Groove CARA: A Solid Concentrate Pen Suitable for All Budgets

Groove CARA: A Solid Concentrate Pen Suitable for All Budgets 

We're pleased to announce the launch of a new brand in the vaporizer and accessories landscape: Groove. Groove is born from the wish to offer quality products at an accessible price, and it's reflected by their moto "simple, functional, reliable". With a range of products going from vaporizers to glass pipes and herb grinders, Groove is a complete line of dry herb and concentrates enthusiast's essentials. 

Today, we'll focus on Groove's concentrate pen: the CARA. The CARA is a classic pen-shaped portable vaporizer with variable voltage and single button activation made for solid concentrates. Let's discover how this new device performs and make our first opinion about Groove. 

 

A Simple, Functional, Reliable Concentrate Pen 

With its very classic pen shape, single button activation and coil-style heating element, the CARA doesn't really re-invent the wheel. Groove took an existing formula and injected it with its core values: Simplicity, Functionality, Reliability. 

The CARA is a very straightforward portable concentrate vaporizer that allows you to use solid concentrates everywhere you go at the simple touch of a button.  

 

Look and feel – 5/5 

Straight of the box, the CARA transpires simplicity and reliability, which I find impressive for a device of this price. The build seems sturdy, and the design looks sleek. The discreet black body is embellished with the Groove logo and the single button sports Groove's already recognizable neon green colour.  

Even the packaging is sleek: an external sleeve features branding and all useful information, and a white inner box with embossed logo safely holds the vaporizer and its accessories. 

Manufacturing quality / Warranty – 3/5 

The CARA seems to be a reliable device and I couldn't spot any manufacturing defects or flaws. One thing worth to mention is that the heating element is built on a somewhat old model using wire coils wrapped around quartz rods.  

The most demanding users might also find the body of the vaporizer to feel a bit cheaper than other vape pens due to its use of synthetic material, but the Cara is still made from safe components and for this price it's hard to top its quality. 

The warranty is classic for a vaporizer and comprises 2 years. 

 

Settings and features – 4/5 

As previously said, there's not much to say about settings and features with the CARA. It turns on, heat, and vaporizer concentrates, that's pretty much it. You still have the choice between 3 temperature or voltage settings, and like a classic vape pen, the heating element is activated when you press the button.  

One improvement compared to other vape pens is that the CARA heats in waves, so you don't have to juggle with the activation button and can simply keep pressing it while you are using it without risking overheating. 

The lowest voltage setting (3.4V) is ideal for a smooth hit of a small amount of concentrates while the highest (4.2V) allows you to enjoy a bigger, denser cloud and more material. As an extra feature, the CARA is equipped with a 15-second safety cut-off. 

Vape experience – 4/5 

The vapor produced by the Cara is smooth and flavourful, and the device is easy to use and clean. The vaporizer has three temperature settings, allowing users to customize their vaping experience to their preferences. 

I tried all 3 voltage settings, and I found a good balance using both low and middle settings. I use small amounts of concentrates in vape pens, and I found the highest setting to be a bit harsh for my liking, but it will obviously rejoice the ones that like their vape experience a bit more challenging than I do. 

The airflow is a bit restricted, but it's usually the case with vape pens. Just make sure to properly clean your device between sessions so the airflow doesn't get more restricted. 

 

Battery – 3/5 

The battery is what you can expect from a discreet vape pen, it doesn't have a lot of power and autonomy, but it gets the job done. With 380 mAh of power, you can enjoy a few sessions but don’t expect to vape concentrates on the go all day long without charging it. 

The Micro-USB charging port is a bit of a bummer for a vaporizer released in 2023 but since the battery is a small capacity one, the Cara only need about an hour to be fully charged. 

 

Conclusion: A functional concentrate pen for under 30€ – 4/5 

The CARA is up to expectations, and some would say it even top them for its price range. A full portable concentrate vaporizer for under 30€ is definitely welcome and worth checking out, as it is usually the price range of 510 batteries only. Having atomizers that you can fill with your own material expands the range of products you can consume as you don't have to depend on pre-filled cartridges.  

*The CARA is not compatible with classic 510 threaded cartridges, so if you're looking for a 510-ready portable vaporizer, we suggest you check out the G Pen Micro+. 

 

How to use the Groove CARA Vaporizer 

The CARA is straightforward and easy to use, and should feel very familiar if you already have some prior experience with vape pens: 

1. Unscrew the mouthpiece and coil cap 
2. Add your material into the coil (careful not to stab the heating elements) 
3. Screw the coil cap and mouthpiece back on 
4. Press the button 5 times to turn on 
5. Cycle through the 3 voltage settings by clicking on the button 3 times: 
6. White light: 3.4V (Low voltage) 
7. Blue light: 3.8V (Middle voltage) 
8. Green light: 4.2V (High voltage) 
9. Press and hold the button to activate heating (the CARA will heat in waves after 4 seconds, from 2.5V to your desired voltage in cycles.) inhale and enjoy 
10. Press the button 5 times to turn off