Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer Review: Liquid Filtration Makes It Smoother

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We’ve looked at several styles of loose-leaf vaporizers on Gear Diary, but this is the first one I’ve seen that uses water, reminiscent of your college roommate’s favorite water pipe. The Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer is a sleek, futuristic-looking rechargeable vaporizer that promises “cleaner and smoother inhalation with no additional attachments or setup.” Okay then, let’s check it out!

Unboxing the Hydrology9 is an experience; the packaging is high-end, and my first impression of the vaporizer was that it was sleek — interesting, yet possibly really complicated. I mean, most vaporizers have a chamber for the herbs you’re cooking, a mouthpiece, a charging apparatus, and temperature controls — and they call it good. This one looks like an alien spacecraft or a lightsaber, and it adds water to the mix! 😉

This video shows a few of the Hydrology9 vaporizer’s features …

The Hydrology9 Vaporizer measures ~6.9″ long by 1.8″ wide, and it weighs a hefty 15.3 ounces. The vaporizer is composed of borosilicate glass and matte silver aluminum which, apropos of nothing, looks very similar to the shell of my MacBook Pro. On the front is the circular operational button; to turn the vaporizer on from the off position, you click this button quickly three times; the vaporizer will automatically turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

There is a microUSB port on the side for charging.

Oooh — pretty LEDs! While charging, the chamber will glow red; once charging is complete it will glow green. The Cloudious9 Hydrology9 vaporizer has a 2000mAh Li-Ion battery that will give approximately 15 sessions after a full charge.

There is an air intake on the side opposite of the microUSB port.

So let’s take a look at all of the parts which come together to make the Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer …

Once you’ve charged the vaporizer and you are ready to give it a go, you’ll unscrew the glass mouthpiece to expose the water chamber. You simply pour water in through the top until the chamber is about 2/3 to 70% full. After you’ve added water, but before you replace the mouthpiece, you can cover the top of the vaporizer with your hand and give it a good shake to perform a “quick cleaning of the water chamber.”

Here’s a shot with the water chamber maybe just a tad more full than it needs to be.

The next step is to unscrew the bottom and fill the heating chamber with the ground material of your choice. The chamber is made of food-grade porcelain, and it can hold up to 1g of ground herbs.

After clicking the operational button three times to turn the Hydrology9 on, and the green light will flash three times indicating that the vaporizer is on. Next step is to single press the button to change the temperature to your desired point. The flashing colors will indicate the temperature you’ve selected: flashing blue for the lowest heat, flashing yellow for the next degree up, flashing orange for 3rd degree, flashing purple for the 4th degree, and flashing red for the 5th degree (highest temperature). Once the temperature you’ve selected has been reached, the water chamber will glow green.

During the inhalation session, the previously specified temperature will be maintained for 120 seconds. It will then enter standby mode for 60 seconds, which is represented by a solid light blue glow. This completes a single session. To start another session, press the circular operational button once to re-enter the temperature selection.

The vapor produced by the Hydrology9 is thick and smooth; I took a hard pull of ground chamomile and lavender, and it was cool, not harsh at all — there was no coughing involved. The gurgling water sounds as you draw in will remind you of college. 😆

Looking down at the glass mouthpiece; the lid is secured with strong magnets when not in use

There might come a point where you might have ordinarily opened the chamber on another vaporizer to stir the contents for more even heat distribution. That’s not necessary on the Hydrology9; all you need to do is turn the bottom stir knob — mission accomplished.

Cloudious9 says that the Hydrology9 can be “easily transported and enjoyed in a wide variety of settings,” but I would have to disagree. Even though it is slim, and “about the size of a Red Bull can”, the Hydrology9 is not discreet (it looks like a lightsaber!), and it has large components made of glass. I’d say that this is a vaporizer best used at home.

Bonus Trick: LED visual effects!

When you’ve got the Hydrology9 turned on, but it’s not in use, you can press and hold the center button for three seconds to start the LED light rotation mode. It’s a disco-light party trick that probably shortens the battery time, but it’s a pretty special effect.

The Cloudious9 Hydrology9 vaporizer uses liquid filtration to provide a cool, thick, and smooth vapor cloud. It is easy to operate, it looks cool, and it works well. The Hydrology9 is so pretty that you may find yourself holding it just because it’s neat.

The Cloudious9 Hydrology9 Vaporizer retails for $250, and it will be available directly from the manufacturer. You can sign up for release notifications here.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Beautiful glass and aluminum design; Uses water for a cooler, less harsh draw; Easy to operate; Lights are a convenient way to tell the current temperature; A free LED light show in ever box! 😉

What Needs Improvement: Don’t drop it, for goodness sakes!

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.