The Storz & Bickel Mighty+ Takes Cannabis Vapes To New Highs
The makers of the Volcano are once again elevating the flower vape game.
The upgraded Storz & Bickel Mighty+ handheld vaporizer is arguably the best flower vaporizer on the market today, and despite a few flaws and quirks, it’s continued to impress for of the six months I’ve been testing it.
It may surprise non-stoners to hear this, but German engineering has long been a cult status symbol in the cannabis world. Ever since the release of the Volcano vaporizer, the Storz & Bickel company has occupied a pricey but well-defined niche—those who know, know.
Vaporizers and vapes are, in my mind, two entirely different things. While the vape (pen or otherwise) draws some side eye from the public, vaporizers aren’t as street-friendly but can definitely deliver a superior experience if they’re built well.
So compared with pen batteries, Paxes and other handhelds, the Mighty+ is empirically a better product—and it’s even an improvement on the previous version, the Mighty.
The changes aren’t revolutionary, but they’ve addressed many complaints I had with the initial model. The profile is noticeably smaller in your hand, and changes to the gripping texture make it a little more comfortable to hold.
USB-C charging means I can charge it with the universal chargers I already have plugged in around my home for other gadgets and top it off overnight on the nightstand for a quick wake and bake session on weekends.
It’s hard to remember how much charge the older unit held with a new battery, but the new Mighty+ heats significantly faster than the original ever did, and the thermometer is perceivably more sensitive, to the point that you can watch the brief temperature drops in real time when you inhale.
As for the battery life itself? It should last a full day, depending on your usage. If you’re trying to stay semi-comatose from sunrise to sleep, you may have to keep this thing near a charger—at least during an afternoon nap. But I was able to pack and puff several doses before I needed a recharge.
Most of the time, you’ll be safe just plugging it back in here or there throughout the day between sessions, but it could definitely accompany you for a day in the park, woods or green-friendly concert space.
It’s fair to argue that the Mighty+ is not technically a travel vaporizer, a pocket vaporizer, or a portable vaporizer—it’s a handheld vaporizer. You want to slip a vaporizer in your pocket? This may fit, but it is not your huckleberry.
It’s a bulky, slightly heavy lump the size of a trade paperback, and because it uses flower, you’ll likely not want to toss it in your work bag for lunch. As for the temperature controls, they’re excellent but not something you’re likely to modify frequently.
Mighty users will likely fall into the same pattern I have, which is finding a well-balanced sort of temperature and sticking to it. I could toggle between lower temperatures for lighter effects in the morning and then crank things up once the sun sets, but history has taught me that I’m not always thoughtful enough to turn it down in the mornings, leading to some very unpleasant paranoia if I was supposed to be more alert and present before lunch.
Frankly, you don’t need to be adjusting between sessions with the Mighty—its perfectly worth the money as a one-setting unitasker. Edibles can help with sleep, joints can relax your body, and dabs can buckle your knees. The Mighty is the best flower vaporizer for everything else.
There’s one beef that I have with the Mighty in both versions, and it’s the oven capsule. In order to keep the Mighty+ clean, you place your ground herb into a small metal capsule, which is easily ejected and replaced when the contents are fully used.
The problem with these “dosing capsules” is that they can be a bit difficult to open, refill, and close again, especially after multiple uses. They can bend, they can deform, and each time you manipulate it back into shape it’s a little further from factory-spec than it was.
As an illogical cheapskate, I realize that these capsules are about $.35 a piece, and that’s hardly worth a grumble. I also realize that Storz & Bickel has created tools to help you load, store, and organize these capsules.
That said, I’d been using the same one since 2017, and in fact I moved my original capsule from the original Mighty into the Mighty+. If you clean it along with the system occasionally, it will survive for years to come. I’ve since purchased a couple of packages of extra capsules, and while I still reuse them, it’s nice to pack them in bulk for the week or simply to empty my grinder.
By the way, my original Mighty is still perfectly functional, and while it does need a clean every month or so, most of the replaceable gaskets and screens will last years with some care. If you’re the kind of guy who’d rather spend an afternoon cleaning everything (while smoking a joint), you’ll be very happy with this piece.
The price sits a noticeable $50 above the original Mighty right now, but that $50 gets you added convenience, optimized function, and the same reliable construction that lasted through five years of regular use for me.
Handheld vaporizers just don’t get much better than this one — until they release the next version. From $399
Clay Whittaker is Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy, Esquire, Forbes, and Town and Country. Check out his other work here, and follow him on Instagram for more whiskey lifestyle.