The heat is on when it comes to the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon, a special limited edition flagship dual-use hybrid vape that works with both dry herbs and oil concentrates. How limited you may be wondering? Shipping with a slew of extra accessories, there are only 1,000 units being produced. Keep reading to find out if this limited-edition vape should be added to your wish list.
Design
We love the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon’s glossy sleek design and beautiful carbon fiber body. Bright LEDs illuminate the temperature display on the front. There are three buttons on the side for controlling temperature and a USB-C charging port on the back (upgraded from a micro-USB port). On the top of the device is the flat mouthpiece while on the bottom there’s an adjustable airflow dial that helps optimize vapor smoothness. Weighing in at 5.6 ounces, it’s a bit heavy compared to similar caliber vapes but overall feels like a really solid and well-built device that is quite comfortable to hold.
Next to the battery slot is the flavor chamber which can be removed with the utility tool that tucks away neatly into the device. The utility tool also works well for cleaning out the herbs packed into the oven as well as the dosage pods.
Beneath the bottom latch is a polished metal loading space that helps herbs easily slide into the ceramic heating chamber. The oven holds up to 0.5g of dried herb (or 0.3g of dried herb in the dosage pods). The haptic feedback’s strong buzz works well at alerting when the vape is ready to use and takes a significantly longer amount of time to heat up (about 60 seconds) compared to similar vapes on the market like the Pax 3 or Crafty+. We like to keep the adjustable airflow dial wide open, especially when using higher temperatures as it helps keep the vapor cool to enjoy.
What’s included
The IQ2 Carbon ships with a number of different accessories like the grinder, water bubbler hydrotube, stem mouthpiece adapter, concentrate disc with pads, six stainless steel dosage pods and dosage pod holder. DaVinci has also thrown in a keychain engraved with the unit number and braided USB-C charging cord along with some alcohol wipes and promo stickers in the box.
Battery life
Beneath the mouthpiece is where the removable 18650 battery resides. The battery latch is tricky to close at times and takes a few tries to get shut, so once it’s secured in place, we leave it alone and usually have no further issues with it. Due to its larger size, the battery takes a bit longer to charge (about 2 hours) compared to other similar vapes. An external battery charger is available and is useful for having an extra charged battery on hand to keep the party going. Depending on our use, we get about 7-8 sessions on a full charge.
Vaping performance
It was a treat to taste the delicious clouds of vapor from our favorite herbs thanks to the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon’s medical-grade ceramic airflow path and glass-coated ceramic heating chamber. Depending on our mood, we like being able to swap out the standard flat mouthpiece for the stem version, it feels just like sipping through a straw (and doubles as a water pipe adapter). The hydrotube does a good job of cooling down the vapor through water filtration.
While we appreciate the pre-programmed smart path modes that gradually increase the temperature throughout the session, we prefer to dial in an exact temperature when vaping. The dosage pods make it easy to drop in pre-filled pods while on the go. It’s important to note that these stainless steel pods get very hot so take care and let it cool down before trying to remove it from the heating chamber. The carbon fiber body helps keep the device from overheating.
Using concentrates with the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon is underwhelming and a bit cumbersome and tedious as it requires a very small ceramic disc and cotton pad that doesn’t produce very much visible vapor. Less is more when it comes to loading concentrates into the IQ2 Carbon in order to avoid spillage and leaking inside the heating chamber. We prefer sandwiching concentrate with herbs in the heating chamber to give our session an extra potency boost. While the IQ2 Carbon’s ability to use concentrates is welcome, we prefer to use a device solely dedicated to concentrates like the Puffco Proxy or Dr Dabber Boost Evo.
Tips
In order to keep being rewarded with continuous streams of smooth and delicious vapor we recommend cleaning the heating chamber after each session. Just a quick wipe of a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol helps to keep things nice and tidy.
Pricing and availability
The limited edition DaVinci IQ2 Carbon comes loaded with features and is backed by a solid 10-year warranty. With a premium price of $499, it rings up as one of the most expensive vapes on the market. Granted, it does come with quite a few accessories that include a grinder, hydrotube, mouthpiece adapter, concentrate disc, six stainless steel dosage pods and dosage pod holder.
With anything that is limited edition, there’s bound to be excitement and fear of missing out (FOMO) surrounding the launch. DaVinci is only producing 1,000 units of the IQ2 Carbon meaning once they are all gone, there won’t be any more available. Collectors and connoisseurs are likely to snatch these vapes up quickly.
If you can’t get your hands on one though, all hope is not lost as the original IQ 2 is still available for $295 (without all of the extra accessories and even slower charging times than the IQ 2 Carbon).
Is the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon worth it?
If you are looking for a complete vaping kit that is ready to go out of the box, we recommend checking out the DaVinci IQ 2 Carbon. Between the sleek modern design, the delicious vapor that packs a punch, and a plethora of accessories, the IQ 2 Carbon has you covered and will keep your spirits lifted no matter what life throws your way.
If the DaVinci IQ2 Carbon’s high price is a barrier and all of the accessories aren’t important to you, we recommend checking out the more affordable and faster-charging Pax 3 ($200) or Crafty+ ($279). Both devices deliver a stellar vaping experience along with the ability to use dry herbs and concentrates.