Collection: Dab Nails

What is a dab nail?

A dab nail, also known as a dab banger, is the part of your dab rig where you heat up your concentrates into vapor. You can't use a dab rig without the dab nail! It's absolutely integral to the process. 

How do I heat up my dab nail?

In order to get your dabs to the proper temperature for vaporization to occur, you're going to need to heat up your dab nail anywhere between 400°F and 600°F. Hit the bottom of your dab nail with a butane torch until it gets red hot. Once it obtains that distinct red glow, stop heating it and let it cool for 10-30 seconds, depending on the temperature you're trying to achieve. 

What temperature should I heat my dab nail to? 

One of the most vital things to learn when getting in to smoking dabs is gauging temperature. Everyone has their own preferences, and for many, using the proper temperature can make or break the experience. To make things more simple, let's narrow things down into three standard tiers: Low Temp, Medium Temp, and High Temp. 

Low Temp Dabs

Generally speaking, temperatures between 400°F and 500°F are considered to be low temperature dabs. The biggest strength of low temp dabs is that they deliver the most flavorful experience, as the low temperatures allow for the highest preservation of flavors and terpenes. The main issue with low temp dabs is that they tend to waste a portion of your wax, as some of the wax in your nail will liquify but won't vaporize. As the old saying goes: "You need to waste it to taste it!"

Medium Temp Dabs

Around 500°F-570°F, you're hitting the medium range for dab temperatures. These temps are a nice middle ground. At these temps, your wax will completely vaporize in your dab nail while still capturing a large portion of the flavor and essence of the wax. You don't really have to worry about burning any of your heat-sensitive terpenes in this range. 

High Temp Dabs

At 570°F-600°F or higher, you're entering the realm of high temperature dabs. The primary reason some people like to do high temp dabs is due to the stronger effects they elicit. Smoking at this range will generate the most amount of smoke, but also has a higher chance...

What is a dab nail?

A dab nail, also known as a dab banger, is the part of your dab rig where you heat up your concentrates into vapor. You can't use a dab rig without the dab nail! It's absolutely integral to the process. 

How do I heat up my dab nail?

In order to get your dabs to the proper temperature for vaporization to occur, you're going to need to heat up your dab nail anywhere between 400°F and 600°F. Hit the bottom of your dab nail with a butane torch until it gets red hot. Once it obtains that distinct red glow, stop heating it and let it cool for 10-30 seconds, depending on the temperature you're trying to achieve. 

What temperature should I heat my dab nail to? 

One of the most vital things to learn when getting in to smoking dabs is gauging temperature. Everyone has their own preferences, and for many, using the proper temperature can make or break the experience. To make things more simple, let's narrow things down into three standard tiers: Low Temp, Medium Temp, and High Temp. 

Low Temp Dabs

Generally speaking, temperatures between 400°F and 500°F are considered to be low temperature dabs. The biggest strength of low temp dabs is that they deliver the most flavorful experience, as the low temperatures allow for the highest preservation of flavors and terpenes. The main issue with low temp dabs is that they tend to waste a portion of your wax, as some of the wax in your nail will liquify but won't vaporize. As the old saying goes: "You need to waste it to taste it!"

Medium Temp Dabs

Around 500°F-570°F, you're hitting the medium range for dab temperatures. These temps are a nice middle ground. At these temps, your wax will completely vaporize in your dab nail while still capturing a large portion of the flavor and essence of the wax. You don't really have to worry about burning any of your heat-sensitive terpenes in this range. 

High Temp Dabs

At 570°F-600°F or higher, you're entering the realm of high temperature dabs. The primary reason some people like to do high temp dabs is due to the stronger effects they elicit. Smoking at this range will generate the most amount of smoke, but also has a higher chance of burning some of your flavors and terpenes away. If you go too high, you risk burning your dabs and even breaking your dab nail, depending on what type of dab nail you have.

What temperature range is best for my type of dabs?

Unfortunately, there really isn't an easy answer to this question. There's not really a widespread consensus as to what the exact best temperatures are to smoke each type of concentrate. There are just so many different types, and each type has a multitude of variations.

As a general rule of thumb, dabs of weaker consistencies usually burn better at lower temperatures, and stronger consistencies at higher temps. That being said, the best way to find the optimal temperature for the type of dabs that you have is to experiment a bit. That answer may be an unsatisfying one, but that's the straight facts for you!

But how do you know what temperature your dab nail is at Practice makes perfect! If you're looking for a way to be more precise, there are a range of tools that can help you out. Most electric dab rigs and e-nails give you the ability to heat up your nail to an exact temperature, and tools like the Terpometer can help you measure the specific temperature of your dab nail. 

Types of Dab Nails

There are several different types of dab nails to choose from, each with their own set of advantages and features. The most popular types of dab nails include:

Quartz Bangers

Quartz bangers have become the industry standard when it comes to dab nails. This is not surprising, as quartz has a lot of strengths that makes it ideal for dabbing! This durable material is built to heat up quickly and withstand the high temperatures that smoking dabs requires. Like glass, quartz is a material free of any chemicals that will interfere with the flavor of your dabs. You'll get a whole lot of high quality smoke sessions out of a quartz banger!

The only real drawback is that it loses heat just as quickly as it gains it. This can be alleviated with the use of certain heat-retaining dab nail accessories like carb caps, or just by moving quickly. They can also be a bit pricier than some other options like glass, but the price is well worth it!

Titanium Dab Nails

If you're looking for strength, then a titanium dab nail is the way to go. They're extremely durable, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant. They can be heated to temperatures of 3,000°F or even higher. These dab nails are incredibly tough! 

They're also 100% safe, as they're non-toxic when heated (unlike other metals). They also maintain their heat much longer than other materials, like quartz or glass. 

This sounds like the perfect dab nail, right? Well, nothing is perfect in this world, unfortunately. Depending on the type of dabs you're smoking, a titanium dab nail may interfere with the flavor profile. While they are incredibly durable, they can be prone to corrode below their peak abilities with heavy use over time. All this strength doesn't come cheap, either. 

In short, titanium dab nails are wonderful bangers that will serve any dabber well, as long as you're not too particular on tasting the full flavor of your dabs. Titanium dab nails are perfect for high temp dabbers.

Glass Bangers 

When it comes to glass bangers, their biggest advantage is in their affordability. They tend to be the lowest price dab nails on the market. They're satisfactory for smoking your dabs, especially at low temps. They also won't interfere with the flavor of your concentrates. 

While glass bangers are low in price, they rack up a significant amount of non-monetary costs. They're the least durable of all banger types, and are prone to break at high temperatures. They can also build up gunk easily, and are difficult to clean. Glass bangers will serve fair-weather tokers just fine, but if you smoke dabs with relative consistency, you're better off with other options. 

Ceramic Dab Nails 

Ceramic dab nails make for quality dab nails! They can be a bit polarizing, though. They retain heat longer than quartz or glass, meaning you don't have to rush to smoke your dabs. That being said, they also take a longer time to heat up, meaning your session will use up more time and butane with a ceramic dab nail than with other means.

Ceramic bangers deliver a pure taste of the dabs you're smoking. But on the other hand, it is easier to ruin your dab flavor via overheating. It's harder to tell how hot they are then with quartz or glass, as they don't change color after a certain temperature. Since they don't have a very high temperature threshold, overheating can also wear down and break your dab nail. 

All of this being stated, ceramic dab nails are definitely serviceable dab nails that can often be found at an affordable price. If you keep the factors above in mind, they will serve you better than cheaper bangers, like ones made out of glass. 

Domeless dab nails vs. Domed dab nails

In addition to different constructions, dab nails can also be either domeless or domed. Domed dab nails come with a dome that fits perfectly on top of the banger, retaining your heat and wax vapor with ease. Domeless nails don't come with this dome piece.

That's really all it comes down to. This bodes the question: Why have domeless bangers become so much more popular than domed bangers? The answer lies mainly in their size. Domed dab nails need to be much smaller in order for the dome to fully fit. Domeless dab nails, by comparison, have no real limit to their size. The popularization of carb caps and other dab nail accessories has also alleviated the issues of heat loss and vapor loss. 

Dab Nail Sizes

In searching for dab nails, it's also very important to take size into consideration. Every dab rig has their own specific joint gender, size, and angle. These factors determine what types of bangers will best fit in the piece. What do these things mean exactly? Look below for further explanation:

• Joint Gender is defined as the manner through which a dab nail is attached to a the rig's joint. If the dab nail is inserted into the joint, then it is a male dab nail. If it is placed over the joint, then it is a female dab nail.
• Joint Sizes generally come in three different diameters: 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm. The most popular size for dab rigs is 14mm by far, but there are some dab rigs out there that feature 10mm or 18mm sizes. There are other dab rigs that have their own specific joint size beyond these three, but these are very rare. These specialty rigs are almost always heady glass pieces that come with their own special dab nail. 
• Joint Angle is defined by the angle at which the joint comes out of the dab rig. Most of the time, they are either 45° or 90°. You'll be able to tell what dab nail is best for your dab rig's angle simply by the way the neck is shaped. 

How do I clean my dab nail?

The best way to keep your dab nail clean is by wiping it out with a cleaning swab after every use. Using the correct temperatures is also important, as overheating can leave permanent stains. How you clean out your dab nail beyond these two aspects of cleanliness depends on the type of nail that you have. Here's a brief rundown on how to clean out the different types of dab nails:

• Quartz bangers, glass bangers, and ceramic dab nails can be cleaned out with a soak in isopropyl alcohol (at least 85%). Just soak it until all the residue comes off. Cleaning swabs can help expedite this process too. Do NOT use a dabber to scrape off any gunk, as this will permanently damage your banger. If you need something stronger than alcohol, try a cleaning solution.
• Titanium dab nails can NOT be cleaned out with isopropyl alcohol or other cleaners, as they can damage their porous metal surface. The simplest way to clean out a titanium dab nail is to heat it up with a butane torch and scrape off any residue with a dabber. 

Dab Nail Accessories

Using a dab nail on its own is fine. But, if you want the best possible dabbing experience, then you're going to need a few other important tools! These include the following:

Butane Torch In order to vaporize your dabs, you need to get your dab nail to temperatures of 400°F-600°F. Unless you're using an electric dab rig or e-nail, the only thing that's going to get your dab nail that hot is a butane torch. This fact makes butane torches absolutely vital to smoking dabs!	Dabbers Dabbers are what you use to portion and place your wax in your dab nail. They're also helpful in moving the dab around the bottom of the nail, which makes your hits smoother and more efficient.	Carb Cap Carb caps are essential for smoking dabs out of a domeless dab nail! They retain heat inside the bucket and keep your precious wax vapor from escaping. Using a carb cap also enables you to generate more air flow. Carb caps are especially vital for low-temp dabs.
Cleaner Keeping your dab nail clean is necessary to maintain peak function! A critical part of a good dab session is cleaning out your nail with a cleaning swab after you're done smoking. There are also a variety of high-quality cleaning solutions that are great for cleaning out your dab nail and rig.	Reclaim Catcher  One unique thing about dabs is their ability to be "reclaimed". When you drop wax into your dab nail, some of the dab will get hot enough to liquify but not enough to vaporize. This liquid can often get gunked up in the the joint or in other parts of the rig. Using a reclaim catcher not only helps keep your dab rig clean, but it also allows you to reclaim the dabs that may have slipped away for later use, saving you a lot of money in the long run!	Terp Pearls Terp pearls are small balls that you place in your dab nail. They help to retain and distribute heat throughout the banger. They also help to spread out the dab throughout the bottom of the bucket, making for a more efficient dabbing experience! They're usually made of quartz, borosilicate glass, and even ruby.