Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2: Should You Upgrade?

Arizer continues to take their flagship portable vaporizer further with their latest Solo 3 dry herb vaporizer. It introduced Arizer’s first vaporizer with both Session and On-demand Modes, XL stems with larger bowls for bigger appetites, bubbler-ready features for glass users, and excellent airflow for massive clouds.

With a shiny new, premium price tag to accompany it, the Solo 3 may not be exactly what you’re looking for, especially with the time-tested Solo 2 as a very reliable option.

The Solo 2 portable vaporizer has a longstanding history of excellence. It offers industry-leading battery life, flavorful vapor production, quick heat-up times, and precise temperature controls, all at a fraction of the cost of the Solo 3.

So, which Solo experience is best suited for you? Following along as these two Arizer portables go head to head to see which one reigns victorious in your search for the perfect session.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison — Solo 2 on the Left. Solo 3 on the Right.

Cut to the chase - which should I get?

Get the Solo 3 if fast, heavy sessions with bigger hits are more your style. The Solo 3 comes loaded with a stronger heater, XL stems with a bigger herb chamber, and faster heat-up times. Sessions are designed for larger hits, and fuller extractions are easy with its stronger heater and larger chambers. Swap between Session and On-demand Modes as you please and cater each session to your own unique vaping style. The Solo 3 is built like a tank and hits like a truck.

Get the Solo 2 if you’re looking for a more relaxed session than a fast and furious one. Vapor is a little lighter and less intense, but it packs great flavor. Its gentler approach grants users a little better battery performance as well and promotes sessions that you take your time with. It's the cheapest of the two, so if you’re sticking to a budget, then this is the better option.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2: Quick Summary

Similarities

Arizer vapes are hailed for their clean, flavorful vapor. These two vapes sport hybrid heating and an all-glass vapor path with glass stems. Choose an exact temperature with precise controls and enjoy long sessions at home or on the go. They both lead the portable scene in battery life with around 20 sessions per charge and can vaporize all day long while you fill up the battery. They’re portable but not pocketable, so dont expect to stash it away in your pants pocket.

Differences

The Solo 3 comes loaded with an On-demand Mode alongside its traditional Session Mode: Arizer’s first On-demand vaporizer. The Solo 3 is faster, stronger, and larger and comes with XL Stems with bigger bowls. The Solo 2 only has a Session Mode, takes a little longer to heat up, and delivers longer, lighter sessions than the Solo 3. Price-wise, the Solo 3 costs twice as much as the Solo 2: Currently $134.95 vs $279.95

Technical Specifications	Solo 3	Solo 2
Price	$279.95	$134.95
Size	Not pocketable	Not pocketable
Session Settings	Precise Temperature control 356°F to 428°F (180°C to 220°C)	Precise Temperature control 356°F to 428°F (180°C to 220°C)
Vaping Modes	Session & On-Demand	Session
Oven Size	0.1g, 0.2g with XL stems	0.1g
Heat Up Time	15 seconds	30 seconds
Sessions Per Charge	18	20
Charge Time	1.5 hours - USB-C	3 hours - Barrel Port
Warranty	2-years	2-years
Bottom line Get the Solo 3 if you want the hardest-hitting Solo vape and all the bells and whistles. Get the Solo 2 if you’re on a budget and want a lighter, gentler vaping experience.

What is the Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer?

The Solo 3 dry herb vaporizer entered as Arizer’s latest flagship vaporizer with a suite of modern features. It’s their strongest portable yet, with a robust hybrid heater, a faster heat-up time, and XL stems and WPAs with bigger bowls to produce denser, thicker sessions. It's their heaviest-hitting (and most expensive) portable vaporizer and is the obvious option for those seeking a faster, stronger Arizer portable experience.

Arizer Solo 3 Vaporizer

$275.99 Regular price: $344.99

Inhale Arizer's best with their strongtest portable yet!

Strong and tasty vapor
Session and On-demand Modes
15 second heat up
14mm adapter and screen inversion
3 hours of battery life with USB-C charging

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👉 Read Arizer Solo 3 Review

What is the Arizer Solo 2 vaporizer?

The Solo 2 was released in 2017 and has ruled the Arizer roost ever since. It introduced a redefined Solo experience with quick heat-up times, full temperature controls, and industry-leading battery life. It’s been Arizer’s most popular vaporizer ever since and will likely continue that way alongside the Solo 3 for years to come.

Arizer Solo 2 Vaporizer

$119.95 Regular price: $169.95

The Solo 2 is Arizer’s most popular portable vaporizer.

Fantastic taste
Quick heat up time
Long battery life
Easy clean up
Customizable features

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👉 Read Arizer Solo 2 Review

Both feature glass vapor paths, but the Solo 3 hits harder

The Solo line of Arizer portable vapes are hailed for their clean, flavorful sessions. Their hybrid heaters paired with all-glass stems produce a thorough extraction that retains all of the herbal flavors and preserves them as the vapor travels to your lips. Flavor is king here.

The Solo 2 and Solo 3 are similar in form and function, but the Solo 3 is fast and furious compared to the Solo 2. Its stronger heater produces thicker, more potent, and denser vapor and plows through your herbs much quicker than the Solo 2. With greater airflow with the XL Stems, you’ll pull much more out of your herbs per hit. It’s best suited for the heavy user who wants a punchier Solo experience.

The Solo 2 takes a gentler approach. Sessions are light and tasty, and the Solo 2’s more restricted airflow promotes a slower session that you’re encouraged to take your time with. You can push to the edge of combustion with the Solo 3, but not so much with the Solo 2.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Xl Stem Airflow — The XL frosted glass aroma tube on the left has an extra hole for better airflow!

Solo 3 has XL stems - bigger bowls!

We’ve dreamt of bigger bowls with an Arizer portable, and now we finally have them with the XL Stems for the Solo 3. These stems double the capacity of the original bowls and include an extra inlet hole to open the airflow even further.

These stems cook differently. They sit deeper inside the hybrid heating chamber and completely submerge into the oven for a thorough cook that finishes the bowl off in half the time of the Solo 2. Sessions are denser and more potent and push your herbs further to complete extraction.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison XL Stems and Original Stems — The XL bowls on the left double the capacity of the Original bowls on the right.

XL Stems included:

1 XL Glass Aroma Tube
1 XL Frosted Glass Aroma Tube (water pipe adapter)

Solo 3 heats up faster

Heat-up times are respectable across the Solo vapes, with the Solo 2 hitting a sweet spot of 30 seconds when it was first introduced. Arizer continues to improve with a 10 to 20-second heat-up time with the Solo 3, depending on your set temperature and current battery level. It’s the fastest vape in the Arizer lineup and among the fastest portables on the market.

The Solo 3 performs the same whether you're in session or on-demand mode. In our tests, it reached 390°F (198°C) in 16 seconds in both vaping modes.

Solo 3: 10-20 seconds to heat up in both Session & On-Demand Modes
Solo 2: 30 seconds to heat up

Both have precise temperature control

These Arizer Solo vaporizers allow you to vape at your preferred temperature, down to a single degree. They offer a wide temperature spectrum with precise controls, ranging from 356°F to 428°F (180°C to 220°C). It’s the perfect range for any type of user, whether you like light and tasty or strong and potent.
The Solo 3 also includes three preset options for Session Mode that you can choose instead and adjust as you please. In Session Mode, double-tap the center button to access the preset temperature menu. On-demand Mode utltizes five total preset temperature settings. These settings cannot be changed.

Solo 3 has Session AND On-demand modes

The Arizer Solo 2 and Solo 3 vaporizers offer sessions that reach temperature and maintain it for 5 to 15 minutes (up to 20 minutes with the Solo 3). These vapes are great for extended sessions wherever you are when you don’t want to feel rushed to hit that sweet spot.

The Solo 3, however, is the very first Arizer vaporizer to introduce On-demand Mode. Instead of a long, drawn-out session with an extended timer (Session Mode), On-demand Mode reaches temperature and holds it for about 15 seconds by default, long enough for you to take one or two hits, and then turns the heater off. It’s perfect for a quick couple of hits when you just want to get in and get out.

On-demand utilizes five preset temperatures instead of precise temperature controls. The vapor and overall session experience are the same between the two modes. The only difference is how quickly you get in and out of your session.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Solo 3 has Session and On-demand Modes

Solo 3 is great with glass bubblers

Fans of tabletop bubblers will want to pay attention to the Solo 3. It comes with two 14mm Frosted Glass Aroma Tubes (water pipe adapters) - one standard size and one XL stem. The Solo 2 can connect to a bubbler with the standard water pipe adapter (sold separately), but it doesn’t stand out quite like the Solo 3.

The large bowl of the XL Water Pipe Adapter excels with tabletop bubblers. Its open airflow allows for longer, deeper pulls in ways the Solo 2 cannot, and the stronger heater and larger oven fill your bubbler with satisfyingly milky clouds.

Flip the Solo 3 onto a glass bubbler, and its screen and controls will automatically invert to match the orientation as well. This is a great way to maximize your Solo 3 and really push it to its limits with the cool added touch of your favorite glass bubbler.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Solo 3 on a Bubbler

Both have a durable and sturdy build

These vapes are built like weapons. They’re sleek, durable, and could very well do more damage to your floor than your vape if dropped. They’re portable but not pocketable. You can take them anywhere you go, but they won’t fit inside most pockets and will take up a lot of space in a bag or purse.

Comparatively, the Solo 3 is noticeably larger than the Solo 2, which is already a beefy vape:

Dimensions:

Solo 3

Height: 5.125 in (without stem)
Width: 2 in
Depth: 1.25 in
Weight: 291g

Solo 2

Height: 4.5 in (without stem)
Width: 1.75 in
Depth: 1.38 in
Weight: 210g

Both have long-lasting battery life, but the Solo 2 is a little better

The Solo vaporizers have been the leading option for the absolute best battery life. They don’t have user-replaceable batteries, but their runtime sits around 18 to 20 sessions per charge and include passthrough charging (vape while you charge).

These vaporizers perform differently, so their batteries react differently as well. The Solo 3 produces stronger extractions, which taxes the battery more, but it goes through herbs quicker.

Arizer claims up to three hours of runtime, but we got some different results. For example, we got around an hour of runtime but plowed through 18 sessions during that time.

The Solo 2 is a gentler experience, so the battery runtime is longer. We consistently got about three hours of runtime and plowed through 20 sessions in that time.

So, while their runtimes may differ a lot, the number of sessions per charge is in the same ballpark.

Solo 3 charges faster with USB-C

Until the release of the Solo 3, charging your Solo 2 vaporizer would take up to three hours! Now, with universal USB-C charging, the Solo 3 cuts the time down to half. It’ll charge from dead to 10% in 90 seconds, to half full in just 30 minutes, and to 98% full in an hour and a half.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Solo 3 USB-C Charger

The Solo 2 utilizes a barrel port charger. It’s clunky, not widely available like USB-C is, and takes twice as long to charge.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Solo 2 Barrel port Charger

Solo 3’s interface is a bit clunky

The Solo 2 vaporizer is very easy to use. Hold the center and top or down buttons for a few seconds to turn it on, press the center to engage the current temperature, or click up or down to choose a different temperature. That’s it - three steps total, two if you don’t change the initial temperature.

The Solo 3 is a bit more complex to navigate. There are two steps to unlock the vaporizer and access the menus, which include one long button press followed by a three-button sequence to fully unlock it.

Then, you’ll choose either Session or On-demand Mode. In Session Mode, the vape will start to heat up, and you can dive right in or change the temperature. In On-demand Mode, you’ll need to press ‘up’ to engage the heater or double-click left or right to choose a preset setting.

The Solo 3’s setup is not difficult to master, but you definitely won’t pick it up and understand it right away. You'll have the user manual open a lot. If you vape for relief or have dexterity issues, this could be a major speed bump that you’ll want to consider.

Both are easy to clean and maintain

These vapes are incredibly easy to clean and maintain. The majority of your messes are contained in the glass stems, with the occasional crumb inside of the heating chamber.

For deep cleanings, simply soak the stems in isopropyl alcohol or warm, soapy water and brush the oven clean of leftover debris. For quick maintenance in between, brush the oven and stem out after each session to prevent any build-up. It’s that simple.

Arizer Solo 3 vs Solo 2 Vaporizer Comparison Cleaning and Maintenance

Price difference: $279.95 vs $134.95

With the Solo 3 and Solo 2 portable dry herb vaporizers, different price points grant you different features and session experiences. For $279.95 at POTV, the Solo 3 offers a stronger heater with more open airflow, both Session and On-demand Modes, faster heat-up times, and larger stems for heavier appetites. Battery life is shorter than the Solo 2, with about an hour of runtime per charge, but it produces around the same number of sessions per charge at 18.

For $134.95, less than half the price, the Solo 2 produces the same great vapor quality but on a lighter, gentler scale. It doesn’t hit as hard as the Solo 3. It comes with three hours of runtime but around the same number of sessions per charge at 20 and requires an outdated barrel port charger to fill up.

Both vaporizers are designed with high-quality materials and will last for years to come. Whether you need a fast and furious or light and gentle session will determine which one best suits your personal preferences.

Both have the same warranty

Both vaporizers come with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty that covers workmanship and defects, a 1-year warranty on the battery, and a lifetime warranty on the heating element. Glass parts and accessories are not covered.

Solo 3 vs Solo 2: Pros & Cons

Solo 3 Pros & Cons

Pros 👍	Cons 👎
Strong vapor	Very Large
15 second heat-up time	Expensive
Session and On-demand modes	Confusing controls
XL Bowls	Fragile glass stems
USB-C Charging
Long battery life

👉 Shop Arizer Solo 3 Vaporizer

POTV Lobo Pros & Cons

Pros 👍	Cons 👎
Excellent flavor	Not pocketable
30 second heat-up time	Barrel port charger
Great battery life	Fragile glass stems
Simple controls
Less than $150

👉 Shop Arizer Solo 2 Vaporizer

What about the Solo 2 MAX?

The Arizer Solo 2 MAX deserves a mention here because it modernizes the classic Solo 2 experience with updated features and additions. For $219.95 at POTV, the Solo 2 MAX features the following:

Same great vapor quality
Improved airflow
Water Pipe Adapter with screen inversion
Up to three hours of runtime
USB-C charging
Dark mode option

It’s worth consideration if you want a Solo 2 experience with modern features. If you want to dive a little deeper, check out our Arizer Solo 2 vs Solo 2 MAX vaporizer comparison.

Conclusion: Should you buy the Arizer Solo 2 or Solo 3?

The Solo 2 is the best choice for you if you want a more affordable Solo experience and/or a longer, lighter session. It’s more than half the cost of the Solo 3 and produces gentler sessions that you’re meant to take your time with. It takes a little longer to heat up, sessions take a little more time to finish, and its airflow is on the conservative side. If you don’t mind these points and the additional features of the Solo 3 don’t appeal to you, then the Solo 2 is a great option.

The Solo 3 is the best choice for you if you want the strongest Arizer Solo experience with modern features to maximize your sessions. The Solo 3 is designed for heavier, faster sessions with a variety of features to tailor its heightened performance. With both Session and On-demand Modes, larger XL stems, faster heat-up times, and even bubbler-ready features, the Solo 3 is the perfect choice for those who seek a versatile and powerful Arizer session.

FAQs and Common Questions

Q: Is the Arizer Solo 3 worth it?
A: If you’re looking for the strongest Arizer portable vaporizer, the Solo 3 is definitely worth it. It hits harder and faster than previous Solo models and comes updated with modern features like USB-C, Session and On-Demand Modes, and more.

Q: How long does the Arizer Solo 3 battery life last?
A: The Arizer Solo 3 vaporizer grants up to an hour of battery life, with around 18 sessions per charge.

Q: What is the best temperature for Arizer Solo 3?
A: The best temperature is the one that suits you the best. If you want a light, flavorful experience, start low, around 370°F/187°C and below. For thicker, cloudier sessions, start at 390°F/198°C and above. Anywhere between these creates a mix of flavor and clouds.