Planet K Research

Very FUN shop! Staff are really chill and friendly. Went in for something, was offered a different option and it ended up being a much better purchase! Go check them out!

Funky shop ! It’s just so Austin. The location is awesome. Everyone that works there is super friendly and chill always helpful

In my opinion, all Planet K’s are the biggest overpriced rip-​off in Austin. In the E-​Juice and E-​Cig category I go online and buy for a minimum of 25% less than what this company prices their items. In some cases the prices are 30% higher. What a joke. Shameless rip-​offs…

Poor customer service and the gals behind the counter was not very attentive or bright. I had to actually go to someone to help me make a purchase w/​o them coming to me. Granted this is a head shop and your not going to get the cream of the crop in there.

I came here looking to purchase a nice e– cigarette platform, which I was always told that would have, however when I had asked for one individual was short, didn’t want to show me anything, and essentially just told me to go to create-​a-​cig… I’m trying to give you my damn money and you are convincing me not to?
Shortly after feeling very discouraged I left to for a but can came back, absolutely did I not want that same person, however I was then helped by a guy named Zack who was phenomenal, he showed me what was good and even made sure all the parts I wanted fit.
If you go here ask for Zach, however else was working there at 10:30p Saturday night, should look for work outside of customer service… Much less sales. I spend a lot of money at planet k, however I don’t think ill ever, EVER visit this place again.
I’d rather go to gas pipe (read: gas pipe mark up, far exceeds the incompetence and self entitlement all the employees exude here, except Zach of course, he helped me find just what I needed.
Bottom line, buy this crap online. Planet K off of research has a lot of modernizing to do… or if you don’t mind the head shop mark up, go to the gas pipe, they will at least be honest.
One of the number one most important things in business is trust. When an employee blatantly lies about what he obviously had nothing to know about, find someone who does, and don’t tell me to go to another store when I can see your options, I just wanted details.
Bottom line, don’t come here if you want to know about products you would expect someone who is around it all day to know.
Shall I quote Glenn Gary Glennross?

I liked this store because it was full of neat stuff, at least more than what the planet k on 35 by the target had. I asked the lady what herbal blend would be best to get because I’ve tried a few and none of them had any effects on me. Basically the lady was very short and quick with her answers and pointed out the ‘mad dog weed’ blend. I’ve been smoking it in hopes that eventually it will have some effect, but I have yet to have any type of high from it. They weren’t concerned with my needs and made me waste 15 dollars on some shitty herbal blend that didn’t work. Not cool planet k.

I love coming here. I go in with my bf & we never have a problem with the employees. They are really cool & friendly to us. They have a really cool selection of stuff. They carry Juicy Herb/​Juicy Jay’s papers & herbal smoke, which is great stuff. I personally suggest Marshmallow Root & Proze Smoke with the Black Magic papers. They don’t carry a few of my favorite incenses but that’s cool. You can walk through that store 5 different times & find something new. I know I have. Two thumbs way up for this place. Give it a couple of tries & you’ll see what I mean.

Love this place! The staff is very informative and always friendly and eager to help.

I recently relocated from Seattle to Austin and I went to Planet K expecting a TX style smoke-shop…in other words, I was ready to be disappointed. I was wrong. This place is great and felt just like the smoke shops in the Pacific Northwest. Right on target! Tatianna helped me, she was GREAT. She was very friendly to me… sure I’m pretty cute, but I didnt think she was hitting on me by any means (LOL, that’s for you Tatianna!). That review was kinda odd… but Tatianna, you should have given the shop 5 stars in your reply girl!
Everyone there is super friendly. I felt like I was hanging out with my friends back home. You guys are awesome, and I will be going back!

I’m super cool and broke my friend’s ceramic hookah bowl so I had to buy her a new one. Traveled to Heroes first and they do not carry them. I hesitated to come here because of the bad reviews and pretty much thought it’d be a skeevy porn shop…
Yeah, no, this is like the best smoke shop in Austin (at least from the ones I’ve been to). I felt like I was back at home: High Times magazine, Bob Marley posters, rolling papers, pieces… and they carried hookah bowls and accessories. The people behind the counter were super friendly and helpful. I recommend this place completely for anyone looking for a REAL smoke shop.

I went into this shop to buy all natural insence on a weekday around 6pm.
I got side tracked, remembering waaaay back in high school having seen someones «hidden» pipe. I had never been into a smoke shop before (i normally bought insence or hookah supplies elsewhere– until I moved to Austin because smoke shops weren’t available in my area).
NEway– out of nostalgic curiosity
I was asking about this certain style [metal pipe hidden inside of a highlighter’s body]– but they didn’t carry it. They also looked at me like I was cRaZy for asking. So then I asked if there were other concealed designs, again I was just curious, and the staff acted all suspicious of me and said their products are only recommended for tobacco… ummm okay– all i asked for was a concealed style, nothing else. I’m pretty sure I didn’t look like a crackhead or anything, considering I had just left the office.
They wouldn’t show me any other pipes, and didn’t act like they wanted to sell me anything.
Then a differnt staff memeber stepped up and she showed me a small vaporizer… not at all what i was asking about.
I left without making a purchase.

Bad customer service rules over this store. Nobody smiles, the employees seem hesitant to answer any questions or even assist you. It’s the closest smoke shop to my home, but I find myself going elsewhere because I’d rather deal with pleasant people.
I do like the variety of items they have in stock, though.

I agree completely with Kantiki and Ryan: snotty, unfriendly workers. Aren’t stoners supposed to be friendly and full of good cheer and humor? Aren’t we all supposed to be in on the great joke, the truth? I wouldn’t buy a sex toy there to save my life (AAA News, just a few doors down, isn’t a lot better. I wish Good Vibrations from San Francisco existed in Austin … or Babes in Toyland). Good selection of, ah, smoking materials. Very poor selection of hemp/alt.clothes, none in large sizes. Good snacks and weird soft drinks. Glass Pipe isn’t a whole lot better in terms of friendliness, either. I would say 3 stars for selection, but c’mon — counterculture used to be much more FUN! Why so serious, Planet K? And play more reggae and less stupid atonal harsh-​rock shit. Store is pretty dirty, too. 2 stars means «meh. I’ve experienced better.» I have.

I agree with Kantiki. Bad customer service. The employees here should really embrace their opportunity to «keep Austin weird». Instead, they come across as a bit stuck up and jaded. It feels like they’re tired of answering the same questions. Granted, it can be annoying and repetitive — but thus is the reality of retail. I guess when you apply at a headshop, you assume you won’t have to work.
That all being said: Planet K is a mecca of all things taboo. It’s a great place to kill a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon… As with any local headshop, the merchandise is ridiculously marked up. Your best bet is to browse for pleasure and actually make your purchases on the internet (if you dare).
The atmosphere, music, selection and décor get an A+.
I hate to badmouth an entire staff upon just three visits, but I gotta do what I gotta do. The low morale is probably due to high turnaround and a limited pool of employees willing to work for the wages/​benefits (or lack thereof?). All I want is a smile, a «thank you» and a traditional customer service experience in an untraditional environment.

This would be 5-​stars if it wasn’t for the workers. This location appears incapable of retaining any quality ATX material as workers, but the two they have retained are as useless and cynical as they have always been.
That said, this location is huge and has an insane amount of… everything. It’s a head shop, and it’s an awesome one. Energy drinks, pipes, hookah’s, cigars, incense, sex toys, random Hindu weaves hanging from the ceiling… oh, yes, the list goes on.
Their range of cigarette brands from around the world keep us coming back. It burned down in 2004, and came back in the bigger and badder store that stands to this day. Don’t know that you miss a place sometimes until it’s gone.

Head Shop. Dildo Shop. Weird-​ass stuff, wall to wall.
Books on burlesque, dirty comics, a smattering of porn, toys, novelties, vibrators, drug paraphernalia, pipes, candy, action figures, random goth and hippie gear.
They’ve got Jolt Cola in several flavors, which gets them an extra star.