Dabbing, more than any other kind of smoking, takes gadgets. Lots of them. From the rig itself and the percolators inside it to torches, dab nails, caps, and dabbers, there are a lot of things to keep in mind if you’re trying to put together the complete concentrate setup. But don’t stress! DankStop is here to help with our choices for the top five dab tools that you simply have to have.
1. Lavatech’s Standard Double-Sided Dabber
If you’re in the market for an affordable, standard dabbing tool, look no further than LavaTech’s appropriately named Standard Double-Sided Dabber. It’s made of stainless steel so it’s easy to clean and stands up well against discoloration.
The middle of the tool is padded with a purple silicone sleeve for easy handling and to help you keep a solid grip when you’re dividing up concentrate. (The last thing you want is the tool falling out of your hand while it has some perfectly untouched concentrate on it.)
This double-ended tool offers both a wide, rounded scooper as well as a flat point, both of which come with rubber end covers to keep things clean.
2. RYOT Stainless Steel Multi-Utility Tool
If one dab tool isn’t enough for your dabbing preferences, consider the RYOT Stainless Steel Multi-Utility Tool. Built like a Swiss army knife, this dabbing and smoking accessory comes with nine different tools. It’s perfect either for someone who either needs to dab on-the-go (if you’re bringing your setup somewhere) or wants to have nine specific types of tools on hand—or both, for the option-starved traveler.
The Stainless Steel Multi-Utility Tool is sturdy and made from hardened stainless steel. If cared for right this should be the last set of tools that even the busiest dabber needs to buy.
3. Dream Pipes’ Liquid Glitter Glass Dabber
Some people prefer to dab with glass tools rather than metal ones, but even if that’s your preference it doesn’t mean you have to go with any boring clear glass dabber.
Dream Pipes has followed up their set of freezable glitter pipes with a Liquid Glitter Glass Dabber, a fun way to bring a sparkly, bright bit of life to your setup. It’s made out of borosilicate glass, the same kind used to make Pyrex dishes and scientific bongs. A stronger kind of glass that holds up better to heat and physical stress, borosilicate is much less likely to shatter if it’s dropped than a regular glass dab tool (good news for the sleepy dabber).
These impressive, American-made dabbers come to a long tapered point and are available in a variety of colors including the popular glow-in-the-dark option. A high-grade rubber seal makes sure that the freezable glitter liquid stays put inside of the dabber, so you don’t have to worry about ending up with a gooey, sparkly mess on your hands (or freezer).
4. DankStop’s Puddle Pusher Carb Cap
Carb caps are a necessity for any low-temperature dabber, but the traditionally designed carb caps can often leave a bunch of unvaporized concentrate in the corners of a banger nail. That’s where DankStop’s Puddle Pusher Carb Cap comes in.
Unlike a typical carb cap, this glass puddle pusher is designed almost like a top, with one wide end that covers the top of the banger and a thinner, tapered end that sits down into the dish. Unlike other directional airflow carb caps, the dish-facing end is designed to get concentrates that are stuck in all of the hardest-to-reach parts along the edge of the banger.
Not only does this cap give you the option to physically move around the concentrate without sacrificing the seal of the cap, but it also allows you to decide where the air is pouring into the dish. Directional carb caps like this one give you optimal control over the airflow within the rig with a simple push of your finger, which also means that less concentrate gets wasted. Avoiding burnt or stuck-on oil and wax means you’ll need to clean your nail less frequently overall.
5. LavaTech’s “Elements” Mini E-Nail Kit
If you’re really committed to doing a quality dab, you need a good nail. It’s harder to get a more reliable dab than one that’s done with an e-nail. Though you can always figure out the optimal heating and cooldown time for any nail using a laser temperature thermometer gun or a stopwatch, why bother with all that when you could just dial the heat on an electric nail to the perfect dab temperature?
The LavaTech “Elements” Mini E-Nail is an unusual combination of a titanium center with a quartz dish, giving you the best of two worlds: the heat-retaining capacities of titanium combined with the flavorless qualities of quartz. This nail comes with a simple titanium carb cap but you can always upgrade with one made of quartz or glass if you prefer.
Though it’s mini, this e-nail comes with precise temperature control up to 999 degrees Fahrenheit and is adaptable to 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm male and female joints. Its automatic shut-off feature is a great way to ensure that you don’t have to worry about whether or not you remembered to turn the nail off and an even better way to make sure that you don’t burn down your house.
