Original Review Verdict: DaVinci IQ (98%)
The verdict below reflects the market when the original IQ was current. It is now a legacy model, so I would point new buyers towards the IQ3, IQ Core or MIQRO-C instead.
For me, the DaVinci IQ was one of my best investments. The vaporizer is a solid, reliable performer that delivers consistently great vapor and flavor with minimal effort. It also had excellent battery life, far better than the more expensive Firefly 2 I tested it against at the time.
Once you’ve loaded the bowl, the settings are simple enough to use manually. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the amazing vapor this portable vaporizer mod kicks out.
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Heat-up times are very good (sub-30 seconds) and the bowl size is very good too. It is also incredibly easy to set up and, if you like, you can also pair it with your phone and control it via Bluetooth. It’s extremely portable and it looks and feels stunning in the hand. Ultra-premium stuff across the board, basically.
You get thick, dense vapor from it and the taste is superb. This is mostly down to its ceramic zirconia air path, which gives you exceptionally clean-tasting vapor. I used mine most days and, at the time, I honestly wouldn’t have swapped it for anything else, not a PAX 3 or the Firefly 2.
I also LOVE that it runs removable 18650 batteries, as you can hot-swap cells as soon as one is dead, which means no waiting around for it to recharge, as you have to with the PAX 3 and Firefly 2.
For me, the original DaVinci IQ was the best sub-$300 vaporizer available when this review was first published. Bar none.
DaVinci IQ Pros
- Excellent Design + Super Simple To Use
- Runs Removable 18650 Batteries
- Amazing Flavor (Thanks To Its 100% Ceramic Zirconia Air Path)
- Epic Battery Life
- Simple Manual Controls
- Precision Temperature Control
- Smart Path Technology With Four Preset Temperature Ranges
Compare The Newest DaVinci Vaporizers →
DaVinci IQ Full Review: Specs, Features And Performance
If you’re serious about vaping weed, you need a good vaporizer. There’s no way around it. Trust me, I found out the hard way. Cheap vaporizers are plentiful, but they SUCK. This is why I eventually decided to spend some cash on the critically acclaimed DaVinci IQ vaporizer.
Like with vape mods, you have TONS of choice when it comes to weed vaporizers. There are hundreds of them, essentially.
Not all weed vaporizers are created equally, however…
And if you’ve used a bunk weed vaporizer in the past, you’ll know what I am talking about.
Was the original DaVinci IQ worth its $274 launch-era price, and how did it compare with the PAX 3 and Firefly 2? Read on for the original hands-on review.
DaVinci IQ Design And Setup
It fits perfectly in the hand and is ideal for discreet vaping.
The thing I like most about the DaVinci IQ is that it’s as complicated or simple as you want it to be.
If you want to mess around with temperatures and power outputs, you can do so via the app.
This is one thing that made it preferable to the PAX 3 at the time. You don’t need a phone app to use the DaVinci IQ, IQ2 or IQC. Instead, you can control it manually, and that suits me just fine.
The phone app is OK, but I prefer to just use the power rocker, starting low and building my way up.
The added bonus of a removable battery, which you can charge inside an external battery charger, is another massive USP for the DaVinci IQ.
Why’s that? Simple: it charges WAY faster and if you’re the kind of vaper that is toking all day long, you can buy a few spares and have them ready to go as soon as the one you’re using inside the DaVinci IQ dies.
Setting up the vaporizer is easy. Open the bottom, load your herb, seal the oven and power it on with five clicks of the button.
It’ll vibrate ever so slightly, so you’ll know it’s on. From here you have four basic power options, accessed by clicking the up and down controls.
On/Off Button & Power Rocker (Located On The Right Side of The DaVinci IQ)
I tend to start on one, and then gradually move my way up to the highest setting as I get through the chamber, though you can totally just keep in and around 1-3 and still get excellent vapor.
As mentioned before, the DaVinci IQ also rocks a removable battery too, so you can charge it up pretty quick in something like a NITECORE D4.
Not got one? Doesn’t matter. You can always charge via the mains, using the micro USB port.
DaVinci IQ Performance
The vapor quality the DaVinci IQ kicks out is, well… unbelievable.
Over the years I’ve used innumerable dry herb vaporizers, most of them cheap units, and the performance was always, well… seriously lacking.
I think this is what’s holding a lot of people back from giving up smoking the good stuff for good.
Vaping weed, or other dry herbs, avoids combustion and may reduce exposure to some of the toxins found in smoke. It is not risk-free, but that distinction is one of the main reasons people move from smoking to a dry-herb vaporizer.
“While smoking marijuana is less harmful than tobacco, the smoke created by burning marijuana contains many of the same toxins. In fact, burning marijuana has been shown to create over 100 different toxins, many of which are linked to cancer,” notes Leaf Science.
It added: “Vaporizers work by heating marijuana to a temperature that is hot enough to evaporate the active ingredients, but cool enough to avoid combustion (burning). As a result, people who vaporize are not exposed to the toxins that are found in smoke.”
The draw is fairly restricted here but the airflow is very smooth. You can also add a kind of drip tip to it as well, though I didn’t bother.
The power of this mod is incredible, as is the software that powers it which allows you to custom-control the temp for a vape that is spot-on every time.
How the DaVinci IQ gets such flavor is simple: it’s made using the best possible build materials.
I didn’t realize quite how much difference materials made to the flavor of the vapor; the DaVinci IQ is WAY more expensive than my usual vaporizers, but the difference was obvious right from the get-go.
But it’s not just the vapor, everything about the DaVinci IQ feels premium and quality, as if it were made by Porsche or something…
In the hand it feels solid and stable. The construction is durable and almost perfectly executed. I couldn’t find one thing wrong with the DaVinci IQ’s physical design.
The chamber, and the way it sends vapor from the oven to the mouthpiece, is designed to give you maximum flavor and plenty of vapor from each draw.
The LED Display Which Shows Power Modes & Temp Settings
There’s even a flavor draw at the top of the device which you can fill with flavored herbs to augment the taste of what’s cooking in its oven. This is a nice touch, but it is not something I bother with normally.
The ceramic oven and the implementation of zirconium ensure the vapor is thick, potent, and full of flavor.
I came from using the G-Pen Elite to this and the difference was like switching from an eGo-style vape pen to a fully-fledged 200W box mod running an RDA.
DaVinci IQ Smart Path Technology
Aside from excellent design and build materials, what really makes the IQ tick is its bespoke Smart Path Technology, which lets you select from four different temp settings. This ensures the vapor is always consistent and to your liking.
On top of this, the DaVinci IQ has two additional modes. Precision Mode lets you select a specific temperature, while Boost Mode quickly raises the heat when you want a harder finish.
The Original DaVinci IQ App
At the time of this review, the DaVinci IQ could pair with an iPhone or Android phone through DaVinci’s mobile app. App availability and compatibility have changed since then, so this section should be read as part of the original review rather than a current buying promise.
You can play around with settings in the app, augment certain aspects of the DaVinci IQ like which mode it is running in, how much battery is left, and, basically, keep tabs on the overall performance and functionality of the DaVinci IQ from the comfort of your phone.
You don’t need the app to use the IQ. It was just a bonus, although I thought it was bloody brilliant when I originally tested it.
You can control the Smart Path settings from inside the app, too.
DaVinci IQ | Vaporizer Design USPs
You have power, you have TONS of features and power optimizations, and you have excellent build materials. But the first thing you will notice about the DaVinci IQ is just how good it looks.
The DaVinci IQ is super-portable and beautifully designed. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it is the best-designed weed vaporizer on the planet right now.
On the front of the DaVinci IQ, you have an LED light system for displaying the current temperature, battery life and settings such as Boost Mode.
It’s functional and it looks badass, especially when you’re in low lit conditions.
The DaVinci IQ is also easy to set up and use. Load the chamber on the bottom, pack the contents down, seal the oven and let it heat. That is basically it.
Original DaVinci IQ Price: Was It Worth It?
The DaVinci IQ is an expensive, premium device.
At the time of this review, it cost $274.99. The original IQ has since been replaced by newer models, so do not use that old price as a guide to the current DaVinci range.
There’s no way around that.
But I do personally believe it is worth every dime. And not just for performance and features, but also because of the care and attention that has gone into its design and manufacture.
Everything is just top-notch.
The ease of use, vapor production, phone controls, size and design all worked together brilliantly.
This is the kind of vaporizer you buy and then don’t think about ever getting another one.
I honestly cannot think of a vaporizer I’d rather own.
Was it better than the Firefly 2? Hard to say. They were both excellent and very similar in price and performance at the time.
When you’re talking about vaporizers this good it’s kind of like comparing Mercedes Benz and BMW.
The Firefly 2 was considerably more expensive, retailing for $329 when this comparison was written.
Almost $100 more than the DaVinci…
Whatever you go for you’re getting quality, so it kind of just comes down to which brand you prefer.
For me, I was all about DaVinci.
What Should You Buy Now?
The original DaVinci IQ remains an excellent piece of vaporizer hardware, but I would not recommend hunting one down at its old retail price. DaVinci’s current range gives you newer batteries, USB-C charging, improved cooling and better support.