Davinci IQC vs Davinci IQ2

Introduction

DaVinci have made a great reputation for themselves when it comes to conduction vaporizers on the modern market. With the success of the DaVinci IQ in 2016, and then the DaVinci Miqro in 2018, DaVinci released the successor to the IQ, the DaVinci IQ2, in 2019. Regarded as one of the best conduction vaporizers made to date, the IQ2 is on the pedestal, and we’re going to talk about the new DaVinci IQC released in 2021, and whether it knocks the IQ2 off its well-earned spot at the top.

Similar in both size and design, the main noticeable difference between the two sister devices is that the DaVinci IQC is crafted from different materials than the Davinci IQ2 which has pushed the price down compared to the IQ2.

Design

Both the IQC and IQ2 keep faithful to DaVinci’s mantra of creating stylish yet discreet devices we’ve come to know and love from the original design of the IQ. Both vapes are made from gorgeous sandblasted aluminium, giving the professional and sleek look I personally love from DaVinci.

Immediately, however, we see the first major difference between the two. The IQ2’s lid is made of the same material as the body, sandblasted aluminium, whereas the IQC is made from a bolder antimicrobial black polymer.

( Davinci IQ2 - Amethyst Purple )

This design change has been made with both price and function in mind, as even though the materials might be cheaper in the IQC, in my opinion, the contrasted look which the black lid gives to the overall aesthetic of the device is something I enjoy. Also, knowing that the polymer is made from an antimicrobial material shows more thought went into the choice of plastic than just price, which is always a positive.

The next exterior difference of note is that DaVinci have decided to remove the air dial found on the bottom of the IQ2, replacing it with a non-functional DaVinci logo in the IQC. This has given the IQC a sleeker overall look, but has definitely caused a slight impact on the vapour airflow and quality of the IQC compared to the IQ2, which I will delve into further detail later.

( Davinci IQC - Blue )

Overall, both devices are extremely similar in design, keeping to the style we expect from DaVinci, which doesn’t come as a surprise.

Temperature

As both devices were designed off of the same base, each contain DaVinci’s adjustable heating pearl, which allows you to adjust the heat conduction. This can be useful for microdosing, for example.

The IOQ has a major edge when it comes to heat-up time from a cold start. Testing both devices, the IQC’s heat up time came to just shy of 30 seconds, whereas the IQ2 came up to temperature in around 60 seconds. Half the heat-up time is an incredible performance boost in the IQC, and I’m not sure how they’ve managed to achieve it, but I’m all for it!

When it comes to temperature control, both devices use the same Smart Path temperatures, the same precision temperature mode and the same boost mode. All on the same interface, which has been around since the original IQ, so either device is intuitive to use if you’re used to any DaVinci device. Just to remind, I’ve listed the different presets and their modes below:

Smart Path™ Mode. This mode gives you a range of preset temperature ranges to choose from, each able to be adjusted precisely with the app. Each preset begins at the lower temperature and increases to the higher temperature over 8 minutes:

• Smart Path 1:  176°C - 188°C (350°F - 370°F)
• Smart Path 2:  188°C - 199°C (370°F - 390°F)
• Smart Path 3:  199°C - 210°C (390°F - 410°F)
• Smart Path 4:  210°C - 221°C (410°F - 430°F)

Precision Mode. This mode allows you to set the temperature of the device to within 1 degree of accuracy, allowing you to get that precise boiling point you may need.

Boost Mode. Press and hold the control button - this will immediately boost the temperature of the device to 210°C (430°F) and turn the control button red. Press the up or down buttons to exit boost mode.

Both devices are on equal footing when it comes to temperature control and settings, and the amount of temperature settings DaVinci provide are everything you could need or want from a modern dry herb vaporizer, something not every manufacturer can say.

Battery and Charging

This is another area where the DaVinci IQC reigns king over the IQ2. Both devices have the exact same 18650 batteries we’ve come to see in many modern dry herb vaporizers, such as the XMAX range from TopGreen for example.

Where the IQC has the edge, however, is the USB-C charging DaVinci have implemented. I love USB-C, and I firmly believe every vape manufacturer on the market is lazy and just stretching to save pennies if they aren’t including them in their devices. The price to install USB-C vs USB micro is marginal compared to the performance increase seen from the former.

DaVinci seem to be keeping to a theme with the updated model, as the IQC took half the time from a flat battery to fully charge, compared to the IQ2’s 4 hour charging time via USB micro. 

With a charging time of 2 hours and a heat-up time of 30 seconds, the only major discussion for which is better comes down to which device performs the best, as currently the IQC seems to have the edge when it comes to pure energy efficiency.

Vapour Quality

I compared 3 sessions using the same amount and type of flower from each device simultaneously to get first-hand experience on which device tasted better, had better clouds as well as density and airflow.

The first notable difference is that the ceramic zirconia mouthpiece of the IQ2 has a better flavour when compared to the high temperature silicone mouthpiece of the IQC. Unfortunately, the flavour profile from the IQC isn’t as neutral as the IQ2 due to the taste of the silicone slightly impacting the vapour slightly. 

Airflow was the other immediately notable difference I found. Being able to adjust airflow to get the perfect draw from the IQ2 is something I sorely miss from the IQC. If you pack a little too tightly or simply like a very easy draw, you might find it difficult to achieve such airflow from the IQC. When compared to simply adjusting the dial on the bottom of the IQ2, the IQC drops the ball here.

I adjusted the airflow for each device to be identical in draw resistance, then filled both with the same type and amount of flower to not impact my judgement on vapour density, potency and quality. 

There isn’t much else to say, the IQ2 simply outperforms the IQC in each manor. The clouds are denser, purer, more potent and smoother than the IQC. This isn’t to say that the IQC is bad, it just doesn’t seem to be quite up to the incredible reputation of the IQ2.

App

Both DaVinci devices work with the DaVinci App, available on all platforms, but still a bit more of a pain to get working on IOS as you have to manually install it vs the Play Store on Android.

The app functions the same on both devices, coming with the smart path, precision temperate and stealth mode controls you would expect to find on a DaVinci device. The only difference between the two is that the real-time dosage tracking feature you get with the IQ2 seems to be missing entirely from the IQC.

You can enable or disable Bluetooth on each device by pressing both the temperature buttons simultaneously 5 times within a 4-second window, and disabling Bluetooth will help preserve battery life in either vape.

Cleaning

As both devices are based off of the same base design, they each can be taken apart right down to the ceramic chamber. Cleaning is the same for both, and this is the method I use:

• Disassemble. Take the mouth piece and flavour chamber out of the device.
• Soak. Soak these parts in isopropyl alcohol, cleaning them from particulate.
• Clean everything else. I use a cotton swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol to reach all the other annoying spots like the oven in which particulate tends to build up in over time.
• Dry / Rinse and Assemble. Wipe everything off and reassemble, ready to use.

DaVinci explicitly state in their manual to avoid using abrasive materials to clean your device, as damage may occur to the oven or vapour path.

Warranty

DaVinci gives each of their devices a 5-year limited warranty - meaning if any manufacturing defects or defects in materials happen over normal use within 5 years, they will repair the device for you. This doesn't include normal performance degradation of things like the mouthpiece or if you neglect the device to the point of damaging it.

Accessories

Again, as both devices are designed off of the same concept, each is compatible with nearly every accessory DaVinci offers to the IQ range. Each come with the packing tool which hides itself neatly under the lid, and both can be used with DaVinci’s Zirconia Ceramic Spacers, Dosage Pod Holders, Stainless-Steel Dosage Pods and can accept spare 18650 batteries.

The only difference is that there is no concentrate option for the IQC vs IQ2, so if you’re looking to vape concentrates, then the answer is here.

Final Verdict

To me, it’s worth paying for the IQ2 due to the better quality materials used, the battery lasts longer when fully charged and the dial on the bottom allows you to achieve airflow to your preference.

If you’re on a budget, want a vape that heats up mega fast and charges fast and still want a quality vape from DaVinci, then the IQC is a fantastic choice. However, if you’re already an owner of the IQ2, there isn’t really any need to update to the new model. And if you’re looking to get into the DaVinci ecosystem and willing to spend the extra pennies, then the IQ2 is the better choice here.

It will be exciting to see the upgrades included in the IQC, such as the USB-C and faster heating and charging time, in future DaVinci models. Maybe then it will be worth updating from the IQ2.