7 Tools to Improve Your Dabbing

Updated: Apr 21, 2022

If you ask us, a few cannabis experiences are quite as satisfying as taking a perfect dab. From the preparation and intricate process to the intense high and delicious terpenes, dabbing brings out the obsessive nerd. And thankfully, as concentrates become more popular across the cannabis landscape, the dab revolution has brought enough tools, gadgets, gear, and fine art to keep passionate potheads busy for years. 

Despite the massive growth of concentrates in the legal market, however, they can still be a bit intimidating and seem overly complicated for folks for various reasons. After all, while a dab rig might just be a bong for concentrates, it can be easy to see all of the tools that come along with it, like those trays of teeth cleaning tools that the dentist pulls out. Naturally, that's going to freak some folks out a bit! From butane torches and glass dab rigs to carb caps and multi-tools, dabbing equipment can seem intimidating to the uninitiated. But with a few pointers and some new gear, even novice concentrate connoisseurs can dab like seasoned pros.

So if you're still dabbing off titanium nails, hot knives, or just wondering, "what is a dab tool?" we're here to lend a helping hand and guide you through the essential additions to your dabbing tool kit. After all, that's what we here at Where's Weed are here to do. We're here to simplify stuff and make it as digestible as possible for the modern-day consumer. So with that in mind, let's take a deep dive into some of the best dabbing tools to add to your collection to help take your dabs to the next level!

Step Your Game Up With a Heady Rig

Dab rigs may look exactly like a classic bong for smoking flower, but while water pipes are often made of glass, plastic, silicone, ceramics, and even wood, your dab rig should be made of hand-blown glass. Like traditional bongs, there are plenty of mass-produced imported glass dab rigs on the market, but if you want to take your dab experience to the next level, spend a few hundred dollars (or thousands if you're balling like that) on a hand-blown heady dab rig.

A heady rig offers a clean, lasting, and consistent dab experience, but you will also own a piece of fine glass art to impress your friends. With a heady rig, you can match your expensive dabs, and if properly cleaned and protected, their value appreciates. You can buy a hand-blown dab rig at any number of online headshops or glass stores and galleries in cities. 

There's no sense in spending that money on incredible concentrates and trying to enjoy them out of a subpar dab rig. If you're trying to get the best out of your various cannabis products, you will have to commit some money to it. It will pay off in the end when the smoking experience is better, your dabs are more enjoyable, and you can get the most out of your concentrates. We promise! 

Diversify Your Dab Tools

When most dabbers start their concentrate journey, they begin with a classic titanium tool that looks like it belongs dentist's office. But if your dab tool gets easily caked in sticky dabs, scratches your banger nail, or doesn't offer enough surface area for big globs of wax or dry extracts, it's probably time for some new dabbing tools and accessories.

If you like the feel of a titanium dab tool, try a swiss-army style multi-tool for a bevy of options from pointed tips and spoon scoops to hooked pulls. If you're tired of titanium, pick up a quartz dab tool. Like quartz banger nails, quartz dabbers are high quality, hold heat well, and look great to boot. Outside of titanium and quartz, handmade glass dabber tools are an excellent option for either a simple or extravagant dabbing tool kit.
As long as it's reliable and manages to get the job done, the only thing that matters when it comes to what materials are in your dab tool is your preference. Whatever works best for you and your needs is the material you should prioritize. After all, variety is very much the spice of life! 

Cap Your Dabs

If you're looking to get the most out of every dab, a quartz carb cap is probably the best dab tool you can find. Carb caps are placed on the nail as soon as you inhale the vapor to ensure smoke doesn't escape into the air, and your nail is kept at the perfect temperature.

There are plenty of options for unique dab tools for picking the perfect carb cap, with most head shops offering simple cylindrical nail covers to hand-blown bubble caps and directional carbs that make sure your dab covers as much surface area as possible.

If you're feeling adventurous and looking to spice things up, you can even get dab tools built right into them with carb caps. A real two-for-one special when it comes to dabbing and getting the most out of your concentrates! Carb caps are a must-have if you're looking to get the absolute most out of your dabs and various cannabis concentrates! 

Get a Top Shelf Torch

Nothing kills the mood at a dab session faster than a malfunctioning or over-intrusive blowtorch. So if you're still fishing out your dad's massive propane torch from the garage every time you want to take a dab, it's time to invest in a more practical at-home flamethrower.

There are many torches for dabbing, including the trendy Blazer "Big Shot," but you can also do the trick with a cooking torch sold at kitchen supply stores like Williams Sonoma. For even more precise heating, skip a torch altogether or buy an e-nail that uses electricity to give you the perfect low-temp dab.Trying to hit your dab rig without a top-quality torch is light trying to light a fat blunt with one of those cardboard matches from the matchbooks you get at a bar. It just doesn't have enough juice to properly get the job done at the end of the day. Getting yourself a quality torch will go a long way to improving your dabs and ensuring you're getting what you want from your overall cannabis concentrates experience.

Invest In an Infrared Thermometer

To take your dab tray to the next level, add an infrared thermometer gun to your arsenal to ensure your nail is at the perfect temperature before every dab. Usually used to check cooking temperatures and lately for human health checks amidst coronavirus, all you need to do is point your handheld digital thermometer at the bottom of your nail to know precisely when it's time to drop and cap your next hit of live resin. It may seem like overkill, but if low temps are high on your list of dab priorities, infrared temp guns make for a perfect addition to your dab station.
After all, getting the right temperature is essential for taking the perfect dab. Ensuring that you have the equipment to get that temperature on point is vital for both you and everyone else at the session looking to enjoy dabs! 

Discover Dab Beads

For the true concentrate aficionado, no perfect dab is complete without the help of dab beads or terp pearls. These 4-6mm small marbles sit inside a banger nail and help distribute both heat and concentrates to make sure your dabs cover as much surface area as possible.

Like most hand-made dabbing tools and accessories, terp pearls are typically made of quartz but are also available in glass, ceramic, and ruby. If aesthetics are your thing, dig deep, and you can find colored dab beads that match your rig, nail, carb cap, or even torch.
Both practical for the experience itself and rather fun to look at aesthetically, picking up some dab beads of your own will help improve your ability to take and enjoy the perfect dab!  

Silicone Slip Mats are Life Savers

If there's one common complaint about dabbing as a whole, the whole process is often incredibly messy. 

No matter how hard we try, sticky dabs cover our dab tools and rig and everything in the immediate vicinity. Silicone slip mats are the perfect catch-all to mitigate that mess - or at least try to contain it. Use your dab mat to hold your rig, torch, dab dish set, and other accessories, and you won't have to worry about gooey gobs of concentrate wasted on your desk or laptop.

Did we miss one of your favorite dab accessory essentials? Let us know what adds to your best dab experience in the comments below!