Lee Johnson·
Best Vapes
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Best Dab Rigs and E-Nails

We tested the most popular dab rigs to find you the best options for vaping concentrates.

Best dab rig

In recent years, dabbing has gone from being a relative niche activity practiced mainly by hobbyists with homemade rigs to one of the most popular ways to consume concentrates.

The move towards legalization across the US and the growing availability of vaping devices of all types has undoubtedly driven this, but it’s also a pretty efficient and enjoyable way to enjoy cannabis concentrates.

But if you don’t already own a “dab rig,” knowing what to buy and what the best options are in each dabbing category – whether you want to electric or traditional, for instance – can be difficult.

Best dab rigs in every category:

Here’s a brief run-down of some of the best options we tested in the most important categories.

Best overall

KandyPens Oura

  • Four preset temperatures
  • 3000 mAh battery
  • Handmade glass bulb attachment
  • Quartz atomizer and ceramic bowl

The KandyPens Oura takes our pick from all of the best dab rigs featured on this list because it combines functionality and performance with a reasonable price. It’s made from zinc alloy, and has a hand-blown glass bulb designed to ensure good airflow no matter how thick the vapor. It has four temperature settings and gives haptic (i.e. vibration) feedback when it’s reached vaping temperature. It has a sizable battery and charges quickly via USB-C.

You can pick up the KandyPens Oura for $299.95.

Best traditional dab rig

Daily High Club Ultimate Concentrates Dab Kit

  • Quartz banger
  • Well-designed rig
  • Everything you need to start dabbing

If you’re new to dabbing and want a traditional dab rig, the Ultimate Concentrates Dab Kit from Daily High Club is a great choice, offering everything you need to dab weed. As well as the glass rig itself and the quartz banger, the kit also includes the Magnum Torch from Ignitus, which comes with a removable stand. It also comes with a double-ended carb cap, a dab tool, a silicone dab mat and a silicone jar for your concentrates.

All of this costs just $120, making it a great deal for a full dab starter kit. 

Best electric dab rigs

Dr. Dabber Boost Evo

  • Six temperature settings (500 to 750 °F / 260 to 393 °C)
  • Magnetic quartz atomizer with temperature sensor
  • Up to 60 hits on a charge
  • 11 seconds heat-up time

The Boost Evo from Dr. Dabber is a futuristic-looking electric dabber, with RGB ambient lighting up the body of the rig and a simple but effective design with the glass section attaching to the top of the cylindrical body. It’s technically a portable device, and they’ve added grip pads on the side to help with holding the device while you take a hit. It reaches vaping temperature in just 11 seconds, and the vapor has an all-glass path from the quartz atomizer up to the mouthpiece. You can take 60 hits on a single charge, and it has pass-through USB-C charging too.

You can pick it up for $329.95 (get 20% off with code: ECR20).

Hyer Big-E Rig

  • Precise temperature control (adjust to the nearest degree)
  • Quartz banger and ceramic heating element
  • 2 hours of continuous use on a single charge
  • Fits almost any glass rigs

The Big-E Rig from Hyer is technically an e-nail dab device rather than a full dab rig, but it offers impressive features that make it a great choice if you already have a glass section to use. The Big-E Rig has full temperature control (so you have full control over how you vape) up to 750 °F, with a ceramic coil placed directly underneath the quartz banger. It heats a little slower than some of the other electric dab nail options in this post, but at 90 seconds for the maximum temperature it’s still pretty good, and the 2 hours of continuous use provided by the four 3,300 mAh batteries in the unit makes up for it.

You can pick up the Big-E Rig for $175 (get 20% off with code: ECR20).

Pulsar Rök

  • Three preset settings
  • Borosilicate glass filtration in the base
  • Comes with quartz and ceramic cups
  • Sesh mode for 30 seconds of continuous use

The Rök from Pulsar is a widely-loved e-rig thanks to the unique and well-thought out design, putting the glass section at the bottom of the unit. While still providing adequate filtration through the water in the base and the disc percolator in the center of the bowl, the design (combined with the portable size) makes it incredibly user-friendly. There are three options for setting, defined in terms of voltage instead of temperature, but still providing consistent performance in terms of temperature. It comes with a choice of quartz and ceramic cups, so you can use whichever you prefer, and even allows session mode (called “Rök Mode”) for 30 seconds of continuous use.

The Pulsar Rök costs $200.

Best portable/mini dab rigs

PuffCo Peak

  • Four preset temperatures (450 to 600 °F / 232 to 316 °C)
  • Ceramic bowl
  • Borosilicate water filter
  • 30 dabs per charge

The PuffCo Peak is a capable and affordable portable electric dab rig with a bong-like design and a borosilicate water filter built-in. The Peak has a ceramic bowl to minimize combustion and offer flavorful draws, with intelligent heat calibration to adjust heating time as needed to give you a consistent temperature. It heats up in around 20 seconds, offering vibration feedback when it reaches vaping temperature, as well as an LED display that shows your temperature setting.

You can pick it up for $239.99, a pretty good price for a top-quality e-rig (get 20% off with code: ECR20). 

XVape Vista Mini 2

  • Four temperature settings (up to 752 °F/400 °C)
  • Ready to vape in 6 seconds
  • Ultra portable – less than 6 inches tall
  • 2,000 mAh battery

The Vista Mini 2 from XVape is one of the best options out there if you’re looking for a mini dab rig, with a compact but simple design, a single button for operation and four preset temperature settings. It uses a quartz dish, with a focus on sturdiness that’s important for a portable dab rig. It has a metal alloy heater, but it’s completely separate from the vapor path, so nothing is going to interfere with the flavor of your concentrate. As well as a 2,000 mAh battery – impressive for such a small device – it also features wireless charging, which puts it way ahead of the competition in terms of technology.

It’s pretty damn affordable too, at $159.

Grenco Science G Pen Connect

  • Ceramic heating element
  • Unique and intelligent design
  • 850 mAh battery
  • Three voltage settings

The G Pen Connect from Grenco Science features a unique design that makes it easy to connect to glass dab rigs while still serving as a small dab rig in its own right. The battery connects to the main heating element at a 45 degree angle, with the heating element at one side and the glass adapter connection at the other, with a magnetic tank cap to avoid waste during vaporization. In essence, you dab as you usually would with the electric dab nail, and you can connect to a glass rig super easily with the adapter – literally just put it in place and you’re good to go.

The G Pen Connect costs $179.95.

Best dab pens

Dr. Dabber Ghost

  • Instant heating
  • Titanium coils
  • Great battery life

The Ghost from Dr. Dabber has been around for a while, but it’s still one of the best dab pens on the market. It has the size and form of a vape pen, so it isn’t a “dab rig” in the sense of the devices in the other parts of this article, but it offers an intuitive platform for concentrate vaping that works perfectly if you need something very portable and simple to use. It has a full ceramic atomizer, and although it runs at low temperatures compared to the e-rig options on other parts of the list, the vapor production and flavor you get from the device is hard to fault.

You can pick up the Ghost for $69.95 (get 20% off with code: ECR20).

Yocan Evolve Plus

  • 1,100 mAh battery
  • Dual quartz atomizer
  • Built-in storage jar
  • Instant heating

The Evolve Plus from Yocan is a great option if you’re looking for concentrate rigs that can really pack a punch without being technically used for dabbing. The dual quartz coils make the vapor production and flavor from the Evolve Plus second to none in the same class, with instant heating and a 15 second session time. It has a single button for operation, so all you need to do is use the included wax tool to load your material onto the coil and hit the button to start vaping. It’s perfect for use on-the-go because there’s a silicone jar built into the unit to hold your concentrate.

You can pick it up for $49.99.

Grenco Science G Pen Roam

  • Full temperature control up to 800 °F / 427 °C
  • Enclosed borosilicate glass hydro tube
  • 1,300 mAh battery
  • Full quartz tank

The G Pen Roam from Grenco Science is as close as you can get to a true e-rig in a roughly pen-like format. It looks like something between a vape pen and portable vaporizer, with a quartz tank and borosilicate water filtration system built into the body. You can set it to any temperature between 400 and 800 °F (204 to 427 °C), and it has an LED display screen (along with two adjustment buttons) so you can dial in your setting easily. Boasting substantial battery life and exceptional performance, it’s a great option if you’re looking for a shatter rig but not specifically for dabbing.

You can pick up the G Pen Roam for $249.95.

Best nectar collector dab/dab straw

Nectar Collector Honeybird Kit

  • Extremely portable
  • Quartz stinger tip
  • Spill-proof borosilicate glass bubbler

The Honeybird Kit from Nectar Collector is one of the simplest dab rigs on this list, really just a well-designed dab straw combined with a bubbler. The bubbler measures just 2.5 inches, with a threaded connection to the stinger tip and an ingenious design so it’s easy to fill with water and empty out. The kit comes with a parabolic “bird feeder” dish that you can use to hold your concentrate while you prepare for a dab. Simply heat up the quartz glass nectar collector tip, wait for it to cool off and then move it into your material to take a hit.

It costs $119.99 new.

Best glass dab rigs

Elev8 Glass Double Uptake Recycling Rig

  • Recycler design
  • Artisan made
  • Multiple color choices

The Double Uptake Recycling Rig from Elev8 Glass Gallery is a beautifully-designed and unique-looking recycler-style dab rig. The recycler system helps to keep the vapor cool and adds to the visual appeal of the rig, and even though you need to pick up a banger separately, the 14 mm female joint means that the majority of options on the market will fit it. It has a curved stem leading up to the mouthpiece, with colored detail on the tip, the recycler tube and the main spout.

You can pick it up for $200.

Holographic Prism Cone Bong

  • Anodized glass
  • Simple design
  • 14 mm flower bowl and quartz banger included

If you’re shopping around for glass rigs, the Holographic Prism Cone Bong stands out from the crowd immediately due to the unique, rainbow-like sheen left from the anodizing process on the glass. It comes set up as a bong with a flower bowl, but the 14 mm joint in the spout means you can easily convert it to a dab rig by adding a quartz banger to your order. The rig has a conical shape, wider at the bottom but tapering inwards so you can inhale from the top.

The price is excellent too, at just $64.99 with both the bowl and the banger included.

Best silicone dab rigs

Eyce Silicone Dab Rig II

  • 10 mm titanium nail included
  • Storage in the bottom of the pipe
  • Bent neck to make it easier to hit

The Silicone Dab Rig II from Eyce strikes a great balance between design, portability and price. The dab rig is small enough to comfortably hold in your hand, with a curved neck leading up to the mouthpiece so it feels super natural to use. The silicone makes the rig incredibly durable, as well as giving Eyce the opportunity to offer it in a range of eye-catching colors. It comes apart easily for cleaning, and it has reinforced walls to protect your rig in case you drop it.

The price is also great at $49.99 (get 20% off with code: ECR20).

Best cheap dab rigs

Daily High Club Dab Straw

  • Quartz and titanium tip included
  • Spill-resistant chamber
  • Really easy to use

Although the Dab Straw from Daily High Club isn’t a full dag rig, if you’re looking to start dabbing with a minimal initial investment, it’s a great option. It’s a straw, so it’s pretty thin and only measures 7.5 inches from top to bottom, with a one-hole percolator in the middle of the bulb and both a quartz and a titanium tip included with the kit. Quartz is preferred by many dabbers, but the titanium is a good inclusion because they’re much more durable.

You can pick up the Dab Straw for $24.99.

Micro Rasta Traveler Bong

  • 4 hole puck percolator
  • 14 mm flower bowl included
  • Very compact design

Measuring just 5 inches tall, the Micro Rasta is a great choice for anybody looking for a mini dab rig or a dab bong, with a simple enough design that still works effectively. The down-stem has a puck-shaped four-hole percolator, and with a curved neck to make it more comfortable to use. The kit comes with a flower bowl as standard, but you can easily add a banger to your order so you can dab.

The good news is that even with that extra expense, it’s still an impressively cheap dab rig at $24.20.

Worked Stem Dab Rig

  • Hand-blown glass
  • 14 mm flower bowl included
  • Colorful slotted percolator

The Worked Stem Dab Rig is a well-designed glass dab rig and bong, with a 14 mm joint and a fitting flower bowl included as standard. Combined with a banger, it’s a solid platform if you’re looking to dab weed. The neck is curved to make it more comfortable to use, and the 5 inch height makes it pretty portable as well. The down-stem has a cool, unique patterning and slits in the end so it serves as a percolator.

You can pick up the rig for just $34.99, so even with the additional purchase of a banger it’s still one of the best options for cheap dab rigs you’ll find. 

Cool dab rigs

B&W Red & Green Mini Tube by Andy G

  • Glass rig
  • Awesome design with matching carb cap
  • Portable

Andy G’s B&W Red & Green dab rig is one of the coolest-looking heady dab rigs out there that you can pick up for less than $500. In terms of functionality, there isn’t too much to say, but the wig wag design really makes it stand out from a visual perspective. It has a kind of bell-shaped lower section to the body, with a spout branching off at the side for your bowl or banger, and a slight curve to the neck section.

You can pick it up for $350. 

Accented Scope Prism Dab Rig

  • Multi-slitted showerhead percolator
  • 14 mm flower bowl and quartz banger included
  • Affordable for a cool dab rig

The Accented Scope Prism Dab Rig is unusual when it comes to cool dab rigs because it’s genuinely affordable, with just enough complexity to the design to make it look awesome. The downstem and the mouthpiece are colored (in a range of blues and greens), with a bell-shaped outer body in clear glass. The perc is a showerhead style with slits around the base, and it comes with both a quartz banger and a flower bowl that fit the 14 mm joint.

It works great and looks cool, but the dab rig only costs $49.99. 

Best dab bong

Diamond Glass Klein Fumed

  • Recycler design
  • Silver fumed accents
  • 14 mm joint

The Diamond Glass Klein Fumed is a fantastic choice for a dab bong, with the 14 mm joint being well-suited to both flower bowls and bangers. The recycler design is great, with an external arm drawing water into the upper chamber when you take a hit, where it swirls around before falling back through into the main chamber. The accenting on the body gives the whole thing a visual pop, especially noticeable on the curved neck section.

You can pick up the dab pipe for $119.99. 

Best high end dab rig

Dr. Dabber Switch

  • Induction heating system
  • 25 heat settings
  • Also supports dry herb
  • Up to 150 cycles per charge

The Switch from Dr. Dabber is in many ways the ideal dab rig, even offering more in the way of features than many of the more expensive dab rigs on the market. It looks like a fairly standard desktop vaporizer at first glance, standing upright with an hourglass shape and a glass attachment on top, except it has a bubbler off to the side with a mouthpiece that gives it more of a dab rig feel. In terms of functionality, the biggest selling-point is the induction heating, which is much more efficient than other methods and helps to avoid hot-spots. The claimed 150 cycles per charge may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the battery life is great, it recharges in less than an hour and you can even use it during charging.

It costs $399.99 new.

Guide to Dab Rigs

If you’re new to dabbing but you’re looking for a dab rig or e-rig, you undoubtedly have many questions. This isn’t like finding a bong or vaporizer where you need a couple of basic parts and the necessary know-how can be picked up in a few minutes: dabbing is a little bit more involved than other methods of consuming bud. Still, when you learn the basics of how dabbing works and find out what a dab rig actually is, you’ll be right at home with the devices on this list. 

 What’s a Dab Rig?

A dab rig is basically a setup designed to consume dabs, with a traditional dab rig basically looking like a bong with some additional attachments. The key difference is that dabbing is more like vaping than smoking, basically involving heating a concentrate using a “nail” without directly applying flame to the material. This offers many of the same benefits as vaping, relative to smoking, even though the nail tends to get pretty hot when you use a flame and there is a risk of combustion if you over-heat it. 

With this in mind, a dab oil rig has a mouthpiece with a reservoir for water much like a bong, but there is a nail attached to the main body where you would have a pipe on a bong. The nail has a cup-like shape, despite the name, so at first glance, a dab rig might look a lot like a glass bong. Nails can be made out of a range of materials, but the quartz banger is the current go-to option, although titanium, ceramic and “e-nails” are increasingly common.

On a traditional dab rig, you heat up the nail using a torch – getting the right temperature is something of an art form – and then apply your concentrate to the nail using a dab tool. As soon as you apply it to the heated material, the concentrate will vaporize and the vapor makes its way through the rig and to the mouthpiece. 

Types of Dab Rigs

There are many types of dab rigs if you want to get technical, but broadly you can classify them into a few core types: traditional dab rigs (including unique designs like recyclers), nectar collectors (aka dab straws), e-nails and e-rigs. 

  1. Traditional Dab Rigs: These are the standard options we described above, usually with a nail you heat using a torch and a bong-like body. There are many designs, of course, including recyclers which have a secondary chamber to further cool the vapor and also help you avoid minor annoyances like the water splashing up into your face.
  2. Nectar Collectors: Nectar collectors are like dab rigs that work in reverse, with a straw as a mouthpiece and a titanium or quartz tip you heat up in the same way as a nail. You then touch the heated tip down onto the material (rather than the other way around as on traditional dab rigs) and inhale the vapor. These are generally great as portable and simplified solutions.
  3. E-Nails: E-nails basically replace the “heat the nail with fire” part for something more dependable and safer, providing a nail that heats up electronically rather than with a repurposed crème brûlée torch. As the name suggests, it’s literally an electric dab nail. You use the e-nail alongside your ordinary dab rig, so it’s perfect if you already have a setup but don’t want to mess around with the torch and nail.
  4. E-Rig: An e-rig is a whole dabbing rig that works electronically, basically an e-nail combined with the water pipe and mouthpiece in one unit. This is a very convenient solution if you don’t have anything and you want the dabbing process to be as simple and safe as possible. This isn’t to say that regular dabs are super-dangerous, of course, there is just an unavoidable risk in manually heating something up to vaporizing temperature. 

Types of Dabs

Dab rigs are really concentrate rigs, because they only work with cannabis or CBD concentrates, such as oils, waxes and similar forms of cannabis. Most people who use cannabis will know some of the basic types of concentrate, but here is a brief run-down of your options when you dab.

  1. Sap/Distillate: This is a runnier type of concentrate, basically a thick oil with an amber color. These work best with a flat or spoon-like dabber. 
  2. Taffy/Pull and Snap: This has a thicker consistency and pulls apart a little like taffy (hence the name), so to break some off efficiently it helps to have a tool with a flat end.
  3. Shatter: This is a concentrate that has hardened to the point it shatters like glass. It’s very similar to taffy but just a little firmer so it’s much easier to break off.
  4. Crumble/Wax: Continuing the pattern of the names reflecting the consistency of the concentrate, crumble has a waxy texture but it’s dry enough to crumble apart. This makes it pretty easy to break off the right sized dose but you may need to push a couple of bits together if it’s too dry.
  5. Crystalline: This is about as close to pure THC as you can realistically find, and it has crystalline texture, basically looking like sugar. It can vary, though, some are more like powder and others are small rocks. 

Of course there are many other forms of concentrate available and different ways to classify them (as well as name them), but these are the most common types you’ll encounter if you’re starting to dab weed. 

What is the Best Way to Dab?

If you’re wondering how to dab weed, the basic process isn’t too difficult to learn. The best way to dab is a matter of debate – here at ECR we vape and are partial to e-rigs, but many people disagree this is the best approach and there are certainly benefits to different methods. However, whether you’re using a traditional dab rig or something like an e-rig, taking a dab is straightforward enough: 

  • Prepare your concentrate. Since dabbing is a time-sensitive process, it’s better to have your concentrate pretty much ready to go before you start heating the nail. You don’t have it waiting on your dab tool, but separating off your dose and having it by your side is a good idea.
  • Heat up your nail. Heating up the nail is the potentially risky part of the process if you’re using a traditional rig, but it’s easy to do: aim your torch at the nail and directly apply the flame. Heat it until it just starts to glow red. For e-nails or e-rigs, this is a simpler process whereby you just choose your temperature setting and wait for the device to do its thing. 
  • Let it cool. If you’re using a traditional dab rig, you need to leave the nail to cool a little before you apply your material. For quartz, you’re recommended to wait about 45 seconds after heating, whereas for titanium it’s more like 10 seconds. Use the time to get your material on your dab tool and ready to go. For e-rigs and e-nails, you don’t need to wait because the temperature is precisely-controlled. 
  • Apply the dab to the nail. This is the actual “dabbing” part of using a dab bong: you put the concentrate on the hot nail and start inhaling. It helps to spin the tip on the nail to get as much of the material off as possible (for both efficiency and ease of cleaning later on). 
  • Cover with a carb cap (if you have one). A carb cap basically covers the nail section to stop you from losing material and help manage the airflow. 

And that’s it! Exhale your dab and see how you feel. Dosing is a tricky business because dabs are much more concentrated than flower cannabis. The best advice (short of very precise measurement to get 10 mg or so of THC) is to just start low and work your way up. Even a dab the size of a couple of grains of cous cous or a grain of rice is likely to have a substantial effect.

Dab Rig Prices

The cost of dab rigs can vary quite a lot, so it makes sense to look up dab rig prices before you make a purchase. As well as the workmanship, materials used and other factors that can vary, a huge part of the difference in price comes down to whether you’re getting a traditional-style dab rig, an e-nail or an e-rig. 

Traditional-style dab rigs are pretty similar to glass bongs, so the prices shouldn’t be much of a surprise based on that. You can find dab rigs for $50 or so, but the prices can increase to $150 or even more depending on the particular rig you’re looking at. Generally, there isn’t much need to go way beyond $100 unless you’re looking for some precision-engineering in your rig, unique features or some outlandish heady design from a big name in the industry. Although if you do want that you can even pay over $1,000. 

E-rigs are substantially more expensive, generally around the $300 mark. Of course, this can also vary depending on several factors, with some being as cheap as $250 or pen-style dab rigs even down to $150. However, on the other side, some of the most capable units can easily cost $400. 

E-nails cost somewhere between these two extremes, with prices around $100 to $200 depending on what exactly you get. In a lot of cases, things sold as “e-nails” are basically mini portable rigs, but of course in most cases you need a glass rig to work alongside it. However, if you already have a glass section and want a more consistent way to dab, they’re well worth the investment.

As always, while price is a good guide to the sort of quality you’re getting, it isn’t a hard and fast rule that expensive is always better: some companies just charge less for a quality product. The best advice is to set a budget, but ultimately check out lists like this one and specific reviews to help you make your decision.  

How to Choose the Best Dab Rig

There is a lot to consider when you’re looking trying to find the best dab rigs out there, from the (supposedly) basic decisions like whether you want a traditional dab rig or an e-rig right through to debates about nail materials and much more. Of course price is a factor, but with so much variation within each group, it’s better to think about the features and design elements that suit you and then deal with your budget from there. So here are some important factors to consider when you’re shopping for a dab rig.

  • Traditional or e-rig: One of the easiest aspects to consider is whether you want a traditional dab rig or an e-rig. The benefit of a traditional rig is that it will likely be cheaper and it’s always good to go (as long as you have a torch), while e-rigs are generally more consistent because the temperature of the nail can be precisely controlled. Plus if you’re concerned at all about getting high around glowing-hot glass and a torch, e-rigs essentially remove that worry.
  • Nail materials: There are four different nail materials that are commonly used at the minute: glass, quartz, titanium and ceramic. Overall, quartz is the go-to option for the industry today, while titanium is also great in terms of performance and more durable. Either one of these makes a fine choice, but you might not want to invest in a fancy nail if you’re new to dab rigs. Glass and ceramic aren’t as dependable, but they’re much cheaper if you just want to try it out.
  • The design: A big factor when it comes to design is your personal taste, but there are a couple of things to think about too. For example, a recycler design helps cool the vapor as it comes to the mouthpiece and offers great performance, and it’s worth thinking about whether you want a full dab rig or something a little simpler like a dab straw. Other than that, you can just go with what you like the look of. 
  • Size: The size of your dab rig is mainly an issue if you’ll be using it out of the house, but generally you always want it to be able to fit into your hand. An electric dab rig will usually be bigger than a traditional dab rig, but you can still get portable versions of either. 
  • Material: The material used for your main dab rig will have a big impact on its durability. If you’re just trying dabbing out, it’s likely not as important to get something durable, but if you want something long-term, it’s worth paying more for a better build. Silicone dab rigs might not look as classy, but they do have a distinct advantage when it comes to durability. Similarly, this is one of the reasons titanium nails haven’t completely fallen out of favor to quartz. 

Conclusion

Getting a good dab rig is easier now than it ever has been in the past, but it’s still worth putting some thought into the decision – they’re not cheap, after all! But whether you want an e-rig or a traditional dab rig, whether you want a simple dab rig in the form of a straw or something more complex like a recycler, you’ll find some fantastic options across a range of price points.