Check out Randy's Ghost MV1 Video Review on Vimeo!
The Ghost MV1 is a portable convection vaporizer with an overpowered heater for delicious, monster clouds on demand. Most full convection vapes can't compete with hybrids in vapor thickness but the MV1 heats nearly instantly and brings clouds with the best of them.
Portability & Form
The Ghost MV1 almost looks like alien tech. The face is a shiny and tough metal alloy with chrome touches from the button, loading chamber door and heatsink. The borosilicate mouthpiece is fully retractable inside of the unit and the chamber door flips open at the press of the switch. With the chamber door open you can access your crucible, which is what Ghost calls their ceramic loading pods.
At 5 inches tall and 12 ounces the Ghost is one of the bulkier battery powered portables. For a comparison to a portable that's known for being large: the Storz & Bickel Mighty is half an inch taller but 3 ounces lighter and a bit slimmer. The MV1 will fit in the pocket of your jeans but the bulge isn't exactly discreet.
Heating Style & Chamber
The Ghost MV1's heating element goes from cold to vape ready in seconds. The heater and loading chamber are separated so heated air only reaches your material during draws to maintain nearly 100% convection. The loading pod can hold a bit over 0.1g and it's made of ceramic with a stainless steel filter on top. I would have liked if the filter could attach to the crucible so they could be used as preloading pods but the optional crucible dispenser fixes that.
The MV1 has six different temperature settings. The three orange LED temps are low, medium and high. The first two red LED settings are favorite temps adjustable through the Ghost MV1's app. The sixth temperature (three red lights) runs much hotter than the other five and is meant exclusively for concentrates; most vapes that claim liquid material compatibility are stuck to a dry material temp range so it's awesome having a dry portable that can also do liquid materials properly.
Vapor Quality & Draw Resistance
The Ghost MV1 is without a doubt the most powerful pure convection portable I've tried and it even outdoes most convection desktop vapes. The first draw from most convection vapes is usually airy and thin but the Ghost is powerful enough to get satisfying vapor immediately. Flavor is crisp, well pronounced and true to the material for the first few draws. Give it a stir and taste stays above average for the next few draws as the load nears completion thanks to convective heating. Full extraction in a small amount of draws means more potency per draw than a long session with tons of pulls, I've found the MV1 great for getting comfy quickly.
Draw resistance is low by default and adjustable with the mouthpiece; when it's fully extended there's almost no restriction. Vapor production this dense would normally be harsh but the Ghost's unique heatsink with roundabout vapor path lowers the temperature and removes most particles for smoothness even on hot settings. When run through a bubbler with the MV1 universal adapter even the biggest draws go down easy.
Battery & Charging
The Ghost's battery pack is easily removable and replaceable with a button release, something I love to see. The 2600 mAh capacity and 9 amp max output result in about 35-50 draws per charge depending on temperature preference. I'd love to see more battery life but true convection vaporizing with nearly no heat up time takes lots of juice.
Holding down the front (mode) button while activated will display remaining battery life with a 3 LED gauge. The pack takes about 8 hours to charge from empty using Micro-USB which to me means overnight. An optional fast charger is also available which charges the MV1 battery pack externally in about two hours.
Airpath & Internals
We haven't taken apart a Ghost MV1 just yet but from what we can tell the airpath does appear to be entirely isolated from the electronics. Air flows in through the front of the heatsink at the top of the unit, down past the green silicone cushions around your crucible and into the heater. After being heated the air travels up through your material and then up through the heatsink before finally reaching the mouthpiece. The removable heatsink is one of the best features of the Ghost. It forces vapor to to pass through a long path of metal and ceramic, filtering out nearly all of the irritating particles and absorbing a lot of heat from your vapor before it reaches the mouthpiece. The heatsink is modular and easy to take apart for cleaning out any honey buildup.
Ease of Use & Maintenance
The MV1 operates a little differently than most vapes but once you've used it a few times it becomes second nature. Three clicks of the front button activates and deactivates the Ghost. Holding down the front button once displays remaining battery life and holding it a second time lets you change your temperature setting. When using concentrate drop the liquid pad into your crucible and select temperature six, displayed by three red lights; any other temperature will work well for dry material. My favorite way to load the crucible is scooping directly from a 4-piece grinder. Once you're ready to go, hold the button on the back of the unit. The first vibration means heating started, the second vibration 3-10 seconds later means you can begin inhaling. On the third vibration the Ghost stops heating and you can let go of the back button.
The Ghost's settings can also be adjusted using the free Bluetooth app for Android and iOS available. Once paired you can adjust the two 'favorite temperature' settings anywhere from 284° to 428° Fahrenheit. The app also allows potential firmware updates in the future and a security lock mode that prevents your vape from activating.
The standard kit includes everything you need to keep your crucibles and vape clean and tasting like new: cleaning picks, cleaning swabs and isopropyl alcohol wipes. The picks are good for clearing AVB from a finished crucible while the iso wipes and cotton swabs are perfect for any sticky buildup in the mouthpiece and heat-sink.
Accessories
Aside from the cleaning kit the Ghost MV1 also includes a second crucible, the stainless steel mesh liquid pad, a Micro-USB charging cable and quick start guide. We've also got a handful of optional accessories like the Universal Water Pipe Adapter, Crucible Dispenser, Fast Charger and extra Battery Pack.
The universal GonG adapter lets you pair your MV1 with any 10mm, 14mm or 18mm female connection for smooth, water filtered vaping. The crucible dispenser includes 5 ceramic loading pods and lets you carry preloaded MV1 crucibles for quick swapping. The fast charger is the MVP of optional Ghost accessories, cutting the charge time down to 2 hours from the usual 8 hours using Micro-USB.
Warranty
The Ghost MV1 includes a 2 year warranty to the original purchaser that can be extended to 5 years by registering your vape on Ghost's website. The warranty covers defects and failure from normal use but not damage caused by the user. The battery pack is covered for a single year.
Comparable Options
The Haze Square is the only other pure convection portable in the price range of the MV1 that heats on demand. The MV1 takes the edge for vapor thickness and flavor while the Square wins in portability. The Boundless Tera is another convection portable that draws on par with the Ghost. Instead of heating in 10 seconds from cold and a few seconds for each successive draw, the Tera is a session vape that heats in 30 seconds and holds temp for a full 5 minutes. The Storz & Bickel Mighty is a convection dominant session vape with the closest vapor output to the Ghost MV1. Both the Mighty and the Ghost are lungbusters but the Mighty applies heat to your material even when you're not drawing from it, giving the MV1 an advantage in efficiency.
Final Thoughts (TLDR Summary)
Of the full convection portables I've tried the Ghost MV1 is currently the king of vapor thickness and it's also one of the less harsh options for those of us with sensitive lungs. Flavor is top tier, representing the material cleanly and clearly, especially for the first few draws.
The Ghost is a bit bulky but most of that weight is the heat-sink that greatly cools vapor and the battery pack that provides a ton of power for huge clouds without needing to wait. I'd consider the Ghost more of a "home portable" due to size and weight but there's really nothing stopping me from pocketing it while I'm out and about.
The MV1's near instant heatup and powerful heating make for quick sessions, fully extracting in just a handful of draws. I noticed The battery lasts me around 4-5 sessions with a full charge but without the fast charger it does need to be charged overnight.
I would definitely recommend the Ghost MV1 as a personal use vaporizer to any flavor chasers that want the thickest clouds possible from a true convection vape. The Ghost's size takes it out of the realm of stealth portables but it will still fit in a regular pocket, making it more of a 'performance portable' like the Mighty.
CLICK HERE for a Ghost MV1 to call your own
Fans of the Ghost Also Like: