Today I have the pleasure of reviewing a brand new portable vaporizer, the Utillian 720. The 720 is the second vaporizer made by Utillian, who launched over a year ago with the 650. It’s always a good sign to see a manufacturer come out with a second option, as this typically means that things are going well. Utillian even recently updated their first vaporizer, now offering the new and improved Utillian 651 in its place..
Of course none of that guarantees that their vaporizers will be any good, which is why we’ll be taking a detailed look into the functionality of this vape today. If you’re just here for the highlights, I have to say that the Utillian 720 is a pleasantly effective device. I really enjoyed the vapor it puts out, and the manufacturing quality is also good, especially for the price. If you are new to vaporizers however, we highly recommend taking a peak at this vaporizer buyer’s guide first.
But if you want all the details on this new convection portable, read on below!
The Hardware
As usual, we’ll start by examining the design and build quality. Before getting my hands on this vape, I had heard people comparing it to the Crafty. This isn’t a comparison that is made lightly, as the Crafty is made by Storz and Bickel, a German manufacturer known for high-quality units that deliver exceptional vapor.
When I unboxed the Utillian 720, I immediately saw one of the reasons that these comparisons are being made: the two look a lot alike. They both have the same general shape and similar mouthpieces. It is important to note that one of the downsides of the Crafty’s cooling chamber/ mouthpiece however is it’s level of difficulty to clean. This doesn’t appear to be the case with the Utillian 720 however.
As far as materials go, the shell of the 720 is made from aluminum that has a rubberized finish. I really like the finish, as it feels very nice in the hand. The mouthpiece is made from plastic, which I immediately noted to pay attention to when testing the performance. I’ll get more into that later, but my concern was that the plastic may alter the vapor’s flavor.
The stainless steel heating chamber is accessed by removing the mouthpiece/ upper chamber, which has a magnetic connection. The magnets work very well, making it very easy to get to the chamber but still secure enough that you won’t have to worry about knocking it off or having your dry herbs come loose in transit.
The way the 720 is designed means that your botanicals will enjoy convection heating. This is my preferred way to create vapor, as convection heating works by passing hot air through your material. This ensures very even heating with almost no chance of burning. The alternative to this is conduction heating, which works by having your material come into contact with a hot surface. This method makes it difficult to heat material evenly, and increases the odds of combustion occurring.
Other hardware that comes with the 720 includes a pair of tweezers, a USB charger, a cleaning brush and an extra screen set. There’s also a wax canister, which should make this a very appealing unit to anyone who enjoys using both waxes and dried herbs.
The Performance
Let’s get to the good part now, and find out how this unit actually works. The magnetic cap definitely makes loading your botanicals very easy, and there’s just one button to control the power and temperature settings. Clicking the button 5 times in succession will turn it on or off, while two clicks will cycle through the temperature settings.
The current temperature setting is indicated by the color of an LED light on the unit. The actual temperatures associated with each color are:
? Green = 170° Celsius
? Blue = 180° Celsius
? Purple = 190° Celsius
? Red = 210° Celsius
This may not seem like a whole lot of options, but the 720 has a very unique feature that gives you a lot more flexibility. If you click and hold the button, the 720 enters what Utillian calls “enhanced mode,” which increases the temperature by an extra 5 degrees. You can use enhanced mode for an entire session, but I found it especially useful towards the end of mine as the extra heat helped to increase the strength of my final draws.
Vapor quality was the biggest strength of this unit in my opinion, as it delivered pleasant vapor with great flavor. While many people prefer using the upper end of temperature options with their vaporizers, I actually found that all of the settings on the 720 worked very well. If anything, the highest temperature was a bit harsh for my preferences, but this is almost always the case with portables above 200° C with short vapor pathways.
I was worried about the plastic mouthpiece affecting the flavor of the vapor, but I didn’t notice this being a factor at all in practice. The vapor tasted pure, and I actually forgot that it was plastic at first.
Based on my experience, the battery seems to last 1-1.5 hours depending on the temperature level used. You’ll only get to 1.5 hours if you stay on the lowest temperature for every session, so in practice this seems to be on the lower end of industry averages for battery life. On the plus side, this still leaves the 720 with a longer battery life than the Crafty!
One final thing worth discussing is portability. I’ve found that a lot of so-called portable vapes are limited by a lack of durability that makes transporting the units risky. I would have no problem taking the 720 with me wherever I go, as it is designed well and feels very sturdy. The shape also makes it very easy to just slip into a pocket, so you don’t need to carry around cases just to take your vaporizer places.
Conclusion
The Utillian 720 is definitely a vaporizer to consider purchasing. There are a lot of things about it that I really enjoyed, including the enhanced mode. The extra 5 degrees may not seem like much, but I felt as though it helped to extend my sessions and get more strength from the final draws that I took.
The vapor was also very enjoyable. It went down smooth, and the flavor was great. Vapor quality is the single most important part of any vaporizer, and this one did not disappoint.
As far as comparisons to the Crafty go, I’d say the 720 is a great alternative for people who don’t want to spend so much money. You’ll be getting a device with better battery life without sacrificing any core functionality or vapor quality. It’s definitely worth checking out this online vaporizer store with free shipping!
Pros
+ Attractive design
+ Smooth, flavorful vapor
+ Enhanced mode delivers extra temperature flexibility
Cons
– Battery life is average (though not bad)
– Plastic mouthpiece (doesn’t affect flavor)