Arizer Solo 2 Review

Is the Arizer Solo 2 worth it?

First released in March of 2017, the Arizer Solo 2 continues to be very competitive in the Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer market due to its outstanding ease of use and excellent manufacturing quality. It is the updated version of the Arizer Solo, and Arizer has proved itself to be a vape manufacturer that listens to its community. 

With such critical features as an intuitive LED interface, excellent conduction and convection heating control, and a smooth all-glass vapor path. Even today, the Arizer Solo 2 is one of the best vapes available, especially so affordable. The clouds are still amazing and, to this day, it feels great to use. In this in-depth Arizer Solo 2 review, we’ll be going over all the essential details you’ll need to help you make the right choice.

Arizer Solo 2 Specs

What’s in the Box?

• Arizer Solo 2 Vaporizer (choice of black or blue)
• A/C Charger
• two borosilicate glass stem (chambers) (90mm and 110mm)
• Aroma dish and sample lavender botanical
• Belt-clip carrying case
• four stainless steel screens
• two silicone stem caps
• Stainless steel stirring tool
• Owners manual

How to use the Arizer Solo 2?

The Arizer Solo 2 combines conduction and convection to heat the glass stem chamber, which inserts into the top of the vape. In this sense, there are only two genuine main parts the glass stem and the vaporizer body. This is a nice feature and makes it, so the only thing you have to worry about is keeping the glass accessories from breaking. The simplicity and ease of use are two mainstays that have kept it relevant in today’s market. 

We’ve found that a medium grind works best, or even the occasional whole flower as far as dry herb choice. This will help the four airflow holes from getting clogged by very fine ground and keep it from moving into the stem and your mouth during inhalation. If you choose to use a real nugget, make sure it isn’t too large to block all of the air holes!

The most significant upgrade from the Arizer Solo and the Solo 2 is the replacement of the seven temperature lights with an easy-to-use, bright LED screen. As for actual buttons, there is a middle ‘M’ button and an up and down button. With these, you will have ample access to a wide array of session customization through the main menu. 

1. When you are ready to begin your dry herb vape session, all that you’ll have to do is remove the glass stem and load the chamber on the bottom.
2. After, load it back into the vape and turn the Solo 2 on. To turn the unit on, press and hold the “M” button and the up arrow together at once for 6 seconds. 
3. The display screen will light up, show a countdown screen, and beep once the unit is turned on. You will be greeted with a smiley face which is a nice feature. The countdown is a safety feature to avoid any accidental operation of the unit in your pocket, purse, or bag, which we like.
4. Once the unit is ON and after the smiley face greets you, it will direct you to the temperature control panel. By pressing the “M” button, the device allows you to flip through all the features to customize your unit. You can select your preferred options by pressing the Up or the Down arrows. The operation of the Arizer Solo 2 is relatively straightforward, and we don’t see any potential issues for other users.

How the User Interface works

As mentioned, when you turn the Solo 2 on, you’ll arrive at the main menu that has access to full customization. The ‘M’ stands for menu, and you can toggle through these settings by pressing it. You’ll be able to tweak the following settings: 

• Volume – Low/Medium/High/Off
• Session Timer – 5 – 15 minutes (default setting is 10)
• Temperature Measurement –Celsius and Fahrenheit
• Screen brightness – Low/Medium/High
• Start-Up Timer – 4, 6, and 8 seconds.

For such an affordable device, the ease of use, especially on the menu, blows away more expensive competitors like the Mighty+. The menu is easy to navigate, and the buttons are easy to understand compared to the Crafty+ or PAX 3. 

Arizer Solo 2 Key Features

• Great Battery
• Borosilicate Glass Vapor Path
• Good Airflow
• Good Warranty
• Customizable Settings
• Precision Temperature Control

What temperature should you set the Arizer Solo 2?

Before using the unit, we recommend that you set it at its highest temperature at 220° C (428° F) and let the team heat up for a couple of cycles to burn off any excess oil or anything that may still be inside the chamber.

By doing this, we noticed that the Arizer Solo 2 has a heat-up time of 30 seconds to reach the highest temperature, and Arizer has added an extra 10° C (50° F), which is an excellent feature if you’re into thick vapor clouds.

However, the higher the temperature, the more charred and smokey flavor you will taste. It is a personal preference, but we set the temperature at 185° C (365° F) and worked our way up to taste the flavor in a variety of degrees with this unit. The nice thing about the Solo 2 is that you can select the exact temperature you like to vape at and not rely on the seven preset temperatures like the original Solo. 

How does the ceramic heater work?

The Solo 2 uses a hybrid heating system, a mix of convection and conduction which works with a ceramic heating chamber under the stainless steel oven. This means the herb doesn’t directly contact the heat because it is inside the glass tube and inserted inside the chamber or heating element.

The chamber can fit .2 grams of dry herbs, which is a nice size.

Some people will find that finely ground herb tends to get into the stem, but you can prevent this with a screen or by using a medium grind.  As the chamber is relatively isolated from almost everything, it will need minimal cleaning and maintenance as long as you clean out any leftover debris. 

How is the Solo 2 Vapor Quality?

The Solo 2 comes with a vape stem made of all glass, just like the original. This glass stem ensures that your hits aren’t ever harsh but are delicious every time. The Arizer Solo 2 features an upgrade in airflow quality, which makes each hit more robust, but it doesn’t take away from the smoothness. Whatever your vaping preferences are – big or small, and wherever you like to vape – at home or out, you won’t be disappointed in your choice to purchase an Arizer Solo 2.

By the end of the session, the herb does tend to get through the holes on the glass tube and get into your mouth. It’s like the herb loses its fluffiness and gets through the holes. Because of this, we recommend against grinding your herbs too finely. You could use a screen, but we don’t recommend that because doing so can impact the airflow. 

One of the first things you’ll notice right out of the box is the high-quality airflow and vapor cloud production. The draws are very easy as long as you haven’t overpacked the chamber. The settings are more forgiving than a similar vape in the PAX 3, and the glass airpath makes the vapor taste near best in class. 

Arizer Solo 2 Battery and Charger

Arizer is claiming to have doubled the battery life of the original Solo. The Solo 2 can run for almost 3 hours and takes approximately 2.5 hours to charge fully. The two lithium-ion batteries on the Solo 2 last an above-average amount of time, an excellent upgrade over the original Solo. The Solo 2 also has pass-through charging, which is a great feature. The charging plug for the Solo 2 is now located on the back of the unit as opposed to the original Solo, where it used to be at the bottom of the unit. We liked this feature because it makes charging easier while you vape. 

Five years later, the Arizer Solo 2 may still have the best portable vape battery. Although modern vapes feature USB-C charging and accessible/swappable batteries, the titanium seal and incredible battery life make up for it. Even when running out of battery after many sessions, you can use the pass-through charging after twenty minutes. 

Solo 2 Manufacturing Quality

The Arizer has built up a reputation over the years for its top-notch quality vaporizers and an excellent warranty. If you own the original Solo, you know what we’re talking about, and you would probably feel the same as us when you use the Solo 2.

The Solo 2 feels very similar to the original Solo with its exterior metal shell and sturdy build that can survive some mishandling. There are two color choices – mystic blue or carbon black. The only thing to look out for is the glass accessories. They are easy to drop, break, or set down and roll off a table. The warranty won’t cover this kind of damage either. 

Portability and Discreetness

The Solo 2 has an oval shape and is smaller than the original Solo. The Solo 2 is not the most portable vaporizer compared to smaller vapes like the DaVinci IQC. We don’t feel that the Solo 2 is the type of vaporizer that can easily be slipped into your pocket and light enough for carrying with you everywhere, especially with the glass stem. We would compare the ease of portability of the Arizer Solo 2 to the Mighty+.

The Arizer Solo 2 comes with a belt clip to carry it around. Still, in today’s society, no one wants to have their cell phones on their belt anymore, let alone their portable vaporizers.  We recommend purchasing a Vape Carrying Case to store your team and its accessories for safe transportation if you’re purchasing this unit.

Tips and Tricks

As the Arizer Solo 2 has one of the best airflows in the portable vape categories, its precise temperature control adds to its value right out of the box. Other cannabis vapes of the exact cost or even more expensive are often limited to pre-set temperatures or customization through a clunky application. Within the Solo 2 menu, you’ll be able to manage temperatures accurately between 50 and 220 degrees for full customization, depending on your strain.

• For lower temperatures, the glass air path will have excellent flavor and smaller clouds – great for smaller sessions or while you’re in public
• Higher temperatures will get the most out of your cannabis better than almost any other device on the market. The flavor will decline faster than low settings, but the clouds are pretty significant for the price point

For the cannabis connoisseurs, you will significantly appreciate the Solo 2 Bong Adapter for a very smooth session. Pair that with any 14mm bubbler, and you’ve got an affordable bomb vapor session in your hands. The heating chamber is the same size in all Arizer vaporizers, which means that glass stems and other accessories will work from your other Arizer devices.

Another factor of the Arizer Solo 2 is the capacity to be hooked up to a bubbler or bong adapter with ease.

These accessories provide a cooling effect that increases flavor, decreases harshness, and makes for an all-around better vaping experience. While this isn’t the case for every vaporizer, it’s definitely a perk of the Solo 2. 

How to Clean the Arizer Solo 2?

Keeping The Solo 2 vape clean is pretty easy because you only need to clean the glass stem with rubbing alcohol. You’re only dealing with the glass stem and can soak them in rubbing alcohol and rinse off. Check out our vaporizer cleaning sticks from Tools420 that will make your life easier. Alternative cleaning tip: Put the stem in a ziplock bag instead with some coarse salt, let it sit for like an hour, then give it a good shake.

Also, DON’T RINSE WITH WATER! Rinse with more iso alcohol; otherwise, water can sometimes cause the material to stick back to the stem. This method works well, and you don’t have to use as much alcohol. The Solo 2 comes with a 2-year warranty on the unit and defects, one year on the battery, which is pretty standard in the industry, and a lifetime warranty on the heating element

Solo 2 VS Original Solo

The Arizer Solo 2 vaporizer is smaller, has a new user interface, and offers more control and customization of your sessions over the original Solo as everything was already preset. Its heat-up time is around 30 seconds which is six times faster than the original Solo.

The battery life is 3 hours from 1.5 in the original model, and the charging plug is now on the back of the unit instead of the bottom, which is a bonus. The Solo 2 has better airflow than the original, and the original Solo’s curved glass stem mouthpiece is replaced with a straight one. Other than that, the vapor quality and operation of the unit are still the same, as most of the internal mechanisms of the Arizer Solo II vaporizer are the same as the original Solo.

Arizer Solo 2 Critiques

One of the biggest downsides about the Arizer Solo 2 is the fragility of the borosilicate mouthpiece. If you accidentally push or pull to hard from the chamber, there is a risk of cracking the glass. As well, they are prone to shattering when dropped from just a foot or two off the ground. The first time that you use the Solo 2, some users also complain that the glass will get stuck inside the chamber and will break as they try to force it out. 

As the glass sits right in the chamber, your resin will occasionally drip down and block the oven ports which will heavily restrict the airflow. With the Solo 2, the buildup of resin is going to be much more apparent than on other vapes because it’s all concentrated on the glass mouthpiece. While this ordinarily wouldn’t be a big deal, the clear glass will get tinted orange and black after just a few sessions which will look disgusting to the uninformed. For this reason, we often recommend the Black Arizer Glass Stem as an alternative to the standard mouthpiece. 

In terms of charging, the outdated charging port will take 3 hours to charge from dead. Since it’s not a micro-USB or USB-C port, you’ll also be out of luck if you forget your charging cable while travelling, which is why some people may prefer the Utillian 722 as an alternative vaporizer. 

Because of the way that the chamber is setup, the Solo 2 is far from being the most Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer on the market. Pushing the glass stem into the chamber can cause spillage sometimes, and if you want to stir your bowl, your herb will also often spill out accidentally.

This is made even worse by the fact that there are no dosing capsules, unlike the Zeus Arc GTS Hub which comes with 15 included dosing capsules.

If you’re looking for a laid-back 10 minute session, then the Solo 2 is for you. Even after a ten minute session with the Solo 2, you might find your ABV is still a light brown and has room for more THC extraction. 

 Solo 2 vs XMAX V3 Pro ABV

Overall Experience 

As we revisited the Arizer Solo 2 Vaporizer to update the information on this review, the consistency of clouds and usability kept coming to mind. With glass bong piece accessories, the vapor quality rivals much more expensive brands like Storz & Bickel. It is not the most portable or pocketable, especially having to keep the safety of the glass stem in mind, but it delivers consistent results in a sleek package. 

If you take the Solo 2 at face value, it’s a fast-heating battery monster with excellent airflow and comes equipped with an aromatherapy accessory in the kit. You’ll be able to fine-tune sessions in the easy-to-use menu and vapor with an extensive choice of accessories to buy. As most of the time, you’ll be using the Arizer Solo 2 at home; you may also want to check out the Arizer Extreme Q Vaporizer.

As third-generation vaporizers begin to hit the market like the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, dry herb vaporizer kits are beginning to have better ease of use and chamber loading capabilities than older vapes like the Solo 2. However, the Solo 2 remains probably the best entry-level choice for its price. 

Summary and Comparison

As we mentioned before, Arizer is a well-known brand in the Weed Vape industry and has a solid reputation in terms of quality.

They proved that again by their new member, the Solo 2 vaporizer. The upgraded battery life and the quick heat-up time on top of all other additional cool gadgets and easy-to-use features make this device an outstanding product, especially for this price range.  If you are looking for a unit that offers quality and tasteful vapor with a conduction oven, this unit can supersede your expectations. Even in 2023, it’s still managed to be near the top of our list of the Best Portable Vaporizers. 

The Solo 2 vape offers a great battery life, which is very important if you’re shopping for a portable vaporizer. However, it is not the most discreet nor portable vaporizer on the market. This is especially true when you add the glass stem on the top, as this makes it kind of difficult to carry around. If you are okay with its size and weight and you don’t need to carry the unit around with you to vape throughout the day, then it is a solid unit to consider. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to turn on Arizer Solo 2?

To turn on the Arizer Solo 2, simply press and hold the m and up arrows until the timer has counted down and the Solo 2 turns on. 

Is the Arizer Solo 2 convection?

No, the Solo 2 is hybrid as its metal chamber heats up alongside its heated air through the air vents. 

Does the Arizer Solo 2 smell? 

Yes the Arizer Solo 2 has a decent amount of smell, but will still be much less than smoking a joint. 

How much does the Arizer Solo 2 hold?

The Solo 2 is able to hold about 0.15g on average in its glass stem. 

How many hits per Solo 2 bowl?

You’ll be able to get about 5-8 good hits from the Solo 2 before your bowl is spent through a five minute session. 

Do Arizer Solo 2 and Solo 1 use the same size glass?

The Arizer Air and Solo lineup of vaporizers all use the same size of glass mouthpiece.

How efficient is the Arizer Solo 2?

The Arizer Solo 2 extraction style is very slow, needing 10 minutes to fully clear the bowl. While this might be slow for some people, it is very efficient compared to smoking joints. 

How tall is Arizer Solo 2?

The Arizer Solo 2 is 11.3 cm / 4.45 inches tall because of its long glass stem. Because of this, it’s a bit too big to get into smaller pockets. 

How does the Solo 2 compare to the Zeus GTS?

You can learn more about this comparison in our Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs. Arizer Solo 2 review.