If you’ve read our guide on dabbing, you know there are three main tools you can use to consume concentrates: dab rigs, e-rigs, and dab pens. In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know about dab rigs, including: 

• What’s a Dab Pen?
• How Do Dab Pens Work?
• How Do You Use a Dab Pen?
• Dab Pen FAQs

A dab pen is a handheld device, a little wider than a vape pen, that can be used to dab small amounts of concentrates. It’s sometimes referred to as a wax pen, despite the fact that they can be used with more than just marijuana wax. Dab pens are popular among cannabis enthusiasts because you get the flavor and effects of concentrates and the portability of a vape pen, all while being relatively discrete.

Learn more about the different ways to smoke concentrates with our guide.

Dab pens are a simple way to smoke your marijuana concentrate of choice–all you need is your pen and concentrate! Some concentrate enthusiasts like to keep a dab tool handy for help inserting those stickier concentrates into the chamber of the pen, but this comes down to personal preference.

Dab pens typically have four parts:

• Battery
• Heating chamber
• Atomizer
• Mouthpiece 

The concentrate goes into the chamber, and the battery is used to heat the concentrate. Most dab pens can be easily disassembled and reassembled as needed to enjoy a variety of concentrates.

Before you begin your session, make sure your dab pen battery is fully charged.

Step 1: Insert the Concentrates

With the mouthpiece set aside, scoop a small amount of concentrate into the chamber. Once you’ve loaded the chamber, attach the mouthpiece to the atomizer.

Step 2: Heat to temperature

Some dab pens allow you to set temperatures, and some are automatic. If your dab pen allows you to set the temperature, we recommend starting with a low temp and increasing from there. This will allow you to figure out which temperature is best for you to enjoy your concentrate. If your dab pen is automatic, you can skip that step as your pen will heat consistently to a predetermined temperature.

Step 3: Inhale

If your pen requires it, click or hold the button and inhale. Because concentrates contain potent levels of THC, you should wait after inhaling one to two times to feel the effects before loading any additional concentrate into the pen.

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions we get about dab pens:

How much is a dab pen?

Dab pens vary in cost. In general, dab pens are less expensive than the concentrates themselves. This makes dab pens a good option for cannabis consumers who want to try concentrates without investing in expensive equipment. 

What’s the difference between a dab pen and a vape pen? 

The main difference between a dab pen and a vape pen is that dab pens are for enjoying different types of solid and semi-solid concentrates. Vape pens typically use cannabis oil or THC distillate only.

What concentrates work in a dab pen?

The concentrates that work best in a dab pen are solid and semi-solid extracts, like wax, budder, resin, crumble, or shatter.

While you can customize a dab pen in a variety of ways—and many cannabis enthusiasts do—they’re also a great product right off the shelf. If you’re interested in purchasing a dab pen, visit your local marijuana dispensary. We’ll be able to show you your options and answer any questions you may have about dabs, dabbing, and dab pens.