Wondering what the difference between a dab pen and a vape pen is? We get it. The sheer number of cannabis products and technical jargon associated with the cannabis industry can be super confusing.
Both dab pens and vape pens are designed to get you high, but there are some distinct differences between the two. The biggest difference between a dab pen and a vape pen is what you’re actually vaping — but don’t worry, we’ll get into that.
Whatever your smoking style, there’s definitely a pen designed to fit your unique preferences. Here we’ll take a deeper look into the dab pen vs vape pen debate to determine which one is best for you.
What’s The Difference Between A Cannabis Dab Pen And Vape Pen?
The modern world of weed is full of new and innovative products that were virtually non-existent only a decade ago.
While flower and hash were the only things people were smoking for years, today’s marijuana market is dominated by various extractions, including cannabis concentrates and extracted oils.
Depending on your pot product preference, dab pens and vape pens can be used to consume various types of cannabis products. Should you use a dab pen or a vape pen? Let’s see.
What is a Dab Pen?
If you’re a concentrate connoisseur, dab pens are definitely for you. What is a dab pen, though? Designed to vape cannabis concentrates such as wax or shatter, dab pens are basically the portable version of traditional dab rigs.
That’s right. With a dab pen, weed concentrates can easily be taken on the go. Just when you thought dabbing couldn’t get any better, along comes the marijuana dab pen. Both portable and discreet, the dab pen makes dabbing available wherever the day may take you.
Using a dab pen is pretty simple, although it might take a bit of practice perfecting it. All you need to do is make sure it’s charged before you use it, set it to the desired temperature, and load your favorite concentrate into the chamber with a dab tool.
This is where practice comes in, as concentrates can be a bit of a sticky mess.
Once your concentrate is loaded up, you’re ready to get your dab on. While different dab pens operate differently, the premise is the same.
With your temperature set (ideally between 420°F and 550°F) and the cartridge loaded with your favorite concentrate, the next step is to hit your dab pen.
There are also prefilled carts designed to be used with dab pens. What is in a cart for a dab pen? Your favorite concentrate, of course, whether wax, shatter, budder, rosin, or live resin.
The best way to hit your dab pen is by taking slow pulls and starting with smaller hits. Remember that concentrates are extremely potent. By starting with smaller hits and working your way up, you can ease into a more enjoyable experience and avoid getting uncomfortably high.
What is a Vape Pen?
So, what is a vape pen, exactly?
Vape pens are designed to vape cannabis flower or cannabis oil cartridges (aka vape carts). The biggest similarity between a vape pen vs a dab pen is that both devices make it easy to discreetly consume cannabis on the go.
Using a marijuana vape pen is different depending if you’re consuming flower or oil. If you’ve ever asked yourself what are the best vape pens for CBD oil, for example, you’ll want to purchase a vape pen designed specifically for oil.
When vaping flower, the dry material is loaded directly into the chamber of the vape pen. The ideal temperate for vaping flower in a vape pen is between 320°F and 446°F.
The lower the temperature, the more flavor you’ll experience. Higher temps, on the other hand, typically produce stronger effects.
When vaping cannabis oil, the cartridge containing the oil is heated with a coil or ceramic atomizer. This transforms the oil to vapor, where it’s then inhaled through the vape pen mouthpiece.
When using a vape pen for oil, temperatures between 390°F and 485°F are ideal, as oil requires higher heat to vaporize compared to dry flower.
Another similarity of a vape pen vs a dab pen is the ease of use. Vape pens are extremely simple to use, even more so than dab pens. Once you’ve charged your vape pen, simply attach your oil cartridge to pen or load your flower into the chamber.
Turn on the pen by pressing the power button, set the desired temperature and wait for it to heat up, and vape to your heart’s content.
When comparing using a dab pen vs vape pen, vape pens aren’t as powerful as dab pens. This is because concentrates used in dab pens are much stronger than the flower or oil used in vape pens.
Dab Pen vs Vape Pen: What Makes Them Similar?
We mentioned a few similarities between a dab pen vs a vape pen above. Some of the most similar elements between the two include:
- Both dab pens and vape pens are designed to vaporize various cannabis products.
- Vape pens and dab pens allow for vaping cannabis products on the go.
- Both are equipped with temperature controls that allow you to set your desired temperature.
- Dab pens and vape pens both use heat to turn cannabis products into vapor that is inhaled.
Dab Pen vs Vape Pen: What Makes Them Different?
There are definitely some similarities between the dab pens and vape pens, but their differences are what make the two unique.
The biggest differences between a vape pen vs dab pen include:
- Dab pens are designed specifically for consuming cannabis concentrates, such as wax, shatter, budder, rosin, and others.
- Vape pens will only vaporize cannabis flower and oil.
- Dab pens are larger than vape pens.
- Dab pens require higher temperatures to vaporize concentrates.
- Dab pens require more maintenance than vape pens, as concentrates tend to leave more residue than flower or oil. Cleaning a dab pen, however, is much easier than cleaning your dab rig.
- When comparing the effects of a vape pen vs a dab pen, the dab pen offers significantly more powerful effects.
What Are The Different Types Of Vape Pens?
Do a quick search online and you’ll find several vape pens to choose from. But, what are the different types of vape pens?
Before we explain the different types of pens, it’s important to note that all vape pens are equipped with the same basic components, whether it’s a vape or dab pen for weed products.
Vape pen parts commonly include:
- Battery: Vape and dab pen batteries are usually lithium-ion and rechargeable.
- Charger: Most vape pens come with a battery that can be recharged with a small USB charging cord.
- Chamber: The chamber is what holds dry flower when vaping weed or concentrates when vaping dabs. Cannabis oil used for vape pens typically comes in a cartridge, although oil can be filled into certain vape pens separately.
- Atomizer: An atomizer refers to the part of the vape pen that produces vapor, and is the part of the device that contains the heating coil and wick.
- Mouthpiece: The mouthpiece on a vape pen is what you inhale the vapor from. There are different-sized mouthpieces on different styles of pens, but each is designed to produce a comfortable experience while inhaling.
So, what are the different types of vape pens?
The biggest difference between a dab pen and a vape pen is what type of product is consumed, which is typically where you’ll find the differences in types of vape pens.
Different types of vape pens include:
- Dry Flower Vape Pens: The dry herb vape pen was the first type of marijuana vape pen on the market. They are designed to be used with dry cannabis flower, which is added to the vape pen chamber. Dry flower vape pens produce less aroma than smoking traditional flower, making them popular for consuming cannabis flower discreetly on the go.
- Cartridge Vape Pens: Cartridge vape pens are designed to fit a cartridge that contains extracted cannabis oil. Both THC and CBD cartridges are popular amongst cannabis consumers, and there are several options for cartridges created specifically for vape pens.
- Dab Pens: Dab pens are vape pens designed specifically for cannabis concentrates. Dab pens are also referred to as wax pens or dab vape pens. People that prefer the powerful experience of potent concentrates will find dab pens offer an innovative way to easily enjoy concentrates without the need for a dab rig or kit.
Vape Pen vs Dab Pen: Which Is Best For You?
If you’re interested in purchasing your own vape pen, it’s important to keep in mind the type of product you prefer.
If flower is your thing, a dry herb vape pen is likely the best product for you. If you’re more of a concentrate kind of person, a dab pen is definitely the way to go.
Vape pens are also great for those interested in an easy vaping experience. Adding more flower to the chamber or switching out cartridges once they’re empty is far easier than working with sticky concentrates.
Vape pens are also awesome for cannabis consumers that are new to vaping.
Dab pens, on the other hand, are perfect for experienced cannabis consumers that love potent products.
A dab pen makes taking dabs so much more simple than using a rig or dab kit. A dab pen with weed concentrate also delivers a much more powerful hit than a vape pen with weed alone.
Knowing The Difference Between a Dab Pen vs Vape Pen
At Elevate Holistics, we want your cannabis experience to be the best it can possibly be. Whether you’re a medical marijuana patient or recreational consumer, knowing everything you can about various cannabis products is key to enhancing your experience.
Whether you’re interested in a dab pen for weed recreationally or want to vape for medical reasons, knowing the difference between a dab pen vs vape pen is central to your experience.
Still have questions about the difference between a dab pen and a vape pen? We’re here for you! Contact us today with any questions you might have about vaping your favorite cannabis products.
