Smoking concentrates through vape pens is quickly becoming a popular way of consuming cannabis. The portability and discretion is a huge selling point. Portable dab rigs are a relatively new technology in the cannabis industry, but are quickly becoming a reliable and fun way to experience cannabis concentrates.
What Is A Dab Rig?
For the totally uninitiated, a dab rig is essentially a piece of glass that works identically to a bong, The difference is there a nail instead of a bowl. The nail is a metal, ceramic or quartz pocket you heat up with a torch and drop the “dab” of concentrate on. The heat from the nail vaporizes the concentrate and you inhale it into your lungs.
What Are Concentrates?
A cannabis concentrate is a result of stripping away everything from the flower through an extraction process. Once the extraction process is completed, you’re left with the isolated chemicals that get you high. THC, THC-A, CBD, etc.
What Makes A Dab Rig Portable?
Portable dab rigs connect the nail to a heating element, which is powered by a rechargeable battery. You slide a glass mouth piece over the nail and that’s how you inhale you concentrate. Basically, these devices are hybrids between bongs, vape pens, and dab rigs. You can easily put them back in the box and slide them into a large purse or a backpack.
Pros
Travel, discretion, and sheer ease of use are the reasons to own a portable dab system. If you need a discrete way to smoke during a week trip to your in-laws’ house, this will save your life. No torches, no butane, extra dabbers, no drama. Just push the button and go.
The carb cap and dabber are magnetized, allowing for easy dabbing and carbing. Serving and carbing your hit is a great experience with a mini dabber.
Many brands include different style nails with their dabber. Ceramic, titanium, and quartz are the most common types of nails. They all have benefits and negatives based on user preference. Taste is the biggest one in my opinion.
Cons
If you want to do a really big dab, a traditional dab rig is still your best bet. The nails are large and hold more heat which allows a big glob to burn completely through. There isn’t enough surface area to effectively burn a large amount of concentrate with the portable dab rig I own. The verdict on that is out on other models, but a blow torch and large surface will always be a safe bet for the perfect dab, in my opinion.
As the battery drains, it vaporizes the dab slower and slower. You have to monitor your battery to make sure it doesn’t die in the middle of a hit. When that does happen, it’s disappointing.
Best Portable Dab Rigs Available
There are several great brands that sell portable dabbing systems. All of them are basically the same setup, but each one has unique features that make each one worth owning in its own right.
I own the dabber kit from Vuber. It was a great product at a fair price and has a great sturdy feel to it. I’ve knocked it over several times and it there isn’t a scratch on it. The selling point was Vuber’s lifetime warranty on all its products.
Other dab rigs I would recommend for purchase include:
