Arizer Extreme Q Review: Inexpensive And Versatile

The Extreme Q is a versatile desktop vaporizer made by Arizer, a Canadian vaporizer manufacturer that has become synonymous with hi-quality vaporization products at affordable prices. With its wide range of features, tasty vapor, and reasonable price tag, it’s easy to see why so many of its users continue to swear by it today, even after all the years that it’s been around. Even still, it’s without its faults. So if you’re interested in buying it, you’ll definitely want to read this review first.

“With all of the features that it has, its relatively high quality of vapor, and its surprisingly low price tag, the Extreme Q clearly has a lot going for it…”

» Temperature

While some vaporizers have relatively limited temperature options and temperature ranges that are far from ideal, the Extreme Q offers a number of presets available via its remote control as well as a broad range that can be manually adjusted through its digital temperature controls. Its range begins fairly low at just 122 degrees Fahrenheit, but on the high end, it climbs all the way up to a whopping 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a lot hotter than we’ve ever needed it to be. For those who use Celsius, this is equivalent to a range of 50°C to 260°C. And for reference, it does have the ability to operate in both Celsius as well as Fahrenheit.

Thanks to its digital temperature control system, adjusting the temperature has never been easier. As we mentioned, it can be adjusted by the remote that it comes with as well as by the buttons located on what its maker refers to as its Control Panel, which is the area around the display. Adjustments to the set vaporizing temperature can be made in 1 degree increments, which equates into hundreds of unique temperatures to choose from.

In order the change the temperature, simply use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons on the remote or use the Up and Down Arrow buttons on the control panel.

» Heat Up Time

While the heat up time varies a bit based on the temperature you select, it tends to heat up fairly quick – in just a few minutes or less. Notably, it’s not the fastest, but it’s also pretty far from being the slowest. Typically, we like to run it around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take about 20 degrees. So for us, it tends to take about 3 minutes for it to fully heat up.

When we first turn it on and are waiting for it to heat up, we prefer to leave the fan off and the oven empty. Only once it’s heated up do we insert our blend and turn the fan on.

» Fan Speeds

As a forced-air vaporizer, the EQ has an internal fan which it uses to move warm air and vapor. This element, which is critical to its ability to fill bags with vapor, has four settings. The first setting is off. While this might not seem like much, it’s a setting that the viVape 2 strangely lacks. In addition, it has three unique fan speeds which are basically low, medium, and high.

When filling bags with vapor, use a lower fan speed if you’re looking for denser, more potent vapor and a higher fan speed if you don’t mind some comparatively light density vapor instead. While it might go without saying, the fan speed will determine the rate at which your bags are filled. As such, faster fan speeds mean less time waiting around for bags to fill.

Tip: If you find yourself using the 6 or 9 foot long whip, you may want to use the internal fan to help move vapor through the tube.

» Delivery Methods

There aren’t a lot of vapes around that offer what this one does as far as vapor delivery methods are concerned. While some refer to the Q as a dual-method vape, it’s actually a bit more than that. While it is true that there are two main methods of delivering vapor for the purpose of inhaling, there’s also another method that seems to be somewhat overlooked by some: ambient delivery. That’s right, the Q can actually release vapor directly into the air, making it perfect for aromatherapy. But the main methods, the ones we assume you’ll be using, are whip and balloon. Below, we’ve created a list of the three delivery methods along with descriptions of each so you know what they are.

• Whip – This is your standard approach to vaping. It’s somewhat of an “old school” technique these days, but there are still quite a lot of folks who prefer this technique to the alternatives. What it entails is a long tube or hose that the vapor flows through as it passes from the oven to the user. While the Q comes with a whip of reasonable length, it’s worth noting that they also have a longer version available. This is our preferred delivery method with this vape.
• Balloon – This is what some refer to as the vape bag method. The vapor bag delivery method, made famous by Storz & Bickel’s legendary Volcano vaporizers, entails a plastic bag or balloon filled with vapor. As the Q is a technically classified as a forced-air vaporizer, it has the necessary internal fan used to push vapor into the bag. While it does work alright, it’s just not as convenient as the Volcano system in which the valve is incorporated into the mouthpiece, which is we prefer to use a Volcano when we want to puff from a bag.
• Ambient – If you’re using the Q for aromatherapy, it seems rather likely that you’ll want to use this method. You simply load your blend into one of the potpourri bowls and heat the Q up as you normally would to release the aromatic fragrances.

» Vaping Extracts

While we wouldn’t suggest using anything other than dried blends with the Extreme Q, it is possible to vaporize various forms of concentrated blend types. But while it is possible, we feel it necessary to note that the Q is only designed to vaporize dried blends so if you choose to use it with other types of blends, you are doing so at your own risk and there’s certainly no guarantee that the manufacturer’s warranty will cover anything that goes wrong as a result. But with that in mind, we have used it to successfully vaporize blends other than your average dried types.

In order to do so, we always place a nice layer of ground blend tightly in the bowl and then drop our concentrates on top. While we have done this with liquids that are high in viscosity, we wouldn’t suggest doing it with anything that might drip down into the heating element.

As far as well how well it works when vaping concentrates, we’d have to say that while there’s certainly room for improvement, it does surprisingly well. But if this is what you’re buying it for, we suggest taking a look at something else – preferably a vape that is designed for liquids and oils, like the Volcano.

» Weight & Size

For a desktop vaporizer, the Extreme Q is actually fairly light, as it weighs in at just 442 grams without any of its parts attached. And given that it’s only 170 millimeters tall and 165 millimeters around the base, you can easily transport it in a backpack or something of the sort. While this may sound ridiculous, it also has a battery pack accessory that makes it somewhat portable. While it’s not small enough to carry around in your pocket like a real portable vaporizer, it is portable enough to take camping – just as an example.

The overall shape is somewhat of a cone. At the base is a nice wide platform that keeps the entire unit nice and sturdy while it’s resting on a flat surface.

» Problems

When you first purchase the Extreme Q and turn the heating element on, you may notice a bad smell. This is likely due to the heating of materials leftover from the manufacturing process, which you’ll want to burn off before you begin vaping. In order to do this, simply turn the vape on without any blend loaded into its oven — a dry run, if you will — and then crank the heat up and let it run until its cooked clean. This process can take anywhere from minutes to hours. As heat cycling it to burn off any residues leftover from the manufacturing process can produce an unpleasant odor, we suggest doing it outside or in an otherwise well ventilated space. While we list this under problems, the reality is that it’s an easily resolved “problem” that we’ve encountered with quite a few vapes. Given how commonplace this issue is, we generally suggest heat cycling all new vapes before using them in order to burn off any manufacturing leftovers.

The only other issue we have with the EQ is the way its vape bags open and close. While the system–which uses little rubber o-rings to seal the bag–does work, it’s far from ideal given how it compares to the Volcano’s innovative system which incorporates the valve directly into the mouthpiece in such a fashion that it allows you to press the mouthpiece against your lips and inhale in one fluid motion. While prefer the Volcano’s system, one can quite easily place their thumb over the opening in order to keep it closed between draws. Beyond this, we have no other complaints – it’s a well made vape.

» Cleaning & Maintenance

Keeping up with the maintenance is fairly easy with the EQ thanks to how easy it is to keep clean and how easy it is to find replacement parts when they’re needed.

In order to keep it clean, you want to ensure that any components that get dirty are cleaned regularly. These are generally the components closest to the “cyclone” bowl in which you place your blend. Fortunately, it actually takes very little to keep clean. All you’re basically doing is brushing out the bowl and dome screen, soaking any all-glass parts in isopropyl alcohol, and then using a q-tip gently dipped in ISO to wipe off any residue.

While some vaporizers need to be cleaned somewhat often, the Extreme Q does not. You can actually get away with being pretty lazy when it comes right down to it. While this might not sound like much of a benefit, we assure you that it is. Some vapes, particularly portables, are a real hassle to clean, but with the EQ, you can really just sit back and relax while you enjoy it for what it is: a vaporizer, not something you bought to keep clean. But this is not to be misconstrued as us stating that you shouldn’t clean it because you definitely should, only that we ourselves have gotten away without cleaning for extended periods of time and it’s continued to function just as good as it always has.

As a reminder, always be sure to thoroughly rinse any glass components you’ve cleaned with ISO under warm water before using them. And as an an extra precaution, be sure to take it for a dry run without any blend inserted after you’ve cleaned it in order to burn anything off that may have been leftover from the cleaning process.

» Usage Tips

• When using the bag system, you may find that you don’t like the black o-rings used to keep the bag sealed while not in use. One alternative is to plant your finger over the opening to keep it up. Another option and the one we like best, is to use a rubber band to keep it sealed.
• If you’re looking for thicker vapor, be sure to crank up the heat and draw slowly. If you’re using the fan, make sure it’s on low. And when you first turn it on, give it some time to heat up. Once the desired vaporizing temperature has been reached, give it a minute or two to really heat up before you attach the bowl and begin to vape. You may also want to allow the bowl to rest on the heating element for a bit before you begin to draw, allowing it to roast for a bit before you have at it.
• Having trouble with draw resistance when using the whip? Crank up the fan speed and let the EQ do all the work.
• When packing it, don’t pack it so tight that it restricts the flow of air through your blend as warm air passing through the blend is what turns it to vapor.
• Considering using a really long whip so you can sit further away from the tower while you vape? While you can certainly use a longer whip, it seems to have diminishing returns as the length increases beyond a certain point. Subsequently, we suggest sticking with the 3-foot or 6-foot whip instead of opting for the extra long 9-foot whip.
• While vaporizing temperature preferences vary from blend to blend, person to person, we prefer to hover right around 390 degrees Fahrenheit. If we had to choose a preferred vaping temperature for this vape, it would likely fall between 380°F and 400°F.

» Comparisons

Ever wonder how the EQ stacks up against the rest of the crowd? You’re certainly not the only one. Below are our comparisons of the Extreme Q to some of the most popular and comparable vapes on the market.

• Extreme Q VS Volcano

The Volcano Vaporizer comes in two distinct versions: the “Classic” with its analog temperature control system and the “Digit” with its digital temperature control system. For the sake of this comparison, we’ll compare it to the Digit because the Q also has a digital temperature control system.

The obvious difference between the two is that the Volcano only offers balloon-style vaping, whereas the Extreme has both the balloon option as well as the whip option. In this regard, it’s certainly more versatile. But when we compare their ability to fill and deliver vapor packed balloons, the Volcano is clearly the superior. If it’s a bag-style vaporizer that you want and you want, regardless of cost, the best balloon-filling vaporizer that money can buy, then the Volcano is clearly the victor. But if you’re looking for a much more affordable option that does bags, although notably not as well, and whips alike, then it’s the EQ you’re after.

All things considered, we’d go with the Volcano over the Extreme Q because while it is that much more expensive, it really is worth paying that much more for. While it might only have one delivery method, that delivery method works that much better and is that much more enjoyable to use than the Extreme Q’s, which is ultimately why we prefer to use it over the EQ. But for those who can’t afford the high cost of a Volcano, the EQ is definitely a nice alternative.

• Silver Surfer Vaporizer VS Extreme Q

These days, the tried and true Silver Surfer Vaporizer by 7th Floor doesn’t get as much attention as some of the newer, more popular vaporizers of the day but it’s still a solid whip vape that’s worth comparing the EQ to. All in all, the SSV offers a similarly enjoyable whip vaping experience, only it’s a bit more enjoyable to use than the EQ. In part because it’s a simpler system that’s easier to use once you’ve dialed in your sweet spot, but also because its vapor is a little bit better. Still, if we had to choose between the two, we’d go with the Extreme Q because it really does offer that much more for that much less.

• viVape 2 VS Extreme Q

This is a comparison to you almost have to read because the viVape 2 is, like the VapirRise, a highly comparable vape. The viVape produces vapor quickly and easily but it has a couple of drawbacks: its touchscreen can be a bit finicky and its internal fan is always running. And as it compares to the EQ, the vapor it produces, while definitely a nice solid stream, doesn’t taste quite as good as the EQ. Between these two vapes, it’s basically a toss up. We like them both, where one lacks in one aspect, it makes up for it in another. All things considered, we like them both about the same.

• Arizer Solo VS Extreme Q

If we could only have one vape and we had to choose between the Solo or the EQ, both made by Arizer, we’d have to go with the Solo because it’s an awesome little vaporizer that’s 100% portable and if forced to choose between a desktop or a portable, we’d prefer to go with the portable because we like to have a vape handy while we’re out and about. Fortunately for us, we get to have both. But for those who have to choose between the two, the question is really whether or not you’ll find the most benefit in a portable or a desktop. If you see yourself using a vape while you’re out more than you do while you’re in, a portable is likely your best option. But if you see yourself using it more while you’re relaxing indoors, then the EQ is the better option.

• Vapir Rise VS Extreme Q

For those who want to see the Extreme Q compared to the Vapir Rise 2.0 Ultimate, here it is. Both of these vapes offer whips and bags, are shaped like towers, and offer digital temperature controls. The Rise notably lacks a remote control, but more than makes up for it with its four-way “hookah” style attachment that allow up to four users to simultaneously partake in the awesomeness that is its vapor via four individual whips connected to its multi-user adapter. And if you’re wondering if it’s more gimmick than function, we can assure you that it’s not. This baby actually works and works well at that, which we attribute in part to its relatively large oven chamber that allows for a substantial amount of dried blend to be packed. Adding to its appeal, it also has the ability to vaporize liquids and oils – something that the EQ is not designed to do. In order to pull this off, it makes use of an oil chamber attachment. While both vapes have a similar quality of vapor, the VapirRise’s is slightly better as it’s a bit more robust while seemingly just as smooth. In the end, we think both options are great but we ultimately prefer the Rise as it’s around the same price, but it offers slightly better vapor and a multi-user mode that’s absolutely delightful.

» Accessories

While the EQ comes with a lot, basically everything you need to vape, there are some worthwhile accessories like the rechargeable battery pack that appears to have been discontinued as of the time of this review. There are also quite a few replacement parts available so here’s what may or may not be a complete list of all of the Extreme Q replacement parts and accessories that are available at this time.

• Glass Cyclone Bowl – This fairly inexpensive glass component has a builtin screen at the bottom and a black topper that makes it cool to the touch so that you can grab it while it’s otherwise hot. It works with both the EQ as well as the EQ’s predecessor, the Arizer V-Tower.
• Glass Tuff Bowl – Similar to the Cyclone Bowl only it’s wrapped in a high impact heat-rated material that’s intended to protect the glass bowl from shattering. It also has the added benefit of making the entire bowl easier to handle, as it’s cooler to the touch when hot than the glass is by itself. Like the Cyclone Bowl, it too is compatible with both the EQ as well as the V-Tower Vaporizer.
• Glass Aromatherapy Dish – This little glass dish, intended to be used in aromatherapy, is designed to be used with aromatic botanicals. Like both the Huricane and Tuff bowls, it too works with both the EQ and the V-Tower.
• Glass Stirring Tool – This is a nice little glass poker. We like to use it to stir up our blend mid-session and to clear out the contents of the bowl when once they’re nothing more than vaporizer leftovers.
• Stainless Steel Stirring Tool – While we prefer the glass version, this stainless steel stirring tool is a bit more precise than the glass one is. It’s also a little less expensive.
• Extreme Q Screen Pack – This pack of screens includes two flat screens and two rimmed dome screens, all of which are made from hi-quality stainless steel.
• Dome Screen Pack – This is a pack of four rimmed dome screens.
• Glass Elbow Adapter – This adapter, which a dome screen rests in the bottom of, is used to connect the bowl to the delivery method.
• Glass Whip Mouthpiece – The name says it all. A glass mouthpiece for the whip.
• Hose / Tubing – For those in need of a replacement whip, Arizer has made these replacement hoses available. They’re crafted from food and medical grade tubing, don’t include any glass parts, and are sold individually. They come in three lengths: three, six, and nine feet long. You can also choose between PVC and silicone.
• Whip – For those who need the glass components, screens, and tubing, Arizer sells this “Whip” package which includes all of the aforementioned parts. It’s currently only available in the three and six foot versions. It’s available in both PVC and silicone.
• Whip Kit – The “Whip Kit” includes everything from the Elbow Adapter and screens to the Cyclone Bowl and Glass Stirring Tool. And obviously the tubing as well.
• All Glass Mini Whip Set – This includes the all-glass mini whip, dome screen, a couple of frosted glass mouthpieces, and two food grade vape bags that are pre-tied and ready to be used.
• All Glass Mini Whip – The individual glass mini whip and dome screen can be purchased separately from the set. This piece is specifically designed for use with the EQ’s balloon vaporization system. We prefer this all-glass version over the original and its PVC tubing.
• Original Mini Whip – This is a 3″ glass eblow adapter with dome screen designed to be connected to a balloon. It is made in part from medical grade PVC tubing.
• Frosted Glass Balloon Mouthpiece – This is a glass mouthpiece that comes with o-rings. Designed for use with the EQ’s balloons.
• Replacement Balloon Pack – Need some replacements bags for your Extreme Q? This is what you’re looking for. They come in packs of six. The bags themselves are made from food grade plastic.
• Frosted Glass Balloon Kit – This is a pack of 4 vape bags, none of which are pre-tied. It comes with 2 frosted mouthpieces for the balloons and corresponding o-rings.
• Frosted Glass Balloon Set – The set comes with 4 pre-tied bags and 4 mouthpieces.
• Glass Heater Cover – The new glass heater cover comes with a glass heater cover, insulation sleeve, screen, and instructions on how to use it. The original version can also be acquired, it basically includes the same with the addition of a cotter pin.
• Power Adapter – If you need a replacement power adapter and/or cord, there’s no need to fret as Arizer has made both available in a kit which includes both the adapter as well as the cord.
• Remote Control – The remote control allows you to turn the device on and off, mute the audio, turn on the cool blue light that glows beneath it, adjust the fan speed, temperature, and more – all from a distance.

» Warranty

Arizer’s warranty coverage for the Extreme Q entails lifetime coverage of the heating element and 3-years of limited warranty coverage guaranteeing against defects in both the materials as well as the craftsmanship. Unfortunately, glass components are not covered under any manufacturer’s warranty. While the company states at they will repair or replace any warrantied items at their own discretion, they also note that it’s the customer’s responsibility to return the product and pay for any costs associated with the return. While this is somewhat vague, subject to change without our notice, and seemingly open to interpretation at points, our own experiences with their support staff have proven beneficial as they’ve always been quick to respond and resolve any issues we’ve run into. So if you do run into an issue, however big or small, be sure to reach out to their customer service team.

» Vapor Quality

The Extreme Q is capable of producing thick and tasty vapor. Could it be thicker? Yes, but it’s still thick enough to not only feel like you’re getting a nice draw, but to see that you’re getting a nice draw when you exhale. And as for the taste, while that too could see a bit of improvement, it’s actually quite good.

As far as the temperature of the vapor is concerned, we’ve never had an issue with it seeming like it was too hot. Seems to cool down nice as it travels through the whip or as it sits in the bag.

All things considered, the EQ’s vapor quality is nothing shy of exceptional. It’s not the best, but it’s definitely up there.

» Final Thoughts

With all of the features that it has, its relatively high quality of vapor, and its surprisingly low price tag, the Extreme Q clearly has a lot going for it, but there is one major drawback: the fact that it really doesn’t excel in any particular category. Fortunately, its real claim to fame these days is its ability to offer all that it does for such a good price. If you’re interested in buying the Extreme Q, we suggest you buy it from this store.

 

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