Grasshopper Vaporizer Review

Hopper Labs sent us over one of their stainless steel Grasshopper vaporizers to check out and review for you fine folks. Being one of the most powerful, stealthy and well-built vaporizers we’ve gotten our hands on, it goes without saying that we were pretty excited to give it a try.

The Grasshopper has a few issues that we’ll get to later, but overall this is one of my absolute favorite portable vaporizers. Plus it comes with a lifetime warranty for complete peace of mind.

Grasshopper Review

The Grasshopper Vaporizer comes in a few different varieties: the Stainless option (which we have) for $200 USD, the Titanium option for $250 USD, Colored Titanium for $250 USD and Heat Treated Titanium for $350 USD. The key differences between the Stainless and Titanium models are the Ti models weigh slightly less (about 10-12 grams), have a more scratch resistant finish and they stay slightly cooler the touch.

While the Heat Treated Ti model looks fantastic, I couldn’t justify paying nearly twice as much for it. At $200 the stainless steel Grasshopper is a bargain and works just as well as the titanium models.

Found in the box:

• Grasshopper Vaporizer
• Extra 750 mAh Li-ion battery
• Magnetic USB charging cable
• Silicone mouthpiece
• Hopper Sticker

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into what makes the Grasshopper one of our all-time favorite vaporizers.

As soon as you lift the Grasshopper out of its box you get a sense of how well this vaporizer is built. A group of engineers designed and built this vaporizer, and it shows. Everything fits together seamlessly, the weight is just right, it’s well balanced and it’s extraordinarily powerful for its size. Even the on/off button feels fantastic! You get a very satisfying mechanical click when turning the unit on or off, it just feels really solid.

The Grasshopper is a true convection vaporizer, something rarely seen in portable units, and never seen in a pen style vaporizer of this size. Convection vaporizers have an edge over conduction style vaporizers because they are far more efficient, offer more flavorful hauls and evenly distribute the heat throughout the herb chamber.

Thanks to the extremely powerful 45 watt heater used in the Grasshopper, it can reach peak temperature in just 5-seconds. That’s right. 5-seconds. Just click that o-so-satisfying button and by the time you bring the hopper to your lips it’s ready to go.

The herb chamber holds up to 0.3 grams of ground herb, but unlike a conduction vaporizer, the Grasshopper will deliver consistent vapor pulls regardless of how light you pack it. While the herb chamber can hold quite a bit of ground bud, it is a little tricky to pack without making a mess. Due to the size constraints of being a pen-style vaporizer, the herb chamber is quite narrow and difficult to pack on the go. I use the pen as a scoop and load it directly from my grinder to avoid a mess, just be sure to keep the threading on the mouthpiece clean between uses.

The temperature is controlled with a dial that ranges from 130° C to 210° C(266° F – 410° F). Each notch in the dial represents 20° C, but you can dial it between notches to further fine-tune your temperature setting. When using the Grasshopper alone I like to sit around notch #3 (170° C), when pairing it with a glass bubbler I dial it up to #4 – #5.

We mentioned that the Grasshopper uses a very powerful 45 watt heater, meaning you can haul as hard as you want and this vaporizer won’t cool down. Allowing users to pull vapor clouds as large as they can handle. The unit itself does get quite hot during prolonged use, it gets so hot that I can’t press my lips against the mouthpiece without using the silicone cover. During solo-sessions the heat isn’t a problem, but if you’re planning on having a session with a few people expect the unit to get pretty damn warm.

The vapor path in the Grasshopper is quite short. This means that the vapor itself is quite warm when it reaches your mouth / throat. Aggressive hauls on higher temperature settings can be uncomfortable and irritating to the throat and lungs. I like to pair the Grasshopper with a bubbler to cool down the vapor, allowing me to take monster pulls without burning my lips. It fits perfectly in 14mm glass attachments without needing any special adapters. Simply press the Grasshopper in the stem and start hauling (use the silicone mouthpiece to ensure a tight seal).

Battery life isn’t the best, but considering the size of the batteries and power of the heating unit it’s actually better than I would have expected. Each charge gives you between 2-4 complete sessions depending on temp setting and length of the session. Hopper Labs is kind enough to include an extra battery with each Grasshopper, plus you can use the Grasshopper while it’s charging to avoid any downtime. Extra batteries can be purchased through Hopper Labs for $7 each.

The Grasshopper doesn’t have any harsh learning curve, you can pack as much or as little herb as you want, you can haul as lightly or as aggressively as you’d like, it will always perform. It’s also extremely easy to clean and maintain, especially if you brush out any loose herb between sessions.

It would be easy to mistake the Grasshopper for a fancy pen until you turn the unit on and the LEDs light up.

Pros

A powerful 45 watt heater that reaches temperature in 5 seconds and can withstand the most aggressive pulls without losing heat.

Using lower temperature settings allows you to get the most flavorful rips, and dialing it up gives you full, dense vapor clouds.

The size of the Grasshopper makes it discreet, but the power rivals most desktop vaporizers and blows almost every portable out of the water.

Hopper Labs offers a lifetime warranty for every Grasshopper they sell. After seeing the build quality first hand, we doubt you’ll ever need to use it.

Cons

The short vapor path can lead to uncomfortably hot vapor hitting your lips when pulling hard.

During extended use the mouthpiece gets quite hot to the touch, making the silicone sleeve a must for multiple person sessions.

The herb chamber is a bit tricky to pack because it’s so narrow. Packing this vaporizer on the go would be a challenge.

Due to the size of the batteries they only last a few sessions before needing to be charged up. Thankfully they include an extra battery and the unit can be used while it’s charging.

Final Thoughts

The Grasshopper is a must-own for any vaporizer enthusiast. At $200 for the entry level model there’s no comparison on the market. The Grasshopper is unmatched in power, value and style.

Even with a short vapor path, uncomfortably hot mouthpiece during extended sessions and relatively short battery life compared to other portables, the Grasshopper is our new daily-driver and we can’t get enough of it! Hopper Labs did such a great job designing and executing the Grasshopper that I immediately looked past the minor issues and embraced the unit as a whole.

If you’re a vaporizer enthusiast with a collection of the industries top vaporizers, you need this. If you’ve never owned a vaporizer before and want something simple to use for an affordable price, you need this. The Grasshopper is the first and last vaporizer you’ll ever need.

Get yours here: grasshoppervape.com

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