Crafty (+) Plus Vaporizer Review: Still Ruling the Roost?
The Crafty brand form Storz & Bickel has been a big name in the vape scene since 2004, and for a good reason; the Germans don’t play when it comes to engineering stuff. The Crafty+ vaporizer is another piece of quality engineering from this brand.
With the release of the Crafty+ Storz & Bickel is targeting vapers who want more portability while retaining the powerful hits and rich flavors offered by the bulkier cousin the Crafty Mighty vaporizer. The Crafty+ is compact while clever engineering ensures its performance is top-notch. What can you expect from the Crafty+?
Packing kit
For the initial purchase kit, you will get;
- 1 Crafty+ vaporizer
- 1 dosing capsule
- 1 USB charging cable
- 2 drip pads (for concentrate)
- Replacement seals and screens
Storz & Bickel reduced the number of accessories, notably lacking is a cleaning brush, a grinder, and a loading tool. You can purchase these separately. But you will get a dosing capsule which makes vaping on the go a breeze. You preload the capsule and pop them in as you need. This also makes cleaning easier as there is no mess unlike using an oven. You can buy a separate filling aid, which is a container that keeps a little herb and attaches to the oven like a funnel to make it easier to load the herb. You get a controlled and consistent load even when loading in a hurry.
The design of Crafty+ (Plus) Vaporizer
The Crafty+ is a primarily a dry herb vaporizer but is compatible with wax concentrates with the drip pads. The Crafty+ retains the distinctive two-tower design of its predecessors, and the ruggedized glossed black finish. The plastic ridged exterior aids in dissipating heat and keeping the vaporizer cool to touch. While some critics deride the Crafty+ for the plastic exterior, this is no ordinary plastic but an advanced biomaterial called PEEK which is also used for medical implants.
In the spirit of ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it,’ Storz & Bickel have retained the swiveling mouthpiece for convenience. The Crafty+’s mouthpiece has been a big hit with vapers because of delivering cool vapors. The swivel is part of the cooling unit that sits on top of the oven. The vapor stays cools even at the max temperature. The straw shaped mouthpiece keeps the draw resistance low and easy to control the inhalation.
The unit can be disassembled for easy cleaning. The Crafty+ might not be the smallest vaporizer presently, but it combines portability with the functional performance of its bigger competitors.
Vapor quality
The Crafty portable vaporizers use conduction and convection heating which explains the two-tower design. This combination heating works better than using one method, because the herb gets heated deeper, and more evenly. You get denser clouds with richer flavors and more potency.
Controls of Crafty+ (Plus) Vaporizer
The Crafty+ comes with a single button for powering on/off and temperature control. You can also program temperature control using the smartphone app. The app is also compatible with Volcano vaporizers also from Storz & Bickel. The Crafty+ temperature range is between 104°F and 410°F. The vaporizer takes less than 2 minutes to heat up, which is faster than the competition.
One of the outstanding features of the Crafty+ is the boost modes; Boost mode increases the temperature between 10 to 15 °F, while Super Boost takes it to the max (410 °F). You activate Boost mode by pressing the button twice while the vaporizer is on.
The LED will start flashing red to show that the device is heating until it shows green to show boost mode is on. Pressing the button three times when the LED is green activates Super Boost. Vapors at the maximum temperature are denser and contain more terpenes and THC which works if you want a faster trip. However, the vapor feels harsher to the lungs because the herb is nearing the combustion point.
The most notable lacking feature in Crafty+ is the lack of precise temperature control. You can only cycle between two temperature ranges 104-410°F (40-210°C), and the boost modes. This is a major drawback for the Crafty+ because the competition vaporizers released in this period have more temperature control.
You can use the app to monitor the vaporizer’s battery level. You can also use the ‘find-my-vape’ function in the app to locate your misplaced device; it activates vibration and flashing lights in the vaporizer.
Battery life
While the Crafty+ almost doubles the battery life of the previous model, another lacking feature is the USB-C port which has been seen in the competition. The battery is also inbuilt, which is also something Storz & Bickel could have looked at seeing as it is that the Crafty+ is targeted for vapers on the move.
Removable batteries are better for using on the move. However, the charging time has been reduced to 1.5 hours from 5 hours. You will get 5-9 sessions from a full battery charge depending on your usage. This is adequate for the usual hiking trip if you are not camping out in the woods. Even then you can buy a separate power bank.
Cleaning and maintenance of Crafty+ (Plus) Vaporizer
The cooling unit and the oven will require frequent cleaning. The cooling unit, which includes the mouthpiece can be disassembled and soaked in isopropyl alcohol. The oven will need cleaning after 20-30 sessions. Using dosing capsules makes cleaning easier.
Overall, the Crafty+ is a pretty solid portable vaporizer. Its quality German engineering which translates to reliability and durability. The improved battery life is a big plus as is the reduction in size. It is good to note that the initial Crafty vaporizer was selling at around $400 which was a big number back then. The Crafty+ comes with improved features and a big reduction in price. At around $280, you are getting more value for money.
While the Crafty+ may not tick all the boxes you could desire in a portable vaporizer, it still rates highly among portable vaporizers. If you are looking for something that sits between the more powerful desktops and the nimble gizmos, the Crafty+ is adequate.