Firefly portable vaporizer (Provided by Firefly)

Firefly an elegant and easy-to-use portable vape (review)

One great side benefit of the dawn of cannabis legalization is the increased interest, investment and ingenuity in the world of pot paraphernalia. Not only are more vaporizers appearing on the market, many of them are surprisingly functional, uniquely designed, and damn cute to boot. Pot people want an overall experience–from packaging to product design to usability–and manufacturers and designers are giving the people what they want.

The Firefly is a great example of this phenomenon. The stylish case opens like a jewelry box with its hinged back — I felt like I should have gift-wrapped it for myself before opening. Inside, the machine with its red-and-silver aluminum case reminds me of a 1950s retro-style kitchen appliance. It feels nice to hold, albeit a bit weighty compared to its competitors.

The Firefly was developed by two entrepreneurs with master’s degrees in product design, and it shows. Every bit of the portable vaporizer seems deliberately considered. The faceplate attaches simply with built-in magnets and detaches to expose the borosilicate-glass herb chamber and stainless-steel vapor path. The battery compartment on the back stays snugly closed, but slides off effortlessly with a finger push. There’s a power switch and a button for heating.


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One of the coolest features of the Firefly is a little circular window in the front where you can see the chamber — and your weed — turn orange as the heat source behind it goes from room temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in about ten seconds. You can also see the orange light through slots in the sides of the casing.

The ingenious design results in remarkable function. The Firefly produces wonderful vapor, tasty and plentiful. The convection heating (hot air) doesn’t scorch the herb, meaning this is actually one of those health-conscious portable non-combusters.

At a retail price of $269.95, the Firefly runs about twenty bucks more than competitors Pax Ploom and Ascent by Da Vinci (both reviewed previously). The Ascent wins honors for its all-glass vapor path, and the Pax is nearly three times lighter, but the Firefly surpasses them with its overall elegance and ease of use.


The Cannabist is currently accepting marijuana gear for review purposes. Submit your glass, vaporizers, pens and more: cannabistcritics@gmail.com.


Whichever vape fits your lifestyle, cannabis consumers will be the obvious winners the more stoner ingenuity is combined with skilled design and sufficient investment capital to create super-thoughtful vaporizers like the Firefly.