The Arizer Solo 3 edges the Crafty+, 8.4 to 8.2, on flavor and value. It's close, so let how you vape decide: the Solo 3 suits glass-path flavor and long home sessions. The Crafty+ suits a pocketable, one-button vape you can hand to anyone.
We tested the Solo 3 V2.0, the version Arizer sells now, with USB-C PD charging.
Key differences
- Vapor path: the Solo 3 carries your cannabis in borosilicate glass aroma tubes. The Crafty+ uses a ceramic-coated oven and S&B's cooling unit.
- Controls: the Solo 3 has a color display, 1°C buttons across 50-220°C, and session and on-demand modes. The Crafty+ has one button, three presets, and 1°C steps across 40-210°C through the web app.
- Heat-up: the Solo 3 reaches its set temperature in 15 seconds. The Crafty+ takes about 60 seconds to hit 180°C, then gives full vapor from the first draw.
- Battery: both are sealed. The Solo 3 is listed at 13 sessions with pass-through charging, the Crafty+ at about 5 without it.
- Size: the Crafty+ weighs 135 g at 110 mm tall. The Solo 3 weighs 280 g at 130 mm, before you fit a stem.
- Draw: restricted on the Solo 3, low and open on the Crafty+.
- Price: a $299 US list price for the Solo 3, $279 for the Crafty+.
Arizer Solo 3 vs Crafty Plus: flavor and vapor
The Solo 3 leads vapor, 9.0 to 8.2, and flavor is why. Its heater runs roughly 80% convection and 20% conduction. The same glass tube holds your cannabis and carries the vapor, which makes it one of the best-tasting portables we've tested.
The Crafty+ makes fluffy, well-cooled clouds from the very first draw, and its hybrid heater extracts evenly without stirring. Step through the presets, 180°C, 195°C and 210°C, to fully cash a bowl. Even at the top preset, the cooling unit keeps vapor smoother than most small portables.
Draw feel and ease of use
The Crafty+ leads ease of use, 8.5 to 8.0. Hold the button, wait for the green light and vibration, and draw. Its low draw resistance feels like breathing through a wide straw, so first-timers get good vapor without instructions.
The Solo 3 asks for slow, patient sips, and its unlock sequence feels clunky for the first few days. Our draw technique guide helps with a restricted draw. In return, you get on-demand mode: a press of Up fires a short timed heat cycle for a single hit.
Past the three presets, the Crafty+ needs S&B's browser-based web app for 1°C control. Set your temps once and it remembers them. The Solo 3 does everything from its buttons and color display, with no phone involved.
Battery and charging
Battery is the widest practical gap, with the Solo 3 listed at 13 sessions per charge and the Crafty+ at about 5. The Solo 3 also runs while plugged in, which turns it into a tethered desktop at home. The Crafty+ won't heat on the charger, so plan a midday top-up if you vape often.
Neither battery is user-replaceable: Arizer runs a replacement service, and a worn Crafty+ cell goes back to Storz & Bickel. Our battery guide covers how to stretch a sealed cell's life.
Size, availability and value
The Crafty+ wins portability, 8.8 to 7.8, because at 135 g it slips into a jacket pocket with its swivel mouthpiece tucked flush. The Solo 3 favors home use, and a fitted glass stem rules out pocket carry. The glass stems shatter on a hard floor and aren't covered by the warranty, so budget for a spare if the Solo 3 travels.
The Solo 3 leads value, 8.5 to 7.0, at just $20 more on US list price. Its box includes four glass stems, two of them for water pipes. The XL stem holds up to 0.5 g and the standard stem less, against about 0.25 g in the Crafty+ oven. It's also the endurance pick in our best portable vaporizers ranking.
Storz & Bickel is phasing the Crafty+ out, and retailers say current stock is the last. Warranty support continues, so a new unit is still covered for two years.
Cleaning and upkeep
The Solo 3 is the easier vape to keep clean. Drop the cooled glass stems in isopropyl alcohol for a couple of hours, then rinse and dry them, and a spare stem keeps you vaping while one soaks. The Crafty+ needs its oven brushed after each session. When the draw tightens, take the cooling unit apart and soak its parts, minus the cap lock, in isopropyl alcohol for up to 30 minutes. Dosing capsules keep its oven cleaner between deep cleans. Our cleaning guide covers both.
Which should you buy?
- Flavor first: the Solo 3 and its all-glass path.
- Pocket carry: the Crafty+, at 135 g.
- All-day home sessions: the Solo 3, with pass-through charging.
- Quick single hits: the Solo 3, with a 15-second heat-up and on-demand mode.
- Beginners and sharing: the Crafty+, with one button and an open draw.
- Water pipe sessions: the Solo 3, with two water pipe stems in the box.
- Official dosing capsules: the Crafty+.
