The XMax V4 Pro beats the XMax V3 Pro, 8.9 to 8.2, and it's the one we'd buy new. It tastes better and builds better for $10 more at US list price. The V3 Pro still suits light users on the tightest budget, and owners of a working unit can hold off.
Key differences
- Same core: convection heating, 100°C to 220°C in single-degree steps, session and on-demand modes, a swappable 18650, and a rated heat-up of about 10 seconds on both.
- Chamber: the same oven in both, about 0.15 to 0.2 g.
- Airflow: 3 positions on the V4 Pro, fixed on the V3 Pro.
- Mouthpiece: glass with a built-in 14 mm joint on the V4 Pro, so it drops straight into a water pipe. The V3 Pro uses a plastic tip with a ceramic cooling insert and needs a separately sold glass or silicone adapter for water.
- Screen: color OLED on the V4 Pro, a standard OLED on the V3 Pro.
- Charging: USB-C on both. The V4 Pro's port sits just below the airflow slider, and XMax says it stops charging on a charger rated above 5 V/2 A.
- Size: 120 g and 157.78 mm tall for the V4 Pro, 105 g and 150.2 mm for the V3 Pro.
- Price: $109 US list price for the V4 Pro, $99 for the V3 Pro.
Vapor and flavor: the biggest upgrade
The V4 Pro scores 9.2 for vapor quality against 7.5, the widest gap between these two. Drawing through its glass mouthpiece, we tasted cannabis rather than plastic or electronics. With the airflow open, a loosely packed bowl gave clean, detailed terpene flavor and an easy, airy pull.
The V3 Pro makes clean, terpene-forward hits too, but its short vapor path turns warm above 200°C. It also rewards a quick stir mid-session, because cannabis near the chamber floor extracts more heavily than the top. The V4 Pro runs warm through its straight glass too, but its 14 mm joint drops right into a water pipe.
Chamber and session style
Both pens use the same oven, which holds about 0.15 to 0.2 g. Fill it loosely to just below the rim so hot air reaches the whole load.
Both switch between a 4 or 6 minute session mode and an on-demand mode that heats for up to 30 seconds per press. On-demand lets you take a hit now and another later from the same load, so one bowl stretches further than it looks.
Build and battery
Build is the V3 Pro's lowest score at 6.5, against 7.8 for the V4 Pro. On our V3 Pro, the buttons rattled slightly and the magnetic battery door could pop off in a busy pocket. The V4 Pro's airflow slider had a little play on our unit, and its protruding glass mouthpiece needs a pocket where it won't take knocks.
Both run on a swappable 18650, with a 2550 mAh cell in current boxes. Our V3 Pro gave us about 7 sessions per charge in session mode. XMax rates the V4 Pro at about 12 six-minute sessions at 220°C, a maximum-load maker figure rather than our own count. USB-C charging is slow on both. XMax puts the V4 Pro at about three hours on a 5 V/1 A plug, so a charged spare cell earns its place.
Price and value
Both score 9.5 for value, which says a lot about how much the V4 Pro adds for $10. It tops our best budget vaporizers ranking, and both carry a 1-year warranty on the electronic base. Both take dosing capsules and handle occasional concentrates in a wax cup, included with the V3 Pro and sold separately for the V4 Pro. Our temperature guide helps you get the most from either one's single-degree control.
List prices sit $10 apart, but street prices swing a lot. The V3 Pro is often discounted well below list, and that's when it makes the most sense. Check the live prices above before you pick.
Which should you buy?
- New buyers: the V4 Pro.
- Flavor first: the V4 Pro.
- Water pipe owners: the V4 Pro, thanks to its built-in 14 mm joint.
- Light users on the tightest budget: the V3 Pro, especially when it's discounted well below list.
- Owners of a working V3 Pro: keep it, unless adjustable airflow or a glass mouthpiece would fix a real frustration.
