The Mighty+ wins, scoring 8.7 overall against 8.2 for the Arizer Solo 2 Max. It leads on vapor quality, ease of use and build, and it asks for almost no technique. The Solo 2 Max answers with an all-glass vapor path, a longer-lasting battery and a $180 lower price.
This is the Solo 2 Max, not the original Solo 2 that most comparisons still cover. The Max swaps the old barrel plug for USB-C with pass-through, heats in 30 seconds and puts the 14 mm water pipe adapter in the box.
Key differences
- Price: $219 US list price for the Solo 2 Max, $399 for the Mighty+.
- Vapor path: all borosilicate glass in the Solo 2 Max. A ceramic-coated chamber and PEEK cooling unit in the Mighty+.
- Battery: 15 sessions per charge from the Solo 2 Max in our testing, 11 from the Mighty+.
- Capsules: the Mighty+ takes Storz & Bickel dosing capsules and includes one. The Solo 2 Max has no capsule system.
- Oven: 0.2 g in the Solo 2 Max, 0.3 g in the Mighty+.
- Temperature range: 50-220°C on the Solo 2 Max, 40-210°C on the Mighty+.
- Size: 113 mm and 210 g for the Solo 2 Max, 140 mm and 242 g for the Mighty+.
- Water pipe: the Solo 2 Max ships with a 14 mm glass adapter. The Mighty+ needs a third-party one.
Vapor and flavor
Both use hybrid heating, but they taste different. The Solo 2 Max carries vapor through glass only, so flavor stays clean and uncolored, most expressive between 175°C and 190°C. The Mighty+ delivers thicker, denser clouds through its cooling unit and scores 9.2 for vapor quality against 8.5.
The Mighty+ is slower to start, at about 60 seconds to 180°C by Storz & Bickel's figure. Once it buzzes ready, though, the first draw is already full and dense. We timed the Solo 2 Max at 30 seconds from cold, half the wait.
Ease of use and draw
The Mighty+ is the easiest portable we've handed to first-time users, and it scores 9.0 for ease of use against 8.5. Twist open the cooling unit, drop in ground cannabis and hold the power button. The draw is low and natural, and a SuperBoost double-tap adds 15°C for 90 seconds to finish a bowl.
The Solo 2 Max asks more of you. Its draw is moderate to tight and rewards slow 10 to 15 second sips, while fast pulls cool the heater and thin the vapor. Our draw technique guide covers the sipping style it needs. Loading is quick, though: dip the glass stem into your ground cannabis and slide it into the heater.
The Mighty+ vibrates when it reaches temperature, so you can feel it's ready in a bag or a loud room. The Solo 2 Max shows current and target temperature on its OLED and gives an optional beep when it gets there.
Battery and charging
The Solo 2 Max goes longer, at 15 sessions per charge against 11 in our testing. Both charge over USB-C and support pass-through, the Mighty+ on a 15 V/3 A USB-C PD charger. A full Solo 2 Max charge takes about 3 hours. The Mighty+ reaches 80% in about 40 minutes on Storz & Bickel's Supercharger, which is sold separately. Neither battery is user-replaceable.
Cleaning
The Solo 2 Max is the easier vape to keep clean. Soak the glass stems in isopropyl alcohol for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse with warm water and let them dry, and the heater needs next to nothing. The Mighty+ takes more work: brush the chamber and screens after each session, then take the cooling unit apart and soak its parts for up to 30 minutes when residue builds up. Our vaporizer cleaning guide walks through both routines.
Build, size and value
The Mighty+ scores 9.5 for build quality against 8.2, with UL-certified safety and a warranty of up to 3 years when you register. It needs little more than routine cleaning and the odd new seal or screen. The Solo 2 Max's glass stems break on hard impacts, so a spare is wise.
In the box, the Solo 2 Max comes with a glass aroma tube, the 14 mm water pipe adapter, travel tubes, screens, stem caps and a USB-C cable with a power brick. The Mighty+ includes a USB-C cable, one dosing capsule, spare screens and seal rings and a cleaning brush, while the Supercharger and a carry case cost extra.
Neither fits a jeans pocket, and both score 7.5 for portability. The Solo 2 Max's upright glass stem sticks up well above its body and makes it a bag vape. The Mighty+ is wide at 80 mm but rides in a jacket or cargo pocket. On value, the Mighty+ still scores 8.0 against 7.8 despite costing $180 more, and it holds a spot in our best portable vaporizers ranking.
Which should you buy?
- First-time vapers: the Mighty+, with the shallowest learning curve of any portable in our rankings.
- Group sessions: the Mighty+, whose low draw resistance and cool-touch shell suit passing it around.
- Capsule users: the Mighty+, for mess-free, preloaded doses.
- Quick, full sessions: the Mighty+, with the bigger 0.3 g oven and no draw technique to learn.
- Flavor purists on a budget: the Solo 2 Max, for its all-glass vapor path at $219.
- All-day home users: the Solo 2 Max, with 15 sessions per charge and a water pipe adapter in the box.
- Slow, relaxed sippers: the Solo 2 Max, whose 0.2 g glass stem is built for patient 10 to 15 second draws.
If you want Arizer's glass flavor with an on-demand mode, our Solo 3 vs Mighty+ comparison covers the step up.
