In January of 2018 Puffco released what I consider the Tesla of dabbing – the Puffco Peak. Their version of a portable e-rig with a sleek bubbler for on-the-go dabbing with water filtration. November 2020 they changed the game again with the Puffco Peak Pro.
I’ve been using the device for about a month now so I feel like I am in a good spot to leave a review with my experience. The number one thing I would remind people is to keep the atomizer (heating chamber) clean. I soak the atomizer in a solution of 99% ISO on a weekly basis.
The real genius in the device has always been the flat ceramic coil, sleek portable design and long battery life. The old peak had a few shortcomings but the new Peak Pro addressed all of them. Their engineering team went above and beyond with the Peak Pro.
For anyone still using a butane torch, this is a whole different level of dabbing. If you’ve been burned by crappy e-rigs in the past (Yocan to name only one), don’t let this keep you from trying the peak. This device provides a discreet, fast and stigma-free dabbing experience.
For users who do not dab, this is the first and last device you will need. There is little to no learning curve, granular temperature control and great hits everytime.
The Peak Pro is no longer a “dumb” device
The first peak had four different temperature settings. They were not really temperatures so much as a pre-programmed time settings for the device. There was no feedback so on a cold day, or for someone who pulls on the rig too fast, the device did not know to adjust the temperature accordingly.
The Peak pro changes this with an integrated thermometer. The thermometer gives the base unit feedback on how much to heat the bowl. This helps the device make adjustments for larger or smaller dabs, faster/slower tokes and varying ambient temperatures (hooray cold weather dabbers).
The Peak Pro Atomizer
Probably the biggest upgrade for device durability is the upgrade to the atomizer, or Peak Pro Chamber as they call it. The new heating chamber has an integrated thermometer as mentioned above. But for me the best upgrade is the connection. They went away from the 510 threading which was undersized and prone to short-circuiting from gunk in the threading.
The new atomizer has massive connection ports that are raised up, Unlike the 510 threading which was sunk down. I have yet to have any short circuit errors on the new Peak pro. The bowl is also 40% larger, which is great for people like Jollyroger who enjoy “bean sized” dabs.
Oculus Carb Cap
The new “Oculus Carb Cap” is a game changer in and of itself. There are two major upgrades to this design:
- The carb cap clicks in, so it can’t fall off while you’re moving the peak to hit it (letting precious dab vapor escape). This would often happen when handing it to someone, only to watch them fumble the carb cap and waste the dab.
- The carb cap now has an air inlet that creates a whirlpool of air inside of the bowl. This means you don’t have to move the carb cap around like with the initial design to get the dab to move around in the bowl and keep it from getting stuck in the corners.
The only complaint I have about the carb cap is that it’s near impossible to see the oil through the cap. It is clear but with how thick it is, any residue on the glass makes it very hard to actually see down into the bowl with the lid on.
The Puffco Peak Pro Application
The Peak Pro has an app that works with both iPhone and Android devices. I use a Pixel 3XL and it has been smooth sailing but apparently iPhone users have to perform a small workaround to get full functionality:
“For IOS users, we recommend you download the Path Browser to ensure the best experience possible. We know it’s a bit tedious to start, but once you finish you’ll be smooth sailing from there”
This is the screen the greets you when you open the app:
An overview of some of the hidden features
Lantern mode – allows you to set a colour and animation for the peak to perform. Kind of neat I guess.
Ready Mode – allows you to select a heat setting to auto-intiate when removed from the Peak Pro Dock. I didn’t spring for the charging base (have too many battery banks already kicking around) so I haven’t had a chance to try this.
Boost mode – This is a great feature. My custom heat profiles have an extended time cycle but for extra large dabs it is great being able to add +15s without having to do a full heating cycle and risk burning the dab like with the old peak.
All the power
They went all out with the charging capabilities. All I really needed was USB-C charging. They also added wireless charging that works with the Peak Pro Power Dock. The dock has it’s own 6,000 mAh battery that they say will charge the peak twice via cord or once via wireless charging.
The battery on the Peak Pro provides 30 hits. They don’t specify exactly the battery capacity but based on the dock capacity, and an average powerbank efficiency of 90% I believe the Puffco Peak pro has a battery capacity of 2800 mAh at USB voltage. I wonder if they don’t give full specs because of the rampant amount of knock-off devices.. like the Dabcool W2.
Cross Compatibility
It was a nice touch to make the glass the exact same size on both models. This means that Puffco Peak original glass is interchangable with the new peak and vice versa.
Travel Case
This is something that I have not yet used. Maybe for a camping trip I might actually take it out. When I’m on the go the peak lives in the water bottle pocket of my back pack. Call me crazy but I like having easy access to my peak.
The ‘travel pack’ edition includes an extra oculus carb cap & tether, a curved silicone mouthpiece and a q-tip backpack. In my opinion the backpack is a must. It is a cardinal sin to hit a peak without q-tipping the bowl while it is still hot and easy to clean.
Puffco Peak vs Puffco Peak Pro
Given a price difference of $100, it is absolutely no question for me. Go for the Peak Pro every time.
