Cannabis consumption has come a long way since its earliest days. The tools and methods we use to enjoy our favourite strains have evolved dramatically. Among these tools, custom glass bongs and dab rigs have emerged as popular favourites. Both deliver unique experiences, but they differ in several key ways. This article aims to distil those differences to help you understand which might be the best fit for you.
Bongs: The Traditional Route
Bongs are water pipes that have been used for smoking different substances for hundreds of years. They’re especially popular for smoking dry cannabis herb. All bongs feature the same basic components: a bowl, a chamber, and a mouthpiece.
The user places the cannabis in the bowl, lights it, and inhales through the mouthpiece. The smoke travels through the water in the chamber, which cools and filters it, delivering a smooth, cool hit.
Dab Rigs: The Modern Twist
Dab rigs are a newer addition to the world of cannabis consumption, designed specifically for use with cannabis concentrates. These are substances like wax, shatter, or oil, which are significantly more potent than dry herbs.
A custom dab rig also consists of a bowl (or a ‘nail’), a chamber, and a mouthpiece. The ‘nail’ is heated with a torch, the concentrate is placed on it, and the user inhales the vapour through the mouthpiece. Unlike bong smoke, the vapour from a dab rig is not cooled or filtered by water.
Consumption Materials
Bongs are designed for the purpose of smoking dried botanicals, typically loaded into an attached bowl, ignited with a lighter, and inhaled. Conversely, dab or oil rigs utilize a concentrated form of THC, commonly known as “wax,” “honey,” or “oil,” and are consumed using a nail.
Consumption Techniques
Bongs facilitate the smoking of herbs through the combustion process, which involves lighting the plant material with a butane lighter or matches and inhaling the resulting smoke via the mouthpiece. On the other hand, a dab rig functions as a tool for inhaling vapor from a concentrate, which is achieved using a torch and a nail.
Bowl Pieces vs Nails
Custom bongs are crafted for compatibility with bowl pieces, essentially receptacles containing your herb. They possess a small hole at the bottom to facilitate air circulation. These bowl pieces are commonly constructed from glass, although metal variants also exist, and they are resilient enough to endure the heat produced by a lighter.
On the other hand, rigs demand a robust attachment capable of enduring the intense heat required to vaporize concentrates. These attachments, known as “nails,” are typically crafted from ceramic, titanium, or quartz. Lately, quartz bangers have become the preferred choice. Despite the wide range of nail styles available, their function remains consistent. The procedure involves:
- Heating the nail.
- Placing your concentrate inside.
- Capping it.
- Inhaling the resulting vapor.
Both bowl pieces and nails serve as holders for your smoking substance. Bowl pieces typically feature a male joint designed to fit into a bong’s female joint. Custom Dab rigs, conversely, usually come with male joints that accommodate the nail. However, remember that this isn’t an absolute rule, as custom designs and exceptions exist.
Size Matters
This is a key distinguishing factor between dab rigs and bongs. When consuming dry herbs or flowers, a larger apparatus is recommended. Additionally, having numerous percolators or ice catchers is essential for optimal filtration and cooling. However, for smoking concentrates, a smaller device with fewer percolators is advised. The reason behind this is that when burning flowers in a bong, the smoke can traverse considerable distances without diminishing in potency.
Indeed, the further the smoke travels and the more percolators it passes through, the smoother the inhalation will be. Conversely, when vaporizing concentrates at temperatures lower than combustion, a smaller apparatus with fewer percolators is more suitable. This allows the vapor to reach your lungs in the shortest time possible, thereby maintaining its flavor and potency.
Price
Generally, the expenditure for setting up a Dab/oil rig tends to exceed that of a bong arrangement. This is because, besides the rig itself, you’re required to procure additional dabbing paraphernalia such as a nail, torch, dabber, silicone container and so on. The total cost can escalate significantly depending on your choice of purchase.
Bongs and Dab/Oil rigs may appear alike to a novice eye, yet they possess subtle differences, primarily in their intended use and the accessories employed. A bong is primarily designed for smoking flowers, while dab/oil rigs are specifically crafted with the use of concentrates in mind.
However, this doesn’t infer that bongs are incompatible with dabbing or that dab rigs can’t be utilized for smoking flowers. Their usage ultimately depends on their intended application. Indeed, the only requirement would be suitable adapters to align your equipment with your needs.
Dab Rig vs Bong – Which Piece Is Right for You?
The comparison between a custom dab rig and a custom bong has been a long-standing discussion. It’s not a straightforward decision if you are looking for a multifunctional device with a wide range of capabilities. Ultimately, it boils down to your specific needs from the device. If you are interested in a device that offers superior filtration and cooling, a bong might be your preferred choice. However, if you desire a smaller, more portable device that provides flavorful hits, a dab rig could be your ideal choice.
When you’re uncertain, consider what you’ll be consuming more – plant substance or concentrate. It’s important to tailor this experience to your most common usage.
If you’re still on the fence about which is the best fit for you in the dab rig vs bong debate, why not consider both? After all, variety is the spice of life, especially in your sessions!
Are You Able to Convert a Bong into a Dab Rig and Vice Versa?
You are now familiar with the crucial differences between a bong and a dab rig, which has equipped you with the confidence to choose the perfect piece. However, you might be someone who likes to enjoy a dab one moment and smoke a bowl the next. This leads us to a fascinating query: is it possible to use a bong as a dab rig? Or conversely, can a dab rig be used as a bong?
Answering this question is a bit complex, as the straightforward answer is affirmative. All you require is the suitable size bowl for your dab rig or the appropriate size nail/banger for your bowl (and don’t forget a dab tool and torch!). This allows you to switch between dabbing and smoking in an instant. However, the question should not be whether you can use a bong as a dab rig, but rather, should you? Here’s why we suggest keeping separate pieces for flower and concentrate:
Assume that you use your dab rig exclusively for concentrate and then you purchase a bowl and start smoking flower from it. The taste you experience from both the flower and concentrate will change— not just change, but become unpleasant, in our view. Moreover, if you separate consumption methods, cleaning your bong or dab rig will be significantly easier.
Conclusion on the Dab Rig vs Bong Discussion
So there you have it—everything you need to understand about the dab rig versus bong conflict. We trust that this comprehensive article has provided you with a clearer understanding of the main differences between bongs and dab rigs.
To sum it up, a bong is used for smoking flower with a lighter and a bowl, while a dab rig is used to vaporize concentrates like rosin, live resin, and shatter using a nail, dab tool, and a torch/e-nail. Dab rigs are generally smaller and offer less filtration, resulting in a purer flavor and potency. Bongs, on the other hand, are larger and come with percs to add filtration, which helps to cool the hot rips from sparking your bowl.
Although it’s feasible to use a bong as a dab rig (and vice versa) by simply purchasing the matching bowl/nail, we advise against it. If you frequently consume concentrate/flower, it would be more practical to purchase two separate pieces. This will assist you in maintaining the flavor, making cleaning easier, and enjoying your concentrate/flower as intended.