# Grasshopper
Overview
The Grasshopper is a portable, battery-powered dry herb vaporizer manufactured by Hopper Labs, based in Boulder, Colorado. Originally conceived under the name "Zenpen," the device was funded through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in late 2013, with pre-orders beginning at $99. The first units began shipping to backers in mid-2015, though the company experienced significant and prolonged delays fulfilling orders.
The Grasshopper is notable for its pen-shaped form factor — roughly the size and appearance of an actual pen — making it one of the most discreet portable vaporizers ever produced. It employs a primarily convection heating method and operates on-demand rather than as a session vaporizer, meaning it heats material only when the user draws on it. The device is powered by a proprietary rechargeable battery (designated GHB2) and features an adjustable temperature dial on the back end. It was offered in both stainless steel (SS) and titanium (Ti) body variants, with the titanium model available in several anodized colors including blue, grey, and bronze.
Despite widespread praise for its innovative design and vapor quality, the Grasshopper became one of the most controversial vaporizers in the community due to persistent reliability issues, long shipping delays, and extended warranty turnaround times.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Manufacturer | Hopper Labs (Boulder, CO) |
| Heating Method | Convection (on-demand) |
| Power Source | Proprietary rechargeable battery (GHB2) |
| Body Materials | Stainless steel or titanium |
| Temperature Control | Adjustable rear dial with 5 settings (1–5) |
| Heat-Up Time | Approximately 5 seconds (when functioning properly) |
| Form Factor | Pen-shaped; includes pocket clip on rear end |
| Mouthpiece Options | Standard metal tip, silicone cover, glass mouthpiece, Performance Front End (PFE) |
| Compatible Accessories | WPA (water pipe adapter / GonG connector), Performance Front End (PFE), third-party leather cases, loading funnels, battery caps |
| Battery | GHB2 proprietary cell; recharged via included charger or third-party chargers (e.g., Xtar MC1, MC2, Nitecore D4) |
| Original Indiegogo Price | $99 (standard SS) |
| Retail Price (circa 2018–2019) | ~$225 (SS), higher for Ti and colored Ti models |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty (as advertised by Hopper Labs); warranty transfer to second owners available for a fee (~£45 / ~$45 reported) |
The Grasshopper's temperature dial settings do not correspond to specific published temperatures. Community members noted significant temperature variation between individual units — some running notably hotter than others at the same dial setting, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as "GH voodoo."
Community Reception
The Grasshopper was one of the most discussed and debated vaporizers in the community's history. The original community thread ran to nearly 1,000 pages, begun in June 2015, and remained active for years — a testament to both the device's appeal and its problems.
Praise
When working properly, the Grasshopper was widely regarded as an exceptional on-demand convection portable. Its near-instant heat-up time (~5 seconds), pen-like discretion, and ability to deliver thick, flavorful vapor from a pocket-sized device earned it a devoted following. Community members appreciated its suitability for users who preferred to take one or two draws at a time rather than committing to a full session. One user noted they were "not a session person" and tended to "rip my pipe once or twice, and then put it down for ten or fifteen minutes," finding the Grasshopper perfectly suited to this use pattern. Users reported being able to fully cash a bowl in approximately three long draws, producing dark brown ABV (already been vaped material).
The device inspired a passionate accessory ecosystem, with community members investing heavily in batteries, third-party cases (from makers like Ratchett, Delta3d, and VapeCase), loading stands, funnels, battery caps, custom glass stems, and leather sleeves. One community member reported spending approximately $1,100 on two colored Ti units, two SS units, six batteries, and a comprehensive collection of accessories. Another detailed owning both a Ti and SS Grasshopper alongside five batteries, a Ratchett leather case, loading stand, dual mini-funnel, battery caps, doob tubes, charging sleeves, and a Magic Flight Orbiter for water filtration.
Artisan accessories also emerged, including handmade Bavarian leather sleeves crafted by a professional leather worker with a background in interior design and classic automotive upholstery.
Criticism
The Grasshopper's reputation was severely damaged by chronic reliability problems. The community widely agreed that the device suffered from an unacceptably high failure rate. One community member with experience in auto sales and sporting goods stated they "can't imagine any product with a 50% major system failure rate," adding that "nothing ever changes" since the original thread began in 2015. Another experienced member noted that while their personal unit had "gone strong without a hiccup for about 9 months," they still hesitated to "purchase another or recommend it to newer vaporists as they still seem to have a high infant mortality/DOA rate."
The warranty service process was a significant pain point. Users reported paying their own shipping costs for RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) returns, and turnaround times were often lengthy. The phrase "playing vape tag through the mail" was used to describe the experience of repeatedly sending units back for repair. At least one community member attempted to conduct a formal survey to determine whether reports of faulty units were representative of widespread problems or were "blown out of proportion by the few who are unlucky enough to have a unit that fell through the QA cracks." The broader community consensus leaned toward the former interpretation.
Additional concerns included:
- Temperature inconsistency between units: Some units ran significantly hotter than others at the same dial setting, with newer replacement bodies sometimes exhibiting different thermal behavior.
- Ambiguous failure symptoms: Diagnosing specific problems was difficult, with community members "trying to parse the type" of failure they were experiencing.
- Battery issues: Some users reported problems with batteries, including concerns about battery safety that led at least one community member to seek out others' discarded batteries at a discount.
- Mouthpiece heat: Both SS and Ti mouthpieces could become uncomfortably hot during use, though the SS mouthpiece was noted to heat up somewhat more slowly.
- Pre-order and shipping delays: The company's fulfillment timeline was repeatedly described as unreliable, with backers waiting months or years beyond promised delivery dates. Counterfeit Grasshoppers appeared on Alibaba and eBay before many legitimate pre-orders had been fulfilled — a situation the community found deeply ironic.
Ethical Concerns
Early in the product's history, community members raised concerns about the company founder's alleged astroturfing behavior on Reddit. A forum administrator documented evidence suggesting that the founder had posted comments appearing to be from a disinterested third party asking questions about the product. It was also noted that in an early promotional video, the founder appeared to use a different name. These concerns, raised before the product had shipped, established an undercurrent of skepticism that persisted throughout the device's life.
Tips & Techniques
Community-discovered best practices included:
- Temperature break-in: With units that ran hot (particularly newer replacement bodies), users recommended starting at setting 1 with an empty chamber and gradually working up to setting 5 before loading herb. This was reported to help calibrate expectations for a specific unit's thermal behavior.
- Packing: Stuffing the chamber and starting at a lower temperature setting (e.g., setting 2) was reported to yield good clouds and flavor without charring the material.
- Battery management: Swapping to a freshly charged battery was noted to sometimes resolve erratic behavior, suggesting that battery charge level could influence heating performance. Users widely recommended keeping multiple charged batteries available.
- Draw technique: The on-demand convection design meant that drawing technique significantly affected vapor production. Slow, steady draws were generally preferred over fast pulls to allow the heater to maintain temperature.
- Session management: Users reported fully extracting a bowl's contents in approximately 3 long draws, producing dark brown AVB.
Temperature Guide
The Grasshopper uses a numbered dial (1–5) rather than displaying specific temperatures. Due to documented unit-to-unit variation, precise temperature correlations were never firmly established by the community.
General community guidance:
| Setting | Approximate Use Case |
| 1–2 | Flavor-focused draws; lighter vapor; good starting point for users who prefer cooler vapor or are using a unit known to run hot |
| 3 | Balanced flavor and vapor production; a commonly reported daily-driver setting |
| 4–5 | Maximum extraction; thick clouds; risk of approaching combustion temperatures on units that run hot |
Community members noted that setting 5 on some units was "very hot" and could potentially char material, while setting 5 on other units might produce moderate vapor. Users were advised to learn their individual unit's behavior carefully and adjust accordingly.
Maintenance & Cleaning
The community noted that the Grasshopper's simple design made basic cleaning relatively straightforward:
- Chamber/oven: The chamber could be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and a small brush or pipe cleaner.
- Front end/mouthpiece: The mouthpiece assembly could be removed and soaked in isopropyl alcohol. The Performance Front End (PFE) was similarly serviceable.
- Screen maintenance: Keeping the screen clear was important for maintaining airflow and vapor quality.
- Blue Tack: At least one community member listed Blue Tack among their Grasshopper accessories, suggesting its use for picking up debris or sealing purposes during cleaning or loading.
Specific detailed cleaning protocols were not extensively documented in the available thread data, though the broader community noted that cleaning ease was a point of inquiry for prospective buyers.
Common Issues & Fixes
The Grasshopper was plagued by reliability issues that dominated community discussion:
| Issue | Description | Community Response |
| Unit failure / DOA | High rate of dead-on-arrival or early-failure units | RMA through Hopper Labs under lifetime warranty; pay shipping |
| Back-end heat | Excessive heat transfer to the rear of the unit near the battery | Could indicate a failing heater or thermal management issue; typically required RMA |
| Inconsistent temperature | Different units producing very different amounts of heat at the same dial setting | No user-serviceable fix; community accepted this as inherent unit variation |
| Red LED charging indicator delay | ~20 second delay before charging indicator LED activated on some newer units | Noted by experienced owners as unusual but not necessarily indicative of malfunction |
| Battery degradation | Batteries losing capacity or performing erratically over time | Replace with fresh GHB2 batteries; keep spares; some improvement noted by swapping batteries |
| Mouthpiece/front end issues | Cooling stems breaking; mouthpiece becoming excessively hot | Use silicone mouthpiece cover; upgrade to PFE; use through water pipe |
| Body replacement behavior | Replacement bodies from RMA sometimes exhibiting different thermal characteristics than original | Start with empty chamber at low settings to assess new body's behavior before loading |
The community widely recommended owning at least two working units or having a reliable backup vaporizer, given the likelihood of needing to send a Grasshopper in for warranty service at some point.
Accessories & Modifications
The Grasshopper spawned a rich third-party accessory ecosystem:
Official Accessories
- GHB2 Batteries: Proprietary rechargeable batteries; extra batteries were considered essential ($7 each at one point; sold in multi-packs)
- Charger: Included with purchase; a second-generation charger was released. Third-party chargers (Xtar MC1, MC2, Nitecore D4) were also used with charging sleeves
- Performance Front End (PFE): An upgraded front-end assembly available in steel and other materials, replacing the standard mouthpiece/screen assembly
- Silicone Mouthpiece Cover: Included; helped manage lip heat
- Glass Mouthpiece: Official glass stem option
- GonG Connector / WPA: Water pipe adapter for use with glass water pieces
Third-Party Accessories
- Ratchett: Popular artisan maker of leather cases, loading stands, dual mini-funnels, poke-n-scoop tools, battery caps, doob tubes (storage tubes), and battery charging sleeves
- Delta3d: Produced leather cases and charging sleeves specifically designed for the Grasshopper
- VapeCase: Offered different case styles for various travel configurations
- Bavarian Leather Sleeves: Handmade protective leather sleeves from an artisan leather worker in Bavaria, Germany; available in brown and black
- Magic Flight Orbiter: A glass bubbler frequently paired with the Grasshopper; community members commissioned custom glass stems from artisan glassblowers (notably Oregonglassblower) for optimal fit
- Sneaky Pete's Glass: Offered compatible glass mouthpieces
- Loading Funnels: From both Ratchett and other makers, designed to make filling the small chamber easier
- Battery Caps: Protective caps for storing batteries safely when not in use
- Smoke Buddy Junior: A carbon filter sploof used in conjunction with the Grasshopper for "ultra stealth hoppering"
Modifications
- At least one community member sought damaged or broken Grasshoppers specifically to "hack," indicating interest in modifying or repurposing the internals.
- Some users removed the pocket clip from the back end, though this raised concerns about warranty eligibility for future service.
Comparisons
Grasshopper vs. Arizer Air
This was a commonly discussed comparison in the community, as both were popular cordless portables in a similar price range (~$150–$225). The key distinction was use style:
- The Arizer Air was a session vaporizer — users would turn it on, wait for it to heat, and vape through a bowl over 10–15 minutes. It was regarded as one of the most reliable portables on the market, with consistent performance and minimal failure rates.
- The Grasshopper was an on-demand vaporizer — users could take one or two draws, set it down, and return to it minutes later without wasting material. This made it more suitable for users who preferred a pipe-like usage pattern.
Community consensus held that for pure reliability and peace of mind, the Arizer Air was the safer choice. For on-demand convenience and discretion, the Grasshopper was theoretically superior — but only "assuming you got a working grasshopper, which at this moment still appears to be a bit of an assumption," as one community member put it. Another member summarized the dilemma: "a future vape that may or may not work is less good than one of the most reliable portables on the market already in your hand."
Grasshopper vs. Firewood
The Firewood series was frequently recommended as an alternative on-demand convection portable for users who wanted Grasshopper-like functionality with better reliability. Community members noted the Firewood offered full extraction of actives in a similar on-demand convection configuration, with more predictable availability despite periodic stock shortages.
Grasshopper vs. DynaVap / Sticky Brick / Butane Vapes
For users seeking on-demand performance without reliability concerns, butane-powered alternatives were commonly suggested. The VapMan, Vaporgenie (VG), Hammer, Sticky Brick (OG and Junior), and DynaVap were all recommended as alternatives that could deliver on-demand hits without the electronic failure risks inherent to the Grasshopper. At least one community member reported selling their Grasshopper after being "bitten by the Vapcap bug."
Grasshopper vs. DaVinci IQ
Both devices were the subject of a community survey investigating quality control issues. While the DaVinci IQ had its own reported QC problems, the Grasshopper's failure rate was generally regarded as more severe and more systemic.
Counterfeit Grasshoppers
Chinese counterfeit Grasshoppers appeared on Alibaba and eBay, reportedly before many legitimate pre-orders had been fulfilled. Community members reported that one buyer had purchased 10 knockoff units from Alibaba as disposable alternatives, claiming the counterfeits produced "same bad ass clouds as real Hopper in videos" — though this claim was unverified and based on comparison to promotional videos rather than direct A/B testing against an authentic unit. The community generally advised against purchasing counterfeits due to unknown material safety, lack of warranty, and uncertain heating element quality.