Our pick is the PAX Flow, 8.1 to 7.9 over the PAX Plus, for its hybrid heater and wide-open draw. Choose the Plus if you want the smaller body, a far longer battery and a 10-year warranty for much less money.
Key differences
- Heating: the Flow is PAX's first hybrid. The Plus uses pure conduction.
- Size: the Flow weighs 135 g at 107 x 34 x 29 mm. The Plus weighs 93 g at 98 x 31 x 22 mm.
- Oven: the Flow loads through a magnetic side door and holds up to 0.4 g. The Plus holds about 0.35 g to 0.5 g and adds a half-pack lid.
- Modes and heat-up: four modes plus a hidden Bong Mode on the Flow, ready in about 45 seconds. Four modes on the Plus, ready in about 22 to 30 seconds.
- Battery: PAX rates the Flow at about 3 sessions. We got about 10 from the Plus.
- Charging: USB-C on the Flow, a magnetic puck on the Plus.
- Warranty: 2 years on the Flow (4 if you register within 30 days), 10 years on the Plus.
- Price: the Flow launched at $350, and PAX has since cut it. The Plus has a $150 US list price.
Vapor and extraction: where the Flow earns its lead
The Flow scores 8.0 for vapor quality against 7.0, the biggest gap between these two. Its hybrid heater adds hot air to the heated oven walls, and it fixes PAX's old extraction problem. After a full session, our spent cannabis came out an even coffee brown, with no stirring and no green spots. Even in its top orange mode, the Flow kept throat irritation low and held output steady through 15 to 20 draws.
The Plus heats through the oven walls alone, so you need a tight pack for good results. Even then, we saw uneven browning near the center of the load.
The draw feels different too, since the Flow is open enough for slow sips or full lung pulls while the Plus has a moderate pull. Our convection vs conduction guide explains why the heating style matters so much.
Heat modes and water pipe use
Neither one gives you exact temperatures or an app. The Plus has four experience modes (Stealth, Efficiency, Flavor and Boost). The Flow has four petal-color heat modes plus a hidden Bong Mode, which you unlock by cycling through all four modes twice. Bong Mode holds higher heat for up to 5 minutes, built for a water pipe with an adapter, and both vapes take a water pipe adapter.
From cold, the Plus is ready in about 22 to 30 seconds and the Flow in about 45.
Size and carry: the Plus is the pocket pick
The Plus scores 9.5 for portability against 8.5, and it's one of the easiest session vapes to pocket. At 93 g and 98 mm, it disappears once you close your fingers around it. The Flow still slips into a jeans pocket, but only once it has cooled down.
Heat is the Flow's biggest weakness, because its aluminum shell got genuinely uncomfortable to hold after 6 to 8 minutes on the higher settings. PAX now recommends its silicone grip sleeve, and we treat that sleeve as essential.
Battery and charging
Battery is the Plus's clearest win, with about 10 sessions per charge in our testing, enough for a full day of moderate use. PAX rates the Flow at about 3 sessions, or roughly 30 minutes of heating.
The Flow claws some time back with USB-C, filling in about 40 minutes on a fast charger. The Plus takes about 2.5 hours on its proprietary magnetic puck, and neither one lets you vape while it charges.
Cleaning, warranty and value
The Flow is the easiest PAX to clean, because popping the side door lets a cotton swab reach every surface along the vapor path. The Plus needs an alcohol-dipped pipe cleaner through its internal vapor path every 3 to 5 sessions.
The Plus fights back on ownership, since its 10-year limited warranty dwarfs the Flow's cover and its concentrate insert adds occasional wax sessions. Both score low for value, 6.8 for the Plus and 6.5 for the Flow, since rivals offer more for the money.
If you want hybrid vapor in a lighter body than the Flow, the PAX 4 scores 8.9 and beats both. It holds the brand's spot in our best portable vaporizers ranking.
Which should you buy?
- Flavor and even extraction: the PAX Flow.
- Easy cleaning: the PAX Flow.
- Tightest pocket carry: the PAX Plus.
- All-day battery: the PAX Plus.
- Long-term ownership: the PAX Plus, with its 10-year warranty.
- Occasional concentrates: the PAX Plus.
- The best PAX overall: neither, since the PAX 4 outscores both.
