What’s the Difference Between a $70 Weed Vape and a $400 One?

We put our favorite budget and upgrade cannabis vaporizers side-by-side to see what sets them apart.

two weed vapes on a counter next to each other

Published January 3, 2024

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Updated January 3, 2024

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If you’ve ever shopped for weed vapes, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a pretty drastic range of prices — some vapes are well under $100 and others soar above $500. But the dollar amounts don’t really help you understand what sets these vapes apart, and it can be hard to parse the differences in their tech and performance, among other things.

Why does one highly-rated vape cost $70 while another is $400? Are they really that different, and if so, how? To explore these questions, I’ll compare our top budget-friendly weed vape, the G Pen Dash, and a version of our pick for top upgrade weed vape, the Storz & Bickel Mighty+.

G Pen Dash Vaporizer
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Storz & Bickel Mighty+
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There are clear size differences

The first thing you’ll notice when you put these weed vapes side-by-side is the clear, sizable difference in their silhouettes. The G Pen Dash, for instance, is under four inches on its longest side, only about an inch and a quarter wide and has less than an inch in depth. All told, I’d say it’s only slightly larger in size and weight than, say, a standard Bic lighter.

Sean Tirman

Sean Tirman

By contrast, the Storz & Bickel seems absolutely massive. It’s about three and a quarter inches wide, five and a half inches tall and has a depth of about an inch and a half. Whereas the G Pen is the size of a lighter, I’d compare the Mighty to an iPhone 15 Plus — except the phone is slimmer, so maybe two iPhones stacked on top of one another.

The size difference between these two vapes has a couple of implications, however. For one, it means the G Pen is much, much more portable than the Storz & Bickel — the former is pocket-sized, while the latter might only reasonably fit in a crossbody bag, everyday backpack or tote of some kind. But it also suggests — especially when considering the price — that the tech inside is likely vastly different between them, as well. This is immediately apparent when you check out the interfaces and how they differ.

The interfaces and capabilities are distinctive

The G Pen Dash’s interface is about as close to completely minimalist as it gets. It is comprised entirely of just a single button with an LED light. With a few pushes of this button, you can turn the device on, choose between three different temperature settings (375º F, 401º F and 428º F) and turn it off. That’s it; that’s everything — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (simplicity can be quite alluring), but there’s not a whole lot of user control to be had.

But the Storz & Bickel Mighty+ is a completely different beast. It has a power button on the side that turns the device on (and starts the heat cycle) alongside a small LED display in the bottom center, which is flanked by clearly marked plus and minus buttons (the means by which you can change the temperature setting). These controls allow you to pick literally any whole-number temperature within a range of 104° F to 410° F. That means you can pick the exact temperature you prefer and, even better, set and forget your device so that it’s ready to go the second you turn it on. Lastly, it has an outstanding battery life (about 75 minutes of constant use compared to roughly 30 for the much smaller G Pen).

Even the ovens are different

As the G Pen is extremely compact, it doesn’t have a lot of space in the oven for flower. According to Tools420, it fits “around 0.1-0.15 grams.” While I haven’t measured it myself, this range seems about right. It’s probably good for a few puffs, and that’s about it. This is great for a super-compact on-the-go device, but it might be frustrating when you realize you have to refill it a lot more often.

Furthermore, the device has a glass-glazed stainless steel heating chamber and a conduction heating element (meaning it heats up your weed via direct physical contact). This is a cost-saving measure, but it does mean your weed can burn more easily and might not cook evenly. For a budget-friendly device, that’s a concession that seems worth it to me. However, when compared to the higher-end capabilities of the Mighty+, you can really see the gap between their quality.

While the G Pen uses conduction (like an electric stovetop) only, the Storz & Bickel Mighty+ utilizes a patented heating element that combines conduction and convection (more like a high-end oven) to heat your cannabis. Pair that with its ceramic-coated filling chamber and this means your flower heats more evenly (and more completely) and is at far less risk of burning and eliciting acrid smoke. So all your puffs are pleasant and smooth — which I can attest to, having used this device a great deal.

Along with that, the chamber is around three times larger than the G Pen. That means you can fit a lot more ground flower inside it, which makes for fewer refills. It’s these technological differences that excuse the Mighty+’s comparatively large size.

It’s probably also worth noting that the Dash heats up a bit faster than the Mighty+ — about 20 seconds to the Storz & Bickel’s 60 — but this is probably more a function of the size of the chamber than the quality of the tech. Smaller spaces heat up more quickly. And since the Mighty+ is all about precision, it necessitates a steadier approach.

Take a puff from each and feel the contrast

All those numbers and figures are all well and good, but it’s really the average user experience that’s going to make the difference for most people. So, how do these two devices stack up? Well, the Mighty+ is one of my favorite vapes I own — the vapor is smooth and consistent with every puff, and I feel like I’m getting as much (or as little) as I want whenever I use it.

The G Pen, while being a great budget option, has one glaring issue that I really dislike: the mouthpiece heats up when you pull from it to the point where you can actually burn your lips. The purchase of a Dash comes with a silicon cap that’s meant to ease this heating effect, but it doesn’t attach super securely (it sometimes comes off in my pocket), and it really only buys you a couple more seconds before you start to feel the burn. If you take smaller puffs and breaks between puffs, this is less noticeable, but you’re also not going to be inhaling the same amount of vapor and, therefore, it takes longer to get high. Comparatively, the more expensive G Pen Dash+ (which I also reviewed) accomplishes the silicon cap approach to a much more successful degree.

a weed pen on a counter — While the silicon cap of the G Pen Dash helps stave off the heat the device produces, it only buys you another second or two, and it falls off easily.

Is one actually better than the other? Yes, but there’s a catch

I need to start by saying that the G Pen Dash is a really superb offering for its price. I’ve tested many weed vapes in my tenure here at Gear Patrol, and it definitely stands among the best of them, even though it’s about half the price of most serviceable options. It’s not exactly feature-rich, but it doesn’t need to be. Despite its flaws, it does a great job with what it does offer. I would definitely call the Dash the best in its class, and I doubt any other in the same price range even comes close.

Having said that, I’d turn to the Mighty+ over the Dash any day of the week, given the option. But this should come as no surprise, given the preceding comparisons. The tech is exceptional; the user experience is unparalleled; and it just looks and feels like a cool, interesting device to use. Of course, it isn’t without that one major downside: at $400, it’s a hell of an investment — which, alone, may deter people. If money is a serious issue for you, the G Pen is the better bet. If you have deep, deep pockets, absolutely go with the Mighty+ (or even the Venty for a bit more, which I just recently reviewed).