How To Choose The Best Dab Tool for Me
Dab tools may seem simple in design, but as dab enthusiasts, we know these handy applicators are a crucial component of our dab rig setup. Whether we’re dabbing shatter, crumble, sauce, or THCA crystals, a dab tool is the vital link between our potent and flavorful dab and the euphoria that ensues after we take a hit. If you’re looking to complete your dab rig arsenal, here are a few key factors to consider when choosing the best dab tool for yourself.
What is a dab tool?
A dab tool, also known as a dabber or a dab wand, is an essential tool used to pick up any type of concentrate from its container and place it on our dab nail or portable vape pen. Using dabbers is a much safer option than using any other homemade tool or our fingers, for that matter. All dabbers perform the same function, but they vary in size, materials, and design. It’s important to consider all of these factors when shopping for the best dabber for you.
What to look for in a dab tool
Most dab tools sold at online retailers and head shops are easy and safe to use, but we should always ensure that our dab tools are heat-resistant and won’t degrade when applied to hot dabbing surfaces. Apart from considering its materials, we should also factor in our dabbing environment and style.
Will we be dabbing at home or on-the-go? Will we be dabbing more than one type of concentrate? Answering these types of questions will help us figure out which is the best dab tool for us.
Stick to quality materials
The best dabber tools are made from a variety of heat-resistant and durable materials, including titanium, stainless steel, glass, ceramic, and quartz, each with their own pros and cons. For example, glass dabbers can complement our glass rig, but are more liable to break than titanium or stainless steel varieties.
When buying titanium dabbers, make sure it’s the durable, lightweight, and medical-grade 2 titanium. Stainless steel dabbers also come in colorful and anodized varieties for a more durable and vibrant dab tool option.
Dab Tool Styles We Love
Scoop-Style Dabbers
Scoop-style dabbers have a spoon-like design that we use to scoop up gobs of our favorite dabs, from crystals to sugars. We can avoid the mess of picking up sticky dabs with a dab spoon that acts as a shovel. Some scoop dabbers also have a flat edge that can act as a blade to cut dabs.
Dabber-Carb Cap Combo
Are we looking to consolidate our dabber and carb cap? A dab tool and cap combination is right up our alley. These small dabbing tools have a bucket-like shape on one end and a pointy dabbing tool on the other. Carb cap and dabber combos work best for electronic rigs and most nails.
Glass Dabbers
Glass dabbers are more vulnerable to breaking, but they can be easy to clean and feature intricate designs. Their rounded edges make it difficult to scoop or pick up some types of concentrates, but they can be especially appropriate when dabbing on our finest glass.
Flat Dabbers
Flat and blade dabbers can feature a bit of a scoop, so we can cut the concentrate with the bladed part and scoop it up afterward. Flat and blade dabbers are ideal for harder consistencies. Flat dabbers provide a straight edge to support many types of concentrates.
Compatibility with Our Dabs of Choice
If we’re sap or distillate fans, the best dab tool for us is a flat or scoop-style dabber. Distillate’s sappy and runny consistency is hard to contain. A scoop-shaped dab tool helps us move our dab from point A to point B.
Sugar or sauce is a terpene-rich concentrate that delivers the maximum amount of flavor. Sauce’s consistency is between runny and gritty. A flat, scoop, or shovel-shaped design is ideal for transferring chunky terp sauce.
THCA and CBDA crystals offer unparalleled potency but can be pretty pricey. To use our crystalline efficiently, we should use flat or scoop-style dabbers. Crystalline has a sandy and rocky appearance that’s perfect for shovel-style dabbers.
Shatter requires a flat or pointed dab tool to effectively tear off a piece. This sticky and hard substance can be poked with a pointy, blade, or flat dabber and cut into an optimal dose. Tearing off shatter can require a bit more force than other concentrates.
Pull and snap and taffy work best with a pointed or flat dab tool. Pull and snap can quickly become stringy and difficult to break apart. To break off a piece of taffy or pull and snap, we must poke the concentrate and quickly pull it away to snap off our intended dab size.
Crumble and wax aren’t sticky at all, but instead, have a drier consistency. A flat or scoop dabber can pick up small dabs or be used to smash the concentrate together to create a small dab.
Dab Tool Kits Cover All Our Bases
Don’t want to be limited to just one dabber style? Having a variety of dabbers enables us to dab whatever type of concentrate we want, wherever we want. For example, SkilleTools’ travel and master kit feature multiple stainless steel combination dabbers with a flat tip, paddle, hook, curved tip, arrow tip, scoop, and spearhead. Even better, these dab tool kits come in a water-repellent nylon case with mesh pockets to protect our important dabbing tools.
After choosing the best dabber for our dab rig, it’s important to clean it frequently since it’s going to be in contact with sticky concentrates. Using a dabber can take some practice, but pretty soon, we’ll be able to pick up our desired dab amount with ease. We may have to try a few different dabbers to find the right one for us.
