Hands-on the newest Puffco Peak Pro with 3DXL chamber

There’s one leading portable electronic hash vaporizer—the Puffco Peak Pro—and it’s maintaining its lead this fall.

Released on the company Puffco’s ten-year anniversary in July, the re-designed Puffco Peak Pro ($420) updates the company’s flagship device, and shows Puffco sailing on into uncharted new waters.

Not the totally revamped model some had been expecting, this Pro represents the new baseline for the marquee product and captures the best “out of the box” experience.

What’s new in the Puffco Peak Pro in 2023?

Past buyers of a Puffco Peak would often upgrade to a more heavy-hitting 3D Chamber, and add a custom cap to their hash oven, which is called an atomizer. Now, 2023’s Peak Pro includes both the 3D chamber and an upgraded carb cap as standard equipment. Furthermore, the glass top bubbler has a new five-hole percolator for cooler, bigger hits. Even though the air pathway in the base is the same size, you can notice the increased chug right when you test the water level.

Beyond that, the redesigned base uses a softer, sculpted rubber grip, has a faster vibration,  and your choice of two new finishes: Onyx or Pearl. The Los Angeles-based company also updated the Hot Knife and Travel Pack in Onyx and Pearl.

Working in tandem is that totally redesigned ball cap that’s been dubbed “The Joystick” for its resemblance to a handheld controller. Gone is the single-carb glass, replaced with a metal, four-carb post that sits firmly in a rubber grommet. The improved seal is tight enough to prevent oil from splashing up, but you can still take it apart for deep cleaning.

In August, Puffco debuted the 3DXL chamber ($125)—a 78% bigger electronic oven for your hash that results in massive rips. Alongside a deeper chamber and a straw-like joystick cap, the 3DXL also unlocks a new vapor setting for the Puffco app on your smartphone—a new, super-chug mode that easily provides double the vapor of a non-upgraded Peak Pro. Longtime fans will also notice the deeper chamber prevents spillover from entering the device’s internal vapor path and damaging the device.

What’s under the hood of the latest Peak Pro?

Mostly, the unit functions like a Peak Pro. New firmware along with the 3D chamber gives all users access to the “disco mode” heating update. There’s also a new, in-app vapor adjustment option to let you customize the output for each heating setting.

According to Puffco, vapor control “uses a precise formula to maximize the amount of energy transferred into the bowl prior to dabbing. This added energy—in the form of heat—creates more potential surface area for vaporization.”

Along with more customizable heating controls, the Onyx and Pearl also have a new inhale function that cues a personalized light show as you take your hit. 

Is the latest Peak Pro version worth it?

For anyone who owns a current Peak Pro, it’s the percolating glass and joystick where you’ll feel the most FOMO. These items make the Puffco Peak push huge clouds. For this crowd, the choice to switch is a lot like having an iPhone 14 when the iPhone 15 comes out.

But those getting their first-ever Peak Pro will want to make sure to splurge on this new $420 package, over the now reduced “basic” model. It’ll save you time trying to figure out how to upgrade the basic unit.  The $125 price tag on the 3DXL atomizer—while $50 dollars more than the already upgraded one that comes with this new Peak Pro model—is worth the money for fans who are chasing the biggest possible clouds, or like taking those big globs. 

The Onyx and Pearl, the new 3DXL atomizers—plus the new Proxy Travel Bag—give fans the latest in Puffco’s accessories, app features, and appearance, just in time for their yearly Puffcon celebration happening September 30 in downtown LA.

Get there early, since Puffco has a pop-up store at the event where you can find screaming deals and often special early drops on the newest gear.