It’s a rare phenomenon to look closely at a product and not have a single complaint about it come to mind.
But that’s exactly what I’m experiencing now after a few days testing a little vape called Compass, from the brand Vessel. In fact, I can’t stop looking at it and turning it over in my hand to admire. And that’s not just because of how high it got me (okay, maybe it is a little).
Its performance is just as smooth as its design.
Compass is Vessel’s palm-sized, concealer-style battery, made to work with standard cartridges (510 thread). It’s button activated, featuring a thumb-sized pad in the middle of the body, and charges conveniently via USB-C.
Its durable housing provides near- to full coverage of the cart inside, allowing only the mouthpiece to stick out exposed. That’s what first drew me in; if you’re a klutz, like me, this really comes in handy.
THE SPECS:
-Compatible with 510 thread cartridges
-550mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery core
-3 LED battery/settings indicators
-Four voltage settings (2.4V, 2.8V, 3.2V, 3.6V)
-USB-C charging
-2.6 inches by 1.6 inches
Five back plate colors: Yosemite (olive green), Gunmetal (charcoal), Gold, Tahoe (white), and Mojave (light gray).
Vessel
Using Compass is extremely straightforward. Press the button five times to turn it on and three times to adjust the voltage settings (Vessel goes by voltage rather than the more standard, temperature).
If you’re accustomed to using vape pens, this should seem pretty familiar. It’ll stop you from taking too long of a hit and overheating the device, shutting off after 8 seconds if you’re still holding the button by then.
How it hits.
Vessel doesn’t make you wait to heat up the oil in order to get a decent hit. It warms up fast, even on the lowest setting, powering long, smooth pulls.
It also feels really nice in the hand, weighing 66 grams. The curvy, sleek exterior paired with the blue LEDs and black-and-white color scheme of Tahoe made it feel like I was holding a tiny PS5.