Product Review: Bud Bros PuffGo V2

I first spotted the Bud Bros PuffGo V2 myself at AZ Smokeout where, unfortunately, I rolled up too late to actually sample anything they had going. The concept stuck with me, though: a disposable concentrate rig for twenty-five bucks that includes both the hardware and a half gram of oil. Either this was the most brilliant budget innovation in the concentrate game, or it was going to be a spectacular failure worth documenting. Either way, I wanted my hands on one if only for the novelty of owning it more than anything else.

Fast forward to more present day and we had a show up in Flagstaff where our friend had mentioned these things were stocked up. I hadn't been able to find them actively in stock in Phoenix, so naturally I had to take advantage of being in town to grab one. The budtender gives me a "make sure you read the directions" spiel telling me "a lot of people come back saying they're defective." Which, honestly, just made me more curious. 

My assumption going in was pretty straightforward: this had to be a basic battery connected to a ceramic coil with some kind of PuffCo-inspired cup design. Nothing revolutionary, just decent engineering at an affordable price point.

In my first session I made sure to follow the instructions to the letter. Preheat cycle for a full 22-seconds, long pull while holding the button, and the vapor production...was honestly underwhelming. But the effects hit with a fast onset exactly like a proper, albeit small, dab. The cloud production might have been weak, but whatever was making it into my lungs was definitely doing its job.

Second attempt, I cranked the heat up to the second level and ran two preheat cycles. Better results, but still not quite there. That's when I started paying attention to the voltage system this thing runs on: 2.8v, 3.2v, and 3.6v. Numbers that anyone who's messed with standard 510 carts will probably recognize, but here's the problem: when you're dealing with straight concentrate on ceramic instead of prefilled oil and wicks, voltage is basically useless information. The PuffCo that this is inspired by uses actual temperatures: 450°F, 500°F, 550°F, 600°F. No guesswork, just direct control. But for a disposable at this price point, it wouldn't exactly be reasonable to expect the same level of exact temperature control to be jammed into this little unit.

After reaching out and speaking to Cody, one of the founders of Bud Bros, he suggested always putting it up to the highest voltage of 3.6, noting that future designs will be locking the temperature and preventing it from even running on the lower settings.

The battery situation is where the budget constraints really show up. Each preheat cycle drops about 5-10% of the charge, so after thirty minutes of getting acquainted with the device, I'd gone from full charge to 65%. Two episodes of TV later, I'm down to 30% and barely getting any vapor at all. The charging is equally quirky, jumping from 75% to 100% almost instantly, then dropping to 95% when unplugged. Classic cheap battery behavior. Again, though, for the price point it's really hard to see this as a fault rather than a constraint needed to be brought in to keep the price points locked low.

The real issue is airflow. There's no carb cap near the bowl, which makes sense from a portability standpoint–don't want concentrate leaking in your pocket–but the only airflow comes from the USB-C port next to the button, which means you're pulling way harder than you should need to. If you're not used to taking long, sustained draws, this is going to frustrate the hell out of you. More importantly, though, that means the concentrate doesn't have any air circulating around while it's melting which is a very important element to the dabbing process.

That's when I decided to get creative and void my warranty.

Popping the plastic top off with an iFixit jimmy tool was incredibly easy. Just shimmy it under the edge and gently twist. And holy shit, what a difference. Suddenly one preheat cycle was enough to pull massive rips, and I could manipulate the cracked lid like a proper carb cap, which completely transformed the vapor production. I also discovered the cup had a cold spot leaving some concentrate unmelted, but with direct access I could just poke it down with a dab tool and the problem was solved.

Here's the unexpected bonus: once you crack it open, this thing becomes a genuinely useful reloadable portable rig. You can toss in whatever concentrates you have on hand, and the device handles them just fine. The battery life is still limiting for extended sessions, but if you're carrying a USB-C cable and battery pack anyway, it charges quickly enough to keep you going.

When I reached out about the cold spot issue, they acknowledged it shouldn't be happening and offered to replace the unit as well as offering a ton of tips on how they've found it works best. That's the kind of customer service that makes me think these guys actually give a shit about their product working properly, even if it's a budget disposable. 

After a week of testing this thing on and off, here's where I landed: the PuffGo V2 isn't perfect, but it's solving a real problem. For someone curious about concentrates but not ready to drop serious cash on a proper rig setup, this gives you a legitimate way to explore without breaking the bank. The device has clear room for improvement–better battery life, actual temperature control, fixing the airflow issue...but even with its limitations, it delivers on making concentrates accessible.

Once you pop the top (at your own risk, obviously), it punches well above its price point. The fact that it can be reloaded is huge, and the quick charging makes it viable for multiple sessions if you plan ahead.

Appearance – Nice light, almost honeycomb-looking color

Taste – Incredibly smooth "Play-Doh" wax taste that I love

Experience – Quick onset, pretty strong high. The half gram lasted considerably longer than I had expected as well!

Rating – 5/5

Additional Notes – This absolutely can be used as a reloadable portable rig, but I wouldn't plan on it lasting more than a few refills before having to grab a new one. Still, that's not bad at all for the price. These guys set out to give those who haven't gone all in on a dab rig yet an easily accessible entry to the method of consumption, and I'd say they did a damn good job.