Introduction
Storz & Bickel products are legendary in the world of vaping – and for great reason. Since the release of their flagship desktop- the Volcano (review | buy) 21 years ago, they’ve set the standard in almost all the key fundamentals of vaping: vapor quality, performance, and ease of use. 14 years later, S&B changed the game again with two portables, the Mighty and its smaller brother: the Crafty+ (review | buy).
In September 2021, S&B released a new version of the Crafty+ and the Mighty+ (plus) – which retained the same form factor as the older Mighty, but with new features under the hood and a few cosmetic tweaks.
The Mighty+ and the Crafty+ have a lot of similarities – such as the same build material, their respective cooling units, temperature ranges, and S&B’s signature hybrid heating. I’d say the biggest difference is the size, and the slightly better performance of the Mighty.
Mighty+ (Plus) VS. Crafty+ (Plus) Snapshot
The Crafty+ and the Mighty naturally have a lot in common and we’ll go through everything in this article. But here is a quick look at what’s the same and what’s not.
Similarities:
- Temperature Capacity (104°F to 410°F)
- Oven Capacity (.25g)
- Ceramic Coating on the chamber
- Hybrid Heating
- Superboost mode
- USB-C Charging
- Medical-grade plastic exterior
- Cooling unit and swiveling mouthpiece
- Cleaning and maintenance methods
- Same accessories
Differences
- Size & Portability: The Crafty+ is about half the size of the Mighty.
- Device Controls & ScreenThe Mighty+ has on-board controls while the Crafty+ is compatible with a smartphone app
- Battery life: Mighty+ has about double the battery life of the Crafty+.
- Price difference: the Mighty+ currently retails for $400 while the Crafty+ is $280.
What is the same?
General Design
The Mighty+ and Crafty+ are both rugged, utilitarian devices outlined in S&B’s heat-dissipating ridged fins. They are also both made with medical-grade plastic. A biomaterial was specifically created to house medical devices – which makes complete sense, especially for the Mighty+ since the only portable vaporizer to be certified for medical use.
The finned design on the midsection of the Crafty+ (Plus) and Mighty+ (Plus) isn’t just for show – it’s actually pretty functional. It’s expertly angled upwards and out to direct the heat away from your hands while you use the device.
Cleaning and Maintenance
They are both easy to clean since only two parts that get dirty and require periodic cleaning.
- The Cooling Unit and Mouthpiece: The cooling unit can be easily taken apart for cleaning, but you can also replace it with a spare, available on the Storz & Bickel website.
- The Heating Chamber (aka. oven): The oven needs cleaning after about 30-40 bowls with some alcohol wipes. This is pretty easy to do since removing the cooling unit fully exposes the chamber, so you can really get in there and clean it well. The ceramic lining in the chamber of both the Crafty+ (Plus) and Mighty+ (Plus), also makes it less sticky and therefore easier to clean.
USB-C Charging
One of the main issues users had with the old Mighty was its proprietary charger, which was somewhat limiting – especially when compared to the older Crafty which had the more accessible (yet less stable) micro-USB. Now, both the Mighty+ (Plus) and the Crafty+ (Plus) charge via USB-C. With this update, the Crafty+ now fully charges in 65 minutes while the Mighty+ charges to 80% in 40 minutes.
Loading and Chamber Capacity
Both the Mighty+ (Plus) and the Crafty+ (Plus), have a temperature range of 104°F and 410°F and an oven capacity of 0.25g. They also heat to temperature in about 60 seconds. But between these two devices, the Mighty+ has more energy available to the heating chamber – giving it a bit of an edge in performance than the Crafty
Super Boost
The Crafty+ (Plus) and Mighty+ (Plus), both feature “super boost”. Which cranks up the current temperature so you can get the most out of your herb especially towards the end of a session. Press the power button twice for boost or three times for super-boost.
However, the “boosts” in temperature are different in either device.
- Crafty+ (Plus): Boost increases the temperature by 10 to 15 °F and super-boost goes straight to the maximum temperature (410 °F).
- Mighty+ (Plus): Two clicks raise the current oven temp 16F and three clicks increases that temperature by 27F.
Accessories & The S&B Ecosystem
One of the best things about getting an S&B product is that most accessories are compatible with all their portables. There’s no need to re-stock on accessories just cause you got an upgrade. Accessories are also available for either individual sale or purchased as kits.
The new Side Kit (visit store) was a set of accessories silently released alongside the 2021 updates. Other than several spares and cleaning tools, it contains the following notable accessories:
- Capsule Caddy – Holds a maximum of four dosing capsules and that can be attached to your keychain. This may also be purchased separately and is priced at $6. (visit store)
- Filling Aid – For convenient and straightforward packing. It stores herbs and funnels it into the oven when needed. The Filling Aid (visit store) is also available to purchase separately and is an essential accessory to have with any S&B device.
Other Recommended Accessories
If you’d rather purchase your accessories individually. At the top of my recommendations list are the Filling Aid, Capsule Caddy, and Dosing Capsules.
Dosing Capsules (visit store) are capsules that may be pre-filled with herb and easily popped in and out of the oven while you’re on the go.
Another recommended accessory is a small herb spoon (buy on Amazon) to help you place the herbs into the oven without leaving any particles behind, whether you use the Mighty+ and Crafty+ or any other dry herb vape.
What are the differences?
Size
The Crafty+ (Plus) is the more portable device. measuring 4.4 in tall and weighing only 120g, definitely perfect for discreet vaping on the go. The main device body is split into two columns, one for power and the heating element.
The Mighty+ (Plus) is definitely more commanding – it’s larger than most portables at 5.5 in tall and weighs 235g – nearly double the Crafty+. The midsection of the Mighty+ has the heating element in the center, with the two batteries on either side.
Interface
The front of the Mighty+ houses a significantly sized display and analog controls. On the side is the single round button for power and to activate the super-boost mode. The Mighty+ isn’t compatible with a smartphone app, but it doesn’t need one. All you need to use and control the Mighty+ (plus) are all within the device itself.
The base of the Crafty+ is where the firing/power button and two LED light strips. The LED strip indicates the current device status. The Crafty+’s compact design means it doesn’t have a display – but instead has a single button to control all its operations
Smartphone app
The Crafty+ connects to the accompanying app via Bluetooth and it’s where you can control everything to your liking. You can select any temperature between 104°F and 410°F.
Although, it currently only works with Android- ever since Apple banned all vaping-related apps on their app store. If you have an iPhone, you may opt to use the web app. although, in my experience, the app didn’t work with Chrome or Safari. I simply just ended up sticking to the pre-sets.
Battery life
If you want a device with long battery life, definitely get the Mighty+. At 4600mAH, the Mighty+ boasts of one of the best and biggest batteries in the industry. The Crafty+ on the other hand has a 2800mAH battery, which is good for about 90 minutes of use or 6-7 sessions.
Performance
With their invention of the hybrid heating system- Storz & Bickel set the standard in vapor quality. Hybrid heating is a combination of both convection and conduction heating systems. This results in great tasting, more potent, and very consistent vapor quality. But between these two devices, the Mighty+ has more energy available to the heating chamber – giving it a bit of an edge in performance than the Crafty+
Notable Features
Low Draw Resistance
One of my pet peeves in a vaporizer is when I feel like I’m drinking a milkshake with each draw. Having to draw from a device forcefully, just isn’t ideal.
Thankfully the precision design of the cooling unit results in almost zero draw resistance. Making draws from either the Mighty+ (Plus) and the Crafty+ (plus), feels pretty natural.
Cooling Unit
While the cooling unit and the swiveling mouthpiece have been the same ever since the first Crafty and Mighty – it’s still definitely one of the most interesting parts of these two devices. A product of great engineering, the cooling unit is essentially a lengthy vapor path within a small case. Hot air travels from the chamber and is directed through the maze-like path in the unit before it goes through the mouthpiece – resulting in perfectly cooled, excellent tasting vapor.
Replaceable Cooling Unit: The entire cooling unit and the mouthpiece on both the Mighty+ (Plus) and the Crafty+ (Plus) are replaceable. You can opt to purchase it separately for $20 on the Storz & Bickel website or if you have a Mighty, you can get the “Wear and Tear Kit” (visit store). There aren’t that many devices that have the option to replace the entire air path – and also, if you have a spare cooling unit from previous versions of the Crafty or Mighty, it is still compatible with the most recent versions
What Could’ve Been Improved?
While S&B devices are always exceptional in design, quality, and performance – I do think a couple of things could’ve been a bit better.
While these things don’t affect performance in any way, I just can’t help but wonder why they weren’t considered with the 2021 upgrades. Especially since S&B is fairly known for their attention to detail.
The Mighty+ still doesn’t stand straight
The original Mighty was rounded at the bottom and wasn’t exactly stable when standing upright (even on flat surfaces). The Mighty+ now has two small feet to help it stand, but you’ll still have to switch the stir tool at the bottom.
But even with this “tripod”, it’s still not as stable as the Crafty+, which has a flat base.
Filling Aid not Included
I had really hoped that S&B included the filling aid with the kits. You can opt to get one for $5, but it really should’ve just been included since it feels like a mandatory accessory for both the Mighty+ and Crafty
Which one should you buy?
There are 3 big determining factors in choosing between these two devices are portability, price, and onboard controls. The Crafty+ is significantly smaller than the Mighty and is cheaper. The Mighty+ currently retails for $400 while the Crafty+ is $280.
Both these devices are great – there’s no questioning that. If portability and stealth are your top priorities- the Crafty+ (Plus) is the one to get.
But if you want full control, more power out of your device, and don’t mind the price tag – the Mighty+ (Plus) is a very worthy investment. If you’re looking to save a bit of $$ – we have a 15% coupon posted, so that’s huge savings of $60 on the Mighty+.
If you’re still browsing and want to see other options- check out our list of the best dry herb vaporizers of 2024
