G Pen Elite Vaporizer Review: Good Vape with a Bad Name

Despite an awful name, the G Pen Elite vaporizer is my number one pick for the best value vaporizer of the year. Quick to warm-up and delivers very solid vapor production for way under $200.

Updated: January 2021
The G Pen Elite vaporizer remains the best value / best cheap vaporizer for ~~$170~~ $120 as it delivers larger vapor production than Pax 2 while not as refined as Pax 3 or as easy to clean as the Arizer Air II.

Most portable vaporizers around $100 are cheap plastic junk, but Grenco Science delivers a decent portable vaporizer for the money and G Pen Elite stands above many other units I’ve tried. I prefer the G Pen Elite vaporizer to the Firefly 2 or Haze 3, both of which cost a good bit more money and fail to deliver as much value.

The G Pen Elite vaporizer is easy to conceal in your hand, it’s a small handle-shaped design that fits nicely in a gripped hand. The soft rubber provides a non-slip grip I’m confident I won’t drop.

How’s the vapor?

It’s strong, since the oven is at the top of the unit, you’re drawing air directly from the hot oven. Of course, that also means the mouthpiece runs a little hot as well as the inhale, don’t expect as smooth of a hit as a cool Volcano bag.

Quick to heat

From a cold start it’s fully heated at max temperature in under 30 seconds, and the LED display is very low key for a nice calm session that doesn’t draw attention to itself.

How the G Pen Elite vaporizer Rated: 89%

The G Pen Elite delivers a great value for the money, you just won’t find a better vaporizer for the money. More powerful than Pax 2, but still no Crafty or Mighty, at ~~$170~~$120 it’s a great buy.

Value: 10

~~$170~~$120 is the best price we’ve seen for a portable of this vapor strength and warm-up speed. Get this if you’re on a budget and you won’t be sorry.

Ease of use: 10

Good airflow makes for an easy draw without straining and pulling, much better than say the Pax 2 or Vapir Summit.

Design: 8

A decent build, and well-designed to fit in your hand, but the overall look is fairly uninspired. It’s no Pax or Crafty, so don’t expect Apple-level design.

Durability: 9

Seems strong enough based on my few months of testing. The mouthpiece being pulled on and off over time didn’t seem to be an issue. I will update my review if this changes over prolonged use.

Setup: 8

Press the power button five times to turn on/off. Then set the temperature and push/hold the power button again to actually start warming up. The whole power sequence is a little annoying and could be more efficient for regular users.

Loading: 9

Very large oven with nice opening — pop off the mouth piece and load up to almost .75 grams inside! But this usually isn’t a good idea unless you want to use all that in one session, herb doesn’t keep well between sessions.

Hits: 8

This is where the G Pen Elite delivers the best value, good vapor without any special inhale technique. Now it’s not as powerful as Craft or Mighty, but it won’t hurt your wallet as much either. The airflow also runs a little hot since the mouthpiece design isn’t as air-cooling as the Crafty/Mighty.

Clean-up: 9

Sometimes emptying the bowl requires a few taps and blows to fully empty it since it’s so deep.

Efficiency: 9

Even without filling the bowl the oven seems to efficiently heat the cannabis inside. I didn’t have to stir between sessions and I don’t see any green when dumping the cached oven out. Not quite as efficient as the Mighty but perhaps not a fair comparison!

Maintenance: 9

Like any portable you have to clean the oven and mouthpiece regularly to keep everything humming along nice and smooth, but with no moving parts unit seems like fairly light maintenance overall.

The Downsides

The airflow is a little hot since the mouthpiece sits right on top of the oven.

How Does G Pen Elite Compare?

G Pen Elite vs Mighty

There’s no comparison, Mighty is like having a Volcano in your pocket, it packs a punch much larger than the G Pen is capable of. Mighty is almost 3x the price for a reason, it delivers results. Winner: Mighty

G Pen Elite vs Pax 3

Pax 3 has a faster start-up time, the oven is much easier to load, and Pax 3 is easier to clean between sessions. The Elite costs less, but requires more maintenance; after about an ounce of cannabis use, the Elite mouthpiece and screen can get clogged and requires a few minutes of cleaning. Winner: Pax 3

G Pen vs Arizer Air II

Arizer has that nice glass vapor path which definitely has a cleaner and more refined taste than the plastic/rubber mouthpiece of the Elite; however, despite being a fan of the original Arizer the brand, the Elite delivers nearly the same vapor strength for a smaller price. Winner: Elite

The Bottom Line

G Pen Elite is a great value with a terrible name. While you can’t expect Crafty-level clouds, the vapor production is very good for almost $100. If you want the best, get a Crafty/Mighty. If you want the best value on a budget, G Pen Elite will not disappoint.