Pax Mini Review: Tried & Tested

Hello my ganja girlies and guys. Have you found yourself looking for the perfect portable vape partner for your on-the-go puffing? If so, I’ve got you. 

Today’s Pax Mini review is here to light up your search (and your flower). 

When it comes to vaporizers, Pax is one of the most reputable brands out there. But I still wanted to make sure that this portable powerhouse is really all it’s made out to be. 

Here I’ll dive into all the juicy deets of the Pax Mini and how I’ve been using it as my daily driver, so you can decide if this vape is meant for you. 

Pax Mini Review 

It’s time to talk tech.

If you’re looking for a low-profile but high-functioning vape, the Pax Mini is a great option. While I wish they had more color options (it’s currently only available in silver and onyx), the Pax Mini is petite yet powerful, portable but durable, and simple while modern. 

Priced at only $150, it gives off good vapor for a conduction vape, has an impressive battery life, and is essentially indestructible. Basically, it’s the perfect tool for your discreet, on-the-go vaping needs. 

Let’s get more into why the Pax should be your next portable vape, shall we? 

Build Quality 

One of my fav things about the Pax Mini’s build is its slim factor combined with its tough outer shell. This vape has skin thicker than a kid getting hazed during rush week. 

It may be slim but it’s also strong. I dropped this thing trail-running three times in one morning  and it still didn’t have so much as a single scratch. 

It looks tech-advanced because it is. Typically, tech-advanced things tend to be breakable. But honestly, the Pax Mini is anything but and shouldn’t be judged solely by its appearance. 

It’s also pretty dope how one button controls everything. The button also serves as the mouthpiece, which is made from heat-resistant and food-grade materials.

When you open your Pax Mini, you’ll find the Pax Mini (one should hope), a flat and raised mouthpiece (AKA your one-button wonder), oven lid, maintenance kit and charger. 

Inside the vape is a vapor pathway constructed from medical-grade stainless steel, ensuring the vapor’s path doesn’t mingle with any unwanted components. 

Inside and out, the Pax Mini build is super solid. 

Vapor 

A vaporizer is nothing without its vapor. Fortunately, the Pax Mini will have you floating on some top-tier clouds. 

While there are undoubtedly portable vapes that deliver purer vapor, few can match the Pax Mini’s sleek elegance. 

Something to note is that the Pax Mini protests a little when you’re trying to draw. With the Pax Mini and all Pax products, the draw technique is key. It’s why Pax came out with the catch phrase, “sip it, don’t rip it.” 

When sipping the vape, summon your inner coffee-connoisseur and take slow, deliberate, dramatic sips. Don’t summon your inner vacuum cleaner.

Also remember to finish the entire chamber instead of saving it for later. Your joint might still taste good after you put it out and relight it a few hours later, but a Pax Mini bowl won’t. 

Finally, clean the vape. I know it can be tedious, but it is so worth it. 

Run the brush through the vapor path every now and then, remove the flower when you’re done seshing, and have some isopropyl alcohol ready. That’s all it takes. 

If you hit the Pax Mini right and give it the cleaning care it deserves, the result is flavorful, smooth, quality vapor. 

Capacity 

How much can the Pax Mini handle? 

A pretty impressive amount for such a little device. The oven chamber holds 0.25g of ground flower. 

But remember that it’s not just size that matters. It’s how you use it. 

Grind your flower to a medium to fine consistency. If you’re not sure what this means, think Tinker Bell’s fairy dust instead of pinata confetti. If you’re not sure what that means either (fair), think about the consistency of pre rolls or how you grind your herb when rolling your own. 

While packing the Pax Mini, do yourself a favor and don’t overpack it. You’re not stuffing a turkey, you’re loading a vape with weed.

Gentle is the G here. If you do pack it too tightly, it’s going to increase an already pretty high draw resistance. 

Heating Element & Temp Options 

If a vape can’t take the heat, it really should just give up. Thankfully, the Pax Mini can.

First off, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. 

If you’re familiar with Pax products at all, you probably know that the Pax Plus has what they call Experience Modes. The Pax Plus has four: Stealth, Efficiency, Flavor and Boost. Depending on which you select, the Pax Plus will adjust the temperature automatically. 

The Pax Mini only has one Experience Mode. But don’t think this means that it only has one temperature. The Pax Mini has the same full spectrum 360 ℉ – 420 ℉ temperature range as the Pax Plus. 

Let’s move onto the method of heating: conduction. Conduction is the OG, tried-and-true  method for heating. Conduction heating means that the flower is always being heated even when you’re not actually hitting the vape.

If you’re just starting it up, the Pax Mini takes a little over twenty seconds to get hot.  

The method of heating may be traditional but the Pax Mini has some futuristic af features too. It will temp-step your session for you. This means that it will handle everything. All you have to do is sit back, sip and not rip, then float away on the Pax Mini’s cloud. 

The Pax Mini can do everything for you thanks to its heating algorithm. This algorithm monitors all. I’m talking about the chamber’s temperature, how hard you’re pulling, and possibly your deepest darkest secrets. 

It also knows when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to work. The Pax Mini takes a cat nap when you’re not hitting the vape, lowering the temperature. Once you start to draw, it wakes up and automatically raises the temperature.

This is an awesome feature for those just beginning to use vapes. The Experiences Modes and vapes that give you full control over temperature settings are awesome, but can be a little overwhelming. 

Having a vape that takes care of everything for you is pretty awesome too.

Charging & Battery Life 

Even though the name says “mini” the Pax Mini actually has the same 3000mAh battery as the Pax Plus. You know how chihuahuas can somehow bark just as loudly as German Shepherds? Yeah. It’s like that. 

It only takes 75 minutes to go from zero to a full charge. On a full charge, it averages about 80 minutes of continuous use. For those of us that struggle with math, this translates to 4-7 sessions. 

There’s a decent sized window here because of several factors: cold starts vs. back-to-back starts, the desert-like dryness or Hawaiian humidity of your flower, and how fast you go from sesh to sesh. These all impact how many sessions you’ll actually get out of the charge. 

If you want to know how much charge the Pax Mini has, just give it a little shake. 

The Mini will flash you its pretty petals. One petal on the upper left? You’re cruising at 25%. Two petals at the top? You’re at the halfway mark. Three petals means you’re at a cool 75%. If all four petals are lit up you’re at a full 100%. 

You know how most flashing red things signal something….not great? Sirens, stop signs, fire alarms, take your pick. The Pax Mini is the same. If it’s flashing red, it’s nearly dead.

Moving on to my favorite feature: the magnetic USB charger. It attaches to the outside of the vape. I adore this because I have a bad habit of ruining charging ports with sand, dirt and who knows what else. 

Portability 

The Pax Mini is one of my favorite vapes to bring on-the-go. Especially on any kind of outdoor adventure. I’ve brought it snowboarding, hiking, trail running, and biking. It has yet to fail me. 

Plus, its dimensions are so impressive they almost seem impossible. How can something be 3.65 x 1.2in x .86in (that’s 93mm x 31mm x 22mm for all you who don’t live in the US)) and weigh a mere 90g? It’s not magic. It’s just smart engineering. 

The Pax Mini is about as portable as it gets. It’s so pocket-friendly it will fit in the pocket of your tightest pair of jeans. 

Discreetness 

If your side hustle is working as a spy, don’t worry. You can still get high. As long as spies don’t get drug tested, that is. 

I thought the Pax Plus was discreet before I tried the Pax Mini. If you have big hands you can probably even palm it. If you’re looking for discreteness, the Pax Mini is where it’s at. 

While the Pax Mini is highly discreet, it does smell like vaped weed when you’re carrying it around after use. To avoid this, click here to get a smell proof carry case for the Pax Mini.

Its teeny-tiny size combined with these smell-proof cases make the Pax Mini James Bond’s new bestie. 

Is the Pax Mini Worth It? 

Yes! The Pax mini is definitely worth it.

I’ve been smoking for over seven years and have tried a whole lot of vapes. The Pax Mini is undeniably one of my favorites.   

It’s reliable, portable, and durable. It’s also sexy, discreet, and impressively tech-advanced for such a small device. 

Really, it checks off all the boxes I’m looking for when buying a vape. 

I especially love that I don’t have to worry about dropping it while trail running, hiking, snowboarding, or doing anything else outside. If you’re like me and tend to have a clumsy grip, the Pax Mini’s tough outer shell is a real savior. 

Pax also has solid customer service. However, note that the Pax Mini only has a 2-year warranty compared to the Pax Plus’ 10-year warranty. I highly doubt you’ll end up breaking this bad boy anyway. 

In my experienced-stoner opinion, such a high-performing vape priced at only $150 is 100% worth it. 

The Pax Plus Isn’t For You If….

You Sometimes Enjoy Concentrates 

I’ve got some bad news for my concentrate fans out there. The Pax Mini does not work with concentrates. 

While the Pax Mini is amazing for flower, you can’t use it with concentrates. If this is a deal-breaker for you, consider going for the Pax Plus instead. 

Nonetheless, the Mini and the Plus have basically the same features. The biggest difference is that the Plus has four Experience Modes instead of the just one found on the mini. 

The mode with the hottest temperature on the Plus – Boost Mode – gets the vape hot enough for you to vape concentrates. The Mini has no such mode and it doesn’t come with the concentrates attachment either (the attachement won’t fit in the mini either – I tried but the chamber isn’t deep enough).

I’ve used the Plus while traveling (carrying a torch around is a little sketch) and, while I prefer to use a traditional dab rig, the Plus gets the job done. It’s quick, efficient, and you’ll get significantly less strange looks than you will trying to hit a rig in public. 

You can see both the mini (silver) and plus (black) next to each other below for size comparison, they’re nearly the same size in height.

You Want Larger Capacity 

If you’re more of a group-sesher, the Pax Mini might not be for you. 

With a chamber that only holds 0.25g of ground flower, the Mini is okay for one or two friends. But it simply can’t hold enough for a true group session. 

You can obviously just keep reloading the chamber, but that means you have to clean it, and that can get pretty annoying. 

Or if you’re anything like me and like to pack the chamber first and bring your vape out without carrying any extra flower, more capacity may come in clutch. 0.25g won’t last me a hike. But 0.5g just might. 

The Plus holds 0.5. That’s double what the Mini can hold. So if you’re looking for more capacity, definitely consider the Pax Plus. 

Check out what it looks like below, I’m holding the Pax mini on the right. You might notice the plus has a much deeper chamber, allowing it to hold double the capacity of the mini.

The Final Verdict: Pax Mini Vaporizer Review 

If you had conflicted feelings about the Pax Mini, hopefully now you can confidently decide if it’s the vape you’re ready to commit to. 

For those interested in a vape that’s affordable, durable, portable, discreet, sleek and easy to learn how to use, the Pax Mini is where it’s at. 

If you want a vape that works with concentrates or has a larger capacity, consider going with the Pax Plus. 

For those of you that do decide to purchase the Mini, I hope you enjoy each and every flavorful cloud of THC bliss. For those that decide to search elsewhere, may the odds of finding your perfect vape be ever in your favor.