Background
HoneyStick (Visit Store) is the ‘jack of all trades' in the vaporizer industry. They have a wide variety of vape pens, dry herb vapes, and 510-battery for oil carts. One of the few examples is HRB Turbo (Review) for weed vape and the Plasma GQ (Review) for the wax pen.
The HS Phantom is a versatile conceal-type vaporizer that can vape both wax and 510-threaded cartridges. It has a ‘squeeze-to-vape' feature with four variable voltage settings, making it easy to use for first-time vapers. In this review, I've used Steve's Goods CBD Extracts, which is available to ship anywhere in the US.
HoneyStick also released a ‘signature' version of the Phantom. It has a much more durable anodized aluminum body with a refined honeycomb finish while maintaining the Phantom's same performance and functionality. It costs around $144, and if you apply our coupon code: TVG10, you'll save 10% and bring the cost to around $118. On the other hand, if you use the coupon code on the original Phantom (which costs $100), it will bring the price down to $82.
Design & Features
The Phantom has a sleek rectangular-shaped body and comes in a silver or black honeycomb finish. It looks classy, and when I hold it, it has a firm grip on my hand. However, the surface is not scratch-proof, so ensure that your keys and the Phantom aren't in the same pocket to preserve its attractive look.
As for the size, it's under three inches tall and less than an inch wide, so it can be concealed with a closed fist and fits in any pocket/purse. If you're putting it in your pocket, keep in mind that the mouthpiece of your tank might stick out. Shorter tanks don't stick out too far and won't be too inconvenient, but longer tanks stick out and can potentially cause problems in the future.
There's a peep-thru window beside the cartridge receptacle that allows you to monitor the carts' oil level. On the other side, You can open the squeeze handle to expose the micro-USB port and the voltage settings indicator. The design is kind of awkward since you'll need to open the handle to toggle to a specific voltage setting. It could have been better if the light indicator on top also shows the current temp setting as most vapes without an LED screen.
Magnetic Connection
The Phantom has magnetic adapters that allow it to vape wax and oil carts. For those who don't know, this is typical for conceal-type batteries since it's much more convenient and saves a lot of time than screwing the atomizer/pre-filled carts on the thread. As you can see, the Phantom is a 2-in-1 vaporizer:
- For Oils: The Phantom has a 10.8mm cartridge opening to fit any pre-filled carts. It has two magnetic adapters for 0.5g and 1.g oil carts, which is useful since some vapes can't accommodate bigger oil carts. Another notable feature is the kit also comes with a refillable cart, which comes in handy if you want to test a CBD/THC oil.
- For Solid Extracts: The Phantom has a ceramic chamber with a Dual Quartz Coil, which heats up quickly and tends to produce intense and hot vapor.
How to Use
As I've mentioned before, the Phantom has a ‘squeeze-to-vape' feature, making it a lot easier to use than typical 510-batteries. To use it, you need to:
- (Recommended) Make sure to charge the Phantom before turning it on.
- Screw the cartridge or the atomizer onto the magnetic adapter, then place it into the cartridge opening
- Turn on the device by squeezing the vape five times.
- To toggle through the voltage settings, open the squeeze handle and press the button three times.
- Squeeze the vape and inhale from the mouthpiece.
Voltage Settings: The Phantom has four voltage settings: 3.4V, 3.6V, 3.8V, and 4.0V.
Preheat Function: This conditions the oil or extracts to make it easier to vape, delivering more concentrated and flavorful hits. To use this function, you need to squeeze the button twice and stop it by pressing it once.
Performance & Vapor Quality
Oil Performance: I liked how my Phantom can fit my favorite oil cart and still protect it from breaking. The preheat function and the four voltage settings helped bring out my carts' full flavor, whether it's THC or CBD-based oil. In my opinion, the Phantom makes an excellent battery for any 510-threaded cartridges, which is the most vital attribute of the vape.
Wax Performance: The Dual Quartz Coil does a great job at heating the wax, though I advise that you should try the lowest two temp settings since the vapor could be too harsh for beginners to handle. However, even though it efficiently vapes the wax, the vapor it produces is less flavorful than some wax pens with the same coil, such as the Utillian 2 (Review).
Overall Vapor Quality: As for the pre-filled carts, the vapor quality depends on the quality of the oil you're using. I've used Jetty CBD, and it gave me a satisfying experience- I felt the CBD rush through my lungs and taste the full-spectrum of flavor notes in the oil.
However, when using the atomizer for wax concentrates, I think it lacks the purity and flavor I've been looking for. Yes, it produces decent for beginners, but intermediate users will likely get disappointed. If you mainly vape wax concentrates, I suggest you buy a separate vape pen for your wax. In that way, you'll be able to experience the full potential of dabbing.
Battery Performance: The Phantom would last a long time since it packs a 1000mAh battery, which is kind of surprising for its size. It uses a micro-USB charger and will take around 2 hours to fully charge. This is a decent battery for pre-filled carts and wax since they don't consume much power, unlike using dry herb vapes.
Bottom Line
All in all, the HoneyStick Phantom is a portable vape that can vape both oil and wax. It's durable, user-friendly, packs a long-lasting battery, and gets the job done for a fair price. The Phantom has a variety of voltage settings, plus the preheat function which helps with producing intense and flavorful vapor.
If you mainly vape oils and casually vape dabs, this is a suitable travel-vape for you. However, if you prefer a stealthier look and calibrated temp settings for pre-filled carts, the KP Special K (Review) is currently the top choice this year.
