THClear Cartridge Review: Clear Hits But Cloudy Lab Tests
It’s unfortunate, really, that verified lab tests reveal the existence of pesticides in the THClear cartridge. Yea, it is a bummer when this happens with a favorable product. One both tasty and powerful like the distillate that THClear produces. Hopefully, they clear their name from these dirty tests in the near future. Gobble up all the goods about THClear cartridges in our full review. If you are looking for something better, check out our post on the best cartridges in California.
Pros:
- Good Flavor
- Powerful Effect
- Strong, Sturdy Cartridge
- Value Pricing
Cons:
- Tests Positive For Pesticides
- Clogs, Uneven Draw
- Sub-Par Heating System
Fail on pesticides, but the THClear cartridge scores high in most other areas!
If THClear would get rid of those pesticides, their cartridges would come with good recommendations. After testing the King Louie XIII OG, we have mostly good remarks about the overall experience. Take a look at our video review below. Then continue reading for the more in-depth review.
The cartridges themselves are durable, though they don’t provide an easy draw. You have to get a good amount of suction for a decent vape. This is one of the few other points of concern. Besides that, the oil doesn’t vape up too quick and has great flavor. The effects are strong at 77.50% THC and set in immediately.
Update 01/16/2019 – THClear Skywalker OG – Geoff
Those good remarks about the King Louie cartridge refer mostly to the flavor and potency of the oil. After trying the THClear Skywalker OG in the exact same .5 gram style cartridge, I find it rather disappointing. My neighbor, however, likes the flavor a lot. To each his own, I suppose.
The King Louie XIII OG THClear cartridge has a strong pine flavor that lasts in your mouth.
Along with a rich earthy aftertaste, that pine flavor is a main characteristic of the King Louie XIII strain. With the THClear cartridge, you’ll taste that pine! It is direct, prominent, and doesn’t leave the mouth for several seconds after the vape. We do taste hints of that earthiness, but the pine definitely stands out above it.
Geoff – That almost winter fresh flavor of pine that appears in the King Louie also shows up in the Skywalker OG cartridge. It’s not quite as prominent and a spicy flavor is one of the characteristics of the Skywalker strain. Still, it gets me to thinking. The dabs from dispensaries of THClear also have that flavor. Perhaps it’s a quality of the distillate itself. THClear Skywalker OG doesn’t have an unenjoyable flavor, but it misses the accuracy of the strain.
The effects are intense & set in quite suddenly!
There are cartridges out there like the Brass Knuckles, for instance, that have a higher concentration of THC. We do believe the Brass Knuckles Jack Herer is stronger, but the THClear cartridge doesn’t disappoint. At least we can say the King Louie XIII doesn’t. Euphoria sets in with rapid intensity for a deep, decent lasting stone.
Geoff – Again, I’m not as happy with the potency of the Skywalker OG up against the King Louie XIII. It does have more of deep, relaxing effect which matches the strain description. Still. it would be nice if the cartridge gave off a deeper vape. The issue seems like a combination of poor cartridge construction and the oil itself.
THClear uses durable but cheap cartridges. They don’t provide a fluid draw.
Just handling a THClear cartridge, you can tell that they are sturdy enough to do the job. Any banging around on your pen or while in your pocket won’t be an issue. You can also tell that THClear skimps a bit, at least on the cartridge material.
For instance, the mouthpiece is the slim design that fits in the mouth like a reed. It’s only comfortable in two positions, unlike a round design that works in any direction. The mouthpiece is made of plastic, though still durable. Like the mouthpiece, the outer tube is also a durable plastic instead of glass. The inner tube is metal.
Because the THClear cartridge is durable, the cheaper plastic parts aren’t much of an issue. The problem we find is the inconsistency of the draw when vaping the cartridge. It doesn’t stick all the way. but kind of sputters.
As our battery dies down, we find that the sputtering increases and the unit becomes difficult to hit. This is likely a result of the heating system which we discuss in more detail below.
Geoff – The Skywalker OG uses the exact same cartridge style with the same issues.
THClear claims 77.5% THC & 0.24% CBD in their King Louie XIII cartridge.
Like so many other companies, THClear cartridges list the levels of THC on their packaging. They also list the levels of CBD, something not as many other cartridges do. What we would like to see, however, is a pesticide-free statement with proof of lab results. This info is nowhere on the packaging so let’s take a look at independent results.
Looking at the independent testing done by SCLabs, results show a THC level around 50%. Now we don’t know exactly which strain it is, but 50% falls far short of the 77.5% our THClear cartridge claims. CBD percentage is actually higher in the test. It shows 0.59% versus the 0.24% on our package.
Geoff – According to the Skywalker packaging, the THC content is 81.7%. From my impression when vaping the entire cartridge, it doesn’t seem that potent. THClear also states a 0.19% concentration of CBD on the Skywalker package.
Flavor to strain accuracy is true, but it’s unbalanced.
Another aspect of distillate we like to weigh is how true the taste is to the original flower. As we stated above, the THClear cartridge (at least the King Louie XIII) does carry the main flavors of the strain. Pine, however, is in overwhelming abundance and almost hides the earthy tones. This isn’t to say the flavor is not enjoyable. We think it is. It just doesn’t have a good balance in comparison.
Geoff – As far as accuracy in flavor to strain, the Skywalker cart has a decent balance. A blend of the herbal aroma and spicy sweetness comes through, but you still get that wintergreen aftertaste. I’m intersted in finding out if all the THClear oils have that same taste.
THClear cartridge prices fall in the mid to low range.
We were able to acquire the King Louie XIII THClear cartridge from a dispensary in Vista, CA. The asking price is $25.00 for the 1/2 gram unit. If THClear does get rid of the pesticides, this would be a value mid-range price. It might even be a low-range price in certain areas. For most locales in California, $20.00 or under would qualify as low range pricing.
Geoff – The THClear Skywalker OG cart cost the same as the King Louie XIII, $25.00.
THClear cartridge dis-assembly & design breakdown.
We’ll begin by sharing that the plastic mouthpiece does come off, making the cartridge refillable. It’s actually the whole top piece that unscrews from the inner metal tube. You could easily take a syringe and fill it back up if you so desired. After removing the top piece, the plastic tube pulls off with a firm tug.
This leaves us with the 510 threads of the bottom attachment, surrounding bushing (which houses the heating element), and the inner metal tube. In the image, you can see the disassembly of the heating system.
There is a coil that wraps around the inside of the base and hooks in at two points. This coil doesn’t contain a rod but rather heats up a ceramic-like core. As you can see in the picture, this core is crumbled into pieces and next to it is the unraveled cloth wick. The wick surrounds the core when the piece is fully functional.
This heating system does do the job, especially with a fully charged or high powered battery. As far as the sputtering that occurs on the inhale, this may be because the oil has to soak in. It has to soak into the wick first, then into the porous core material.
Geoff – The THClear Skywalker OG .5g cartridge uses the exact same design as the King Louie XIII.
The cartridge is efficient & the oil lasts a while.
Our findings reveal that the THClear cartridge keeps its oil well. It doesn’t vape right up like our experience with the disposable VVS pen. This is most likely due in part to the consistency of the oil as well as the slow absorption of the heating system.
Geoff – A long-lasting cartridge continues to be a strong suit for THClear, although I do wonder if results would be the same with a better cartridge design. Either way, you’ll get more puffs than you might expect from this .5g cart.
Big hits are tough but possible.
Use the THClear cartridge with a higher power battery and it should hit just fine. We are using the LoKey battery with a 350 mah power source and it works well when fully charged. After using about half the battery life, it isn’t as easy to get a full hit. Be sure to check out the video to see our demonstration.
Geoff – In the big puff category, the Skywalker OG scores worse than the King Louie. You really have to draw down hard and long to get a full vape. It’s not that the King Louie didn’t also have this issue, it just gave a better vape cloud in return.
Rounding up the THClear cartridge review.
As we bring this review of the THClear cartridge to a close, let’s go over the biggest talking points. Our main point of concern is the fact that pesticides appear in the lab test. We see that THClear currently has a website under construction. Hopefully, they get this issue straightened out. The remaining drawbacks of the cartridge make it a less than perfect product. Still, the enjoyable flavor and euphoria make the cartridge attractive. Especially if you can find them in the very low price range. You can find THClear cartridges near you on their locations page.
Geoff – After vaping the THClear Skywalker OG cartridge, my original assessment doesn’t change a bit. If anything, the overall score drops a few points. Cartridge design is likely the culprit for a less than appealing experience. Pesticides in the lab results really throw off any chance of a positive recommendation.
What do you think about THClear? Have you tried it yourself? Comment below or post in our forum!