5 Best Dab Pens Available Now: Your Buyer’s Guide

1. 1. Cloud Pen 3.0 Vape Pen Kit

   

   Price: $84.99

   Shop now at DopeBoo
   Pros:

   • Very easy to use
   • Comes with several different atomizer attachments, so you can customize it for concentrates and/or dry herb
   • Comes in tons of different colors
   • Comes with USB charger

   Cons:

   • Doesn't have extra temperature settings or customizaton options
   • Not a large chamber (just a few hits per pack)
   • Not as cheap as the Cloud 1 or Cloud 2

   The Cloud Pen 3.0 Vape Pen stands out because it’s incredibly easy to use. Plus, it comes with several different atomizers (including a ceramic atomizer, plus one especially designed for dry herb), so you can customize your vape pen to the type of concentrate or flower you’re smoking.

   It also comes in about a dozen colors, so you can further personalize it (and keep it from getting mixed up with your friends’ pens).

   It doesn’t have a ton of extra bells and whistles, but it pull smoothly and delivers big clouds. Customers love how easy it is to get started, and how perfect it is to toss in your pocket for while you’re out and about.

   Find more Cloud Pen 3.0 Vape Pen Kit information and reviews here.

2. 2. Best Portable Dab Vaporizer that Also Accomodates Dried Herb: FlowerMate V5 Vaporizer

   

   Price: $129.99

   Shop now at DopeBoo
   Pros:

   • Works with dried herb as well as dabs (You just switch out the "pods")
   • Large ceramic chamber heats herb evenly
   • Lithium battery has long battery life
   • One year warranty

   Cons:

   • Bulkier than most dab pens
   • Expensive price
   • Must switch out attachment pods when you want to smoke flower after dabs

   The FlowerMate V5 Vaporizer stands out because it can accommodate traditional dried bud as well as concentrates. That means you can take normal hits as well as dabs.

   FlowerMate’s devices are best known, as the name suggests, for vaporizing flower (also known as bud).

   Their vaporizers aren’t as slim and compact as some dab pens (which contain oil or wax in a small chamber or cartridge), because they include a large “oven” chamber, which you pack with dry herb. The ceramic chamber heats evenly, so you don’t need to stir it.

   This model boasts a tight lid, and there’s no leakage of vapor. Customers claim this makes their cannabis supplies go further.

   The digital temperature gauge allows you to fine-tune your preferred temp, on your quest for maximum flavor. The long-life battery allows for 6-10 seshes between recharging. Plus, if your battery runs out on the road, you can just swap it out for a spare battery. (You can recharge your lithium battery on the included rapid-charge cable.)

   If you want to smoke concentrates, you switch out the chamber for the concentrate-friendly capsule, which is included. You also get a magnetic loading cap, which helps you load your vaporizer chamber without spilling anything.

   This company provides fast shipping and great customer service. It includes a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Most customers find that these devices are built to last.

   Find more FlowerMate V5 Vaporizer information and reviews here.

3. 3. Best with Concentrates Pad Included: AirVape X

   

   Price: $179.00

   Shop now at AirVape
   Pros:

   • Easy to use with both cannabis flower and concentrates
   • Precise temperature control and battery life display screen
   • Designed for discretion: the snap-on "shell" traps any lingering odors inside

   Cons:

   • Some customers found the oven chamber a little small for packing bowls for large groups
   • Relatively expensive
   • Takes about an hour to re-charge battery life

   The AirVape X stands out because it rivals the most high-end portable vaporizers, for a slightly lower price. 

   Plus, it was designed for people looking for discretion. While many vaporizers can have a lingering cannabis scent, this comes with an odor-proof shell. After your smoke break, you just snap the shell on, throw it in your bag, and never have to worry about lingering odors.

   This vaporizer is also designed for use with both dried herb and cannabis concentrates. Customers love the ease with which they can switch back and forth between the two: This comes with a “wax insert” that’s very easy to place in the heating chamber, when you’re ready to switch to concentrates.

   This also features a ceramic chamber and comfortable mouthpiece. It includes the features of the fanciest portable vaporizers, like haptic feedback (the ability to vibrate when it achieves the desired temperature), a cooling filter in the mouthpiece, an auto shut-off feature, and precise temperature controls.

   Most users like to start with lower temperatures, when they’re vaporizing cannabis flower, to maximize the strain’s flavor. Then, to get the most out of your herb, you can turn up the temps as you continue taking puffs of the same herb. You can also set the temperature higher when you’re ready to use the wax insert.

   The only complaint was that the ceramic chamber was slightly small, if you’re hoping to share each bowl pack with several others. But you can always re-load your vaporizer!

4. 4. Best Cheap Dab Pen on Amazon: Cheap Portable Dab Rig

   

   Price: $52.98

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Available on Amazon
   • All controlled with one button
   • Delivers great dabs, according to happy customers
   • Recharges with USB port

   Cons:

   • You should probably order this ASAP (wax pens on Amazon tend to get flagged and removed)
   • Less information than vape pens sold through other retailers (due to Amazon's terms of service)
   • Not much temperature control

   This might not technically be a “pen,” but it works great for dabbing, and, right now, it’s available on Amazon. It’s designed to work well with waxy concentrates, and it may be easier to load than most wax pens. Customers love it!

   Find more Dab Rig information and reviews here.

5. 5. Best for the Dabber on the Go: White Rhino Disposable Dube Pen

   

   Price: $26.99

   Shop now at Grasscity
   Pros:

   • Most lightweight vape pen available
   • Very affordable
   • Disposable means no cleaning or charging

   Cons:

   • Loading this style of pen can be very messy and difficult
   • Disposable pens are wasteful
   • Unclear whether battery can be recycled (it probably ends up in a landfill)

   This White Rhino pen stands out because of its affordable price. It’s best for dabbers who enjoy oils (instead of waxy or crumbly concentrates.)

   That’s because you have to load a cartridge yourself.

   Because it’s so cheap, this pen is considered “disposable.” (Landfills might feel differently.) This also means you can’t recharge the battery. When it’s done, after a hundred hits or so, you just toss it out.

   Or maybe you can recycle it. The company does not provide information about whether this is recyclable. So it’s unclear what exactly makes these “disposable,” other than their cheap price. (And the fact that they can’t be refilled. Or recharged.)

   But when you’re traveling, bringing a bunch of disposable, lightweight pens could come in pretty handy.

   Like if you’re traveling to a state where weed isn’t legal, and you get paranoid, you can just “dispose” of these, without losing some beloved pipe that’s been traveling with you for years.

   (Although we’re not recommending bringing a bunch of vape pens to a non-legal state. Obviously. That’s on you.)

   But if you’re traveling with these disposable pens (between cannabis-legal states only, of course), you still need to be a prepared, savvy traveler. Because you have to fill the cartridge yourself. This can be trickier than expected.

   Depending on the oil you want to put in the cartridge, you may need to heat the oil (by putting a container of it in hot water). You may also need to get the oil into a syringe, in order to fill the cartridge. This process basically ends up making a huge mess. Which is just what you need, when you’re trying to pack for your trip.

   If you do successfully fill your cartridges before your trip, this could be a serious convenience item. It’s one of the lightest models on the market. It only weighs one ounce. If you’re trying to make sure your suitcase doesn’t exceed the 50-pound limit for checked luggage at the airport, this will not be the item on your packing list that’s causing a problem at check-in.

   (If you try to pack a dozen Volcano vaporizers, on the other hand, airline personnel may make you open your suitcase. Awkward.)

   Happy travels!

   Find more White Rhino Disposable Dube Pen information and reviews here.

What is a dab pen?

A dab pen is a vape pen that is specifically designed for vaping concentrates. This normally means that they don't accommodate traditional dry herb. (But we've included one on this list that can be converted into a dry herb vaporizer, too.)

Calling something a "dab pen" also usually implies that you load the chamber yourself, with your own cannabis concentrate, which is sold separately. (If the pen is sold with a pre-filled cartridge, you'd usually just call that a "vape pen.")

What do you need for a dab pen?

You can load your chamber with concentrates ranging from shatter to wax to oil to live resin to rosin. (The field of cannabis concentrates has rapidly diversified over the last decade.)

With many dab pens, using traditional bubble hash is not advised, because it can clog the pen. If you have an abundance of hashish on your hands, and no other means to smoke it, check with your pen manufacturer. (Or accept that you may ruin your pen.)

In most dabbable concentrates, the THC and other cannabinoids have been extracted with CO2 or butane. You can also dab "solventless" extracts like rosin, which are extracted with pressure instead of a chemical solvent.

What's the difference between a dab pen, vape pen, or wax pen?

A wax pen is a dab pen. These terms can be used interchangeably. They are both types of vape pens.