Review: Prrl Labs Neo and Terp Surfer
The Vaporizer that isn’t a Vaporizer works best with a pipe that isn’t a pipe!
Product Review
Vaporizers I Love: Prrl Labs Neo and Terp Surfer
The Vaporizer that isn’t a Vaporizer works with a pipe that isn’t a pipe!
Budget
The Neo alone is a higher-budget vaporizer ($199 retail for white, $229 retail for black), but there are sales frequently, and often on bundles with the award-winning Terp Surfer.
Vapor Flavor
I love the flavor that I can get using the Neo, and it’s very effective at extraction especially if you pair it with the Terp Surfer. Its capability of extracting amazing flavor is impressive. It delivers the best flavored vapor I’ve experienced, and once I got over the learning curve, it really ‘rips.’ If you’re looking for something to take your flavor experience to the next level, or crave something that invites you to explore cannabis in a new way, the Neo and Terp Surfer are great!
Heating Style: Conduction, Convection, or Hybrid?
Pure convection fueled by the device’s inviting glow.
Cleaning
It’s a snap — the Neo isn’t a conventional vaporizer. There’s no worries about cleaning it as frequently! The Terp Surfer is easy to disassemble, and it’s obvious that ease of cleaning is part of the time. Mark and the team at Prrl Labs are obsessed with flavor.
Durability
The Neo isn’t the sort of device you throw into your bag. You can certainly place it nicely into a case before you put it in your bag. One of its features is the quartz chimney that allows you to see your cannabis as your vaporize it, so care is needed when using and transporting the unit. Please don’t throw the Neo around. It doesn’t like it. If you DO have issues with the quartz chimney, there’s a chimney repair service (whew!).
Temperature Control
The Neo uses a Diamond system to indicate how much power the unit is getting (for the black Neo this ranges from 0 diamonds to 5), and your breath and amount of airflow around your cannabis also modulates temperature! I normally have mine turned down to 0 (I have a black Neo, which due to surface treatment is even more efficient at extraction), and get amazing hits and astonishing flavor.
Chamber Size and Dosing
You can use the Neo with pipes with a wide variety of chamber sizes!
Session Control
The Neo’s session control comes down to learning how to use the Neo itself — there is a 30 second heat cycle, or once the device is heated you can press the button to heat.
Ease of Use
The Neo is easy to use but tricky to master. The most important part of using the Neo is getting a good strong seal between the Neo and the pipe. It also takes understanding airflow. I’ve found that ‘priming’ the pipe by doing a few quick puffs to pull the heat through makes the Neo even more effective, but the learning curve does make this one tricky.
Vapor Production
The Neo can create some dense, lung challenging clouds. My first day experimenting with it definitely broke through tolerance issues (read: I got very, very high). The Neo can be used to create exceptional clouds. It also creates beautifully flavored and nuanced vapor.
Time to Toke
It takes around 30 seconds to run a full pre-heat cycle, but I often start midway through because I’m impatient, so the time to toke is rather low.
Form Factor / Portability
The Neo has a great form factor and makes you feel like you’re holding a light saber. With a case it’s very portable, but as I said — the quartz chimney needs to be protected (transporting it in the included silicone sleeve helps!).
Battery Life
I can fit seven good sessions to a battery charge and I’m satisfied with that. It also features a swappable 18650 battery!
Discretion
The form factor is relatively discreet when it comes to pocketability, but if you don’t want it to be obvious that you’re vaporizing this isn’t a great device for that. Also, I wouldn’t put this in a pocket because I love my Neo, and that quartz chimney is sensitive.
Reliability
Once the mechanics of the Neo are understood, it’s very easy to get consistent results. I’ve found it to be exceptional at low temperatures, where airflow can drive the experience.
Pass Through Heating
The Neo allows pass through heating!
Materials
The Neo has some really amazing materials, from the zirconia atomizer to the quartz chimney, the materials are suave.
Accessories and Applications
The Neo has the ultimate accessory in the Terp Surfer, a pipe designed to work with the Neo (and is a pipe that isn’t a traditional pipe at all!). There are also other accessories in the works — a concentrate saucer and titanium screens help add to the overall experience.
As for apps, one of the reasons I love the Neo is there is NOT an app for that. The Neo is focused on bringing attention to cannabis, and the moments spent with it, rather than using an app to control the device.
Overall
I absolutely love my Neo and Terp Surfer, and I love the folks at Prrl Labs even more. When I review or taste test cannabis, it’s my go-to taster: I get pure flavor and love how the rituals reflect my time with glass pipes (and in fact, I can use a particularly beloved glass Sherlock with it!). The Prrl Labs Neo and Terp Surfer are a great way to explore the nuances and flavors in cannabis and other herbs as well.