What Is an AIO Vape? AIO Cart Meaning, Explained

By Alex Rumi

An AIO (all-in-one) vape is a disposable cannabis vape where the battery, heating element and oil are sealed into one device. Unlike a 510 cart, there's no separate battery to buy: You use it until the oil runs out, then replace it.

On a store menu you'll see the same device called an AIO, an AIO cart, an AIO disposable or an all-in-one. "AIO cart" is a bit of a mix-up, since a cart normally means a cartridge that screws onto a battery, but people use it for both. Most AIOs, ours included, have a small rechargeable battery with a USB-C port, so "disposable" means you can't refill it, not that it's empty after one charge.

AIO vs 510 Cart: What's the Difference?

  • 510 cart: A pre-filled cartridge that threads onto a separate battery you keep and reuse.

  • AIO: Cartridge and battery built into one device, with nothing to pair or set up.

  • The tradeoff: An AIO is simpler, while a 510 costs less over time if you vape regularly (because you only replace the cartridge).

For the full comparison, including which extracts suit which hardware, read 510 Vape Cart vs AIO Disposable: Which Should You Choose?

Does AIO Mean Distillate?

No. AIO describes the hardware, not what's inside it. An AIO can be filled with distillate, live resin, cured resin or live rosin, and the product name on the package tells you which.

The two words get mixed up because distillate is common in AIOs: It's inexpensive and available in almost any hardware. The four oils differ in how they're made:

Oil Made from What to expect
Distillate Extract refined until it's mostly THC Flavour usually comes from terpenes added back afterwards
Live resin Plants frozen right after harvest, then extracted Tastes closer to the fresh plant
Cured resin Dried and cured plants, then extracted Tastes closer to a jar of flower
Live rosin Fresh-frozen plants, separated with ice water and pressed with heat, no solvent Thicker than resin, so it needs hardware built for it

Key point: "AIO" tells you the device has a built-in battery. It tells you nothing about the oil. Read the product name for that.

What's in a GOOD BUDS AIO?

Resin, with nothing added. We make two kinds of AIO, and neither contains distillate.

Cured resin AIOs in Gluerangutan, Mango Cake and Timewarp. Full-spectrum cured resin from the same plants we grow on Salt Spring Island, BC, with no distillate and no added terpenes. They run on CCELL Mini Tank hardware: A ceramic heating core, a 180 mAh rechargeable battery and no buttons or settings. You just draw.

Gluerangutan Live Rosin AIO. Solventless live rosin from fresh-frozen Gluerangutan. Rosin is thicker than resin, so it goes into different hardware built to handle it.

You'll notice live resin isn't on that list. We keep it for 510 carts, where a good battery lets you run it at lower heat, which is gentler on its most volatile terpenes. The 510 vs AIO article covers why we match each oil to its hardware.

New AIO feels tight on the first draw? It's usually cold, not broken. Here's how to fix a new AIO that won't hit >>>

Where to Buy GOOD BUDS AIO Vapes

GOOD BUDS vapes are sold only through licensed cannabis retailers.

  1. Gluerangutan Cured Resin AIO: BC, Alberta and Ontario

  2. Mango Cake Cured Resin AIO: BC and Alberta, with Ontario launching in November

  3. Timewarp Cured Resin AIO: BC, with Alberta expected around November

  4. Gluerangutan Live Rosin AIO: BC

Find a licensed retailer near you, or see the full vape lineup.


Alex Rumi is co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at GOOD BUDS, a FVOPA Certified Organic cannabis farm on Salt Spring Island, BC. He has worked in the licensed Canadian cannabis industry since 2017.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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