The Puffco New Proxy is a portable eRig built around one clever design move. Its base, housing a 3D ceramic atomizer, battery and controls, lifts out of the included glass. It then fits into any Proxy-compatible pipe, bubbler or rig. That glass-swapping concept is the Proxy's entire identity, and it works. We reviewed the Bluetooth-enabled New Proxy that Puffco launched in September 2025, not the original model without Bluetooth.
Pocket-sized, with a 10-second heat-up and about 15 dabs per charge, the Proxy sits at mid-range pricing in the portable dabbing category. It handles low-temp terpene sipping and dense high-temp clouds through four conduction presets, all powered by Puffco's 3D ceramic chamber, which heats from its sidewalls.
The modularity is genuine and well-executed. A chamber smaller than the Puffco Peak Pro 8.2 's 3DXL and about 15 dabs per charge keep the Proxy out of our top picks. You'll find it under Also Worth Considering in our concentrate vaporizer rankings. Bluetooth app control through Puffco Connect adds custom temperatures and session settings, but the four onboard presets work fine without it.
New Proxy vs original Proxy: what changed
The Puffco Proxy is a portable eRig whose base carries the chamber, battery and controls from one glass piece to the next. Puffco launched the New Proxy in September 2025, and three things changed from the original:
- Bluetooth and app control. The New Proxy pairs with the Puffco Connect app for custom temperatures, session lengths and light bar colors. The original has no Bluetooth at all.
- A new 3D chamber. The New Proxy chamber fits only the new base.
- The Core option. Puffco's glass-free Proxy Core fits only the new base too.
Your glass carries over: Proxy glass fits both generations. When you shop, look for "New Proxy" in the listing name. To check a base you already own, hold the button for 6 seconds. If the lights pulse blue for app pairing, you have the New Proxy.
Box includes Sherlock glass, Joystick Cap, and USB-C cable
The Pipe Kit ships with the removable base, the New Proxy 3D chamber and a dry Sherlock-style glass pipe. You also get a Joystick Cap for directional airflow control, a loading tool, cotton swabs and a USB-C charging cable. The Core Kit is a different bundle that swaps the glass pipe for an aluminum cup and silicone mouthpiece.
Everything in the Pipe Kit: base, Sherlock glass, loading tool, swabs, USB-C cable and a quick-start card.
Size and design: a pocket base that swaps into Proxy glass
The Proxy's base is a compact cylinder with the removable 3D ceramic chamber sitting in the top. It's one of the smallest eRig-class vaporizers we've tested, closer in size to a lighter than a traditional dab setup.
The modular mechanism is well-executed. The base slides into the glass pipe's opening with a secure fit. The Joystick Cap clicks into place, letting you steer airflow across the chamber for more even vaporization.
An LED light bar runs along the base, invisible when powered off but glowing through color-coded presets and customizable patterns when active. Draw resistance through the dry Sherlock glass is moderate and well-tuned for the stock pipe. Pulling the base free of the glass is all it takes to swap pieces.
The base lifts straight out of the Sherlock glass.
The gray gradient Sherlock glass follows a classic pipe silhouette. It looks good but represents the most fragile component. The joint where the base sits absorbs the most stress, and a table-height drop could crack it.
There's no carrying case in the box, so pick up a padded sleeve if the glass is riding in your bag.
Third-party glass is where the design pays off. Proxy-compatible bubblers, Gandalf pipes, water rigs and custom artist pieces all accept the base. Just check that a piece is made for the Proxy, because a regular glass pipe won't fit. This ecosystem transforms the Proxy from a single vaporizer into a platform that grows with your collection.
Puffco also sells the Proxy Core, a glass-free setup with an anodized-aluminum cup, a silicone mouthpiece with an impact airpath and three ceramic terp pearls. It turns the New Proxy into a fully pocketable direct-draw vaporizer, with the mouthpiece taking the Joystick Cap's place. The Core fits only the new base.
3D ceramic chamber heats from the sidewalls in 10 seconds
The Proxy's 3D ceramic chamber runs its heating traces along the sidewalls, so the heat comes from the walls around your dab rather than from the floor. The chamber lifts out of the base for cleaning.
Broken down: glass, base, ceramic chamber, cap parts and loading tool.
Heat-up took about 10 seconds in our sessions. The light and a vibration tell you when the chamber is ready. Puffco's manual asks for 10 minutes of cooling between heat cycles, and its support page warns against more than four activations in a row.
Terpenes come through cleanly on the lower two presets (blue and green). The blue setting suits small, flavor-forward dabs where you want the strain's full aromatic profile. Green balances flavor with visible vapor density and works as the default for most sessions.
On higher settings (red and white), vapor gets noticeably denser and warmer. The Sherlock glass provides some cooling through its longer vapor path, but without water filtration, consecutive hits on the white preset run hot. If you favor high temps, pair the base with a water-filtered Proxy glass piece.
Puffco Proxy temperature settings
The four factory presets cover everything from terpene sipping to big clouds, and you step through them with single clicks.
| Preset | Temperature | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 254°C | Small, flavor-first dabs |
| Green | 266°C | The everyday default, flavor plus visible vapor |
| Red | 277°C | Denser, warmer clouds |
| White | 285°C | The biggest clouds, best through water-filtered Proxy glass |
| Boost | Set in the app | Double-click after the ready signal for more heat and a longer cycle |
Amber concentrate in the ceramic chamber, with the Joystick Cap flipped open.
Terp pearls are optional with the stock Sherlock pipe. The Core comes with three ceramic pearls, and Puffco recommends running one with that attachment. Stick to parts made for your generation of Proxy.
Keep loads small. Rice-grain-sized dabs work best. Overfill the chamber and concentrate can leak.
Load cold: Puffco recommends a cold start dab, with the concentrate in place before you heat. For more on matching concentrate types to vaporizer settings, see our cannabis concentrate guide.
Built-in battery delivers about 15 dabs per charge
Puffco rates the built-in battery at about 15 dabs per charge, depending on heat settings. We got around 15 sessions on a mix of presets. That's in line with pen-style dab vapes, though full-sized eRigs with bigger batteries last longer.
The black base assembled in the gray gradient Sherlock glass.
USB-C charging takes roughly 2 hours to reach full capacity. Pass-through charging works as long as the battery has some charge left, so you can keep dabbing while plugged in.
At five sessions a day, about 15 dabs per charge works out to roughly three days between charges. Heavy users running 8+ sessions daily should plan on nightly charging. The battery isn't user-replaceable, so long-term capacity loss is a factor at this price point. Puffco's limited warranty covers the base for two years and the chamber for six months.
Load, double-click, and inhale in under 15 seconds
Dabbing with the Proxy follows a simple workflow. Remove the Joystick Cap and drop a small amount of concentrate into the cool chamber with the included tool. Press the cap back on snugly and double-click the button. Once the chamber signals it's ready, inhale gently while moving the Joystick. In our sessions, loading to first draw took under 15 seconds.
Single-button controls keep operation straightforward. Hold the button for 3 seconds to power on or off. One click cycles through four color-coded presets (blue, green, red, white), and a double-click starts a session. Hold the button to cancel heating, click three times to check the battery and four times to dim the light bar.
Once the chamber is ready, double-clicking again activates Boost Mode, which raises the temperature and extends the heat cycle for denser clouds. Boost Mode settings are customizable through the Puffco Connect app.
A quick swab of the chamber after each session keeps residue from building up. Do it while the chamber is still warm. Around every recharge, let everything cool, pull the chamber and soak it in 90%+ isopropyl alcohol for 20 to 30 minutes. Never rinse the chamber with water or soak the base. Wipe the base contacts and airpath with an alcohol-dampened swab, and give the glass its own soak and water rinse. Let every part dry fully before reassembly.
Our eRig cleaning guide covers the full process, including how to handle the staining ("chazzing") that high-temp dabs leave behind.
Swabbing the ceramic chamber with isopropyl alcohol.
Puffco Connect app unlocks full temperature control
The New Proxy connects to the Puffco Connect app via Bluetooth, unlocking custom temperatures, session durations, vapor control and light bar colors. Custom presets save to the base itself, so once they're set, your phone can stay in your pocket. The original Proxy has no Bluetooth, so check which generation you're buying.
Bluetooth pairing is straightforward: hold the button for 6 seconds until the lights pulse blue, then select the New Proxy in the app. In our testing, the connection held reliably across sessions. Android users get Puffco's native app, while iPhone users connect through puffco.app in the Path Browser (iOS 15+ and Android 12+).
Because the settings live in the base, they travel with it. Pull the base free of the Sherlock glass, drop it into any other compatible piece, and your custom presets follow.
Twisting the base out of the Sherlock glass.
Without the app, the Proxy runs well on its four factory presets: blue 254°C, green 266°C, red 277°C and white 285°C. Most sessions land on green or red, where flavor and vapor density strike a comfortable balance. The app extends the experience rather than replacing it.
How It Compares
Here's how the Proxy stacks up against three other Puffco vaporizers.
| Vaporizer | Our score | Dabs per charge | App control | Water filtration | Moves between glass | US list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puffco Proxy | 7.8 | About 15 | Yes | With Proxy water glass | Yes, any Proxy glass | $280 |
| Puffco Pivot | 8.3 | Up to 15 on blue | No | With the optional Glass Adapter | Rig use via the Glass Adapter | $150 |
| Puffco New Peak | 8.0 | About 35 on green | No | Built in | No | $250 |
| Puffco Peak Pro | 8.2 | About 30 | Yes | Built in | No | $450 |
Puffco Proxy vs. Puffco Pivot
The Puffco Pivot 8.3 puts Puffco's 3D ceramic heating into a pen-sized 85 g body at a lower price. It heats in about 8 seconds, gets up to 15 cycles per charge on blue, and skips Bluetooth and app control.
The Proxy's advantage is the modular glass ecosystem. The Pivot is built as a pen, though an optional 10/14 mm Glass Adapter lets it run through a rig. The Proxy base drops into bubblers, pipes and custom rigs. For pure pocket portability, the Pivot wins. For glass customization and pipe-style sessions, the Proxy is the better match. Compare both Puffco portables side by side.
The Proxy beside the pen-sized Pivot.
Puffco Proxy vs. Puffco New Peak
The Puffco New Peak 8.0 is a traditional eRig with built-in water filtration, about 35 dabs per charge on green, and a lower list price than the Proxy. It runs the same four-preset control scheme without Bluetooth or app support.
The New Peak (left) and the Proxy side by side.
For at-home sessions, the New Peak delivers smoother, cooler vapor through water-filtered glass at a lower cost. The Proxy counters with portability (a pocketable base vs. the Peak's larger, heavier body) and modular glass.
If you want a travel-friendly companion and a glass collection, go with the Proxy. Everyone else is better served by the New Peak.
Puffco Proxy vs. Puffco Peak Pro
The Peak Pro sits at flagship pricing with the larger 3DXL chamber, water-filtered glass and wireless Qi charging. Both run regulated heat with app customization, but the Peak Pro wins on chamber capacity.
What the Proxy offers in return is a compact base that moves between pipes, bubblers and rigs. The Peak Pro takes replacement glass and accessories too, but it stays a water rig. For buyers who value that flexibility over chamber size, the Proxy fills a niche the Peak Pro leaves empty. Compare the Proxy and Peak Pro side by side.
Left to right: Proxy, Pivot and Peak Pro.
Who Should Buy the Puffco Proxy
Glass collectors and custom rig enthusiasts who want Puffco's 3D chamber inside their favorite Proxy-compatible artist pipe or bubbler.
Portable concentrate users who need a pocketable, torch-free vaporizer for travel that still produces flavorful dabs with minimal setup.
Puffco ecosystem buyers who already own a Peak or Peak Pro for home use and want a versatile companion vape for sessions away from home. Swapping into a different glass piece is exactly what the base is built for.
Still weighing a dab pen against an eRig? Our concentrate vape buying guide walks through the choice.
The Proxy base going into a blue glass attachment.
Skip it if:
- You dab mostly at home and want the smoothest hits. The New Peak's water-filtered glass and about 35 dabs per charge on green serve you better, for less money.
- You run 8+ sessions a day. At about 15 dabs per charge, you'll be charging every night.
- You want the smallest pocket option. The pen-sized Pivot costs less and slips into any pocket.
- You want to vaporize cannabis flower. The Proxy is built for concentrates only, so start with our best portable vaporizers.
Final Verdict: is the Puffco Proxy worth it?
The Puffco New Proxy delivers on its modular promise. Clean vapor from the 3D ceramic chamber, a steady Puffco Connect connection in our testing and genuine glass interchangeability give it real collector's appeal. The smaller chamber and about 15 dabs per charge keep it a step behind the Peak Pro for big sessions. For buyers drawn to the glass ecosystem, the New Proxy earns its mid-range asking price.
