Dab Pen
Understanding Dab Pens: A Comprehensive Guide
What is a Dab Pen and Its Uses?
A Dab Pen is a battery-powered device designed for vaporizing concentrates. Many people prefer wax pens due to their portability, discreetness, and convenience, especially when traveling. These pens can be used with various types of concentrates such as wax, shatter, and oil.
Concentrate pens are known by multiple names, including wax pen, oil pen, and portable dab battery. It's easy to mistake devices like the Lookah Seahorse Pro for a dab pen, but it is actually an electric nectar collector.
How to Use a Dab Pen:
To use a dab pen, first, you need to turn it on, which typically involves pressing the power button five times rapidly. Then, select your desired temperature by toggling through the variable voltage settings. Load a small amount of concentrate into the heating chamber, press and hold the power button, and inhale the vapor through the mouthpiece. It's that simple!
Cleaning a Dab Pen:
Cleaning your dab pen is a straightforward process. Start by disassembling the pen, unscrewing any removable parts. Soak these parts in isopropyl alcohol, but avoid soaking rubber seals and silicone-coated components. Use a cleaning brush or pipe cleaner to remove residue from the air paths. Rinse and dry all parts thoroughly before reassembling. Always refer to the manufacturer's cleaning instructions for specific guidance.
Battery Life of a Dab Pen:
The battery life of a dab pen varies but generally lasts for several sessions or a full day on a single charge, depending on usage frequency, temperature settings, and battery capacity. For instance, a 650mAh battery will deplete faster than a 1000mAh battery. Using the pen at a lower temperature setting can extend battery life.
Advantages of Using a Dab Pen Over an Electric Dab Rig:
Dab pens offer numerous benefits, with portability being a major advantage. They are usually beginner-friendly, featuring a single button and a simple loading process. Dab pens allow users to enjoy potent dabs without the bulk of an electric dab rig.
Loading a Dab Pen and Accessing the Atomizer or Coil:
Loading a dab pen is easy. Unscrew the mouthpiece to reveal the coil or atomizer beneath. If the mouthpiece is stuck, running a heating cycle can help loosen any residue, making it easier to unscrew.
Best Wax Pen for Beginners:
The best wax pen for beginners features a simple design and one-button operation. Most dab pens fit this description, although more advanced models with precise temperature controls might be too complex for new users. Brands like Yocan, Lookah, and Puffco offer user-friendly devices ideal for beginners.
When to Recharge Your Dab Pen:
You'll typically know it's time to recharge your dab pen when its performance decreases. Additionally, most dab pens have an indicator light that blinks, usually near the power button or charging port, signaling a low battery. The light often flashes red when it’s time to recharge.
Dab Pen FAQ Continued:
The question 'What is the best dab pen?' is hard to answer because it depends on personal preference." Each wax dabber pen is unique with its own features, coil material, coil style, airflow, body style and more. Some might prefer a ceramic chamber while others might like quartz a little better.
For the most advanced features in a dab pen available today, the Focus V Aeris takes the cake!
The difference between a dab pen is that it's designed for more solid consistency concentrates like wax and shatter. In contrast, the word "vape pen'' typically refers to devices used with e-liquids or oils.
Dab pens are generally safe to use on a daily basis. Many well known brands create sustainable products without using metals, glues, or other potentially hazardous materials. Remember to buy quality products from trusted sources to avoid any health risks!
Unfortunately, most dab pens aren't designed for use with dry herbs, but you can find some exceptions. Some wax pens, like the Focus V Aeris, have a dry herb compatible atomizer that you can buy separately! For the best dry herb experience it is probably best to go with a full fledged dry herb vape.
But for those that like to switch back and forth, dual use pens (like the Aeris) are a great option!
You can use a dab pen with wax, shatter, crumble, and other solid concentrates. Some models also work with oils or dry herbs, depending on the device's coil/tank options! Be sure to check your product specifications to make sure your device is compatible with oils or dry materials!
The most common reason a dab pen isn't producing enough vapor is a clogged chamber, coil, or mouthpiece. Be sure to clean your wax pen thoroughly and then you can try again to see if this fixes your issue. Another reason could be a low battery. Make sure to fully charge your battery before starting your session to get the most out of your dabs!
Lastly, it could be from overloading your chamber/atomizer/coil with a dab that's too large. Commonly known as "flooding," overloading a coil often requires replacing the coil to resolve the "clogged" airflow feeling. It happens when the atomizer can't heat to a hot enough temperature to vaporize your dab. Or the atomizer is simply too small!
Go through these steps and don't forget to check the user manual for additional troubleshooting tips.
The amount of concentrate you load into a dab pen depends on preference and the atomizer or coil's capacity. For beginners It's best to start with a small amount. Usually a half grain-of-rice-sized dab is a perfect way to kick off your wax pen experience. A smaller sized dab also ensures that you won't flood your atomizer for optimal dabbing performance.
Before buying a dab pen you should know what your dabbing preferences are. Be sure that your wax pen works specifically for your needs! These tips apply to any dabbing device you're considering.
- Make Sure Your It Works For You: Make sure the wax pen you are purchasing works for the concentrates you are planning to use. If you plan to use thicker concentrates, choose a dab pen with more power to fully vaporize your dabs. Also pay attention to the sizing of your dabs, if you tend to take smaller dabs go with something that has a smaller chamber!
- Check the Battery Size: Next, consider the battery size. If getting to a dab pen charger during the day is difficult, choose one with a larger battery. A larger battery ensures that your wax pen will not die on you during the day.
- Coil Material - What's Your Taste Preference?: Previously mentioned, the atomizer/coil/chamber material is important and will directly affect the taste of your dabs. Some prefer the taste from quartz, others like ceramic better. This also plays into the temperature and heat retention of your wax pen coil.
- Ceramic takes longer to heat but retains heat longer. Quartz heats quickly but cools off faster.
- Temperature Settings or Precise Temperature Control?: Most wax pens come with 3 preset temperature settings, some are inhale activated or have only one setting. More advanced dab pens have precise temperature control also called precise voltage control. The choice is ultimately yours. For beginners we suggest going with a pen that has preset settings to make it easier on you!
- How Portable Do you need it to Be?: Size and portability are important if you're always on the go or prefer a discreet dabbing experience.
- Make Sure Its a High Quality Product: Purchasing a dab pen from a more well known brand ensures high quality and build of your device. More popular bands will offer a warranty on their devices as well.
- What's Your Current Budget and How Much Are You Willing To Spend on Maintenance?: Determining your budget for any dabbing purchase is super important. There should be exceptions to this though, at first you might want to go for the cheapest dab pen possible. However, the cheapest option isn't always the best option. A cheaper dab pen usually comes with cheaper dab pen coils, but this means you will have to swap them out more frequently.
- The added maintenance and cost for coils might cost you more than going with a more expensive device in the long run!
- Are You Planning to Use Accessories with Your Dab Pen?: Be sure to consider added accessories that you can use with your new dab pen. If you are a medical patient that has a hard time taking larger dabs. It might be best to go with something that has a water bubbler or has the option of adding a water bubbler.
- If you are someone with limited mobility a dab stand might be super useful. Or even something as simple as a carrying case might be a life saver for someone that travels frequently.
There's many different types of dab pens, like larger dab mods, dab pen batteries, electric nectar collector dab pens, and more! Our definition of a dab pen might differ from yours. We refer to smaller, pen-like devices with a discreet hidden coil as a dab pen!
You can make your dab pen battery last longer by adjusting your temperature settings. If your pen battery is at the lowest temp setting you are using less power for each dab preserving battery life.
You can also try using manual mode instead of a sesh mode/pre heat mode! Manual mode is when you are pressing the power button down to heat your dab. Instead of double clicking or triple clicking to activate a pre heat mode or sesh mode!
Most dab pens are super discreet, which is the reason behind their invention in the first place! Today, some dab pens are disguised to look like a regular disposable vape, such as the Randys Inspo.
You can use terp pearls with a dab pen as long as the chamber is large enough and you can direct the airflow to spin them. There's one wax pen on the market that specifically comes with terp pearls and a spinning airflow called the Yocan Orbit. You can use most wax pens available on the market with a water bubbler. As long as you have an adapter to connect the two items together.