Arizer Solo II MAX Review: Is this Weed Vape an Excellent Upgrade or Pricey Imposter?

Arizer

Is this New Weed Vape an Excellent Upgrade or Pricey Imposter?

Arizer’s Solo II MAX, the follow-up to one of the best vapes around, has some big shoes to fill. Can it stand up to scrutiny? We found out.

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If you scour the weed vape forums, you’ll start to notice a few devices mentioned over and over again. Arizer’s Solo II is one such device, heralded as an excellent all-around offering that’s easy to use, clean and maintain. And it’s somehow still relevant, despite coming out back in 2017 — that’s pretty impressive for anything tech-related.

So when Arizer decided to upgrade it to the Solo II MAX, it sparked some loaded questions. The biggest — how does one improve upon one of the best weed vapes ever made? — is the one I sought to answer. Across a couple of weeks leading up to the device’s release, I got hands-on to find out if it stands up to its predecessor’s pedigree.

Arizer Solo II MAX: What We Think

It must have been a somewhat herculean task for Arizer to try to improve on one of its best offerings (and one of the best weed vapes around, period). Yet the brand managed, in part by expanding its customizable smoking modes and adding a handy, discreet Dark Mode, but also by including tech that allows for the Arizer Solo II MAX to flip over and insert into your bong. And they did so while keeping everything that was great about the previous iteration intact.

That being said, the improvements are largely incremental and nothing mind-blowing, leaving me wondering if the extra $100 on top of the original’s MSRP is worth the upgrade. From a convenience standpoint, the upgrade is a no-brainer, but it’s a big ask to expect people to spend so much more when the original is still quite capable, if slightly less user-friendly.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

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Everything great about the Solo II is still intact, alongside a few new bonuses

The Arizer Solo II was already one of the best weed vapes on the market, and it has been for years. It’s incredibly easy to use (even for a first timer), quick, consistent, stable (if a little heavy and large) and so much more. Thankfully, the Solo II MAX does not sacrifice anything that the original had, but it does improve upon it in some ways — a few that are significant and others you might not notice.

For starters, the brand has swapped the DC charging for faster USB-C charging, which is especially handy considering how many devices use it nowadays (also, a block was included, which was a nice touch, and the vape can be used while plugged in). Second, the Solo II MAX’s custom settings are more extensive and better overall. Third, the screen and controls flip when you flip the device (the purpose of which we’ll get into more later).

With the same dimensions as the original Solo II, this device isn’t what I might call portable — it’s better used at home.Photo by Sean Tirman

All that and the whole thing still heats up in 30 seconds, has a three-hour battery life, boasts the brand’s patented Advanced Ceramic Hybrid Heating and has simple-to-use precision controls. The quality-of-life upgrades are great, and it’s nice to see the things I loved about the last-gen device sticking around. Whether this is all worth the $100 bump in pricing, however, is a little harder to settle upon.

Dark Mode is really cool, but I’m not sure when I’d use it

After reading through the Solo II MAX user manual for the first time, one of the things I was looking forward to trying most was the included Dark Mode. Essentially, this is a stealthy setting that keeps the screen mostly dark while it heats up — using a tiny square of pixels at a low-light setting to indicate things are happening — allowing you to use the vaporizer more discreetly.

It worked great, but I had one pretty major issue: I’m just not sure when I would ever need to use this setting. Like its predecessor, the Solo II MAX is very easy and convenient to use, but it isn’t exactly compact. It’s roughly 1.5 inches shorter than my iPhone 15, and that does not include the necessary glass pod (the part sticking out of the top that doubles as a bowl and mouthpiece).

As such, I wouldn’t call the Solo II MAX portable — but public usage would be the ideal use case for Dark Mode, as evidenced by its inherent discretion. I guess I might use it if I’m watching a movie in a dark room or sneaking a toke before bed, but I just don’t see it being something that sways me to choose this vape.

The Solo II MAX shines most as an accessory for your bong

When I got the Solo II MAX in the mail, the most surprising included accessory was a small glass piece with a fogged, tapered spout — it looked similar to the bowls I had become accustomed to using with my bong. Turns out, that’s exactly what it was.

With the included bong-compatible bowl, all you have to do is flip the Solo II MAX and the device does the rest.Photo by Sean Tirman

By packing my flower into it, inserting it into the Solo II MAX and flipping it over into my bong, I had turned the vaporizer into a self-heating bowl for my bong. Better still, the Solo II MAX has a display and controls that automatically flip when you turn the device upside-down, so it is just as easy to use and read as ever.

While fairly large and not entirely well balanced in this orientation, it was my favorite way to use this accessory, as it made for simple, exceptionally smooth hits. And since I would have to pack a bowl into my bong to use it anyhow. it wasn’t what I’d call an imposition to use the vaporizer in this manner.

Add it all up and perhaps the MAX packs enough progress for the bells-and-whistles-loving early-adopter types. But if you’re not in that group, you’d best think long and hard before making the move, especially considering the beloved original is currently available for essentially half the price: $135.99.