Vaporizer Review: DaVinci MIQRO
DaVinci MIQRO Vaporizer Review
DaVinci set new standards with the IQ in 2016, which in our opinion is still one of the best portable vaporizers. When they announced the MIQRO, which was touted to be a smaller and more discreet version of the IQ, expectations were soaring months leading up to the much-anticipated launch.
Early comparisons of the DaVinci MIQRO have been made between it and the Arizer Argo, which pretty much changed the rules of the vape-in-your-pocket game. Yet despite the hype, others are concerned that too much of a good thing might be the downfall of this new device. Meaning, why fix something if it isn’t broke.
Thankfully, DaVinci keeps things simple and manages to walk the talk with the MIQRO. They borrow the best features of the IQ and pack it into a compact form factor. The result is a very small battery powered vaporizer that has a lot of things going for it. But also has a few inherent design flaws that it retains from its predecessor.
Are any of those flaws deal breakers? Let’s find out.
Here’s our detailed review of the DaVinci MIQRO.
An Overview
The MIQRO is a pocket-sized vaporizer that retains the attractive design of its predecessor, the IQ. It measures just 3” x 1.5” and gets boasting rights of being the smallest vaporizer in the market in 2019. Even smaller than the PAX 2.
The cylindrical design fits easily into your pocket (and into your palm) and it also has the LED grid on the face of the casing, that lights up as the device is powered on.
The casing is tough anodized aluminum and it doesn’t get scuffed even with regular use. The buttons are lighted and have a responsive feel to them when pressed. We also love the magnetic hinges on the lids. Ensures that it doesn’t accidentally open in your pocket.
Davinci throws in the famed loading dock into the design, which means that you’d have no problems whatsoever packing the quarter-gram of dry herbs into the oven. Just load it and tap the sides and the herbs glide into the oven, ready for use.
Those who enjoy micro-dosing and medical marijuana would love the zirconia pearl which reduces the size of the oven to 10th of a gram.
Easy Controls
Like the ARGO, this vaporizer’s controls are located on the device, and there’s no need to sync it with a smartphone app. So for those of you uninterested in yet another app cluttering their phone, the DaVinci MIQRO doesn’t require one.
There are three buttons on the side of the casing with a dot-matrix display on the front that indicate the selected heat setting and the battery status. You can use the up and down buttons to reduce or increase the heat to a specific temperature.
Alternatively, you can choose from four preset temperature settings or use, what Da Vinci likes to call ‘Smart Paths’.This allows you to select from 350° F, 370° F, 390° F and 410° F. The temperature then rises slowly by 20 degrees over the next five minutes after which the vaporizer shuts off automatically.
So, if you select 410, then the temperature will rise to 430 in five minutes, which is extremely hot for dry herb according to us. But that’s relative, isn’t it? And in the rare scenario that you find the heating inadequate, just keep the power button pressed to activate the ‘Boost mode’. This will keep increasing the temperature until it reaches the maximum.
Small Battery
One of the tradeoffs faced with the compact design and petite form factor of this device is that the MIQRO is powered by a small 18350, 900mAH battery. That gives you a runtime of about 30-minutes. That’s six sessions on one charge, but probably isn’t enough to get you through a full day without plugging in.
It takes about 45 minutes to get fully charged on an external charger. On USB though, it can be excruciatingly slow. We clocked it at 2-hours for a full charge. So keep this in mind if you use your vape more frequently.
The time it takes the device to reach proper temperature also is (in part) dependent on how fully charged the battery is at the time. On a full charge, the MIQRO takes about 30 seconds to heat up. But if the battery is low, it can take up to a minute to reach your desired temperature. Not the best, but definitely not a deal breaker either.
That said, Da Vinci does throw in an extra battery in the kit, which means that you can get about 60 minutes of run time in total. And you can always buy more rechargeable batteries if you wish to keep the sessions going.
You can also use the MIQRO when its plugged in. But you’ll find that the battery drains out a lot sooner than it gets replenished, rendering this feature useless.
Cleaning and maintenance
One of the best aspects of the MIQRO is that everything can be taken apart for a quick scrub. Simply soak the zirconia pearl and the vapor path in some soap and alcohol and you will have them as clean as new in no time.
While you can use Hempertech Q-tips and alcohol to remove any gunk in the oven, anyone who’s familiar with Da Vinci IQ would be aware of the tiny hidden spot in between the oven and the vapor path that used to get clogged with resin and oil. Da Vinci claims that the path has been redesigned completely to prevent this from occurring. But we aren’t too sure about it.
Since the MIQRO is made for light, personal use, the buildup shouldn’t occur as fast as it does in the IQ. That’s if it does ever occur.
The difference between the two kits
Buyers will notice that there are two kits to choose from.
Here’s the difference in the two:
The Standard Kit: Contains the vaporizer, two mouthpieces, a USB charging cable and a cleaning kit. Perfect for budget shoppers looking for a discreet vaporizer.
Explorer’s kit: The vaporizer, an extra battery, a herb grinding coin, a sleeve to carry the vaporizer, a smell-proof carrying case and a keychain canister to carry your herb.
DaVinci MIQRO Pros
- Smallest portable dry herb vaporizer
- Discreet and easy to use
- Excellent build quality
- Retains the design of the IQ
- Precise temperature settings
- Four temperature presets to choose from
- Smart paths that increase temperature by 20 degrees over five minutes
- Two buying options
- All controls on board
DaVinci MIQRO Cons
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a discreet, pocket-sized vaporizer that you can use for a quick session on-the-go, then the Da Vinci MIQRO is one of the best options that you have. Purchase one here. Shop our most popular vaporizers in this section for the one's flying off the shelves!
