G Pen Elite 2 Review

Background

California-based brand Grenco Science (homepage) has long been famous for making advanced, feature-packed, and well-performing devices. Now, with 10 years of innovation under their belt – they’ve released their best dry herb vaporizer yet; the G-Pen Elite 2 (buy).

This vaporizer follows its widely successful predecessor, the 2016 G-Pen Elite. The original Elite was one of the first portables with a modern design and advanced features.

At first glance, the Elite 2 definitely looks like a near-exact copy of the original – with its minimalist and ergonomic aesthetic. But it’s been completely redesigned under the hood. The Elite 2 features a fully colored OLED display, haptic feedback, a two-part zirconia mouthpiece (with a spiral ceramic airpath), a dual heating convection/conduction ceramic chamber, and a 2100mAh battery that charges via USB-C.

Kit and Accessories

Like all of Grenco Science’s releases, the Elite 2 comes with a relatively lean kit with everything you’ll need to start vaping straightway. The kit comes with:

• G-Pen Elite 2 vaporizer
• USB-C charging cable
• Instruction Manual
• Silicone Sleeve

All this comes in and fits snugly into the brand’s signature smell-proof Hemp hard case. 

Design

As mentioned earlier, the Elite 2 follows in the design language of the original – sleek, minimal, and straightforward. This is a particularly great thing especially since this design adds to the device’s overall discretion.

Device Body: The Elite 2’s body is constructed out of a zinc alloy and the entire device feels durable, dense, and solid in your hands. The mouthpiece sits on top, the tactile buttons are placed on the sides, the USB-C port is located at the base, and there’s a small oven tool that slips right into the body.

It’s definitely portable and will fit a pocket, small purse, and is even concealable within your palm. One thing I’d like to point out is that all the lines, grooves, and dips on the Elite 2 are more than just attractive. They also contribute to the overall ergonomics of the device – guiding your hand to the most comfortable and ideal grip.

Full-Color TFT Display

The Elite 2 reemphasizes its commitment to discretion by not only placing its full-color display at the back – but also making it so that once the display is off, it completely disappears.

The TFT screen shows the current device status, operating temperature, and battery level. There’s also a settings menu that displays session durations, turn off/on convection boost, haptic feedback, toggle between C/F, and adjust the brightness

In addition to the screen, there’s a small LED light that blinks as the device heats and becomes solid as soon as it’s ready to go. This little light is placed at an angle so it’s perfectly visible when you’re looking from the top-down but is a lot less so when you’re looking at it from a different direction.

Zirconia Mouthpiece

Grenco Science always seems to be way ahead in the game when it comes to features and their attention to detail. Just like we’ve seen on the G-Pen Micro+ (review | buy), the Elite 2 also has a multi-part mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece assembly is comprised of three parts:

• The Outer Zirconia Shell: Zirconia is a strong material with low thermal conductivity – which simply means it’s not going to get uncomfortably warm, nor is it fragile.
• Inner silicone sleeve: This sleeve has a screen to filter particles, protects the helix encased inside, and keeps heat from dissipating outwards onto the mouthpiece.
• Zirconia helix: The helix is designed to effectively lengthen the vapor path, ensuring that you get only the coolest and purest results.

In addition to all these, the entire mouthpiece connects to the main device body via strong and snappy magnets (which are hidden under the housing). For better control; the air intake holes are located above the screen and double as a carb, which can be covered with your thumb to control the airflow. 

Battery and USB-C Charging

The G-Pen Elite 2 is powered by a 2100mAh battery, which is good for about 60 minutes of continuous use. It charges via USB-C from empty to full in just under an hour and a half.

It’s definitely great to see more and more new devices adapting to USB-C, especially since it’s a lot more stable than the old micro-USB and is just as accessible. The kit comes with one wire included, but you won’t find yourself scrambling to find a spare – just in case you’re out and need some juice.

Dual Heating Technology

There’s so much that’s new and exciting about the G-Pen Elite 2, but the dual heating ceramic oven might just take the top spot. Dual heating harnesses the capabilities of both conduction and convection heating. While that could be easily mistaken for hybrid heating – it’s actually quite different.

Hybrid heating combines both methods simultaneously. Dual heating on the Elite 2 means that the two heating systems can work independently of each other. It uses conduction to heat up the herb in the oven, and it uses a draw-activated convection system that generates heat outside the oven and pulls it in with every inhale.

If you prefer sticking to just conduction heating, you can turn off the convection boost function via the settings menu.

Heat and the Silicone Sleeve

The combination of these two heating systems can cause the device to get hot – especially during high-temperature sessions. Even more so, when you take into account that the Elite 2 is quite a small device- which doesn’t leave much room for heat to dissipate.

It’s the same issue you’ll find on all vaporizers of this size, namely the Pax 3 (review) or any of the DaVinci (visit store) vapes. Some larger devices have ways that keep your fingers away from the heat – like the finned design that outlines both the Crafty+ (review | buy) & Mighty+ (review | buy).

To remain cool, smaller devices rely on accessories to isolate the heat. The G-Pen Elite 2 comes with a silicone sleeve that you may or may not need depending on your vaping style and preferences. Although, if you’re looking to enjoy successive sessions, or even just to protect this sleek device from bumps and nicks – I’d definitely recommend putting it on.

Ceramic Oven & Isolated Airpath

The heating element on the Elite 2 is made out of ceramic- which is a neutral material that not only retains heat well but is also known for keeping flavor pure. To access the oven, remove the magnetic mouthpiece and you’ll see the wide opening which funnels dry herb into it. The oven fits roughly a third to half a gram of well-ground material.

The entire air path is isolated from any and all electronic parts, which means the hot air doesn’t come into contact with any circuitry or even glues that might taint your vapor, or eventually, even damage your device. 

Vapor Quality

This new dual heating results in vapor quality that’s the best of both worlds. Just like all dry herb vapes, the first draw is a little thin, once the temperature builds up in the oven, the vapor becomes thick and dense – as you’d get on a conduction vaporizer. But it’s also flavorful and very nuanced – which is obviously the result of conduction heating.

The vapor differs from what you would get from a larger device such as the Mighty+, but it's the best you'll find in its class. The Elite 2 doesn’t just produce good vapor, it delivers satisfying results that really get you to appreciate the strain you’ve picked and all the terpenes in it.

Bottom Line

The Elite strikes that ideal balance between form, function, and features. It’s not an overly complex device so it’s great for beginners, and it also has advanced features to satisfy even the most advanced users.

One of the notable qualities of the G-Pen Elite 2 is the amount of customization and control you have over each session and the sort of results that you get. This level of flexibility, encased in such a small device definitely sets a new standard in ultra-portable vaping. The Elite 2 easily claims a spot on our list of the best dry herb vaporizers of 2023 – which you should definitely check out if you’d like to see more devices and our in-depth reviews on each one.