Utillian 420 Vaporizer Review

The Utillian 420-A Great Entry-Level Herb Vaporizer

The Utillian 420 vaporizer is the latest offering from the revered Utillian, makers of the Utillian 651 and the Utillian 721 vaporizers.  The Utillian 420 is a tremendous value as the lowest cost, truly convective, herb vaporizer on the market.  

Simple one-button operation allows users to select one of four air  temperature set-points which are viewed on the very readable LED digital display.  

Hot air below the large ceramic chamber is drawn through botanical via the glass mouthpiece to deliver surprisingly good vapor quality, while leaving the true flavour of the herb unaltered.    

The Utillian 420 is a great looking and stealthy device too;  with a flask-like shape, and dimensions of only about 4-1/2″ x 2″ x 1″, this little vaporizer has a great hand-feel and fits neatly in your pocket. If you are looking to enter the vape scene, this the Utillian 420 is a great way to start.   Have a look with us below!

Using the Utillian 420 Vaporizer

The Utillian 420 couldn’t be much simpler to use.  

Just unscrew the glass mouthpiece holder to reveal the ceramic herb chamber.  Ground botanical is then loaded into the chamber and very lightly packed until the level of herb is flush with the top of the white ceramic heating chamber.  We like the performance when we just very lightly packed the botanical.  This allows the hot air from the heating element to evenly peculate through your precious herb to deliver the best possible vapor and economy.  We did find that after a few sessions, the herb can start to collect on the mouthpiece screen making the draw a bit harder,  but this is easily remedied by simply rubbing the sticky herb off the mouthpiece screen with your finger or a brush.   

To turn the unit on and off, simply press the power button 5 times quickly.  When the 420 is turned on, the LED display will first show the remaining battery life, then switch to the current temperature setting (which will be the last one you used), and finally the display will show heating progress at the unit heats up to the set-point.  

Changing the temperature set-point is a snap.  Just hold the power button for about 2 seconds, and the unit will cycle to the next set-point and start heating.  You can sequence through each of the 4 set-points in the same way. 

To turn the Utillian 420 off, just push the button 5 times again.  If you forget to shut it off, the 420 will shut itself off in 10 minutes.  

We were surprised and impressed that the Utillian 420 heated from room temperature to the maximum set-point temperature (220 C) in about 32 seconds!  That’s pretty darn good by comparison to many vaporizers!

Temperature Settings

The Utillian 420 does not offer precise temperature control like some of the more expensive devices. But at Rocky Shore, we found that-especially for the newcomer-the four set points of 190, 200, 210 and 220 degrees C were more than adequate for vaping cannabis on the go.  What we found worked really well, was to start at a lower temperature, and then cycle the temperature up through the settings as vapor density starts to diminish.   

Vapor Quality

We’ve given the Utillian 420 a good run for the money, and we were pleasantly surprised that this low-cost unit was able to provide very good vapor quality at all settings. 

First of all,  the air draw-through is really quite good and relatively unrestricted when compared to other low-cost devices that really have to be “sipped” because they have a harder pull.    With the 420, you don’t feel like your pulling hard at all when you take a nice long draw.  We aren’t saying that you get the free-flowing draw of the Crafty, but is not far off the Utillian 721, which is more than double the cost.  On the other hand, the 720 allows use of waxes and other features, were the 420 does not. 

At the lower settings, the  vapor is soft and flavorful and becomes richer as the temperature is increased.   We did notice a very slight throat irritation at the  highest temperature setting,  but the convective flow and glass mouthpiece made it quite palatable;  even at the highest setting, the vapor was by no means too hot for us. 

All and all, the Utillian 420 produced a very nice vapor quality comparable to much higher cost units.

Quality of Construction

Like all the Utillian products, the Utillian 420 vaporizer is a very well manufactured device that has a hefty, quality feel in your hand.  

Unlike other vaporizers in at a similar price point,  the exterior case is an anodized aluminum instead of cheaper plastic.  The glass mouthpiece is thick and robust, as is the mouthpiece holder.  

We really like the simplicity of the one-button operation, ease of switching between temperatures and the 3-function LED display, especially on such an affordable unit.  

The Utillian 420 does have a small storage compartment on the underside of the unit, but we felt it has limited practicality;  while it is large enough to accommodate a brush,  very small stash container or the glass mouthpiece, we don’t recommend it for storing herb of metal pieces, as it is also a passage for some the device wiring.

Utillian’s confidence in the device is reflected by the 1 year warranty that the apply to the Utillian 420. 

Battery Charge Life

A fully charged battery will last for about an hour, for 5 or 6 sessions.   For many people, this more than adequate to last all day, and lighter users may get a few days out of a charge.  

If you need to do a mid-day charge, it’s easy to find a power source with the micro USB charging cable; USB ports and backup power banks are almost everywhere these days.  

Discreteness

Discretion with the 420 is easy to maintain with dimension measurements of approximately 4.5″ x 2″ x 1″,  and an appearance similar to some e-liquid vaporizers.  

It is small enough to conceal in your hand, or slip into your pocket neatly.  

Stealth on, Vapmeister-Ninja!

The Bottom Line…      7.5

At Rocky Shore Cannabis, we think that the Utillian 420 is a great value for our customers, with value-added features like the multi-function LED display, and glass mouthpiece typically found in more expensive devices. 

The high quality, sleek, small design is gorgeous, and makes the 420 extremely portable,  fitting in your little purse for a night out on the town, or to slip in your pocket for a walk in the woods.

The vapor quality per dollar invested in the Utillian 420  is second to none; the four temperature presets and glass mouthpiece leave the flavour of your favorite herb unaltered, smooth and delicious.  

If you’ve been thinking about entering the wonderful world of cannabis vaporizing, but don’t want to invest a lot of money at the get-go,  we highly recommend that you give the Utillian 420 a try.   

If you have any questions at all, we hope you’ll drop a line at info@rockyshorecannabis.ca