As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with either. Biggest difference is going to be battery life. Personally, I intend on buying a regular Provari for the 18650 battery life, but I work from home, so that's not a big deal for me. I have handled them both at the local B&M and they both are extremely nice units, top quality. I'm planning on getting one towards the end of the month. If portability is a real factor for you, the mini is nice. The regular one is not as large as I imagined from the videos and pics I've seen of them though. If you have a brick and mortar store in your area that carries them, you might want to check them out in person so that you can get an idea of the differences. Good luck with it!