Buyer's Guide To The Best CBD Vape Kits In (2021)

What Do You Get In A CBD Vape Starter Kit?

CBD vape pen kits equip you with everything you need to start vaping CBD right out of the box.

There are many different types of CBD vape kits available, and you’ll find the price range can vary from $30 to more than $100.

What vape kits include:

• A rechargeable vape device
• A  pre-filled CBD vape cartridge
• A USB charger

3 Types of Vape Devices

All vape kits come with the device itself, along with a starter cartridge or fluid and a cable to charge the device. The type of device can vary a lot.

All vapes have the same basic design — they have a battery, an atomizer (the heating element), and a reservoir to hold the CBD distillate or CBD vape juice. Some vapes are larger and store more energy; others take a smaller form to fit more easily in your pocket.

You can even find vapes that offer additional features like specific temperature control or USB ports to act as a backup battery pack for your phone or other devices.

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of vaporizers that could come with your kit:

1. Vape Pens

The most popular type of CBD vape device is a cartridge-style vape pen or a refillable E-liquid vape pen.

CBD vape pens are a thin, cylindrical device that’s a little longer than a standard cigarette. These are your best bet for a sleek and discreet design. These pens feature a universal thread (510 threading) to screw on pre-filled vape cartridges.

Vape pens can hold CBD distillate (or other cannabinoid distillates), or an E-liquid. Delta 8 THC vape cartridges are especially popular right now.

It’s wise to get a pen that has universal threading so you can try cartridges from other brands too.

Top Vape Pens:

• Kiara Naturals CBD Distillate Vape Kit
• Area 52 Vape Battery + Cartridge (best delta 8 Vape kit)
• CBDfx Vape Kit (best refillable vape pen)

$85.00

Kiara Naturals

Kiara Naturals CBD Distillate Vape Kit

5 / 5

Total CBD:	275 mg
CBD Potency:	55%
Cost per mg CBD:	$0.34
Extract Type:	Full-Spectrum
THC Content:	﹤0.2%

Expert Review Get a Deal

2. Mod Vapes

Mod vapes first appeared on the market in 2015. The purpose of these pens is to optimize the vapor clouds while using vape oils.

Key features include:

• Large external battery pack
• Voltage control settings
• Sub-ohm tank

The sub-ohm tank is important because it allows you to heat the contents with less power — producing thicker clouds at lower temperatures and maximizing battery life.

Top Mod Vape Pens:

• VooPoo Drag 3
• VooPoo Drag X Pod Mod
• SMOK Morph 2

$60.00

VooPoo Drag 3 Vape Mod

5 / 5

Tank Capacity:	1.5 mL
Coil:	0.2 ohm
Vape Style:	Refillable E-Liquid

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3. Dry Herb Vaporizers

Dry herb vaporizers are an entirely different category of vaporizers. We’ve included them on the list because there’s a lot of confusion about these devices.

Dry herb vapes look a lot like a mod device or vape pen but are optimized for vaporizing dry hemp or marijuana flower instead. You can also use delta 8 THC-infused hemp flower in these devices.

They feature a heating element, battery pack, and a chamber to hold the cannabis flower. Some of these devices will also vaporize distillate, but you’ll need a separate container for this to work properly.

Best Dry Herb Vapes:

• DaVinci IQ2
• Pax 3
• Firefly 2+

$295.00

Davinci

Davinci IQ2

5 / 5

Compatibility:	Dry Herb & Concentrates
Temperature Control:	App & device-Controlled
Other Features:	App integration, session & dose tracking, airflow control
Warranty:	10 Years

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The Benefits Of A CBD Vape Kit Over A Disposable CBD Vape

The most obvious reason for purchasing a starter kit over a disposable CBD vape pen is the cost-effectiveness over time. If you vape often, you’re going to save a lot of money by using a rechargeable and refillable vape compared to disposable pens.

A disposable CBD vape pen may be convenient and has a low cost to entry for first-time users. However, the cost can quickly add up with frequent use.

The other benefit of a rechargeable CBD vape pen over a disposable one is that the best CBD vape pens come with temperature control for more consistent hauls and less of a likelihood for dry, burnt hits that irritate the throat and lungs.

Basically, rechargeable vapes are cheaper in the long run and provide a more enjoyable vaping experience.

What’s In CBD Vape Juice?

CBD vape juice, e-liquid, or e-juice typically consists of 3–4 ingredients:

1. Hemp-derived CBD extract
2. Vegetable glycol (VG)
3. Propylene glycol (PG)
4. Natural flavoring

You’ll sometimes hear these products labeled as “CBD vape oil,” but it doesn’t contain any actual oil.

CBD (aka cannabidiol) is an extremely versatile hemp-derived compound with a long list of health benefits.

When CBD extracts are formulated for vape kits, the CBD-rich resin is extracted from the hemp plants and combined with a vape juice base. The vape juice itself is made up of vegetable glycol (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). They often come with added flavor as well.

There are some vape cartridges that contain pure CBD distillate and no vape e-liquid.

What’s The Difference Between CBD Distillate & Vape Juice?

There are several differences between vapes that use pure CBD distillate and vapes that use an E-liquid or vape juice (also called vape oil).

The major difference is in how these substances feel while you vape them. Distillate contains pure ingredients and produces very little vapor. They’re potent, so you only need a few short puffs to feel the effects.

Conversely, vape juice produces a thick white cloud of vapor because of the added VG and PG. They come in many potencies ranging from low potency to high potency, so you may need to take quite a few hits to get the effects.

How Does A CBD Vape Pen Work?

A CBD vape pen has four main components—rechargeable battery, atomizer, chamber, and CBD vape juice.

Some CBD pens are draw-activated, which means the vape pen will start heating up as you inhale.

Other devices might have a trigger button to activate the atomizer manually.

Here’s how to use your vape pen:

1. Turn on the Device

Some vape pens have an on-switch; others are turned on by pressing the button five times or holding the button for 5 seconds.

2. Activate The Atomizer

If your device is draw-activated, you can simply start inhaling. If your device has a trigger button, you’ll need to press the button while you inhale.

3. Take a Mouth Hit or Lung Hit

If you want a mouth hit, simply suck through the device using your mouth before you take a breath. This will cool the vapor and give you a smoother hit. The downside is that it isn’t going to be as strong as a lung hit, so you’ll need to take more draws.

If you want a lung hit, take a deep inhale directly into the lungs. These can be harsh but provide the strongest effects, by far.

How Do You Choose A CBD Vape Pen Kit?

CBD vape pens are a popular product offering, but not all CBD brands are doing it right. Between sup-par CBD vape oils, cheap vape devices, and poor industry practices, there are a lot of bad products out there.

Here are the factors we considered when we rounded up our list for the best CBD vape pens in 2022.

1. Quality Hemp Source

Quality CBD products start at the seed. The best vape oils come from companies that take the sourcing of their hemp seriously.

Hemp sourcing is one of the main factors we considered when compiling our list for this article. Hemp is a crop that is very sensitive to its environment. It can absorb harmful pesticides and contaminants in the soil that can make it into the final extract.

Not all CBD suppliers take farming or extraction as seriously. Many brands purchase cheap CBD to carve out larger profit margins. When choosing CBD products, whether it’s for your vape kit, edibles, or topical products, make sure you look into the brands’ hemp sourcing.

2. Clear Safety & Testing

There’s no way to tell the quality of a CBD vape kit by just looking at it. We have to depend on the integrity of the brand. One of the ways that reputable brands are fostering customer trust is through independent testing of their CBD extracts.

Independent testing or third-party lab testing involves sending off a sample of the product to a non-affiliated lab to ensure the hemp extract is free from harmful contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, or mold. 

You can find these certificates of analysis on the company’s website. What you’re looking for is that it contains the legal threshold of 0.3% THC and that the contaminant report reads “ND” or not detected.

Note: Some tests say “NT” instead — this is not the same thing. NT stands for “not tested.” These tests don’t prove anything.

When it comes to the vaporizer device itself, the heavy metals in the coil tend to be the biggest concern. Exposure to these heavy metals over time can lead to flu-like symptoms and lung irritation, which leads us to the product design.

3. Good Product Design

Ease of use and a sleek design are key factors we consider in selecting these starter kits.

A 510 thread vape pen is the industry standard in vaping. This is the thread on the battery where a CBD cartridge attaches. Most CBD brands will offer pre-filled pure hemp extracts in these cartridges, meaning your vape device will be compatible with different CBD brands.

If you’re looking at starter kits with a refillable chamber to add your choice of e-liquids, the main issue to be aware of is leakage from the device itself.

When you’re looking at higher price points for your vape devices, it’s worth looking at the ability to change out heating coils, which can help to increase the longevity of your vape pen investment.

Higher quality vape kits are designed with an intelligent charge management system that will avoid over or underheating the battery and atomizer and other risks (like catching on fire).

4. Brand Reputation & Customer Care

Brand reputation goes a long way in our books. Unfortunately, there are a lot of CBD companies out there looking to make a quick buck off the CBD industry boom.

CBD brands that have a responsive customer service team have an easy-to-navigate site, glowing reviews on forums and third-party review websites, and display an effort of manufacturing transparency are tops in our books.

How Much Should A Starter CBD Vape Kit Cost?

Basic CBD starter kits can cost $30–$40, which is a decent price point for those looking to get started with vaping CBD.

However, more robust kits on the market that hold a longer battery charge and have a much longer life expectancy and can cost upwards of $100. The vape kit you choose will depend on the budget and how frequently you partake in vaping.

For more serious users, we recommend opting for a sturdier vape pen as it will be more cost-effective for you in the long run.

Disposable Vape Cartridges vs. Refillable Cartridges

Let’s talk about the other costs associated with vaping CBD — the CBD extract or CBD e-liquid.

CBD vape cartridges are pre-filled 0.5 – 1 mL tanks with CBD extract (full-spectrum or CBD isolate). All you have to do is thread the 510 universal cartridges onto your pen and enjoy. Depending on the brand, the size of the cartridge, and CBD content, these pre-filled cartridges can cost between ($20–$50).

There are some cartridges designed to be refilled with CBD e-juice or extracts that still have the universal 510 threading.

When it comes to shopping for CBD products to fill your cartridges, you have no shortage of options — you can fill the cartridge with pure full-spectrum CBD extracts, CBD vape juices (that contain vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol), or even nicotine e-juices.

For those who enjoy more variety in their CBD vaping, refillable cartridges are your best option.

Related: Does CBD Interact With Nicotine?

Is Vaping Safe?

Some red flags in what to avoid in a CBD vape kit include:

• Vitamin E or any actual oil in the CBD e-liquid (causes lung damage)
• No third-party lab testing for the hemp extract (consider unsafe until proven otherwise)
• Cheap lithium-ion batteries (these could catch fire)
• Cheap heating elements (heavy metal warning)

The safety of vaping is a controversial topic.

While many regular cigarette and cannabis smokers have moved on to vaping methods to reduce lung irritation, some research suggests that vapor smoke can still contribute to lung irritation and asthma flare-ups.

One of the main concerns about CBD vape pen kits is that they can be poorly made.

The coils that heat up the vape juice could contain harmful heavy metals that could cause potential long-term damage to the lungs, which is why hemp sourcing and transparency with third-party lab tests are so important when shopping for products.

On top of this, the CBD and vaping industry isn’t well regulated.

Low-quality CBD extracts that contain traces of pesticides from farming or residual solvents from the extraction could end up in the final product.

Another thing to be aware of is that some CBD e-liquids may have traces of harmful additives like vitamin E, which should never be inhaled. Lipid-based compounds should never be smoked as they have been linked to lipoid pneumonia, a once-rare condition that has now seen a rise due to the popularity of vaping [1].

You can mitigate these risks by purchasing a high-quality CBD vape starter kit and shop with reputable brands that value their customer safety and transparency.

Overall, many people enjoy vaporizing their CBD for fast relief from symptoms to help them quit smoking cigarettes. For many people who enjoy vaping, it’s important to remember that this isn’t a completely risk-free option.

Whenever you combust plant material, toxins called polyaromatic hydrocarbons form. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons exist in both tobacco and cannabis smoke, and exposing yourself to those toxins is one of the risks of smoking herbs.

CBD Vape Pens vs. CBD Oil

The CBD liquid for vape pens is different from CBD oil. It’s dangerous to use CBD oil in your vaporizer.

Labeling CBD vape oil is problematic because it can be confused with edible CBD oils, which contain hemp seed oil, olive oil, or coconut oil, or vitamin E. You should never vaporize oils or fats. Cases of people vaporizing their sublingual CBD oil with a coconut oil base have been linked to lipoid pneumonia [1].

If you’re looking for a CBD to use in your vape that’s free from any cutting agents like vegetable glycerol (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), you may want to stick to CBD extracts. The FDA has labeled VG and PG safe for human consumption, but not much is known about the long-term effects of inhaling these substances.

The Takeaway: Best CBD Vape Pen Kits

One of the traditional ways of experiencing the benefits of cannabis is through smoking the plant. It’s also the fastest method for feeling the effects of hemp extracts as active compounds enter the bloodstream via the lungs within a matter of seconds.

Vaping kits are an easy introduction to receiving the benefits of CBD in its most potent and fastest form. However, you can’t always trust what you see on the package.

Since you have so many options on the market, conduct your research before deciding on a kit and shop with reputable brands that demonstrate good customer support practices.

If you’re looking for a recommendation, we really like the vape kits from Kiara Naturals, CBDfx, Area 52, or VooPoo.

References Cited In This Article:

1. Davidson, K., Brancato, A., Heetderks, P., Mansour, W., Matheis, E., Nario, M., & Fox, D. (2019). Outbreak of electronic-cigarette–associated acute lipoid pneumonia—North Carolina, July–August 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68(36), 784.