Dab Guide

Dabbing is life. Cannabis concentrates make the world go around. Dabs have evolved considerably over the last decade. Traditional hash has blossomed into a whole scene of extraction methods and consumption styles.

Troy and Jerry have over 20 years of combined dabbing experience. This guide to dabs, dabbing, and dabbing devices will outline everything you need to know to live your best dab life.

What is Dabbing?

Dabbing is the art of rapidly vaporizing cannabis concentrates.

Dabs deliver a faster, stronger, more flavorful hit. Dabbing is the most effective and efficient way of consuming cannabis. Dabs are cannabis in its purest and most potent form.

A dab is both a noun and a verb. The term is used loosely to identify cannabis concentrates, as well as the act of smoking or vaping them.

Dabs, as a noun, come in the form of Wax, Shatter, Rosin, Live Resin, Live Rosin, oil, crumble, diamonds, etc. The list of consistencies and extraction methods is ever evolving.

Dabbing, as a verb, is an evolving practice of vaping concentrates on a hot surface. The tradition of dabbing hash oil using red-hot nails has been replaced with quartz bangers and digital e-rigs.

Vaping Cannabis Concentrates vs Dabbing

Troy’s a stickler on the semantics and likes to separate vape carts from the dab scene.

Vape pens are convenient, but they’re not the equivalent of a dab. Let’s not conflate the two.

Cannabis concentrates have fueled an entirely new frontier of convenience in the form of dab carts and vape pens. Vape cartridges and pods have come a long way thanks to the evolution of cannabis extraction methods.

A real dab can vaporize .1g to 1g of high-potency oil in several lungfuls of vapor.
A 1g vape cart will take all night to finish. They’re not the same.

Best Portable / Electronic Dab Rigs

Dabbing on the go used to mean carrying a torch and a rig around in a briefcase like some professional douchebag. Modern e-rigs make torches a vintage accessory.

Today’s best electronic dabbing devices can mimic the effects and experience of a desktop dab rig while fitting in a fanny pack.

Best e-rig: Dr. Dabber Switch 2

The Switch 2 is unlike the other portable dabrigs on this page. This device uses induction instead of the standard atomizer that needs to be replaced every six months.

The Dr. Dabber Switch 2 doesn’t use an atomizer. There’s no annual subscription needed to keep the Switch operational. It uses a quartz cup that can be removed, soaked, or even torch cleaned.

It hits like a real dab rig, because it’s built like one. The Switch 2 uses a large, 20mm quartz dish as its vaporization chamber. Quartz offers the purest of flavors, and it’s resistant to thermal abuse.

The large-sized dab dish has several benefits over other e-rigs.

• Easier to clean
• Capable of larger dabs
• More efficient vaporization
• Works great with terp pearls

Dr. Dabber Switch 2 can be customized using an app. The device has several temperature control options that can completely change the dabbing experience. You can build your custom dab settings and even share them with the community!

Switch 2 glass and bubble caps can also be upgraded and customized. Local headshops and online glass stores are already stocked with heady glass options for the Switch 2.

This is the highest rated portable dab rig on our list and the *only* portable rig that can match the potency and experience of a full-sized rig.

Click Here to buy a Switch 2. It’s $420 and worth every penny.
or see our Switch 2 Review

Best Way to Dab at Home

Dabbing is an evolving process with a plethora of preferences.

Dab connoisseurs are using terp slurpers and similar style quartz bangers. While many still use torches to heat them, torch-less heaters have gained massive traction in the last few years.

Dozens of wireless ball vapes are being marketed as dual-purpose desktop vaporizers and including a quartz banger, but they only work with traditional quartz buckets.

There are a few coil-based heaters for heating terp slurpers.

D-Nail Universal Heater

D-nail is the king of torchless heating with their Universal Heater.

This is a high powered micro-kiln driven by a PID and internal coil. The insulative housing keeps tall terp slurpers hot and ready with its radiant heat oven.

This is the ultimate way to dab at home.

25mm Hot Hole / Dab Ready

The Old Head Dab Ready was the first use of the stationary coil to heat a traditional quartz bucket. His wireless ball vape was also the first of its kind.

In 2026 the Dab Ready Pro was released with a 30mm coil and a special tool for heating terp slurpers. The Dab Ready Pro is a promising desktop, especially for vape enthusiasts.

Quality Quartz Terp Slurpers & Blenders

Quality quartz matters, but the days of “all china quartz is crap” are over.

The market is filled with high quality affordable quartz, imported by passionate enthusiasts.

Troy’s a big fan of Victory Glassworks for high quality affordable slurpers.