Different Types of Concentrate Vaporizers

Lately we have been discussing at great length about the declining popularity of herb vaporizers relative to other methods of consumption. Electronic rigs and vape pens have been doing the opposite, taking off in popularity with the increasing availability of concentrates. If you are wanting to try this method out, there are a few main types of cannabis vaporizers intended for concentrates on the market. What is the difference between them?

New stoner cultural phenomenon like 710 (oil day) and companies like Puffco have really taken dabbing mainstream. This method is more potent, quicker and easier than smoking or vaping flower and has grown considerably with many vaporizers and devices intended solely for concentrates.  Read on to learn about vaporizers like 510 battery (vape pens), coiled & ceramic atomizers, honey straws, and electronic dab rigs. The more you know, the better a choice you can make about which type of concentrate vaporizer will be best suited for you. From there you can break it down to brand and model.

The first type we will go over is the 510 battery pen and cartridge. This form of vaporizer is perhaps the simplest on the list. Made for easy access to cannabis concentrates for users on the move. Typically, cannabis oils come in carts which then are attached to the pens for ingestion. The O.Pen Vape like the one featured in the image above makes it so easy that there are no buttons to press. Your inhale activates the battery which heats the oil and produces vapor.

These 510 batteries come in many shapes and sizes, but all can accommodate the standard 510 cart.  Others are not 510 threaded but use the exact same concept. The PAX Era is one of the most popular battery and cart vapes on the market. While it does use it’s own proprietary battery and cartridge (not the standard 510) it operates with the same concept. Attach a prefilled cart to battery and inhale. Voila, as easy as it gets. In fact so easy & discreet that you may just find yourself vaping in the bathroom while out to dinner. When using this out at a concert or bar you can easily see why it is highly preferred to a portable herb vaporizer.

The 510 in the name refers to the connection between the battery and the atomizer. It refers to ten threads at five millimeters. If you are on the hunt for a standard in the cannabis vaporizer world, you’ve found it. Now – how do 510 battery pens and carts work ?

It’s one thing to own a device and another to understand how the product works. If you’re interested in a 510 vape pen, it helps to know how the product turns cannabis oil into vapor you can enjoy on a dime. How do 510 battery pens and carts work?

• The cartridge is attached to the pen
• The pen is turned on
• The heat in the device turns the oil into vapor
• The vapor is inhaled by the user

The cannabis world created a simple yet effective device in the 510 battery pen and cart. It doesn’t take much effort or time to secure one for yourself. If you are a little more advanced and want to use your own concentrate without a prefilled cart, there is a different option available on the market – the battery pen with a proprietary atomizers.

Many of vape pens such as the Dr. Dabber Ghost & Puffco Plus can accommodate 510 prefilled carts but also give you the option to use one of their atomizers to prefill with your own wax or shatter.

The coiled atomizer is an attachment to the vape pen (battery) which heats the cannabis concentrate transforming it into vapor. In a traditional battery pen with carts, the user purchases prefilled & measured concentrates. Batteries with proprietary atomizers allow the use of one’s  own wax or shatter, however with a low viscosity concentrate like oil, you are best not using a coiled atomizer.

A user operating a 510 battery pen with a coiled or ceramic atomizer has the opportunity to measure their dose. They can determine how much they want to ingest and add it to the atomizer before enjoying the concentrate.

Another added benefit is quality control. Many are weary of the chemicals and processes used to make concentrates. Using your own dabs you pressed at home allows you be more in the know of what you are ingesting.

If you have worked with a traditional 510 battery and cart combination before, you shouldn’t have much trouble figuring out how to use the 510 battery with a coiled or ceramic atomizer. These take the user away from the prefilled cart option and place the choice in their hands.

Here is how the 510 battery pen with a coiled atomizer works:

• The user accesses the atomizer and adds the proper amount of concentrate
• The parts are put back together
• The device is turned on
• The atomizer heats the concentrate into a vapor

The 510 battery pen with a coiled atomizer is a more advanced version of the basic pen. If you are a few steps up from a beginner but want the ease of the 510 battery pen, try the coiled atomizer variety for the best results. If you don’t like the idea of a battery pen, you may enjoy a honey straw.

Honey straws are one of the simplest ways to take dabs. They are super practical and take away the need to load anything. They are also very inexpensive compared to a quality vape pen. The kicker is they are not at all discreet and you are basically free basing out of your wax jar.

Honey Straws or Nectar Collector vaporizers (aka dab straws) such as the Boundless Terp Pen, have a tip that heats up. Once at a high enough temperature, the device can be placed into your concentrate container to inhale the vapor. If that’s not enough of an explanation for you, let’s go over how honey straws work in detail.

A honey straw is so simple that many may find it confusing. It’s made of several components – a battery, mouthpiece for inhaling and mostly a quartz or ceramic tip which serves as a heating element for the cannabis concentrate.

Here is how honey straws work:

• The tip of the straw heats up
• When the tip stops glowing, bring the cannabis container up
• Inhale and then pull the device up from the concentrate
• Repeat without dragging the metal through the concentrate

They are practical, hand-held devices for users interested in getting their feet wet with concentrates given you can pick one up very cheap.

Although the 510 battery pen is a little simpler to use to inhale, a honey straw is next in line. It allows you to control how much concentrate you ingest without spending too much money on the device. Although honey straws aren’t the most popular they are very fundamentally sound.

Electronic Dab Rigs (E-Rigs) are the latest type of concentrate vaporizers making a splash in the vaporizer industry and lately where all the hype and new product releases have been. Dr. Dabber is arguably the first to release an  e-rig in the Dr. Dabber Boost (which was dubbed an e-nail at the time)  and then the Dr. Dabber Switch. It is however Puffco who refined the e-rig and really made this an uber popular option with the original Puffco Peak.

Electronic Rigs are just that. Electronic versions of the torch and nail that allow users to take quality dabs without needing to fumble around with a torch, rig and banger. Where they differ from their herb vaporizer counterparts is that they can vape the concentrates (generally at levels under 450 °F) and combust it too 500°F and higher. Giving the user the full gambit of vapor quality & range they could get with higher temperatures.

While E-Rigs deliver the largest clouds and biggest effects they are not exactly portable units and can be tricky to use out the gate. If you want to get your feet wet with concentrates , e-rigs are not the place to start. Another downside to e-rigs is many have atomizers that will need to be changed out every couple months even with proper care. E-Rig atomizers tend to be much more pricier than the vape pen atomizers.

An electronic dab rig vaporizer  is the most effective manner to consume concentrates that aren’t liquid. You can use them for anything from sticky wax to hard shatter. Now – how do you use a dab rig?

Here is how dab rigs work (cold loading):

• The user places concentrates in the bucket, chamber or atomizer and covers it.
• The device is powered on
• When temperature it reached inhale through the glass

They offer a more advanced experience for the user. Many today look like an E-bong or future device with the cool LED light patterns that are offered on devices such as the Focus V Carta 2.

If you are an everyday user of cannabis concentrates, a dab rig may be the right choice. It allows you to measure the amount you want and control the size of each hit. You can also take very large hits versus standard pens and honey straws. Although they are more expensive, they are practical choices for those who want  the most from their cannabis vaporizer.

There are many types of concentrate vaporizers on the market. From the traditional battery pen to a dab rig, it’s up to you to determine a device that matches your experience with concentrates and the ability to measure into a product.

We hope this information was helpful! There is much to consider if you’re interested in a cannabis vaporizer. The more you know, the better a choice you can make for your next device.