Cloud V Electro Portable E-Nail Review

Portable, battery-powered e-nails have quickly become the latest “must-have” devices for dab enthusiasts. More versatile than traditional e-nails that need to be plugged in, these portable versions essentially perform the same function at a fraction of the cost. The latest “eRig” to hit the market is the Electro, made by Cloud V. Let’s see how it performs.

*Sidenote* Even though the logo reads ‘Cloud V’, all of the products on their website only use the prefix ‘Cloud’. So to be honest, I really don’t know if the company is called Cloud V or Cloud. Regardless, I’m going to refer to this unit as the Cloud V Electro.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Right out of the box, the Electro is very impressive. I received the the version with the vertical glass aqua bubbler, but there’s also a version that comes with a sidearm attachment (like most of the other portable e-nails I’ve seen). Everything is packed very tightly and securely in thick foam inlays, with separate sections for the battery/base, aqua bubbler and titanium nail. Underneath, you’ll find another foam inlay that contains the charging cord, wall adapter, additional titanium nail, dab tool, as well as a glossy, highly-detailed instruction manual.

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the packaging, but I want it to be clear that this is probably the best packaging of any vaporizer I’ve seen. It honestly looks like the type of box a nice bottle of champagne or scotch would come in. I can’t tell you how many boxes I’ve seen that have loose glass pieces just floating around freely, scratching against the actual unit itself. Hats-off to Cloud V for putting some time into the packaging design, and ensuring that everything will show up intact when it arrives.

Upon removing the battery from the box, the first thing I noticed was the weight of the device. I threw it on the scale, and it comes out to about 1.25 lbs (with the charging base connected), but I swear it feels heavier than that. To me, I associate the weight with quality. The Electro feels very substantial and well-made.

Aside from the weight, the materials it’s constructed from feel very high-quality. The battery has a nice, matte finish that feels very smooth and comfortable in your hand. A single, backlit power button and Cloud V logo give the Electro a simple, yet eye-catching aesthetic. The metal portion on the top that the aqua bubbler attaches to looks and feels top-notch, and the battery fits very nicely into the charging base, which also has a nice weight and feel to it.

The vertical aqua bubbler is also very well-made. The glass is thick, and fits extremely securely over the metal portion of the battery thanks to three O-rings. The bubbler essential has two sections: the bottom portion that houses the titanium nail, and the top portion that you add water to. The bottom portion has a hole in the front of the glass where you can easily access the nail.

While I was expecting the top of the tube to be open (like a bong), it’s actually covered by a flat, recessed piece of glass with a small hole and down-stem. I thought this was pretty interesting, but to be honest, I’m not sure what the purpose is.

For me, one of the biggest “draws” of a bong is you can pass it around and not have to worry about people putting their mouths and germs on it (I guess I’m a bit of a hypochondriac). With the Electro’s water attachment, your lips press right up against the glass as you hit it, which kind of feels weird. Maybe adding the glass to the top adds to the structural integrity of the piece. If not, I don’t really see the point.

The titanium nail is pretty standard. The Electro comes with two 12mm nails, but Cloud V also sells a 16mm version, if the 12mm just isn’t cutting it for you. The nail screws into the battery very easily, and sits very securely. With the bubbler connected to the battery, and the battery sitting in the charging base, the Electro stands just about 11.5 inches.

TEMPERATURE OPTIONS

The Electro’s max temperature is far higher than any other battery-powered e-nail I’ve used. The first setting (signified by a blue LED light) is 800°F, and the second setting (signified by a red LED light) is 1000°F. To me, this is pretty impressive, as not even a lot of traditional e-nails I’ve used that draw power from wall outlets are capable of reaching 1000°F.

To toggle between temps, you just press and hold the power button for four seconds. Equipped with a memory function, the Electro will automatically set itself to your last session’s temperature, and start heating to that setting once activated.

The LED lights will flash while the nail heats to the desired temperature. Once that temp is reached, the LED light will change to solid, and you’re ready to dab. The Electro heats-up very quickly. It only takes about 15 seconds to reach the low or the high setting, which I found kind of interesting. You would think that it would take a little more time to reach the 1000°F than 800°F, but maybe the battery uses more power on the high setting to reach temp in the same amount of time as the low. That’s just speculation, but either way, you won’t be waiting around.

CHARGING THE ELECTRO

There’s actually two different ways you can charge the Electro. The first (and most convenient) is to utilize the charging base. When the battery is placed in the base, you simply connect the charging cable from the back of the base to the adapter or USB port. A small LED light that’s located on the front of the battery is visible through the charging base, so you can view the status. Red means charging, and green obviously means good to go.

There is also a charging port located underneath the base of the battery itself, just in case you misplace the charging base, or it breaks or something. I’m not sure why you would charge the unit this way, as it requires the battery to be laying down sideways, but it’s a nice backup option.

Cloud V recommends charging the Electro for at least 9 hours before its first use. This is a pretty common recommendation with vaporizers, and any electronic device really, as it helps to condition the battery for future charging. If used regularly, Cloud V also recommends charging the Electro for about 7 hours. I never recommend leaving vaporizers on the charger unattended (like while you’re at work or in bed). I always just hook it up to the charger in between uses, and found that there’s always enough juice for my sessions.

One downside about the Electro is that unlike some other popular eRigs, the battery is embedded, and is not removable or replaceable. This is kind of a bummer, as there are less expensive portable units on the market that do have replaceable batteries. However, it’s trade-off, because those units can’t reach temperatures nearly as high as the Electro - so in the end - you kind of have to ask yourself what’s more important to you.

DO THE DAB THING

The one big issue I ran into with the Electo’s vertical aqua bubbler is that the way it’s designed makes it kind of difficult to load a dab onto the nail while you’re in position to hit it. Because the nail is housed in the bottom portion of the bubbler, it’s hard to see when you’re taking a rip. You kind of have to feel around for it with the dab tool, kind of like blind dabbing. There’s no risk of burning yourself, because the nail is surround by glass, but it’s still kind of a pain the butt. With the sidearm bubbler, the nail is out in front of you, more like a traditional e-nail. For this reason, I’d recommend going with the sidearm version, not the vertical one.

Aside from that issue, I found that my sessions with the Electro were very comparable to that of a traditional powered e-nail. The vertical version hits just like a standard bong, and doesn’t require a carb. The sidearm attachment (which I prefer) is a little different, and does include a glass carb tool, which gives you more control. I found the red temperature setting (1000°F) to be the most efficient. The blue settings (800°F) will give you tastier vapor, but may not completely vaporize your wax the first time.

I tested shatter, crumble, as well as BHO, and had great results with each. In fact, I’d say the Electro performs just as well as any traditional e-nail I’ve ever used or owned. I purchased my first e-nail rig a few years ago when wax started becoming very prevalent and available. At that time, e-nails were relatively new technology, and came with pretty hefty price tags (and still do).

The one I purchased was $600, and I got great use out of it. However, the fact that you can now pickup a portable version like the Electro for a fraction of the price ($250) really makes me regret spending all that money. With the type of power and performance you can get from the Electro, there’s simply no reason to break the bank on an old-school rig.

CLOUD V ELECTRO vs DR. DABBER BOOST

The Electro and Boost are both battery-powered portable e-nails, and for the most part, they function in pretty much the same way. However, there are some distinct differences between the two. First, comparing price, the Boost retails for $199.95, about 50 bucks less than the Electro, $249.99. That right there might be enough for most people to make a decision. However, there’s more to this comparison than just the price.

For starters, the Electo far bigger, and more substantial than the Boost. In fact, the Electo’s vertical aqua bubbler is as bigger than the entire battery portion of the Boost. Looking at them side by side, the Boost looks like a little kid standing next to grown-ass man. You could probably fit two Boost batteries inside the Electro, so it’s no wonder the Cloud V’s max temp is so much higher than the Dr. Dabber.

Both of these units are made by reputable manufacturers, and feature nice build quality. However, there are a few reasons why I prefer the Electro over the Boost. First, the Electro is proprietary, while the Boost looks exactly like a ton of other portable e-nails on the market, most notably, the Bolt from Dabado. To my knowledge, the Bolt was released first, which would lead me to believe that the Boost is a re-brand. This isn’t a huge turnoff though, because the Boost actually does perform really well. However, I’ll always choose an original device over a re-branded one.

The next reason why I’d choose the Electro over the Boost is because it’s capable of reaching a way higher temperature (1000°F compared to the Boost’s 600°F). This makes a huge difference when it comes to dabbing, and quite frankly, I’m surprised that the Boost doesn’t go higher. However, low-temp dabbing is how Dr. Dabber has promoted themselves throughout the years, so maybe this isn’t such a surprise.

Even though I prefer the Electro, the Boost does have some features that I wish the Electro had. For instance, the Boost’s battery is removable and replaceable, while the Electro’s is embedded. It’s obviously an advantage to be able to easily swap batteries, but maybe part of the reason that the Electro is able to heat to such a high temp is partly due to the fact that the battery is embedded? That’s purely speculation, so if anyone knows the answer, please chime in.

When it comes to design, it could really go either way. Even though the vertical aqua bubbler isn’t my favorite, I do like the fact that Cloud V offers both a vertical and sidearm attachment. Advantage, Electro. Lastly, the Boost includes a titanium nail and a ceramic nail, while the Electro only includes a titanium nail. This isn’t a huge deal to me, because I’d probably end up using the titanium one more anyway. However, more options are always nice. Advantage, Boost. But overall, I prefer the Electro’s original design and more advanced functionality over the Boost.

You can pick up the Cloud V Electro from this trusted retailer. They will ship it for free, and throw in some free goodies.