Removable 21700, 4000 mAh | Internal sealed battery, around 2800 mAh | Internal sealed battery, around 2000 mAh |
| Runtime | Up to 90 minutes | Around 45-50 minutes | Around 30-40 minutes |
| Charging | USB-C or external battery charger | USB-C | USB-C fast charging |
| Charge time | Around 3 hours in-device | Around 70-90 minutes | Around 40 minutes fast charge |
| Heating style | Conduction | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Airflow | Adjustable Air Dial | Improved PAX airflow | Best airflow of the three |
| Materials | Metal body, zirconia/glass vapour path | Stainless steel oven/vapour path | Stainless steel oven/vapour path |
| Concentrates | Yes, dry herb and extracts | No | No |
| Warranty | 10 years | 2 years, plus 1 year if registered | 2 years, plus 2 years if registered |
Why I Recommend The DaVinci IQ3
The DaVinci IQ3 wins for me because it runs on a removable 21700 battery.
Small thing? Not really.
With phones, tablets, vapes and vaporizers, the battery is usually the thing that kills the product first. Batteries degrade. They only have a limited number of full charge cycles. After a few years, they hold less charge, run less efficiently, and the device starts to feel worse than it did when you bought it.
With a sealed-battery vaporizer, that decline is baked in. Once the internal battery starts fading, the whole device starts fading with it.
The IQ3 avoids that problem. When the battery gets tired, you put in a fresh 21700 cell and carry on. You can also keep a few batteries charged, so there’s basically no downtime. Battery dies, fresh one goes in, session continues.
That matters if you use your vaporizer a lot.
I still have my original DaVinci IQ from around 2016/2017. It’s scuffed up because I used it heavily, but it still works. I looked after it, cleaned it, kept up with basic maintenance, and because the battery is replaceable, it still does its job.
My original PAX, which I also rinsed for years, no longer turns on.
That is the difference.
More DaVinci & PAX Vaporizer Guides
Read our latest DaVinci and PAX reviews, comparisons and buying advice before deciding which vaporizer is right for you.
The PAX Flow Is Great, But The Battery Still Bugs Me
I don’t want this to sound like the PAX Flow is bad. It isn’t. I own one, and I really like it.
The airflow is excellent. That’s the big win. It fixes one of the biggest complaints people had about older PAX devices, which is that the draw could feel too tight. The Flow feels much more open. You can sip it slowly or take a longer pull without feeling like you’re fighting the device.
The flavour is very good too. The hybrid heating system gets going quickly, the vapour is smooth, and it feels like the first properly modern PAX in years.
User sentiment lines up with that. People generally seem to like the airflow, the flavour, the fast heat-up and the easier cleaning. The common complaints are also very clear: it gets hot, battery life is not amazing, it’s expensive, and the battery is not replaceable.
That last bit is the sticking point for me.
Runtime is decent, not amazing. You’re looking at around 30 to 40 minutes in real use, depending on the heat mode and how hard you’re pulling. Fast USB-C charging helps, and getting back to full in around 40 minutes is genuinely useful, but you still have to stop when the battery is done.
With the IQ3, you just swap the battery.
PAX Four: Good, But Not The One I’d Buy
The PAX Four sits between the older PAX devices and the Flow.
It uses hybrid heating, charges via USB-C, and gives you stronger vapour than the older conduction-only PAX models. PAX says it produces more vapour than the other devices in its current lineup, and some reviewers do say it can kick out dense clouds if you draw slowly and use it properly.
But the sentiment around the PAX Four is more mixed than the Flow.
Some users like it because it’s simple, pocketable, easy to clean and doesn’t need much extra gear. Others think it’s too expensive for what it is, especially when there are harder-hitting portable vaporizers around the same money.
That feels about right to me.
It’s a good PAX. It’s just not the one I’d buy first.
If you want a PAX with the easiest draw and best airflow, I’d get the Flow. If you want the best overall vaporizer out of these three, I’d get the IQ3.
Oven Size: IQ3 Wins Easily
The IQ3 has a massive oven for a portable vaporizer. It holds up to 0.7g of dry herb, which is huge.
That makes it a very different kind of session vape. You can pack it properly, run it at a lower temperature, and sip away for ages. If you’re taking a few hits here and there, it can get you through a full day without constantly reloading.
The PAX Four is closer to 0.3g, while the PAX Flow is officially listed as up to 0.40g, although in real use it feels more like a 0.3g device if you want good airflow and even extraction.
So if you want smaller, tighter sessions, the PAX devices make sense.
If you want a proper big oven that you can load once and use for ages, the IQ3 is better.
Vapour Quality And Flavour
All three are good. That’s the honest answer.
- The PAX Flow gives you the most open draw and the easiest airflow of the three. Vapour production is strong, especially compared with older PAX devices, but the real win is how easy it is to pull from. It feels less restricted, more natural, and much better suited to longer draws.
- The PAX Four is more restrained, but it can produce dense vapour. It has a stronger output than older PAX models and it feels more modern than the PAX Plus. The downside is that reviews are more mixed. Some people really like the improved punch. Others think it runs warm, takes too long to heat, or doesn’t do enough for the money.
- The DaVinci IQ3 is smoother, heavier and more session-focused. It uses conduction heating, so it’s more of a slow sipper than a ripper. You don’t attack it with huge pulls. You take steady draws, let the oven do its thing, and enjoy the flavour.
The zirconia/glass vapour path helps here. The vapour is clean, smooth and consistent, and the Cool Core setup keeps things comfortable.
Airflow
The PAX Flow has the best airflow. No argument there. That is the thing PAX got right with this device. It feels open, easy and much less restricted than older PAX models.
The PAX Four improves on older PAX devices too, but it still feels more controlled than the Flow. It’s better than the old tight PAX draw, but it doesn’t feel as open.
The DaVinci IQ3 has adjustable airflow through DaVinci’s Air Dial, which is a nice touch. It doesn’t turn it into a full-on cloud machine, but it lets you control the feel of the draw better than most conduction vapes.
- For big airflow: PAX Flow.
- For controlled, slower sessions: IQ3.
- For maximum vapor production check out the Utillian 850. That thing is a MONSTER.
Battery And Charging
This is the part that decides it for me. The PAX Flow charges fastest, but the DaVinci IQ3 is the only one that lets you replace a flat or ageing battery in seconds.
DaVinci IQ3
- Battery
- Removable 4000mAh 21700
- Runtime
- Up to 90 minutes
- Charging
- USB-C or external charger
- Charge Time
- Around three hours internally
PAX Four
- Battery
- Internal battery
- Runtime
- Around 45 to 50 minutes
- Charging
- USB-C
- Charge Time
- Roughly 70 to 90 minutes
PAX Flow
- Battery
- Internal battery
- Runtime
- Around 30 to 40 minutes
- Charging
- Fast USB-C charging
- Charge Time
- Around 40 minutes
My verdict: fast charging is useful, but a swappable battery is better. Keep a charged 21700 ready and the IQ3 has practically no downtime. You can also replace the cell when it eventually wears out instead of replacing the complete vaporizer.
Winner: DaVinci IQ3Do They Support Concentrates?
Only one of these vaporizers supports both dry herb and extracts.
Supports extracts when used with the correct DaVinci accessories.
It is not compatible with the older PAX Concentrate Insert.
Designed for flower, with no support for concentrates.
The easy answer: buy the IQ3 if you want swappable batteries or the option to use extracts. Get the PAX Flow if rapid charging matters more and you only vape dry herb.
Build Quality
The IQ3 feels stupidly premium. It’s weighty, metal, solid and built like something designed to last. It can handle normal daily abuse. If you drop it, it’ll scuff, but that’s cosmetic. My original DaVinci IQ is battered now, but it still works, and that matters more than keeping it looking perfect.
The PAX devices also feel well made. PAX has always been good at design. The Flow feels modern and polished, and the Four keeps that clean pocketable PAX feel.
If you’re anything like me and you like to take your vaporizer out with you on hikes or to parties or when you go travelling, you’re going to want something that can take a lick and keep on ticking. For me, the IQ3 is the one to go for in this context because it’s just built like an absolute tank.
Heat And Comfort
This is one area where the PAX Flow needs a bit of a caveat.
The Flow performs really well, but it does get hot. I notice it most when I’m using the higher heat modes or stretching sessions out for longer. It’s not unusable, and it doesn’t ruin the device, but it gets warm enough that I’d probably treat the grip sleeve as a sensible add-on if I were using it heavily every day.
The PAX Four can get warm too, but with the Flow the heat is more obvious. That’s partly the trade-off for the stronger performance, faster extraction and more open airflow. You get a better, punchier session than older PAX devices, but the body does warm up when you push it.
The IQ3 is bigger and heavier, but that actually works in its favour here. It has more mass in the hand, feels more planted, and is better suited to longer, slower sessions. It doesn’t have that same tiny hot-device feel. It feels like something built for extended use rather than quick pocket hits.
Which One Is Best Value?
The DaVinci IQ3 is the best value for money. Not because it is the cheapest. It isn’t. It’s the best value because it gives you the strongest long-term ownership case.
- You get a removable battery
- A huge oven
- excellent build
- dry herb and extract support
- USB-C charging
- adjustable airflow
- A strong accessory bundle
- And a 10-year warranty.
The PAX Flow is probably the most fun PAX to use if you care about airflow. The PAX Four is the cheaper PAX choice and will suit people who want a simple pocket vape. But both have sealed batteries, and that makes them weaker long-term buys.
When you’re spending $250 to $350 on a vaporizer, I don’t want something that starts becoming worse after a few years because the battery is fading. I want something I can maintain and keep using.
That’s the IQ3.
Final Verdict: Buy The IQ3 Unless You Specifically Want A PAX
The PAX Flow is the best PAX I’ve used for airflow. It has very good flavour, fast heat-up, easy cleaning, USB-C fast charging and a proper modern feel. If you love the PAX design and want the most open, easy-drawing version of it, buy the Flow.
The PAX Four is fine too. It’s cheaper, compact, easy to use, and stronger than the older PAX models but it doesn’t beat the Flow for airflow or the IQ3 for long-term value.
The DaVinci IQ3 is the one I’d actually recommend to most people.
It has the biggest oven, the best battery setup, the longest warranty, the most flexible material support, and the strongest long-term value. The removable 21700 battery is the whole argument. It means the device isn’t doomed by the lifespan of one sealed internal cell.
Look after it, clean it, replace the battery when needed, and the IQ3 could still be working years from now.
That’s what you want from a premium vaporizer. Not something that feels great for a few years and then slowly turns into a paperweight.
