DaVinci IQ3 Review: Pure Flavor, Smart Features

Design & Build Quality

If you’ve ever seen or used any of DaVinci’s dry herb vapes, then the IQ3 will look very familiar. The outward appearance is nearly identical to the IQ2, which itself looks strikingly similar to the original IQ.

The most apparent difference between the IQ2 and IQ3 is size. The IQ3 is larger in all aspects and measures 101mm(H) x 51.5mm(W) x 28mm(D). This makes it roughly 10mm taller, 6.5mm wider, and 3.5mm thicker than the IQ2. It’s a noticeable difference. It also weighs much more at 238g versus the 158g weight of the IQ2.

In addition to the size, the IQ3 has a Type-C charging port and IQ3 branding. Otherwise, it’s indistinguishable from the IQ2. 

The brushed aluminum alloy body looks great and feels premium, and all buttons and components feel sturdy and high quality. The doors open and close smoothly and are magnetic for additional security. The airflow dial also feels excellent and provides a nice audible click for each of the four adjustment levels. It’s a solid device, which is more or less expected considering the $300 USD price tag.

The top of the IQ3 flips open on a hinge to reveal the mouthpiece, “Cool Core”, and battery compartment. There’s also a pick tool that slots into the device for convenient storage, which is pretty neat.

The flat mouthpiece can be swapped for the 10mm water adapter mouthpiece, which is included in the box. This lets you use the IQ3 with the “Hydrotube” bubbler attachment (sold separately), but I also found that it felt more natural to use than the flat mouthpiece. However, which one you use is up to you.

The battery compartment houses a 4000mAh 21700 cell. It can be removed to be charged in an external battery charger.

The bottom of the IQ3 also flips open on a hinge. This is where you’ll load your material for vaporization. I suggest using some sort of small scoop for loading the oven because, otherwise, it can be a little messy.

Portability

The IQ3 is the largest device that DaVinci offers. It’s larger than the IQ2 by quite a bit, and it’s also much heavier. However, despite the larger size and increased weight, it’s still much more portable than any desktop unit, and it can definitely be taken out of the house with you.

That said, I notice the IQ3’s weight in my pocket whenever I leave the house. It’s perhaps more suited to be carried around in a bag than in a pocket, but it’s still a portable device. Is it ideal? No, and there are lighter, more portable dry herb vapes out there, but that didn’t stop me from taking it with me wherever I went.

Oven & Cool Core

The IQ3 has a huge oven that can hold up to 0.7g of material. This is a 0.2g increase in capacity over the 0.5g oven on the IQ2, so there’s a little more room here than in its predecessor.

One feature that I really like is the adjustable zirconia pearl, which hangs off the door. By twisting the pearl, you can adjust its height to make complete contact with your material. This makes for more even and thorough heating, and you don’t have to pack the oven full for a good experience.

The glass-lined zirconia oven is completely isolated from the internal components of the IQ3. Once vaporized, vapor travels up and through the “Cool Core”, and straight into your mouth for a pure and clean experience.

But just what is this “Cool Core”? It’s a screw-like part made of zirconia-glass that, according to DaVinci, cools vapor by 50% compared to previous models. Vapor travels through this core before reaching your mouth, which allows it to cool down for smoother draws. Apparently, you can also put it in the freezer for even chillier vapor, but I admit that I didn’t try this out as I like some warmth in my draws.

To remove the Cool Core, take the pick tool under the top hinge of the IQ3 and insert the hooked end into the center of the core. If you fish around, you’ll be able to hook the side of the core and pull it up. To reinstall it, simply push it back down into the hole.

It’s worth noting that you can remove the core and vape without it installed if you wish, but the core also functions to catch any finely ground material, so you might end up with some herb in your mouth if you do this.

Airflow Adjustment Dial

The airflow adjustment dial is located on the bottom of the IQ3, on the same door that gives you access to the oven. It can be set to one of four levels, each providing a slightly different amount of airflow. Each level of adjustment produces an audible click, which makes it feel more premium.

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With the airflow open, there’s still a slight restriction to the draw, and the airflow gets tighter and tighter as the dial is closed. I preferred levels two and three for the best mix of warmth and vapor density.

Features

The IQ3 is the most feature-packed DaVinci device yet, and it’s also one of the most advanced portable dry herb vapes on the market right now.

The temperature output is what you would expect from a dry herb vape. It can reach up to 430°F / 221°C, which is more than enough to effectively vaporize dry herbs. Heating up from cold takes approximately thirty seconds to reach 370°F / 188°C.

The IQ3 uses pure conduction heating, which means that material is heated up through direct contact with the oven. Because of this, a coarse grind and a tightly packed oven produce the best results. Adjusting the zirconia pearl to make contact with the material is also necessary to effectively vaporize the material.

The IQ3 comes with a dosage pod, ceramic disc, and cotton pads, all of which can be used to vape concentrates. However, because the device can only reach 430°F / 221°C, the bare minimum temperature needed for effective concentrate vaping, it’s not as effective as it is for dry herbs and nowhere near as good as a dedicated concentrate vaporizer. My suggestion is to stick with dry herb vaping with the IQ3.

How to use the DaVinci IQ3

Using the IQ3 can seem complicated when you first pull it out of the box, but it’s a piece of cake once you get familiar with the operation. This takes some time though, and it’s not intuitive to use straight away. The user manual is the best place to start, as it fully explains how to operate the device. Without it, it’s difficult to figure out how to use the IQ3.

There are three control buttons and an LED display with 51 individual LEDs. This is different from other devices with digital displays, and it’s part of what makes the IQ3 truly unique. It gives the IQ3 a cool, retro-futuristic look you won’t get with other modern devices.

To turn the device on or off, press the power button (the round, topmost button) five times. The display will turn on to show a battery life indicator icon and then one to four blocks of LEDS.

Modes

These LED blocks are the “Smart Paths”, which start at a given temperature and slowly increase the temperature over the course of the eight-minute session. There are four smart paths, indicated by the number of LED blocks:

• Smart Path 1 (one block): 350°F – 370°F
• Smart Path 2 (two blocks): 370°F – 390°F
• Smart Path 3 (three blocks): 390°F – 410°F
• Smart Path 4 (four blocks): 410°F – 430°F

These smart paths are great because they gradually extract more and more out of your material during a session without having to manually adjust the temperature. To change the smart paths, use the adjustment buttons on the side of the IQ3. While in a smart path mode, you can press the power button once to display the current temperature.

In addition to the smart paths, you can manually adjust the temperature by pressing the power button once and then using the adjustment buttons to set your desired temperature.

The last mode is Boost mode, which can be activated by pressing and holding the power button. This quickly boosts the temperature to 430°F, and is most useful after you’ve already done a few sessions with your current material as it will extract the last remaining goodness out of your herb. Once you release the button, the IQ3 will start cooling down.

Dosage

A neat feature on the IQ3 is dosage control. This lets you input the THC & CBD percentage of your herb, and at the end of a session, the IQ3 will calculate how many mg of THC or CBD you’ve dosed for the session.

This feature is activated by pressing the power button twice within the first two minutes of turning on the IQ3. From here, you’ll select if it’s a new bowl of material, input the THC and CBD percentage values, and input how full your bowl is. It’s a bit complex to input on the device, but this brings me to the next part of this review, the DaVinci app.

DaVinci App

While the IQ3 can be controlled entirely by using the buttons on the device, using the app makes adjustments much simpler and opens up new levels of customization.

First, download the DaVinci App and create an account. Once this is done, you can turn on your device and put it into bluetooth mode. To do this, press the up and down adjustment buttons together five times quickly. The power button will flash blue, letting you know that it’s in bluetooth pairing mode.

In the app, go to my devices and press the “+” in the upper right corner to add and pair your IQ3. Once this is done, you have full access to the app and all the customization features that it offers, such as editing the temperatures of the Smart paths, easily adding the THC levels of your material for dosage tracking, access to a graph of your usage, and session history.

The app really takes the IQ3 to the next level, so I highly recommend using it to get the most out of this device.

Battery life & Charging

The IQ3 is rated as providing 90 minutes of usage time from the 4000mAh battery, and after testing, it’s a fair and accurate rating.

However, using the IQ3 at higher temperatures will deplete the battery quicker than using it at medium temperatures of 370°F to 390°F. If you want the most battery life, don’t stay above 400°F too often.

The IQ3 uses Type-C charging and takes approximately two hours to charge from completely dead.

Performance & Vapor Quality

With all this tech and all these different features, how does the IQ3 perform? The vapor quality is the best I’ve had from a dry herb vape, delivering clean and pure-tasting flavor from my herbs. 

Although it heats up to the set temperature in just 30 seconds, it takes maybe thirty seconds longer and a few pulls for it to really get going. This comes down to the pure conduction heating, and it’s hard to beat how good the vapor is once my material is fully heated.

Stirring during sessions is not required as the IQ3 does a good job of extracting compounds once it’s heated up and chugging along. At first, I still stirred and repacked between sessions just to ensure the best experience. But after testing, even this isn’t absolutely necessary, and the IQ3 evenly browns herbs even without stirring.

I tended to use Smart path two for my first session, and then three for my second and third sessions. This seems to get the most out of my herbs, with plenty of dense hits throughout a session.

The Hydrotube bubbler attachment (sold separately) is a bit pricey at $85 USD, but I loved the experience of using it. It gets filled with water and fits directly onto the 10mm mouthpiece that comes with the IQ3. It allows for bigger, smoother draws, to the point that if it wasn’t for the taste, it wouldn’t even feel like you’re vaping. It’s that smooth.

Verdict

DaVinci has always been known as one of the best brands for dry herb vapes, and the IQ3 proves why. It’s advanced but simple to use once you get the hang of the controls, and the experience is as good as you can get from a dry herb vape.

While it can also function as a concentrate vape, the maximum temperature of 430°F really restricts the IQ3’s effectiveness as such a device, and there are better dedicated devices out there for this purpose.

Things that I like about the IQ3 are the level of customization, effective vaporization of dry herb, and the great flavor and vapor quality. One thing that could be improved is the ease of use; the IQ3 is not straightforward to use out of the box, and you have to read the manual to fully understand how to use the smart paths and precision temperature control. 

As a whole, the IQ3 takes portable dry herb vapes to a new level and delivers a top-notch experience that you can take with you out of the house and on the go. It’s expensive at $300 USD, but in my experience, it’s worth every penny. Highly recommended.

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