The XMax V4 Pro beats the POTV Lobo, 8.9 to 8.6, and costs $50 less at US list price. It tastes a little better, adds adjustable airflow and on-demand hits, and its glass mouthpiece fits a water pipe directly. Pick the Lobo if you want no-stir hybrid extraction, a bigger battery, a 2-year warranty and POTV's glass lineup.
Key differences
- Heating: pure convection in the V4 Pro. The Lobo is a convection-dominant hybrid.
- Temperature: 100°C to 220°C on the V4 Pro, 160°C to 221°C on the Lobo.
- Modes: session and on-demand on the V4 Pro, session only on the Lobo.
- Heat-up: about 10 seconds on the V4 Pro, per XMax, against about 40 seconds to 198°C on the Lobo.
- Airflow: 3 positions on the V4 Pro, fixed on the Lobo.
- Oven: about 0.15 to 0.2 g in the V4 Pro, about 0.2 g in the Lobo.
- Concentrates: both take a little wax, the V4 Pro in the XMax wax cup (sold separately) and the Lobo on the pad inside its dosing capsule.
- Battery: both swap 18650 cells, with 2550 mAh in the V4 Pro box and 3500 mAh in the Lobo.
- Size: the V4 Pro is tall and slim at 120 g and about 158 mm. The Lobo is short and wide at 150 g without glass and 89 mm.
- Warranty: 12 months on the V4 Pro's electronic base, 2 years on the Lobo.
- Price: $109 US list price for the V4 Pro, $159 for the Lobo.
Vapor and flavor
The V4 Pro scores 9.2 for vapor quality against 8.8, and its pure convection gave us clean, detailed terpene flavor. Drawing through the glass mouthpiece, we tasted cannabis rather than plastic or electronics. The airflow opens up for an easy, airy pull or closes down for a tighter, cigar-style draw.
The Lobo shines at lower heat, where terpene clarity carries the session around 180°C. It also extracts evenly with no stir, and after a full session at 221°C, our spent cannabis came out uniformly dark brown.
Both run warm at the top end. Above about 205°C, we switch the V4 Pro to water, and longer Lobo draws above 210°C can scratch the throat.
Water pipes and glass
Both vapes get better through water, but they get there in different ways. The V4 Pro's glass mouthpiece has a built-in 14 mm joint, so it drops into your water pipe with no adapter.
The Lobo needs POTV's water pipe adapter, and that setup is its best configuration by a wide margin. Its heater fills a bubbler with dense vapor from the very first draw. POTV also sells bent and globe stems plus curved and gordito mini bubblers, all fitting the Lobo's magnetic glass adapter.
Battery and charging
The Lobo's Samsung 35E cell gave us 10 sessions at 198°C with 4-minute timers. XMax rates the V4 Pro at about 12 six-minute sessions at 220°C from its 2550 mAh cell. Charging favors the Lobo, at about 90 minutes over USB-C against about three hours for the V4 Pro on a 5 V/1 A plug.
Neither one runs while plugged in, but both swap cells, so a charged spare skips the wait. Our vaporizer battery guide covers safe spare-cell habits.
Session style and daily use
The V4 Pro gives you a 4 or 6 minute session mode plus on-demand hits of up to 30 seconds per press. The Lobo is session only, with a timer from 3 to 6 minutes in 30-second steps. One Lobo quirk is that its countdown starts at power-on, so heat-up eats into a short 3-minute session. The V4 Pro's countdown waits until the oven hits temperature, so you get the full 4 or 6 minutes, and it's ready in about 10 seconds against about 40 for the Lobo.
Both score 8.5 for ease and 7.8 for build, with a few rough edges each. The Lobo's display washes out in sunlight, and its threaded battery door can slip from your fingers. The V4 Pro's airflow slider had a little play on our unit.
Price and warranty
The V4 Pro wins value, 9.5 to 9.0, and tops our best budget vaporizers ranking. The Lobo sits in that ranking too, as our swappable-battery hybrid pick. Its extra $50 buys a 2-year warranty and POTV's separate 100-day return offer on qualifying purchases.
Which should you buy?
- Flavor on a budget: the V4 Pro.
- Quick single hits: the V4 Pro, with its on-demand mode.
- Fastest first hit: the V4 Pro, ready in about 10 seconds.
- Water pipe owners who want no extra parts: the V4 Pro.
- Bubbler fans and home sessions: the Lobo.
- Even, no-stir sessions: the Lobo.
- Occasional wax: either works, but the V4 Pro needs the XMax wax cup and the Lobo only takes a very small amount on its capsule pad.
- Longest warranty: the Lobo.
