The Era, Pax’s ultra lightweight vaporizer that launched in fall of 2016, is now sporting some new features on top of its pocket-sized design, long-lasting battery, and smartphone app that lets you dial in the temperature. Pax Era owners can download a software update that enables Session Control, aimed at appealing to both veteran vape users and newcomers alike.
Using Session Control, you can tell the app how big a hit you want—micro, small, medium, or large. Once you’ve puffed that amount (even if takes a few draws), the Era shuts down for 30 seconds, giving you time to feel the effects of the vapor.
This lets new users limit themselves to small hits until they get used to how vaping feels. After all, without a harsh smoke hit to the back of the throat, it can be easy for a newbie to keep pulling on a vape pen, and accidentally overdo it. Experienced vapers can experiment with microdoses before working out or studying, or try capping leisure sessions with the medium or large setting to squeeze an extra day or two from the Pax pod.
The hit sizes aren’t time-based—meaning, it’s not three seconds for a small hit and five seconds for a medium one. Instead, sensors inside the Era determine how much energy you’re creating with each draw. If you pull harder, the progress bar in the app fills up faster, and even the temperature of the air entering the Era’s carb holes can affect how much energy gets to the pod. The hits are measured in microjoules.
This emphasis on precision and consistency also helps if you’re sampling different strains to compare their effects. Pax works closely with the companies making the pods, so they always look the same and hit the same, unlike 510-threaded cartridges that can vary in materials and quality and are prone to leaking or clogging.
Many growers include a card or sticker that recommends the exact temperature to set the Era to when vaping the pod, to get the most flavor possible from the terpenes. The Era doesn’t have a temperature display, but you can choose one of four preset levels right on the device, or pick an exact temperature in the smartphone app. Lower temperatures deliver the most flavor, or you can crank up the heat to get huge, cloudy hits of vapor.
The app also has a lock feature, in case you need to keep kids (or untrustworthy roommates) from hitting your Era when you’re not around. The device is so small, though, I tend to carry it everywhere—it looks like a thumb drive, and fits in any pocket, even that little fifth pocket of your jeans that nothing fits in. Pods are sold in childproof packaging.
The app also lets you change the color of the LED lights, name your PAX, watch video tutorials, and even play three mini games similar to Simon, spin the bottle, and Pac-Man.
The Pax Era is available in legal markets in eight states, with the device retailing for $30 and half-gram pods ranging from around $40 to $75. Session Control is available as a free firmware update for all users. Compared to 510-thread pens, a key benefit of vaping with the Era is that it gives you total control over the temperature and the size of your hits.
Pro:
Adjustable temperature
Session Control offers consistent hit size
Battery lasts for days
Small and discrete
Con:
Only works with Pax pods
So small it’s easy to lose
Why we like it:
The Pax Era gives you total control over your vape sessions, letting you dial in the temperature for more flavor or more vapor. Session Control is helpful for newbies and experienced stoners alike to know how much you’re vaping.
