PAX 4 Review: The Smeg Toaster of Vaporizers

The Hook: The Smeg Toaster Argument

A Smeg toaster costs £199.

A perfectly good Russell Hobbs toaster costs £25. Same job. Same result. Bread goes in, toast comes out. If you're running spec-sheet comparisons — slot count, browning settings, defrost function — the Russell Hobbs wins on a strict cost-per-feature basis.

And yet Smeg sells thousands of them every month, and people who own one will defend the purchase to anyone who asks.

Because specs aren't the point. The point is that it sits on your kitchen counter and changes the room. The point is that when your mother-in-law walks in for tea, she clocks it and says "oh, that's nice." The point is that you actually enjoy using it — pulling the lever down with that satisfying mechanical click, watching the chrome catch the morning light, feeling like a person who has their life together. It toasts bread. It toasts bread with composure.

The PAX 4 is the Smeg toaster of vaporizers.

It doesn't produce the densest vapour at the price. The Mighty+ (£255.99) extracts more thoroughly. The Solo 3 v2 (£217.99) wins on flavour. The V3 Pro (£79.99) does eighty percent of the same job for under half the price. If you build a spreadsheet, the PAX 4 loses to most of the vaporizer shop.

But none of those vapes look like the PAX 4. None of them disappear into a jacket pocket and read as a generic piece of consumer tech when you pull them out at the bar. None of them sit on a coffee table without screaming VAPORIZER at the room. Sarah owns the PAX Mini 2 in Greenstone. She's already eyeing the PAX 4 in Onyx for "when the Mini gets old."

I judged her for the Smeg toaster six months ago. We'd had a perfectly good Russell Hobbs for seven years. She bought the Smeg with her own money and put it on the counter and said "I'm not asking permission, I'm telling you it's there." Three weeks later I made my own toast on it for the first time and didn't say anything. We don't discuss this anymore.

Then PAX sent the PAX 4 over and I had the same conversation in vaporizer form.

Because the PAX 4 is what PAX have always been quietly trying to be. The PAX 3 was a flashy phone-app circus that didn't quite work. The PAX Plus was a nice-looking step backwards. The PAX Flow was the comeback that proved PAX could engineer properly when they tried. The PAX 4 is the mainline version of that comeback — same brand DNA, same minimalist design, same one-button simplicity, evolved one more generation. Better vapour than the PAX 3 (the floor was on the floor). Cleaner design than the Plus. Smaller than the Flow. The PAX you'd actually buy if you wanted one PAX.

Vapour Quality 7.8/10

Let's get this out of the way: the PAX 4 produces good vapour, not great vapour. It's a meaningful step up from the PAX 3 — denser opening draws, cleaner mid-bowl extraction, more even thermodynamics across the chamber. It's still conduction-leaning. The convection assist is doing more work than it did in the PAX 3, but you're not buying a Mighty+ and you'd be wrong to expect Mighty+ output.

It's not gonna give you clouds. That's the Reddit consensus and the Reddit consensus is correct.

What it will give you is a controlled, predictable, satisfying session — provided you sip it. Slow draws, gentle pulls, no aggression. The chamber needs time to do its work. Try to rip it like a bong and you'll get half-extracted vapour and a mouthful of warm air. Sip it like a cigar and you'll get four to six properly flavoured draws on Mode 2, and a complete bowl by the end of Mode 3.

It rewards patience more than power.

Compared to the PAX 3, the differences are real. The 3D oven screen distributes heat more evenly across the chamber, which means fewer hot spots and less stirring. The redesigned vapour path is shorter and stays cooler. The convection contribution — same architecture as the PAX Flow, scaled down — gives you cleaner opening draws than any non-Flow PAX has managed. If you've owned a PAX 3 for years and tolerated its eccentricities, the PAX 4 will feel like a generation-and-a-half jump in one move.

Compared to the rest of the field at £169.99, though, the PAX 4 is competing with vapes that beat it on raw output. The Solo 3 v2 produces noticeably better flavour through its glass path. The Veazy delivers denser clouds. The V3 Pro at less than half the price punches above its weight on density. The PAX 4 isn't trying to win those fights. It's trying to be the prettiest, most pocketable, most-frictionless vape in your collection — and it succeeds at that, with vapour quality that's now finally good enough that you don't have to apologise for the device.

The Strain Test

Two strains that test how a conduction-leaning hybrid handles modern terp-heavy hybrids — one sweet candy/gas, one citrus/funk. The PAX 4 should handle both without scorching the terps or muddying the profiles.

Strain 1: Zkittlez × Sherbanger (Exotic Genetix — Hybrid)

Modern candy-dessert hybrid. 22-26% THC. Limonene-led with caryophyllene and myrcene underneath. Tests whether the PAX 4's redesigned oven preserves bright terps or compresses them into generic sweetness.

Mode 1 (Stealth — 182°C): Flavour was present but slightly muted. Two or three useable draws, mostly invisible vapour. Good for daytime micro-sessions.

Mode 2 (Boost — 199°C): The sweet spot. Vapour density jumped meaningfully. Flavour started blending together: candy sweetness merged into gas, with peppery caryophyllene warmth underneath. Five proper draws of consistent density. Even extraction across the chamber.

Mode 3 (Heat — 215°C): Full extraction, slightly roasted finish. The grip got noticeably warm. ABV came out evenly toasted.

Verdict: Enjoyable but not expressive. Eleven draws total over a controlled seven-minute session. The bowl was thoroughly used. The strain wasn't fully celebrated.

Strain 2: Super Boof (Blockhead / Mobile Jay — Hybrid)

Blockhead × Black Cherry Punch crossed with a Mobile Jay cut. 24-28% THC. Limonene and caryophyllene dominant, with funky terpinolene and ocimene undertones. A modern terp showcase.

Mode 2 (Boost — 199°C): Smooth, consistent vapour with citrus coming through cleanly. The PAX 4 is at its best here. Six even draws, with the Super Boof's complexity gradually flattening into more general sweetness.

Mode 3 (Heat — 215°C): Full extraction but lacking punch. Three more draws to spend the bowl. Effects built properly but the experience was adequate rather than memorable.

Verdict: Consistent but not exciting. Nine draws total. Even ABV. The PAX 4 produced a clean session that did the strain no harm — but did it no special service either.

Design & Build 9.5/10

This is where the PAX 4 walks away from the field.

The body is anodised aluminium, machined to PAX's usual obsessive tolerances. Smooth pebble-curve. No visible screws. No seams. The kind of object that sits in your palm and reads as designed-not-assembled. PAX have always made the prettiest vapes in the category and the PAX 4 is the prettiest PAX they've made.

Universal agreement on Reddit: the PAX 4 has the best industrial design of any vape in its bracket.

— r/vaporents consensus

The colour options matter. Onyx is the default professional choice. Charcoal is the matt-finish stealth option. Sage Green and Burgundy are the design-led colours that turn the device into an object rather than a tool. Sarah picked up the Sage Green review unit and held it for thirty seconds before asking what it was. That's the test.

Build quality is genuinely excellent. Solid in the hand, weighted properly at 99g, machined cleanly enough that the seams between the lid and body are invisible to the eye. The matte finish on the Onyx and Charcoal resists fingerprints; the gloss finish on the Sage and Burgundy doesn't (worth knowing).

The 3D oven screen redesign is the genuine engineering improvement. Same approach PAX used in the Mini 2 and refined for the Flow — three-dimensional mesh that distributes heat across the chamber rather than concentrating it on a flat surface. You'll notice it in two ways: more even extraction (less stirring required) and easier cleaning (residue sits in a contoured mesh that brushes out).

The half-pack lid is included — proper PAX move. The Mini 2 made you buy it separately. The PAX 4 ships it as standard. Genuinely improves the device for solo users.

Battery & Charging 7.5/10

USB-C, finally. Properly, mainline-product-with-a-USB-C-port USB-C, not the proprietary magnetic dock that made every previous PAX a liability if you forgot the cable. Welcome to the rest of consumer electronics, PAX. Took you long enough.

Battery performance is the weaker side of the PAX 4. Five to seven sessions per charge in real use, depending on temperature and session length. That's adequate for an everyday-out vape — comfortable for a normal evening — but it's not class-leading. The Solo 3 v2 gets twelve to fifteen sessions on a charge. The V3 Pro at half the price gets six to eight, plus you can swap the cell in twenty seconds.

Charging is reasonably fast — full charge in about 75 minutes from flat, with a 50% charge in roughly 25 minutes. Enough for a top-up while you're eating dinner before going out.

The Sealed Battery Reality

The PAX 4 has a sealed battery. PAX's argument has always been that the body design wouldn't survive a removable-cell architecture and they're not entirely wrong — a slot for a battery door would compromise the seamless aesthetic that's the entire point of the device. But the practical consequence is that in 18-24 months of daily use, the cell will degrade, and at that point the device is either a paperweight or a £40 mail-in service through PAX.

The 10-year warranty (with registration) covers a lot of failures, but battery degradation is specifically excluded. PAX's policy is that you can ship them a degraded device for a discounted refurbishment. Some users have reported good experiences with this. Others have ended up buying the next generation instead.

The Auto-Shutoff Frustration

The PAX 4 inherits PAX's signature 3-minute session timer. The device heats, you draw, after three minutes it shuts down. For a Stealth Mode microdose this is fine. For a proper session at Mode 2 or Mode 3 it's mildly annoying — you'll wake the device once or twice per bowl by tapping the power button. PAX consider it a feature (battery efficiency, accidental discharge prevention). Most owners file it as a minor irritation.

Ease of Use 9.5/10

This is the PAX 4's home territory.

One button. Four modes. Haptic feedback. Twenty-second heat-up. Lip-sensing temperature management. Motion-detect standby. There is genuinely nothing to learn. Hold the button to turn it on. Tap to cycle modes. Wait for the haptic buzz. Draw.

You don't learn the PAX — you just use it.

This is the entire pitch of the brand and the PAX 4 delivers it as cleanly as any PAX has ever delivered it. There is no temperature dial to overthink. No on-demand technique to master. No airflow window to adjust. No replaceable batteries to manage. You pack the chamber, you pick a mode, you draw. The device handles the rest.

For first-time vape buyers, this is a genuine selling point and probably the strongest argument for buying the PAX 4 over a Solo 3 v2 or Legacy Pro 2. Both of those produce better vapour. Neither of them is as foolproof.

The Experience Modes are the trade-off. PAX have never used real degree-of-temperature control in their non-app devices. You get four presets — Stealth, Boost, Heat, and Bong (hidden mode, three full cycle clicks to access). If you've used any vape with proper 1-degree control, this feels like dropping from a thermostat to a guessing game. If you haven't, you'll never miss it.

18-22 second heat-up. Faster than the PAX 3 (40+ seconds). The haptic buzz is firm enough to feel through a jacket pocket.

Cleaning & Maintenance 8.5/10

PAX cleaning has historically been the device's weakest point. The Plus required ritual maintenance. The Mini 2 fixed half of it with the 3D oven screen. The PAX 4 inherits that fix and adds proper access to the airpath, which makes it the cleanest PAX cleaning experience yet — though still firmly behind glass-stem devices like the Solo 3 and capsule-based devices like the Legacy Pro 2.

Not hard. Just often. That's the whole story.

The Cleaning Timeline

• After 5-7 bowls: Light residue on the screen, flavour starting to feel "PAX-y." Brush the chamber, wipe the mouthpiece.
• After 15-20 bowls: Proper noticeable degradation. ISO-soak the mouthpiece and screen for 15 minutes, wipe the airpath with a dampened cotton bud, dry, reassemble.
• After 30+ bowls: Full strip. Mouthpiece, screen, half-pack lid, oven cleanout. About 12 minutes of actual work.

The PAX 4 wants attention more often than a Mighty+ wants attention, and rewards it with consistent flavour. Skip a clean and the vapour goes flat and slightly resin-y within two or three sessions.

Portability 9.5/10

This is why people still buy PAX.

At 99g and roughly the size of a roll of mints, the PAX 4 disappears into a jacket pocket, a clutch bag, or a pair of skinny jeans without making its presence known. Less obvious in the pocket than the Mini 2 (which is genuinely tiny but obviously a thing). Smaller than the Flow (which is itself excellent on portability). The flat sides sit flush against your leg. No brick-bulge. No outline. It reads as generic consumer tech.

Real-world test: Took it to a Friday night at the Northern Quarter. Front jeans pocket, no case. Used it twice — once at the bar between drinks, once on the walk between venues. Nobody clocked it either time. Stealth Mode produces minimal visible vapour, the matte Onyx finish reads as a phone or an MP3 player to anyone glancing at it, and the haptic buzz is firm enough to feel through the jacket without making a sound. This is the PAX use case.

For nights out, concerts, gigs, festivals, and anywhere the device needs to be invisible: the PAX 4 is the answer. Possibly the answer. Almost certainly the answer.

How I Actually Use This

My Default Setup: Mode 2 (199°C) for normal sessions. Half-pack lid for solo use, full chamber for shared sessions. Fine grind, gentle tamp. Bong Mode if I'm at home with the water piece.

When I Reach For It: Going out. Pubs, gigs, the cinema, dinners where I want a discreet top-up between courses. Days when I want the vape in my pocket and out of my mind. The PAX 4 has earned a permanent spot in the going-out rotation alongside the PAX Flow — the Flow when I want stronger vapour, the PAX 4 when I want lighter pockets.

When I Don't: Home sessions. The Mighty+ extracts more thoroughly, the Solo 3 v2 tastes better, the Legacy Pro 2 has the on-demand flexibility. The PAX 4 doesn't compete on raw output and isn't trying to.

The Honest Cleaning Reality: Once a week if I'm using it regularly. About 8-10 minutes for a proper screen-and-airpath clean.

Session Frequency: Three or four sessions a week through the PAX 4. It's earned its slot. It hasn't replaced anything. Sarah's tried to claim it twice.

Medical Use Notes

I'm not a doctor. I'm a bloke with chronic pain and ADHD who's been using cannabis medicinally for years now. What follows is personal experience, not clinical evidence. Individual responses to cannabis vary significantly — what works for my pain and focus may not work for yours. If you're considering medical cannabis, talk to a prescribing clinic like Sapphire, Cantourage, or Zerenia. HerbVape sells hardware, not cannabis.

For Pain Management: Mode 2 with a full chamber delivers a slow, controlled session that builds effects gradually over six to eight minutes. Onset is slower than a hybrid like the Mighty+ — closer to ten minutes for noticeable effect — but the controlled extraction means the dose is predictable and the session is repeatable. For sustained low-grade pain management throughout a day, the PAX 4 is genuinely workable. For acute breakthrough pain, the TinyMight 2 or Solo 3 v2 on demand is faster.

For ADHD/Focus: Stealth Mode is properly useful. Two or three short draws delivers a microdose without committing to a full session. The auto-shutoff (which I've otherwise complained about) becomes an asset here — it limits the dose for you. The lack of true 1-degree temperature control is the trade-off; if you've found a specific temp that works for your focus dosing, you're stuck with the nearest mode.

Session Timing: First draw to noticeable effect: 4-8 minutes depending on mode. Effects build over the session. Duration is strain-dependent but typically 1.5-2.5 hours from a full bowl on Mode 2.

The Medical User's Concern: The sealed battery. 18-24 month degradation timeline with no swappable cells. For a medical-grade dependency on the device, this is the spec sheet line that should give pause. Plan for replacement or service in two years.

Value for Money 7/10

The PAX 4 is £169.99. The PAX tax is real and the value calculation is the part of the review the design-led PAX user will skip and the spreadsheet user will linger on.

At £169.99, you're competing with:

• V3 Pro at £79.99 — denser vapour, removable battery, two-thirds-of-the-experience
• Solo 2 MAX at £128.99 — better flavour through glass, session-only
• Solo 3 v2 at £217.99 — meaningfully better vapour, glass path, session AND on-demand
• Legacy Pro 2 at £179 — wider feature spread, hybrid heating, removable battery

The price-per-performance maths don't work. They never do for PAX. They never will for PAX. If you're running a spreadsheet, the PAX 4 loses to the V3 Pro, the Smono 4 Pro, and the Solo 3 v2 at minimum. That's not a controversial statement — it's the reality of a PAX purchase, and PAX have always priced their products knowing it.

What you're paying for is design, pocketability, brand cachet, the 10-year warranty, and the easiest user experience in the category. If any of those things matter to you at the £100 markup over the V3 Pro, the PAX 4 is the right purchase. If none of them do, the V3 Pro is the right purchase.

Vs the Competition

Vs PAX 3

The PAX 4 is what the PAX 3 should have been all along. USB-C instead of the proprietary dock. 3D oven screen instead of the flat one. Better airflow path. Genuinely improved vapour. The phone-app circus is gone. If you've owned a PAX 3 and tolerated its eccentricities, the PAX 4 will feel like a generation-and-a-half jump in one move. If your PAX 3 still works and you're not bothered by the dock, you can wait for the PAX 5.

Vs PAX Flow (£259.99)

The Flow is the more powerful PAX — hybrid heating, denser vapour, side-loading oven, fast-charge USB-C. The PAX 4 is the simpler PAX — smaller, lighter, cheaper, easier. £169.99 apart. The Flow is the going-out vape if you want PAX and performance. The PAX 4 is the going-out vape if you want PAX and pocketability. Both earn 8.3/10 for very different reasons.

Vs V3 Pro (£79.99)

The PAX vs V3 Pro question is the question every PAX review has to answer. The V3 Pro produces denser vapour. It has a removable 18650. It costs £79.99 less. On a spreadsheet it wins. On a coffee table it loses. On a Friday night out it loses. The PAX 4 is a pretty vape that does its job with composure. The V3 Pro is a good vape that does its job more. Choose your priority. Don't let the other side's argument guilt you.

Vs Solo 3 v2 (£217.99)

The Solo 3 wins on vapour quality, flavour clarity, battery life, cleaning, and on-demand mode. The PAX 4 wins on design, portability, ease of use, and the fact that it doesn't look like a chunky Canadian portable. £169.99 apart. If vapour matters most, Solo 3. If pocketability and design matter most, PAX 4. If you want both, you need two vapes — and that's a defensible answer too.

The Verdict

Three weeks in, the PAX 4 has earned a slot in the going-out rotation. Not the top slot for vapour quality — the Solo 3 v2 holds that for portables, the Mighty+ for sessions, the TinyMight 2 for on-demand. But the pocket slot — the device I take out the door when I want to stop thinking about vapour quality and just have a good evening.

The Smeg toaster argument holds all the way down. The PAX 4 doesn't win the spec sheet fight. It's not trying to. It's trying to be the prettiest, most pocketable, most-frictionless device in the rotation, and at that specific brief it succeeds with composure. Sarah's already eyeing the Sage Green for "when the Mini gets old." She's not wrong to.

This is the PAX you'd actually buy if you wanted one PAX. Not the cheapest (Mini 2). Not the most ambitious (Flow). The mainline. The everyday. The vape that disappears into your jacket pocket and doesn't come out until you want it.

I publicly said the PAX Plus was overpriced. I publicly said the PAX 3 was a flashy disappointment. I was right both times. The PAX 4 is neither. It's a quietly competent design-led pocket vape that finally produces vapour you don't have to apologise for.

She's not wrong about that either. Just one more bowl.