Dry Herb Vaping or e-Liquid – which should you vape?
Less than 20 years since Hon Lik developed the first e-cigarette. In 2021, the global e-cigarette and vape market was valued at over $18 million, growing yearly at a CAGR of around 30 percent. Experts predict that it will have increased tenfold in revenue in another decade.
The market isn’t just growing in overall size but also in terms of its variety. There are dozens of different types of vapes on the market, and vaping has become more than just an alternative to smoking cigarettes. In addition, the possibility of vaping other herbs for therapeutic or recreational purposes means many people are trying vaping, even if they have never smoked.
That can be daunting when there are so many types of vaporizers. Here, we help to narrow down the choice by comparing and contrasting two fundamentally different types, dry herb vaping and e-liquid vaping.
Revisiting the basics
Before we look at each of them, it’s worth reminding ourselves of what vaping involves. A vaporizer, of whatever type, heats whatever is put into it to just the right temperature and turns it into a vapor. It does so without combustion, so you do not inhale the additional toxins associated with smoking.
Vaporizers come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, from sleek pens that you can slip into your pocket to desktop devices. But before thinking about that, you must decide whether to vape dry herb or e-liquid.
Dry herb vaping
As the name suggests, dry herb vaping involves heating loose-leaf flowers and herbs to produce a vapor you can inhale. It’s a practice that often appeals to those interested in exploring herbal remedies. For example, eucalyptus is believed to ease sore throats, while lavender is used to aid relaxation and alleviate stress. In addition, there’s a wide variety of flowers and roots out there that herbalists recommend in different combinations to produce other effects or to help with specific symptoms.
One of the main advantages of dry herb vaping is that you know exactly what you have and that it is entirely pure. Some people even buy seeds from a company like Zamnesia and grow their own – you can’t beat that for provenance! E-liquids, on the other hand, contain additives and solvents.
Dry herbs last longer because they work at lower temperatures and take more time to vaporize on devices like GV Lit vape. Many people feel this makes the taste cleaner and more natural, too. Lower temperature vaporization also means less waste.
On the downside, a dry herb vaporizer demands more maintenance – you’ll always clean it to ensure it doesn’t get clogged up with residue. It would be best also to take extra care to ensure the battery is fully charged, or you won’t get an even vape.
Liquid vapes
This is the more conventional e-cigarette-type vape with which you are probably familiar. Often referred to as vape juice, the liquid comes in cartridges that clip into the vape. The principle of operation is the same in that the liquid is heated to the optimum temperature to vaporize for inhalation.
As the most common type of vaporizer, there’s a vast choice of liquid vapes and an even wider variety of vape juice. Traditionally, vape juice contains nicotine, a throwback to the original objective of vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking. However, as mentioned earlier, vaping is increasingly being explored by people who have never smoked, and nicotine-free vape juices are also available. Fruit flavors like apple and strawberry are popular, as are tones like caramel.
That world of choice is one of the critical advantages of liquid vaping. There are so many flavors; you could try a different one every day of the year. If you have moved to vape from cigarettes, liquid vapes give you the power to manage the nicotine content to gradually wean yourself off it if that’s what you want.
Some vapes also let you set the cloud level. That’s handy if you enjoy big clouds but also need to rein it in sometimes, for example, when vaping in the company of non-vapers. Liquid vapes are also easy to operate and simple to maintain. In addition, they are much quicker and easier to clean than a dry herb vape.
As for downsides, it’s impossible to ignore the media drama surrounding some cheap, poor-quality vape juice that found its way into the market a couple of years ago. The lesson is simple enough – steer clear of these unknown brands and stick to certified products from reputable suppliers.
Still, even the best quality vape juice or concentrate contains additional solvents, and while some try to make their vape juice, it’s not recommended. Liquid vaping can’t compete with the dry herb alternative if purity is your priority. The liquid is also less potent than dry herb – unless you use a concentrate, but that is a different discussion for another day.
Is dry herb vaping safe ? Which is right for you?
There’s no single answer to this question of is dry herb vaping safe or not. Liquid vaping is the more convenient form. It’s easy to keep your vape clean, there are dozens of liquids to choose from, and it takes seconds to get up and run.
Dry herb vaping might be seen as a purer form. You know precisely what is in your vape; there’s no risk of contamination, and although it’s a matter of taste, most feel that vaping the herb itself has a superior flavor to vaping liquid.
Ultimately, it depends on your lifestyle, vaping habits, and priorities. If you’re still unsure and would like to try both out, keep in mind that a growing number of dual-use vapes are on the market. These can switch between vaping dry herbs and liquids.