Sophisticated pocket vape works wonders, and even brought some old duds back from the dead
You may have seen the DaVinci IQC or IQ3. At $200 and $300, respectively, they’re peak cannabis cachet. With precision temp control, a convenient LED readout, and zirconia-glass oven, the popular models are among the premier dry-herb pocket vapes, the sort of sleek companions that win bonus style points for anybody who rolls in a crowd that puts high value on accessories.
But if you happen to like cartridges and concentrates, particularly those which come in convenient 510 threads, DaVinci makes a $60 handle called the Artiq that looks like their IQs. And despite the relatively low cost it is really something special—in part for the same reasons that everything from this brand impresses, like its aesthetic beauty and convenience, but also due to one great function in particular.
But let’s start with the basics. Barely larger than a Bic lighter, the Artiq has a durable matte aluminum shell that “conceals the cartridge, preventing oil content degradation and lending to discretion.” The discretion, however, ends there, and that is what we love about this thing.
While a lot of modern yuppie pot paraphernalia looks pretty and under-delivers, this pocket rocket hits like a howitzer. There are other units on the market that enable you to pull a vape cart as long as you please, but none that we have seen which make it this damn easy. Once you’re locked and loaded, all you have to do is put your lips up to the rubber piece and lightly suck. The haptic action provides an assist but you remain in control of the intake—the best of both worlds. And if you want some extra help, tap the button on the bottom two times for the preheat option and your cloud size will instantly double.
Since we’re blowing steam, here’s a short list of some fun activities for which the Artiq is a brilliant companion: salvaging traces of resin and distillate from countless old carts in your drawer; seeing if you can inhale a full gram without stopping; resuscitating 510s that were finicky or even not working in other devices. Really, this trusty palm pilot revived a few capsules from our dud bucket.
We’re not exactly sure how it turns oil trash to treasure, but it’s probably the same tech that allows for the Artiq to bring out the best possible taste in high-end carts. To quote DaVinci, they’re “delivering vapor that is on average 90% cooler,” with an “extended airpath” that “cools hot vapor back down to room temperature levels.”
All of which seems to work well. The Artiq isn’t perfect—for one, it can’t handle any fancy, strange, or oversized carts—just the normal no-frills kind. Also, the aforementioned bottom button—the only moving part on the entire device—is small and difficult to push.
It’s apparently not too hard to push though, since we’ve been murdering 510s like it is 7/10 since adding this rig to our regimen. Put simply, we’re not exactly massive cartridge fans around here, and the Artiq has us enjoying them in ways we never thought were possible without a Zenco or some other larger, pricier device. We strongly recommend it.
