Background
The Linx Ares is a stealthily designed vape pen by the South California brand, Linx Vapor (visit store). Linx Vapor is also the makers of the Apollo (review), and Eden (review). The minds behind the brand sought out to make a product line that is health-centric, and plastic-free. All Linx products are made with medical-grade stainless steel, glass mouthpieces, and ceramic or quartz-glass heating chambers and plates.
Wax pens or honey straws usually function the same way, with a dip and vape approach – no loading necessary. What differentiates The Linx Ares from the lot is its favor-forward vapor and design. This device is definitely one of the flashier honey straws out there, but it’s also one of the most stealthy. The provided caps that cover both the mouthpiece and the atomizer make it look exactly like a regular pen.
Compatibility: The Linx Ares is compatible with THC/CBD Wax, Shatter, Honey, and other solid-type concentrates. I used it with CBD dab from Steve’s Goods, which is available to ship anywhere in the US.
Kit and Accessories
The Linx Ares kit doesn’t have a lot that comes with it- but it does include a spare mouthpiece and a ceramic concentrate case. The ceramic interior of the case provides a smooth, non-stick surface for your concentrates and is divided into three compartments- which is pretty great if you plan on bringing different dabs with you.
The kit of the Ares contains:
- Linx Ares Battery
- Extra glass mouthpiece
- Ceramic container
- USB charging cable
Design and Features
Minimal and designed with stealth in mind- the Linx Ares isn’t a wax pen that’ll turn heads. In fact, at first glance and with all its pieces attached- it looks more like a fountain pen than a vape. But this discreet design doesn’t mean that the Ares isn’t a beautiful piece that looks as good as it feels in your hand. It sports the same sleek aesthetic and brushed aluminum that Linx has also used on the Blaze (review) and Hypnos (review).
Linx uses magnets to secure the caps in place so there’s little to no risk of it coming apart in your purse or pocket when you’re out and about. However, once these caps are removed- you’ll have to keep an eye on the caps and especially the atomizer cap which is at risk of rolling off any flat surface. Once they’re removed, the glass mouthpiece and heating tip are vulnerable, so you should be a little careful. But other than the need for extra attention, the Ares is pretty easy and intuitive to use.
The borosilicate glass mouthpiece shares a similar design to the mouthpieces on the rest of the Linx product line. Borosilicate glass is stronger than average, but it is still fragile, hence the caps. The neutral glass material keeps the flavor pure, heats fast and evenly – maximizing clouds and concentrate.
Battery
The Linx Ares has a 750 mAH lithium-ion battery that recharges in 2 – 3 hours via a proprietary USB cable. To access the battery and charge, you will have to wait for the atomizer to cool, unscrew it, and then simply screw the charger in its place.
This battery life is quite average and would likely last you a day of moderate use or about 40-50 puffs depending on which of the temperature settings employ.
Cleaning and Maintenance
A downside to any honey straw is that cleaning it can be a bit of a drag. This is why most (if not all) honey straws have a modular design that can be taken apart so each piece can be cleaned separately.
Our in-depth cleaning guide has all the information any user needs on effectively cleaning any wax vaporizer.
Performance and Vapor Quality
Concentrate straws are great at drawing out the full flavor of the dab used with them and with the Linx Ares- that’s definitely the case. The device also heats up nearly instantly, eliminating the need to be idle during any session.
The Ares has two pre-set temperatures: 900°F and 1100°F which you can cycle through by pressing the button thrice. One the lower temperature settings the resulting vapor is flavorful and light. While on 1100°F, the vapor is denser and a bit less flavor-forward. No matter which setting you go for, the vapor does remain relatively cool because of the lengthy air path.
Honey straws are notorious for being slightly wasteful of material and the Linx Ares doesn’t waste any of the wax that’s directly on the heating element. But there’s the small issue of a bit of wax always getting lost by melting into the container. On the device itself, the only thing that heats up is the 4mm ceramic heating element- so if you get any wax outside the ceramic, you’ll lose that too. I recommend placing the Ares’ heating element straight down on the material- not at an angle.
A honey straw with an exposed coil does come with its own set of loading options. You may opt to dip the device directly in the material or use the dab tool and have either a cold load or a hot load. Just like a traditional dab, a hot load will give you a more potent hit, while a cold load (loading the concentrate and then inhaling) gives you more flavor and less vapor.
Bottomline
The Linx Ares is a sleek and stealthy dab pen that you can take with you almost anywhere. But since vaporizing wax requires that you carry around a container too – most users will end up using this in an indoor setting. At $110, it’s a little steep for a honey straw, especially when you compare it to the $60 Boundless Terp Pen (review). But it is definitely a product that’s more luxe and features more premium construction.
Concentrate straws are fantastic at really bringing out the flavor in your material and if you’re a flavor fiend- this is definitely a product to consider. But if you’re looking to vaporize concentrates without the need to carry around a container- I’d recommend looking through our guide for the best dab/wax vape pens of this year.
