POTV Lobo Vaporizer Review

The POTV Lobo is the first unique portable dry herb vaporizer designed and manufactured by Planet of the Vapes. The Lobo features a hybrid heating system, a full temp spectrum ranging from 320-430F (160 – 221C), and a replaceable 18650 battery system.

The Lobo is currently one of four branded portable vaporizers by POTV but this is the only one uniquely designed by Planet of the Vapes. The POTV One, XMAX Starry 4, and the XMAX V3 Pro all have Planet of the Vape versions with slight albeit quality changes like battery upgrades, glass mouthpieces, and titanium chambers. I have reviews for all of the XMAX / POTV products and include more comparisons below.

The Lobo has been in the works for over two years and my good friend Jerry “Stickstones420” over at POTV had a huge role in the design and overall performance of the Lobo. So I’m super excited about this vaporizer and can’t wait for more people to try it out.

The biggest takeaway from my POTV Lobo review is the extraction power, which creates tasty/potent draws and requires NO stirring. I do have a couple of gripes with the Lobo, including heat-up time and the battery door, but I’ll get more into the pros and cons later on in this review.

I’ve rated the POTV Lobo a 9.13/10, which slightly edges out the Davinci IQC (9.12/10), mostly because of the cleaning category. Check out my full performance by category section at the bottom to see where the POTV Lobo shines and where it falls short. I’ll also go over the battery life, charging times, vapor quality, and overall performance. I’m hoping I hit pretty much everything but if you think something should be added, please hit me up in the comments.

The POTV Lobo retails for $159, and you can click here to pick it up directly from POTV. Read on below for my full POTV Lobo vaporizer review.

What’s Included

The POTV Lobo comes with everything you need to vape dry herbs and concentrates. I’m a big fan of the straight dimpled mouthpiece, and the included dosing capsule helps confine the herbs and keep the chamber cleaner longer.

The concentrate pad fits INSIDE the dosing capsule and helps keep everything clean inside the chamber. Start with a very small amount of concentrates until you figure out the best approach.

The cleaning brush is one of my favorite additions to the POTV Lobo and shows the level of detail they put into their first original device.

Lastly, POTV offers quite a few glass accessories for the POTV Lobo. I highly recommend picking up the WPA (Water Pipe Adapter), which lets you connect the LOBO directly to your favorite bubbler or glass piece. The LOBO features quick extraction, and I can really milk up my bubblers at higher temps. It’s honestly my favorite way to use the POTV Lobo at home.

Overall, the POTV Lobo includes everything you need and then some. If you have any glass at home, I highly recommend the WPA, and if you don’t, I recommend the Curved Mini Bubbler to help cool the vapor while at home.

Build Quality and Design

The Good – The overall build quality of the POTV Lobo is exceptional. The Anodized Aluminum shell protects the unit from drops or falls and also helps to keep the exterior cooler during back-to-back or group sessions.

The mouthpiece adapter connects to the chamber via PEEK Plastic, and there are no silicone gaskets between the chamber and the glass mouthpiece, creating great vapor quality and a free-flowing draw.

The air path is fully isolated from any electronics and located at the bottom of the unit. You can test the pull by putting your finger over the intake, and no air gets through.

The temperature and power buttons are raised, easy to press, and have a nice responsive feel. There is a slight delay in the processing of the temp increase/decrease, but very minimal.

The Lobo’s aluminum outer shell keeps the unit quite cool compared to other portable vaporizers of this size and seems to operate as a pretty effective heatsink. I’ve had no problems with the exterior temperature of the Lobo, even in group scenarios.

The Not So Good – The display is a bit dark and hard to read in direct sunlight, and I have to cover the screen to see the details.

The battery compartment door is a threaded screw-on screw-off and can be hard to remove, especially when the door gets tightened down. The door is also not attached by anything, so it’s pretty easy to drop or slip out of your hands when opening it. I also wish they included a bit of a hang or lip to grip the turn-style battery door. I feel like people with dexterity issues might have problems with this battery door.

My last gripe is that the LOBO doesn’t come with a charging brick, and the charging cable is USB-C to USB-C rather than a USB-C to USB-A. The only USB-C bricks I have are from my iPhone, so I have one or two around the house, but I’d prefer a regular USB-C to USB-A with an included charging brick. Maybe I’m the odd one out here and not up to the times with USB-C adapters.

Overall, the build quality and design of the POTV Lobo are top-notch, and it’s all backed by a 2-year warranty and 100-day satisfaction guarantee.

Portability and Concealment

The POTV Lobo is pocket-friendly and easy to hold and pass around. The outer Aluminum shell is a bit slick to hold on to, and I hope they come out with a grip sleeve of sorts, or a nice leather case would be fuego.

The actual dimensions of the POTV Lobo are roughly 3.25” tall by 2.15” wide and 1.15” deep, and the Lobo weighs roughly 155 grams (battery included). With the mouthpiece inserted, the POTV Lobo is almost 5” tall.

By comparison, the Davinci IQC weighs roughly 160 grams, and the Pax Mini weighs roughly 90 grams. So, while there are smaller portable vaporizers with less weight, few offer a replaceable battery system or a battery this size.

Lastly, the Lobo features a “Stealth Mode,” which dims the display. This can be useful for those late night just before bedtime seshes. Hold down the power and plus buttons simultaneously for three seconds to dim the display and the same technique to return to normal.

Heating and Temp Options

Heating System – The Planet of the Vapes LOBO features a hybrid heating system that uses both convection and conduction heating. The Lobo definitely uses more convection than other portable vaporizers in this price range, and most of the conduction comes from the radiant heat of the herbs and air flowing through the chamber.

The LOBO is one the best extracting portable vaporizers at this price and possibly even on par with more expensive options like the Davinci IQ2. The vapor quality really shines through in the first 2-3 hits, and I’ve been able to kill an entire chamber in 4 hits with the WPA attached to a bubbler. The LOBO is unique because it has the ability to deliver light, flavorful sessions but can also keep up with aggressive draws through bubblers. Most portable vaporizers are usually one or the other.

Trust me when I say that the signature of this vaporizer packs a punch, and there is definitely a nice little flow state when you get the draw speed down just right.

The taste seems to fall off after a few draws, but I feel that’s because of how quickly the LOBO extracts the compounds.

Temp Options – The POTV Lobo temperature spectrum runs from 320-430F (160 – 221C), and throughout testing, I’ve found the LOBO to heat up in around 45 seconds to 360F.

I feel like the slower heat-up time allows the LOBO to warm or “pre-heat” the vapor path prior to the chamber, and the slow heating process creates an exceptional flavor profile, especially during the first few draws.

Session Timer – You can adjust the session timer anywhere from 3-6 minutes in 30-second intervals. My unit came with the 4-minute session timer as default.

You can adjust the session timer by holding down the power and the plus button simultaneously and then hit the power button again to select Timer.

One odd thing is that the session timer starts as soon as the vaporizer turns on. So a 4-minute session is really a 3:15 session after the 45-second heat-up time. I’m guessing that’s something they can fix with future units and not a huge deal.

Chamber Info + Loading Tips

The POTV LOBO features a Titanium .25-gram capacity chamber. The design funnels towards the chamber and has a thick rim to keep herbs from spilling.

I recommend an average grind and slightly packing down the herbs in the chamber. Overpacking the chamber can cause more draw resistance, making it harder to get a good flow.

The chamber size of the LOBO is one of the biggest reasons to upgrade from the POTV One. The POTV One is the smaller, more pocket-friendly version but has less battery life and a non-replaceable internal battery. The POTV One chamber can hold roughly .15 grams, which is best for single-person sessions and geared more toward beginner vaporists.

Vapor Quality and Performance

Throughout my testing, the two things I like most about the POTV Lobo are flavor and extraction potential. I feel like I’ve yet to push the Lobo to its limits, which is impressive for a portable dry herb vaporizer.

The good news is that it’s also capable of providing some very unique flavor profiles, especially at lower temps and within those first couple of draws. IMO, the Lobo would be classified as both a sipper and a ripper. The choice is yours.

Originally, I felt like the 6-minute session timer was too short because I tend to like longer sessions but I’ve been using the 4-minute session timer and vaping the entire chamber efficiently without needing to stir or start another session.

I definitely prefer to use the POTV Lobo with a water piece of sorts while at home because the vapor can get pretty warm, especially with longer single-person or group sessions. If you’re a heavier user, like yours truly, I highly recommend picking up the WPA (Water Pipe Adapter) and grabbing some glass if you don’t already have some at home. You can pick something cheap from a local head shop, or I recommend Sneaky Pete Vaporizers for his really nice glass collection.

POTV does offer a curved mini bubbler, which fits the POTV Lobo and definitely helps cool the vapor but you can’t quite get the big rips like you can from a WPA and bubbler.

Overall, I think the POTV Lobo is the best-tasting portable vaporizer in this price range. While it’s not the quickest heating or offers the longest battery life per charge, it offers a powerful/quick extraction method that allows you to get in a session quicker.

Battery Info and Charging Options

Battery Info – The POTV Lobo uses a 3500mAh replaceable/rechargeable 18650 Samsung 35E battery.

The battery can be removed via the threaded door on the bottom of the Lobo vaporizer. Be careful when and where you remove the battery door because it’s not attached to the unit.

Battery Life – I’ve been averaging around eight 4-minute sessions, which equals roughly 35 minutes of continuous run time. I feel like the user has quite a bit of input on the overall battery life because of the power of the Lobo. Short sessions don’t necessarily mean longer battery life because you use more juice during the heat-up and cool-down process.

The main difference is the style of use. Are you using it on the go at relatively low temperatures? You’ll probably get more battery life than someone using it frequently at home through water pieces at higher temperatures.

During my testing, the battery life has ranged from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how I use the vaporizer.

Charging Info – I’ve found the POTV Lobo to fully charge in roughly 100 minutes from a fully dead battery, which is about average compared to most portable vaporizers available today.

The LOBO charges via USB-C and comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable. I already got into my gripe about this earlier, but I wish the cable were a USB-C to USB-A. But again, I could be the odd one out here and need to catch up with the times.

As of the time I’m writing this article, Planet of the Vapes doesn’t have the Samsung 35E battery for sale on the site, but I’m guessing they will add it as an accessory to the LOBO at some point. I highly recommend picking up a couple of extras, especially if you like to take your vapes with you on the go.

Comparisons

Davinci IQC – The most similar and competitive vaporizer with the POTV Lobo is the Davinci IQC. They are similarly priced and feature replaceable battery systems, full temp spectrums, and all the bells and whistles. The heating methods are the biggest differences between the IQC and the LOBO.

The IQC uses a pure conduction method, which heats the entire chamber. I can get super dense hits from the IQC with pretty good extraction, but the flavor profile isn’t quite on the same level as the POTV Lobo. The Lobo is also much easier to clean and charges in roughly a third of the time of the IQC.

Arguments for the Davinci IQC include a 5-year warranty, a slightly slimmer size profile, and a $139 price tag when purchased directly from Davinci after coupon code WIZARD30. Check out my Davinci IQC review for more info and you can click here to pick it up directly from Davinci.

Cleaning and Warranty Info

The POTV Lobo is one of the easiest vaporizers to clean. There’s literally one screen, one o-ring, and a glass mouthpiece. The o-ring sits outside the PEEK plastic and doesn’t come into contact with the vapor path. It takes roughly 60 seconds to pop out the screen, clean it, and replace it.

You can clean the glass mouthpiece with isopropyl alcohol and take a Q-tip with a small amount of ISO to the chamber/mouthpiece adapter.

The main thing with every dry herb vaporizer is to clean out the chamber immediately after a session. Brush out the bowl with the super cool included POTV cleaning brush and ensure the screen above the chamber stays clean.

Warranty Info – The POTV Lobo is backed by a two-year manufacturer warranty and a 100-day satisfaction guarantee. That’s right, its not a typo, the Lobo vaporizer comes with a 100-day satisfaction guarantee. All of the other POTV products come with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. It just goes to show how much faith they have in the product’s build quality and how much you’ll like it.

POTV Lobo Review Conclusion

The POTV Lobo is a great portable vaporizer designed by a great company at a competitive price and backed by a strong two-year warranty. They also threw in a 100-day satisfaction guarantee to remove any doubts in your mind that you’ll end up with buyer’s remorse.

The Lobo is the best extracting and best-tasting portable dry herb vaporizer in this price range, and I think it’s a great vaporizer for the entire gauntlet of users. It can satisfy the micro-doses and sippers, especially via the dosing capsule system, and it can blow your socks off with higher temps and water options.

The Lobo vaporizer is also pocket-friendly, offers a replaceable battery system for use on the go, and works great in group or single-use scenarios. The only things I don’t like about it are pretty insignificant in the scheme of things but I would like to see them add a small lip to the battery compartment door and possibly fix the session timer to start when it hits temp, but again, nothing that affects the performance.

The POTV Lobo retails for $159, and you can click here to pre-order it directly from POTV. You get a free glass attachment option with your pre-order. Units are expected to ship between September 11th and September 15th. I recommend the WPA if you have glass options already and the curved mini bubbler if you don’t.

Thank you for checking out my POTV Lobo review. I was excited to test this one out and for more people to get it into their hands. I think this will be a very good vaporizer for the majority of users and fill a void for a strong hybrid-style vaporizer in the $150-$200 price range. I’d love to get your thoughts on the POTV Lobo below in the comments, and feel free to hit me up with any questions.

Buying Options

Technical Specs

Name:	POTV Lobo Vaporizer
Category:	Best Under $200
Manufacturer:	Planet of the Vapes
Rating:	9.13/10
Price:	$159
Materials:	Dry Herbs / Concentrates
Temp Range:	320F – 430F (160C – 221C)
Heating:	Hybrid
Battery Life:	8 Bowl Avg (40 Minutes)
Battery Type:	Replaceable 18650 3500mAh
Charging Type:	USB-C
Charging Times:	120 Minutes
Warranty:	2 Years

Performance by Category

Category	Rating
Vapor Quality	9.0
Ease of Use	9.2
Build Quality	9.2
Reliability	9.2
Portability	9.2
Efficiency	9.0
Battery Life	9.2
Cleaning	9.0
Value	9.3
Warranty	9.0
POTV Lobo Rating:	9.13/10

Pros and Cons

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