Dab Pen, Erig, or Wax Pen - Which is the best for you?

Dab Pen, Erig, or Wax Pen - Which is the best for you?

 

Cannabis concentrates have become increasingly popular over the past few years. With the rise of these, we have seen an increasingly diverse range of new devices that many people are not entirely familiar with. 

There are dozens of vapes on the market as of late that make consumers do a second take and wonder, "Which should I buy?"

Our list of best vapes will help make your decision easier, no matter what you enjoy vaping. 

We know it isn't easy to find the best vape, especially with so many options and choices in the market. With different shapes, sizes, options, it's hard to find the right device for the material you want to use. That is why we've divided our list into subcategories based on the type of aromatic blends you enjoy

Electric dab rigs, dab pens, and wax vaporizers all have pros and cons. 

There are many reasons you should try out one or all of them. Still, the decision falls primarily on user preference, what they are comfortable using, and how they want to vape. 

Once you have all of the information about these different products, you can decide which vaping methods will best fit your needs. There is no right or wrong way to enjoy cannabis concentrates; like with smoking cannabis flowers, much of it is a personal preference. 

 

What is an Erig?

An electric dab rig, or erig for short, is like a water pipe used for smoking marijuana concentrate. 

The only difference is that rather than a nail or banger, the erig comes with a self-heating chamber or dish, often called a coil or atomizer designed to vape concentrates like dabs, shatter, wax, etc.

Electric dab rigs do not involve a propane torch that heats the banger or nail to a rosy glow. Instead, these electric rigs use batteries that push an electric current through a coil, which heats the dish or chamber where your dabs go. 

Most of these erigs work well for cold starts. So rather than heat the dish first, then apply the dab when doing cold starts, you put the dab in the bowl first, then press the power button the required number of times to heat the bowl, and you can then start pulling like you would with a regular water pipe.

 

What is a Wax Pen? 

A wax pen is a completely different product from the erig. Wax pens are meant to be handheld and compact in most cases. They consist of a few components: a heating component, a battery, and a vape cartridge.

Unlike dab cartridges which are typically sealed, one-use disposable devices, the atomizer on a wax pen is reusable but will wear out over time. 

It works in much the same way as the atomizer in an erig but is typically smaller, so it won't hold as much concentration. The atomizer heats up the dabs or wax located in a ceramic or quartz container. Depending on the vape pen model, it will have rods that heat up inside of the bowl or maybe a bowl that rests on top of a heating device. 

Typically most wax pens won't have a water chamber or bubbler to cool and filter the vapor so they can feel a little dryer and harsher to vape dabs with. However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as the Seahorse X wax pen, which comes with a water bubbler and attachments making it compatible with most other bubblers on the market. Some wax pens will use the 510 standard thread allowing CBD oil cartridges to be used with them for more diversity. The Swordfish Wax Vape and Python Wax Pen are two fo our best selling models, both use the Lookah 710 coils.  

 

What is a Dab Pen? 

Not to be confused with a wax pen, the dab pen, while small and compact like its wax pen cousin, is more like a nectar collector. Only rather than the traditional type of honey straw, which you need to heat with a torch, these dab pens use an electrical current powered by built-in batteries. This is why they are also referred to as electric nectar collectors. 

These electric honey-staw dab pens are perfect for traveling and dabbing on the go and super easy to use. You don't need to use a dab tool to put your concentrate into a wax chamber. All that's required is to turn the device on, heat up the tip by pressing the power button, and then bring the end of the tip directly into contact with your concentrate and inhale. It really is one of the easiest ways to vape dabs. 

  

E-Rig Vs. Wax Pen Vs. Dab Pen 

If you are thinking about buying one of these products but cannot decide between an erig, a wax pen, or a dab pen, here are some facts to consider.

Portability 

Wax pens and dab pens, in general, are lightweight and compact. Most of them will fit in your pocket or come with compact carrying cases. 

Compared to erigs, pens size devices take the win when it comes to portability every time. Erigs or wax pens that have glass parts can easily get broken if you do not take care when traveling with them. These glass parts, while not as expensive as hand-blown glass dab rigs, can still cost a good chunk of change to replace.

Modular Designs 

Dab pens and wax pens work with interchangeable parts. 

A typical vape pen is made from two exchangeable elements: the vape battery and the cartridge. 

Most use the industry-standard 510 thread screw connection. This is universal for most manufacturers that produce vape cartridges meaning you can easily find a wide range of vape cartridges with flavors and potency to suit even the most demanding connoisseur. 

Wax pens like the Seahorse X are incredibly versatile. It can be used in at least half a dozen different ways as a dab pen, enail, wax pen, with an oil cartridge, and plenty more. 

Erigs, other than maybe having different glass bubblers and a couple of different atomizer types, do not have many modifications. In general, the erigs come in 'As-Is' condition, not meant for many upgrades or modifications.

Battery Size  

With a vape pen or dab pen, the built-in battery will be smaller than on an e-rig device, and that likely means you'll get fewer users between recharging. So while they are more portable, if you're going away for a week camping, you'll need to have a way to recharge them. Fortunately, nearly all these devices are charged via standard USB or USB-C cables, so a trusty power bank can help you and is probably a requirement with all but a few devices if you intend to be in the wildness for more than a long weekend. 

Durability 

Erigs, in general, have glass bubblers; even pyrex glass will break if you drop it on a hard surface, making them more delicate and fragile than, say, a dab pen.

While erigs are smaller than glass water pipes, they are not the best for traveling around, so they will likely only be used at home the vast majority of the time. 

 

Discrete 

Erigs are certainly not discreet; you know the distinct sound a waterpipe makes as the smoke bubbles through it, well an erig will make the same sound, and while that may be music to our ears, it's going to draw some attention. 

While e-rigs like the Lookah Unicorn are handheld, filling them with water scooping some wax into the dish, and taking a rip in public is undoubtedly going to draw some unwanted attention, especially if it is in the aisle of your local Walmart. It's unlikely you'll see anyone taking a hit from one in the supermarket, I'd even feel fairly conspicuous taking a dab in the park, but there's a reasonably high chance you've already seen somebody take a sneaky hit of a wax pen there, right?

Conclusion So with all this in mind, we hope you will now be well informed and able to find the perfect tool for your dabbing needs, be that chilling at home, a BBQ in your backyard, a day at the beach, or just out enjoying nature. Happy dabbing.