TL;DR: our XMax V4 Pro verdict
The XMax V4 Pro (£89.99) is the best dry herb vaporizer under £100 you can buy in the UK. Full convection heating, temperature control to the degree, a swappable 18650 battery, three-stage airflow and a glass mouthpiece that doubles as a water pipe adapter, all for less than a third of a Storz & Bickel. The trade-offs are a small chamber and a single battery, which is why we keep spare cells and dosing capsules in stock. Rating: 4.5 out of 5. In stock in black, silver, purple and blue at the time of writing.
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We stock the XMax range because it is the brand that keeps proving you do not need to spend £250 to get proper vapour. The V4 Pro is the current top of that range, and since it landed it has become the device we hand to anyone who says "under £100, what should I get?". This review is based on the units we sell and use ourselves, with UK pricing and what is actually in stock today.
XMax V4 Pro specs at a glance
- Price: £89.99, in black, silver, purple and blue
- Heating: full convection, stainless steel chamber, isolated air path
- Temperature: 100°C to 220°C in 1°C steps
- Modes: session (4 or 6 minutes) and on-demand
- Heat-up: around 10 seconds
- Airflow: three-stage adjustable
- Chamber: roughly 0.1 to 0.15 g
- Battery: removable 18650, USB-C charging
- Mouthpiece: magnetic glass, with a built-in 14 mm and 18 mm water pipe adapter
- Display: colour OLED
- Weight: around 90 g
- In the box: vaporizer, 18650 battery, USB-C cable, one dosing capsule, four spare screens, brush, cleaning tool, wipes and sticks, manual
Design and build
The V4 Pro is a pen-style device, longer and slimmer than the chunky box shape of premium portables, and at around 90 g it disappears into a pocket. The body is aluminium with a matte finish, and the colour OLED display is the clearest we have seen on anything at this price: set temperature, actual temperature, battery level and a session timer, all readable at a glance.
The mouthpiece is the clever bit. It is glass, held on by magnets, and the tip is sized to drop straight into a 14 mm or 18 mm water pipe joint. So the same device is a pocket vaporizer during the day and a cooler, smoother water-filtered session at home, with no adapters to lose. The glass runs into a fully isolated air path, which means no plastic anywhere near the vapour.
The airflow control is a three-position switch. Tight for dense, flavour-forward draws, open for big airy clouds, and a middle setting most people settle on. It is a feature we usually only see on devices costing three times as much.
Vapour quality and heating
The V4 Pro is full convection. Hot air is drawn through the herb rather than the chamber walls cooking it, which is the reason the flavour is so clean, particularly in the first few draws at 175°C to 185°C. Convection devices ask you to draw slowly and for longer than you would on a conduction pen, and the V4 Pro is no exception; short, sharp puffs give thin vapour. Take a slow ten-second draw and it produces dense, satisfying clouds that punch above the price, especially with the airflow on the tighter setting. If you want the theory, our beginner's guide to how dry herb vaporizers work covers the convection versus conduction difference properly.
Heat-up is around ten seconds in session mode, which is faster than a Mighty+ and about the same as a Venty. The 220°C ceiling is plenty for dry herb; the only people who will miss a higher top end are those chasing very hot, very thick draws right at the end of a bowl.
The chamber is small, at roughly 0.1 to 0.15 g. For solo sessions that is exactly right and it keeps your herb consumption efficient. If you share, or you like very long sessions, you will be reloading, and that is the single biggest reason someone might step up to a Storz & Bickel.
How to use the XMax V4 Pro
The manual is short, so here is the version people actually ask us for.
- Grind medium. Not powder, not chunks. A four-piece grinder gives the right consistency.
- Load loosely. Pull the mouthpiece off, fill the chamber so the herb is level with the top but not compressed, and put the mouthpiece back. Convection needs air to move through the material, so resist the urge to pack it down.
- Power on: click the power button three times. The V4 Pro starts heating straight away in session mode at the last temperature you used.
- Set your temperature with the plus and minus buttons. Hold either button to move faster. 180°C is the safe starting point; go lower for flavour, higher for thicker vapour.
- Draw when it vibrates. The device buzzes when it reaches temperature. Take a slow, steady draw of eight to ten seconds.
- Switch to on-demand by pressing plus and minus together once. In on-demand mode the heater only runs while you hold the power button, so nothing is wasted between draws. Hold until it vibrates, then draw.
- Change the session length (4 or 6 minutes) by pressing power and plus together. Press power and minus together to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
- Power off with three clicks. In on-demand mode it goes to standby after 30 seconds and shuts itself down after a further two minutes if you forget.
Stir the bowl halfway through a session with the cleaning tool and you will get an even, browned finish and a noticeably better second half.
Dosing capsules and accessories
The V4 Pro takes dosing capsules, and a capsule comes in the box. They are small stainless steel pods you fill in advance and drop into the chamber, so you can load a day's worth at home and swap them out in seconds when you are out. They also keep the chamber itself almost spotless, which cuts cleaning down to a wipe of the mouthpiece. The XMax dosing capsules and carry tube (£23.99) gives you five capsules and a tube to keep them in, and it fits both the V4 Pro and the V3 Pro.
The other upgrade worth having is the XMax glass mouthpiece (£16.99). It replaces the standard assembly with an all-glass and stainless steel path, with a 2-in-1 version that works as both a mouthpiece and a water pipe adapter and holds on with stronger magnets. Everything else for the range is in our XMax parts and accessories collection.
Battery and charging
The V4 Pro runs on a single removable 18650 cell, which is both its best and its most misunderstood feature. Best, because when the battery eventually fades you replace a £10 cell rather than the device, and because a spare in your pocket means unlimited sessions. Misunderstood, because it needs unprotected flat-top 18650 cells, so buy spares from a reputable seller and check the type before you order.
The manufacturer rates it at a minimum of 12 six-minute sessions at the maximum 220°C on a full charge, and in normal use at 180°C to 190°C you will get more. Charging is USB-C at up to 2 A; expect around three hours from empty with a standard 1 A charger, less with a stronger one. You can use the device while it charges.
Cleaning and maintenance
Empty the chamber after every session while it is still warm and brush it out. Every few sessions, wipe the chamber and the air path with an isopropyl alcohol wipe or a soaked cotton bud, and soak the glass mouthpiece and screens in isopropyl for twenty minutes, rinse and dry. Change the screen when it starts to clog; four spares come in the box. The whole routine takes five minutes and keeps the flavour where it was on day one. A dirty air path is the number one cause of "my vaporizer has got weaker", so do not skip it.
XMax V4 Pro vs V3 Pro
We stock both, and the V3 Pro at £78.99 is still a very good device. The V4 Pro adds three-stage adjustable airflow, the colour display, a glass mouthpiece with the water pipe adapter built in, and a faster heat-up. The V3 Pro has a ceramic air path, a slightly bigger body and comes with a wax cup for concentrates. If the £11 difference matters, the V3 Pro will not disappoint. If it does not, the V4 Pro is the better device in daily use, and the airflow control alone is worth the money.
| XMax V4 Pro | XMax V3 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| UK price | £89.99 | £78.99 |
| Heating | Full convection | Convection |
| Airflow | Three-stage adjustable | Fixed |
| Heat-up | About 10 seconds | 15 to 25 seconds |
| Display | Colour OLED | Mono OLED |
| Mouthpiece | Glass, water pipe adapter built in | Standard (glass upgrade sold separately) |
| Battery | Removable 18650 | Removable 18650 |
| Weight | About 90 g | About 105 g |
Verdict: 4.5 out of 5
The XMax V4 Pro is the device that makes the under-£100 question easy. Full convection, precise temperature control, adjustable airflow, a removable battery and a glass mouthpiece with water pipe compatibility would have been a £150 feature list two years ago. What holds it back from full marks is the small chamber and the single battery, both of which are solved for a few pounds with a spare cell and a set of dosing capsules. If you are buying your first proper vaporizer, or a pocketable second device alongside something bigger, this is the one. It sits at the top of our dry herb vaporizers under £100 collection for a reason.
Pros: clean convection flavour, 1°C control, three-stage airflow, ten-second heat-up, swappable battery, glass mouthpiece with built-in water pipe adapter, colour display, dosing capsule compatible.
Cons: small chamber for group or long sessions, single battery, needs the correct unprotected 18650 spares, no app (we count that as a pro).
FAQs
How do you use the XMax V4 Pro?
Click the power button three times to turn it on, set your temperature with plus and minus, and draw slowly once it vibrates. Press plus and minus together to switch to on-demand mode, where the heater runs only while you hold the button. The full walkthrough is in the how to use section above.
Does the XMax V4 Pro take dosing capsules?
Yes. One comes in the box, and the XMax dosing capsules and carry tube adds five more. They fit the V3 Pro as well.
What temperature should I use on the XMax V4 Pro?
Start at 180°C. Between 175°C and 185°C you get the cleanest flavour; 190°C to 205°C gives thicker vapour and a stronger effect; above 205°C is for finishing a bowl. The 1°C steps let you find your own sweet spot.
Is the XMax V4 Pro better than the V3 Pro?
Yes, for most people. It adds adjustable airflow, a colour display, a faster heat-up and a glass mouthpiece with a water pipe adapter built in, for £11 more. The V3 Pro remains a strong buy if you want the cheaper option or the included wax cup.
What battery does the XMax V4 Pro use?
A single removable 18650 cell, unprotected flat-top type. It charges in the device over USB-C, or you can charge spares in an external charger and swap them in.
Prices and stock were checked on 11 September 2026 and are updated whenever this review is refreshed. Ready to buy? The XMax V4 Pro is in stock now, or browse the full XMax collection.