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[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”LED lights for entertaining session,Long lasting rechargeable battery,One of the healthiest vapes available” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Portable, but not discreet,Creates light vapor,Needs to be cleaned after each session,Small chamber” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”70″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]
As soon as I received my package, I knew I was going to have a great time with Cloudious9’s Hydrology 9 water filtration vaporizer. Granted, the vaporizer costs a pretty penny, but it certainly works well as a center or conversation piece. Nicknamed the “lightsaber bong” for it’s LED lights, glass, and polished steel, the Hydrology 9 is a sight for tech enthusiasts. At first, I didn’t want to fill and use the vaporizer because it looked so pretty, but every stoner knows that a brand new piece is meant to be tested as soon as possible.
I have been in the market for a herbal vaporizer for some time now because I have asthma, and traditional smoking isn’t an ideal method for me. I use a vaporizer mod for nicotine every day to stop me from smoking cigarettes, so I figured that an herbal vaporizer would be a good solution. It couldn’t hurt to try, right?
Herbal vaporizers gently toast the herb to create vapor, instead of directly burning the herb to produce smoke. Herbal vaporizers eliminate the inhalation of carcinogens and burning of oils. Hydrology 9 heats the herb with a ceramic heating element that toasts the herb, right below combustion temperature. With the herb not burning, the vapor is light in the lungs and does not leave a “burn” sensation in the lungs and throat. These features are exactly what I am looking for, and exactly what the Hydrology 9 herbal vaporizer offers. The best part? There is an extra layer of filtration due to the water.
Image: vape-smart.com
The Hydrology 9 has four main parts. The base which holds the battery and ceramic heating element, glass percolator chamber, glass mouthpiece, and a metal mouth cap. The bottom base where you load your herb can be a bit confusing the first couple of times. The bottom cap holds a spinning hook that is used to keep your herb evenly toasted to avoid burning. For the size of the Hydrology 9, the chamber is small. I could comfortably fit just under half a gram of herb, but anything over will cause burning. A whole chamber can last between 2-3 casual smokers, but every-day consistent users will want to do a couple of packs.
The LEDs bouncing off the water creates a great visual to enjoy once you are high. There are five different heating settings, lowest, low, medium, high, and highest. Different colors dictate each heat setting, so you will know which setting you have chosen. The device flashes once it is heating up, and then will turn green when it is adequately heated and ready for the session. I got about ten sessions out of my device once it was fully charged. Since I have had the Hydrology 9, I have had to charge my device twice. For a device that does so much, I am impressed by the technological aspects of the Hydrology 9.
I am used to smoking, so I decided to go with the highest setting for my first session. Since I already vape, I knew what to expect, but I didn’t get what I was hoping. There was almost no vape after a 10-second pull, and I couldn’t see the vape in the perculation chamber. I could barely taste and feel the vape upon exhalation, but I certainly felt it. The entire session was like this, light and underwhelming. It got me high, but I felt cheaped out. I was left feeling like the lead up to the show was a build up for an underwhelming performance. It got the job done, but to what end?
Image: Vapeblog.com
I have used other herbal vaporizers before, like the PAX and other smaller-named brands. I was impressed by the PAX, but I haven’t been able to convince myself, or my bank account, to drop several hundreds of dollars for a vaporizer meant solely for herb. I do consume marijuana every day, as it is the only medication that can manage my anxiety and bipolar, but that is a lot of money. I wanted the Hydrology 9 to be an alternative to the PAX, but it seems that my search continues.
Cloudious 9 did an excellent job with the Hydrology 9 on the visual end and created a great experience, but the actual act of vaping is lackluster at best. For a device that costs $250, it better get me blasted. At the end of my session, I was only feeling a buzz. The only time I pull out the Hydrology9 now is to show my friends when they come over, but for now, I am comfortable relying on my bowl and lighter.
At the end of the day, if you enjoy finding fun and exciting ways to smoke then the Hydrology 9 would be an excellent product for you. This vaporizer is an excellent novelty to bring to any party to show off or even something to stare at after taking a massive rip. If you are a person who smokes without worrying about the fancy things, then stick with the smoke shop.
A sample unit was provided to KnowTechie for the purpose of this review.
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