Bent, Straight or Dimpled? Picking a Mouthpiece for the POTV Lobo
In short: keep the dimpled stem that comes with the POTV Lobo for pocket use, pick a bent (angled) mouthpiece if you mostly use the Lobo sitting down and want a comfortable draw angle, and pick a long straight stem for a cooler draw without water. All three push into the same socket on top of the Lobo, so you can swap them in seconds. A sensible setup is the short stem for going out and a long one at home.
This guide compares the three plain mouthpiece shapes for the POTV Lobo (and the POTV ONE). It covers what each one actually changes, what POTV itself says about cooling, and which of our glass fits. Fit details come from POTV's product pages and our own listings. The comments on how each shape feels are general glass behaviour, not lab measurements.
- What comes in the box
- Which shape for which situation
- Our Lobo stems side by side
- Dimpled: the stock all-rounder
- Bent or angled: comfort first
- Long straight: more path, cooler draw
- How to swap a stem
- When a mouthpiece is not enough
- Fit notes before you order
- FAQ
What Comes in the Box
POTV's box list for the Lobo includes one dimpled glass stem, alongside the dosing capsule, loading tool, a spare O-ring, three screens and the battery. The Lobo has no separate mouthpiece. The glass stem is the mouthpiece, and it pushes into the socket above the chamber.
POTV gives the Lobo's height as 8.89 cm without glass and 10.16 cm with the dimpled stem fitted. In other words, the stock stem only sticks out about 1.3 cm above the body. That's what keeps the Lobo pocketable. The trade-off is a very short vapour path, which is the main reason to look at other shapes.
POTV Lobo Mouthpiece: Which Shape for Which Situation
| If you mostly… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Carry the Lobo in a pocket or bag | Dimpled (stock, or our 75 mm dimpled replacement) | Barely adds height, and the dimples add some cooling |
| Use it at a desk or on the sofa | Long angled | The angle brings the mouthpiece to you, and the length cools the vapour |
| Want a cooler draw without water | Long straight, or a cooling stem | A longer vapour path gives the vapour more time to cool; bead or spiral stems add surface area |
| Want the smallest possible setup | 45 mm short straight | The most compact option; the shortest vapour path |
| Break glass now and then | Any two-pack | One to use and one spare, so a breakage doesn't stop you |
Our Lobo Stems Side by Side
| Stem | Length | Width | Listed for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimpled, two-pack, five colours | 75 mm | Stock stem width | Lobo, ONE, XMAX V3 Pro |
| Long set: one angled, one straight | 120 mm | 12 mm | Lobo, ONE, XMAX V3 Pro |
| Long straight, two-pack | 120 mm | 12 mm | Lobo, ONE |
| Short straight, two-pack | 45 mm | 12 mm | Lobo, ONE, XMAX V3 Pro |
By overall length, the 120 mm stems are 45 mm longer than our 75 mm dimpled replacement. How much taller they sit once fitted depends on the shape, so angled glass adds less height than straight.
Dimpled: The Stock Shape
A dimpled stem has small indents pressed into the glass wall. Vapour brushes past them on the way through, which adds surface area and a little turbulence without making the stem longer. POTV says its dimpled stem "holds the same shape and length as the original straight glass stem", and the difference is all inside.
How much does it help? POTV's own Lobo review found it "did a great job at cooling the vapor" but got "a tad bit harsh on the throat with the longer pulls". That fits what you would expect from such a short piece of glass. It takes the edge off, but it cannot do as much as length can.
If you like the stock shape, our cooling dimpled glass stems come two to a pack in blue, green, orange, pink or clear. If yours travels with you, a spare is worth having.
Cleaning note: POTV warns not to insert anything into a dimpled stem. Soak it in isopropyl alcohol, or in warm water with washing-up liquid, then rinse it well.
Bent or Angled: Comfort First
A bent mouthpiece angles the opening towards you. With the Lobo standing on a table or held low, you can draw without tipping the device or craning your neck.
On cooling, POTV says two slightly different things. Its bent mouthpiece page says "you'll be surprised at how much one bend in the glass cools the vapor", and its glass guide credits the bend and the extra length with adding surface contact. Its own Lobo reviewer is more measured: the bent stem "doesn't cool quite as well as the dimpled stem, but its slight bend cools enough". We haven't measured these stems against each other, so our reading is cautious: the angle is mainly about comfort, and a longer stem is likely to help cooling more than a bend on its own.
That is why our angled option is long. The long glass mouthpiece set pairs a 120 mm angled stem with a 120 mm straight stem in half-black glass. You get the comfortable angle plus a longer vapour path, and you can try both shapes before deciding.
The one downside of any long angled stem is leverage. If the Lobo tips over, the bend takes the knock. Lay the Lobo down when you are not holding it.
Long Straight: More Path, Cooler Draw
Length is the simplest kind of cooling. Hot vapour gives up heat to the glass walls as it travels, so a longer stem gives it more time to cool before it reaches you. It also moves the hot chamber further from your face.
If you only want the straight shape, the 120 mm straight two-pack gives you one to use and one spare. At the other extreme, the 45 mm short straight stems suit people who want the most compact setup and don't mind a warmer draw.
How to Swap a Stem
- Let the glass cool, or hold it by the end furthest from the chamber.
- Pull the current stem straight up and out of the glass adapter. The screen sits below the adapter, so check it at the next clean rather than mid-swap.
- Push the new stem straight down into the same opening until it sits snugly. You don't need to twist it.
- Heat as usual and draw slowly. A longer stem doesn't need a harder pull.
POTV describes its own glass as hot-swappable, even in the middle of a session. With any stem, including ours, the end nearest the chamber gets hot, so the safest habit is to let it cool for a moment before you swap.
When a Mouthpiece Is Not Enough
If you have tried a long stem and the draw is still too warm, the next step is a cooling stem rather than a different mouthpiece shape:
- Glass cooling beads stem: 130 mm long, 22 mm wide and packed with glass beads.
- Spiralled cooling stems: about 120 mm long, with an internal glass spiral about 25 mm across.
- Globe glass stems: about 75 mm long, with an expansion bulb about 20 mm across.
- Water bubbler stem: real water cooling that still plugs straight in.
We compare those in cooling bead stem vs standard stem and our spiral stem review, so this guide sticks to the plain shapes.
Fit Notes Before You Order
- Every stem in this guide is listed for the POTV Lobo and POTV ONE. The dimpled stems, the angled and straight set and the 45 mm stems are also listed for the XMAX V3 Pro. That device takes POTV glass through POTV's Accessory Attachment, so you need that part first. The 120 mm straight two-pack is listed for the Lobo and ONE only.
- None of these stems are listed for the standard XMAX V4 Pro. If that's your device, check with us before ordering.
- The 120 mm and 45 mm stems are listed at 12 mm in diameter. Diameter alone doesn't prove fit, so buy for a device named on the listing, or ask us first.
- These are Vapetrix glass, not official POTV parts. POTV has paused shipping outside the US, so if you're in the UK or Europe, see where Lobo owners can still get accessories.
Everything we make for the Lobo is in our POTV Lobo and ONE collection.
FAQ
Which Lobo mouthpiece cools best?
Of the plain shapes, a long straight or long angled stem, because length does most of the cooling. For more than that, step up to a bead, spiral or water stem.
Is a bent mouthpiece cooler than a straight one?
POTV says the bend adds some cooling, but its own reviewer rated the bent stem slightly below the dimpled one. Choose a bent stem for comfort. If cooling matters most, choose a long one.
Can I swap stems mid-session?
POTV describes its own glass as hot-swappable. With any stem, hold it by the cooler end or let it cool first, and let a long stem cool fully before you put it away.
Will a longer stem make the draw harder?
A plain glass tube usually adds little resistance. Stems with beads or spirals inside can feel a little different because of their internal shape. We haven't compared these stems for airflow, so if you're sensitive to draw resistance, start with a plain straight stem.
My stem feels loose or the draw is restricted. What should I check?
A loose stem usually means the O-ring or adapter needs checking. POTV includes a spare O-ring in the box. A restricted draw usually means the screen needs cleaning or replacing. For spares, our POTV Lobo and ONE accessories collection has stems, cooling stems and water pieces in one place.
