5 Key Advantages of Using a Dab Pen

Vape Pens vs. Dab Pens: What’s the Difference?

While it’s true that both vape pens and dab pens are a portable, discreet way to consume cannabis concentrates, there are some key differences you should know about. 

Vape pens are many people’s first introduction to cannabis extracts. They generally consist of a thin, USB-rechargeable battery that screws onto a clear, glass cartridge filled with cannabis oil. The simplest ones to use don’t even have a button on them; you just inhale anytime you’re ready, and as long as it has battery life, you’ll exhale some tasty vapour! When it’s finished, just unscrew the empty cartridge and pop a new one on. There are disposable options for travellers, or vape pens meant for about 3-6 months of daily use and re-charging, before you’ll probably need to get a new battery. 

HybridFast sells vape pen batteries with chargers, cartridges in various strains and full vape kits! 

Dab pens are a little different. The battery ranges from thin and cylindrical to large and box-like, with many colour options depending on the brand and style you choose. They are usually also USB-rechargeable, but instead of a pre-filled cartridge, dab pens have a chamber that you fill with your own extracts. These pens are meant for long-term use and will generally last years of heavy use with proper cleaning and care. 

Two very popular and well-priced examples of dab pens are the Yocan Evolve Plus XL and the CloudV Flash Dab Pen. 

Now that you know the difference between a vape pen and a dab pen, let’s get into the 5 key advantages of owning and using a dab pen! 

1. Choosing Your Own Concentrates

With a dab pen, you aren’t stuck with one strain or type of extract; you can have one dab of raw THC distillate and then your next dab of Angel Cookies live resin, just like with a real rig. You can mix strains together for the best of both strains and enjoy a different high. You’ll also know exactly what you’re dabbing, with no additives to make it blend into smooth vape juice, like some cartridges have.

It’s also a lot more affordable for most regular consumers to buy shatter or other concentrates to dab, rather than vape cartridges. 

2. You Can Dab Any Type of Concentrate

Dab pens are great because you can use almost any type of extract in them, as long as it doesn’t contain plant matter, additives, or carriers like MCT oil. This means shatter, live resin, THC distillate, CBD isolate, terp sauce, budder, THC-A diamonds, and more can all be used with the same pen! You could even combine two types of concentrates in the same dab, trying new and different mixes out. 

3. Control Your Dosage Effectively

You can control your dosage by loading your dab pen with just a small amount, or more if you want a huge dab. Just be careful not to overload it, or it could get messy and also possibly burn the product by overheating the chamber. 

Many dab pens have the ability to adjust airflow and/or temperature, so you can choose whether you just want a tasty, low-temp puff, or a hotter dab making for huge clouds! 

4. Control Your CBD:THC Ratio

This one is exciting for anyone who has been trying to find cartridges with higher levels of CBD to no avail. Even a 1:1 CBD:THC cartridge is hard to find in many places. Solution? Add CBD isolate to your high-THC concentrates in a dab pen! CBD isolate is becoming more commonly sold by medical cannabis outlets. Being pure 99.9% CBD, it’s easy to add a small scoop to your chamber and experiment with different amounts of CBD mixed with THC extracts.

5. No More Cartridge Woes

With a dab pen, you won’t have to worry about a cartridge clogging up or breaking with precious oil still inside. It’s rare to get refunds in these situations, which can be frustrating and feel like a waste of money. 

Disposable vape pens sometimes have cartridges that aren’t removable and batteries that aren’t rechargeable, so if the charge runs out before the tank is empty, there’s wasted product you can’t get out or use. Disposable vape pens and cartridges are also terrible for the environment – you can’t recycle them, and many companies seal the tops so that you can’t refill them yourself once they’re empty. 

So there you have it, five great reasons to switch from a cannabis vape pen to a dab pen – a more permanent and affordable solution for the stoner on the go! 

Leave us a comment below and let us know if you agree, and what your favourite dab pens are!