The Oduman Ignis Vs. The Kaloud Lotus

The Kaloud Lotus- Arguably one of the biggest innovations in hookah smoking in the last decade. The Lotus innovated smoking by making it super convenient and easy to manage heat, and I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of avid hookah smokers in the U.S. own one. It revolutionized how we smoke, and many smokers can't even imagine smoking without it anymore. While I don't think the Lotus is something you can't smoke without, it certainly is an important device in my daily smoking, as well as many other avid smokers, like myself. However, a new product has come to the market. The Oduman Ignis- A Heat Management Device (HMD) much like the Lotus, but with several small improvements made to the device. A lot of buzz has been circling around this device in the last few months since it emerged into the North American market, so today we're going to talk a bit about the differences between the two, and hopefully we can help you determine which one you need. Heat Management Devices have almost changed how smoking hookah is treated... 

Size Differences

 

The Kaloud Lotus and the Oduman Ignis look extremely similar from the first glance, but the details are what make the biggest difference in small devices like these.

   

The first thing to notice is the size. The lotus and the Ignis are both roughly three inches in diameter, so any bowl that was made with the Lotus in mind will fit the Ignis perfectly. However, while the Lotus starts slanting upwards towards the top, the Ignis stays straight towards the top of the device. This allows for more room in the device for additional coals, which means you can put more heat on your bowl - up to three cubed coals or three flat coals.

The Nubs

The second thing you should take note of is the little bumps that are on the interior of the Ignis. What this does is allow more airflow to get to your coals, so the bottom of your coals won't black out, preventing heat loss. In all of the testing I've done, I haven't had any coals black out on the bottom of the device.

The Similarities

Here you can see that the bottoms of the devices are veritably the same. Exact same diameter, like I said previously.  I find the Lotus is still easier to clean, for whatever reason, hence why the Ignis is still dirty after cleaning. This doesn't detriment your sessions in any way, as you can still clean the Ignis, it just won't look quite like new again.

The Lids

The lid to the Ignis is wider, considering the top of the Ignis is much wider than that of the Lotus. The only real downside that I've noticed as far as the Ignis goes is that when the vents on the lid are completely closed, there's absolutely no airflow going through the top, and this can cause your coals to completely black out, which can be circumvented by just leaving them open ever so slightly. The Lotus lid, even when closed completely, still has room for air to get to the coals that prevents this from happening. Something else worth noting about the Lotus is that the handle to the lid is removable, and doesn't get hot even while the device is piping hot. The same cannot be said for the Ignis, as it still heats up with the rest of the device, though it's not too hot to where you can't move the vents, it's just not something that I'd hold. The handle on the Ignis cannot be removed like the Lotus' handle.

Do you need the Ignis?

The big question of the article. I've pointed out the differences in the two, but if you already have the Kaloud Lotus, do you need the Oduman Ignis? Honestly, no. It's not something that I can say that every smoker will need, and not something that's drastically different enough to warrant purchasing another device if you don't need a second HMD. If you are in the market for a new Lotus, whether it be your first, second, third, or hundredth, I highly advise purchasing the Oduman Ignis instead. While it does function the same as the Lotus, it's something that has many minor differences that makes it the superior device. I personally like having two so I can alternate between them from bowl to bowl without having to clean a hot Lotus. The Ignis is absolutely worth the price tag, being the same price as the Lotus. The final downside to the Ignis is the availability - OxideHookah.com is the only place where you can find it currently, and while they're a great vendor, they're located in Canada, so waiting on the processing, shipping, and receiving makes for a bit of a wait, as well as a it being smidge more expensive than the Lotus with shipping costs. I hope this article helped answer any questions you may have had about the Ignis, and has potentially helped you make a decision about the device if you were on the fence. Thanks for reading, and happy smokes!