Arizer is a reputed name among dry herb vaporiser fans as their devices strike a good balance between performance and affordability. For this reason, I was excited to review the Arizer Solo II which is one of their three portable offerings, apart from the Arizer ArGo and Arizer Air MAX. At the time of writing, the Arizer Solo II retails for $135, which puts it in a lower price bracket compared to other portables I have reviewed such as the Airvape Legacy Pro ($269) and Crafty+ ($279).
The Solo II was originally released in 2017 and there have been no major revisions to the device since then. Regardless, the Solo II continues to be a top-selling device because of its low price, ease of use and quality vapour production. It seems like the perfect device on paper as it has many strengths, but there are a few important compromises too. Read on to know if it’s the right device for you. Big shout out to The Giggle Grass for letting me borrow a unit for this review.
Unboxing
The Solo II’s packaging is quite well done and Arizer has not cut any corners when it comes to extras either. The box comes with a lot of stuff and apart from the device itself, the most important are the two glass mouthpieces. They are 90mm and 110mm respectively and each tube comes in its own plastic tube with a silicone cap that seals the smell. I found this really cool because it shows Arizer has put a lot of thought into the device in terms of user experience.
The box also includes an ‘aroma dish’ which is supposedly used for warming up potpourri. Lastly, the top layer of the box also contains a dab spoon/tamping tool.
Removing the partition reveals a DC charger and carrying case underneath. The carrying case doesn’t feel premium but it does its job and it’s cool that they included it. Finally, the package contains stainless steel screens for the glass tube and the user manual.
Style, Materials & Dimensions
The device's body feels sturdy and well-built with no rattling or jangling and the curved sides make it easy to grip The stainless steel chamber is surrounded by a ceramic heating element and has a silicone cover to protect it from dust and sealing odour. The buttons are also made of silicone and they are responsive without having to press too hard.
The heating chamber connects to the glass mouthpieces mentioned earlier which do a good job of cooling the vapours and preserving the flavour but are fragile. Thankfully, the carrying tubes provided for the mouthpiece ensure that the Solo II is actually portable.
The Solo II comes with a 2-year limited warranty for the device and a 1-year limited warranty for the battery.
Device Controls
The Solo II has an impressive LED screen which is the largest of any device I have reviewed yet and bright enough to be readable in sunlight. Arizer has made the smart choice to use the screen real estate to prominently display the most important data - Battery level, Current temperature and Set temperature - making it the best device for those with poor vision.
It is accompanied by a big “M” button in the centre (“Menu” as per the manual) and up and down buttons which allow precise temperature selection. Surprisingly, the Solo II also has a speaker which emits a beep when the device has heated up to the set temperature. The large screen, big buttons and speaker seem to suggest that the Solo II was designed keeping in mind elderly and medical users.
Whenever I get a new device, I try to avoid reading the manual to understand whether it is intuitive to a new user. Even though there are only three buttons, the Solo II was probably the most confusing device in this regard as I couldn’t even figure out how to turn the device on.
Turning on the Solo II requires you to press M and Up simultaneously until a countdown timer starts and you have to hold the buttons down until the timer ends. This just turns the device on and you have to press Up again to start heating the device up. This was confusing because pretty much every dry herb vaporiser nowadays requires you to press the power button 3-5 times instead of awkwardly holding down two buttons and then requiring an additional button press. In the grand scheme of things, however, this is a minor gripe as I got used to it and it doesn’t affect functionality.
I was also unable to intuitively understand the several settings that are presented when you press M repeatedly. After reading the manual, I discovered that the following settings can be tweaked:
- Temperature: Precise temperature selection from 122 °F to 428 °F
- Audio: Turn the beep on or off
- Power-on delay: Change the power-on timer delay (between 4 to 6 seconds)
- Automatic shut-off timer: Change the shut-off timer delay (between 5 to 15 minutes)
- Temperature Units: Fahrenheit or Celsius
- Display Brightness: Low, Medium or High
After reading through the manual, getting used to the controls and tweaking the settings, I enjoyed using the Solo II as my daily driver, ironically, due to its simplicity.
Battery Life
I can say without a doubt that the Solo II has the longest battery life of any device I have reviewed yet. It is equipped with a 3400mAh 7.4V battery that goes on and on. In my initial testing, I pushed the battery for 13 sessions (around 5 min. each) after a full charge and was astonished that 13% of the battery remained. I consistently got 10+ sessions from each charge cycle which puts the Solo II at the top for battery life, beating the likes of the Airvape Legacy Pro and S&B Mighty+.
The caveat here is that the Solo II’s battery is non-removable and therefore, you cannot just swap out an empty battery with a fully charged one. This is a smaller issue with the Solo II compared to other devices, however, as it also charges quickly. I found that it charged back up to 95% in just 75 minutes which is much faster than most other devices.
The secret behind the fast charging time is 12V/2A DC charger but this is an aspect where the Solo II shows its age as you have to carry the charging brick if you are travelling, unlike more modern devices that use USB-C.
Device Performance
The Solo II is a hybrid device that uses conduction and convection heating. It has a heat-up time of 30 seconds but I like to wait for an additional 30 seconds before taking the first draw for a bigger hit. The Solo II’s performance, at its price, gives many devices a run for their money and that’s what makes it stand out in my eyes.
The herb is filled in the glass mouthpiece which then attaches to the main body. The mouthpiece fits snugly and even though there is a bit of wobbling, it stays firmly in place even if the device is turned upside down.
Arizer touts the Solo II as having an ‘all-glass vapour path’ where the vapour does not come in direct contact with anything but glass. This does not seem completely true as there is a stainless steel mesh at the top and some of the herb at the bottom often comes loose and touches the stainless steel chamber. Regardless, most of the path is indeed glass and the flavour is well-preserved.
A major drawback of the Solo II for me is the maximum temperature of 428 °F. Though this temperature is satisfactory when using dry herb, it is not enough to fully extract concentrates.
I observed that the vapour tends to get uncomfortably hot after a few minutes and so I never increased the temperature beyond 415 °F. A bent mouthpiece would have probably helped the vapour be less harsh, but only straight mouthpieces are provided with the device.
Surprisingly, the Solo II’s body does not heat up a lot and the device is comfortable to hold even during extended sessions.
I find the name “Solo” for the device ironic as it is a great device for sharing. The glass mouthpiece has a decently-sized bowl that can hold up to 0.2g and the battery goes on forever, making the Solo II the best device to pass around.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Another area where the Solo II excels is device maintenance. The parts of the device which need cleaning are the mouthpiece, mesh and heating chamber. The Solo II can be cleaned within minutes with some cotton buds dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol. The only part that gets really dirty is the mouthpiece but I could go without cleaning it for 2-3 weeks even with heavy use.
Arizer Solo II Price & Where to Buy in India
The Arizer Solo II is available in India through Terpene Central for ₹19,949 (using the discount code DESITED5) and on The Giggle Grass for ₹19,999 at the time of writing.
Conclusion
The Solo II’s strengths are its battery life, simplicity of use and price vs. performance ratio. It has been one of the top-selling devices for more than half a decade and Arizer have become a dependable name. Though the device has not been updated in years, rarely did I feel that it is outdated. The one major drawback is the maximum temperature of 428 °F but it only matters if you wish to use concentrates like hash or oil.
The Arizer Solo II never combusts, preserves flavour, has amazing battery life, is easy to maintain and is durable too. Premium dry herb vaporisers today can reach higher temperatures and come with USB-C charging but these are the only aspects where the Solo II lags behind. It also costs a lot less than premium devices, so it seems like a fair trade-off for those who desire high performance at a relatively low price. The various accessories that come bundled with the Solo II also make it a great value. I used it in rotation with the Legacy Pro and Dynavap, and I was surprised to realize that the Solo II often won the reach test.
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