What Is Vaping? A Beginner's Guide
Vaping means inhaling vapor made by heating dry herb or concentrate to a temperature that releases its active compounds without burning it. That is the defining difference from smoking: a vaporizer heats the material, it never sets it on fire, so there is no combustion and no smoke.
How vaping works
A vaporizer uses a battery-powered heating element to bring its contents up to a set temperature. As the material warms, its terpenes and cannabinoids turn into vapor that you draw through a mouthpiece. The temperature stays below the point where the material would burn, so what you inhale is vapor, not smoke.
Temperature matters because different compounds vaporize at different points. Terpenes, the aromatic compounds behind flavor and aroma, come off at lower temperatures, roughly 300 to 370°F. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD need a little more heat. A vaporizer with precise temperature control lets you choose which end of that range you want and shape the character of each session.
Types of vaporizers
Dry herb vaporizers
Built for ground cannabis flower and legal herbs. You pack the herb into an oven, the device heats it to your chosen temperature, and you draw the vapor through a mouthpiece. The DaVinci IQ3, IQ Core and MIQRO-C are all dry herb vaporizers.
Concentrate vaporizers and e-rigs
Built for cannabis concentrates such as wax, shatter, live rosin and budder. Concentrates are denser than flower and need a different heating setup and technique. The DaVinci EQ is a dedicated e-rig with an all-quartz crucible and water filtration.
Cartridge vaporizers and 510 batteries
Batteries that power pre-filled 510-thread cartridges of cannabis or CBD oil. The battery heats the cartridge's built-in coil. The DaVinci ARTIQ is a 510 thread battery that fits standard carts. Simple, discreet and portable, cartridges are a common first step into vaping.
Vaporizing vs smoking: the key difference
Smoking burns the material, and burning is what creates smoke, ash, tar and carbon monoxide. Vaporizing heats the material without burning it, so none of that combustion takes place. You get the flavor and the active compounds from the herb or concentrate, carried in vapor instead of smoke.
For a closer look at the comparison, read dry herb vaporizer vs smoking.
What makes a good vaporizer
Temperature control: precise, adjustable temperature, ideally degree by degree, is the most important feature. It lets you target flavor or density and tailor each session. Fixed presets work, but they leave the choice to the manufacturer.
Vapor path materials: everything your vapor touches between the oven and the mouthpiece affects how it tastes. Zirconia ceramic and borosilicate glass add nothing to the flavor, while metal, silicone and plastic can. DaVinci vapor paths are sealed off from the electronics and heavy metals tested.
Battery: a removable battery lets you swap in a charged spare instead of waiting on an outlet. Every DaVinci dry herb vaporizer has one.
Build quality: a device you use every day should be built to last, with a solid aluminum body, well-seated parts and a real warranty behind it.
The DaVinci lineup at a glance
- MIQRO-C ($99.99): the most compact dry herb vaporizer in the lineup, with a 0.25g oven, removable 18350 battery, USB-C and Smart Paths.
- IQ Core ($199): the everyday dry herb vaporizer, with an all-zirconia vapor path, 0.5g oven, removable 18650 battery (about 60 minutes) and no app required.
- IQ3 ($299): the flagship, with Cool Core cooling, a 0.7g oven, removable 21700 battery (up to 90 minutes) and a 10-year warranty.
- ARTIQ ($59.99): a 510 thread battery that fits standard carts and delivers vapor 90% cooler on average.
- EQ ($549): the only all-quartz e-rig, with a 60ml Jacuzzi bubbler and on-device touchscreen temperature control.
Who vaping is for
Vaporizers are for adults 21 and older who choose them for cannabis or legal herbs. DaVinci builds every device around the idea that better materials, better temperature control and better engineering make a better session.
New to vaping? Start with the IQ Core: full-size flavor, simple on-device controls, no app, and an easy price to commit to. Our guide to the best vaporizer for beginners covers your first session step by step.
