Puffco’s Proxy packs the power of Peak Pro into a palm-sized pipe

PuffCo has frequently improved upon the shape and performance of its heating aspect because the Peak made its debut at CES 2018. In 2020 it confirmed off a extra dependable and exact heater with the over-accessorized Peak Professional. In 2022, PuffCo has as soon as once more refined its vaporizing system — additional shrinking the heating aspect and taking away the water chamber totally — right into a one-handed vape expertise, the Proxy.

The Proxy takes a lot of the identical crucible tech discovered within the Peak Professional — equivalent to aspect partitions that warmth as a substitute of the ground to stop the hash from boiling off till you really draw — and makes it sufficiently small to suit into the formfactor of a pipe. In reality, the concept behind the Proxy happened as a result of Peak customers saved utilizing their units dry (with out water within the chamber) to style extra of the terpenes.

It measures about 5 inches lengthy and just below 4 inches from the bottom to carb cap, not a lot bigger or heavier than a standard tobacco pipe. It feels extra snug in hand than the Firefly 2 or the Storz & Bickel Mighty, the latter of which is hefty sufficient to double as a self-defense brick when the necessity arises. Smashy, smashy.

The vape consists of three modular components: the glass pipe part, a base unit and the replaceable chamber inside that. The chamber twists and clicks into the bottom, and the bottom slides into the pipe physique. Straightforward peasy.

Cleansing can be a breeze, as all the pieces is swabbable if not totally submersible in 90-percent isopropyl. That’s a reduction as a result of good lord this factor spills sizzling hash like a hung over quick order cook dinner working the deep frier on Sunday morning. Inside 4 periods, I’ve obtained congealed ABX Live Resin pooling across the underside of the chamber, dribbling out of the bottom’s airflow path and encrusted across the interior lip of the pipe physique. That mentioned, cleansing up from what you see beneath took about three fluid ounces of iso, a paper towel and 5 minutes of my time (three of these devoted to letting the components soak). It’s quite a bit simpler to swab clear than the blown-glass dab monstrosities standard within the earlier decade.

The truth that the Proxy tends to dribble throughout itself is not a lot a matter of its varied items not becoming collectively snugly (they do!) however quite a limitation inherent to the fabric it vaporizes. CO2 oil by its nature tends to be an ooey-gooey mess, which is a giant a part of why I ended messing round with oils within the first place — there’s simply a lot extra cleanup and upkeep required than with flower or edibles. At the least with this, I don’t have to fret about by accident knocking it over and spilling bong water throughout the rug.

Messiness apart, the Proxy is lifeless easy to make use of. As soon as the bottom has been charged utilizing the included USB to USB-C cable, which takes about half-hour on common, merely spoon a little bit hash into the chamber, maintain the one button on the machine for 3 seconds to unlock it (so it does not by accident activate in your bag or pocket), single faucet to pick between the unit’s 4 growing temperature settings (coloured so as blue, inexperienced, crimson and white), after which double click on to get it heating. 

Just like the Peak and Peak Professional, the Proxy will rumble when it reaches the chosen temperature and can keep sizzling for round 4 drags earlier than robotically turning off the warmth. You possibly can lengthen the session by double tapping the management button as much as 4 instances and I obtained round a half dozen, four-puff periods on Inexperienced warmth degree earlier than having to recharge. Triple clicking offers you an estimate of the remaining battery life, with Inexperienced, Orange and Pink denoting the three ranges.

And, just like the Peak, the Proxy communicates by means of a sequence of coloured patterns emitted by the LED ringing the chamber: a gradual pulse means it is heating up, three crimson flashes means the battery is spent and a stable crimson ring means you let the unit get too sizzling and it gained’t reply till it’s had time to sufficiently cool off. However in contrast to the Peak, the Proxy isn’t encumbered by a companion smartphone app so that you’ll by no means have to fret about protecting the factor up to date or having your private information leak.

Given my very own hashish habits which facilities totally on middling energy 510 cartridges — all of the hash, much less of the mess! — and chomping on Breez tablets, I don’t see the Proxy changing into a day by day driver — with an MSRP of $300, it had rattling properly higher. However for these days after I desire a extra tactile expertise and to be so excessive I’m trying down on stars, the Proxy will likely be first out of my magic funtime drawer.