I recently received the Flosstradamus Source Orb XL as a gift – my very first vaporizer. I felt cool, like I was part of a club, and I loved taking the Floss home in its handy black metal case to play with.
That plan lasted as long as it took to open the case. Here’s the problem: This artist-branded vape doesn’t come with a user manual. Not only did I have no idea how to use it – a fun challenge made all the more challenging by the fact that the vaporizer comes in multiple pieces that need to be screwed together – but I had no idea if it was suitable for dry weed or just wax.
After finding the manual online, I did some research – I read Reddit, watched some useless YouTube videos and read the manual, which makes no reference to wax versus weed. The answer: it takes wax, oil and other cannabis concentrates.
The Flosstradamus Source Orb XL is identical in every way to the Source Vape Orb XL, except for one: instead of metallic black in color, it is matte black. That is it. That’s the ONLY difference. (We covered the “basic” Source Orb XL, with its titanium construction, three-coil heating element, and five settings on these pages in March.)
In appearance, the Flosstradamus Source Orb XL reminds me of an old movie camera or expensive binoculars. The Flosstradamus Source Orb XL is not for lazy people. It’s not an easy device to understand just playing with it, and it’s easy to miss the many cool extra features, like that rotating piece on the base that adjusts the airflow and the confusing smart dial on the bottom of the battery stem. that apparently regulates the voltage and the heat.
My first few pulls resulted in a prolonged coughing fit (but that may have been my fault for inhaling too long/too much), but that just goes to show how powerful those touted atomizers are. There was little smoke and hardly any residual odor.
But despite the thing’s potent tension, I didn’t get that high and had to hit the thing repeatedly to feel long-lasting effects.
I’m a novice and lazy so maybe the Flosstradamus Source Orb XL isn’t the best vaporizer for me. It certainly makes for a confusing gift for anyone in a similar boat.
But if you’re more into the collectible aspect of vaping – or if you’re a big fan of Flosstradamus or electronic music – this vaporizer will do the trick. That is, if you don’t mind unscrewing the mouthpiece from the battery element every time you want to put it back in the holder.
THE VERDICT
Cool Factor: The Source ORB’s bulbous, onion-shaped mouthpiece is here, and you’ll look cool smoking it. I heard from several people that it reminded them of a bong or “that thing the caterpillar smoked from in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.” (Spoiler: Also a bong.)
practical: There are too many different parts for this one vape. You have to constantly unscrew and take it apart to fit it back into the trunk. Plus, it’s heavy. So is it convenient and easy to run on the run? Hell to the no.
Affordability: The Flosstradamus Source Orb XL costs $119.95. Other than its matte color, it has everything the Source Vape Orb XL has, and that’s only $89.95. So if you don’t even know who Flossstradmus is, you’re better off with the regular (and $30 less) Source Vape Orb XL.
General: The Flosstradamus Source Orb XL is clunky, takes time to assemble and needs frequent refills. Yes, it’s less messy than a good old ceramic pipe, but at least pipes are small, cheap and easy to transport. In other words, I’m glad I tried this one, but I’ll stick with my pipe and other wax vapes, thank you so much.
Rating: 2/5
Photo by Jessica Christian
