Dab Rig vs Bong: What Are the Differences?

Sixty-six percent of Americans favor the legalization of recreational marijuana.

While cannabis was once incredibly taboo, more and more research is being conducted to explore its benefits. This has led it to gain more popularity throughout the entire country.

Because of this, you may be considering trying it too. There is a lot to learn in the cannabis world, but one great place to start is comparing a dab rig vs bong.

Read on for more information.

What Is a Bong?

A bong, also known as a water pipe, is a device used to smoke cannabis. Generally, there is a base filled with water, a stem where you place the weed, and a pipe leading to a mouthpiece.

Because the smoke is getting filtered through the water, smoking a bong is one of the smoothest ways to consume cannabis.

There are many different types of bongs, varying from larger ones with tons of extra features to small portable ones that just get the job done.

Many are made by blowing glass. However, it’s easy to make a bong doing a DIY project from household items as well. You can make a bong from plastic water bottles or even apples.

What Is a Dab Rig?

A dab rig is often considered a specialized type of bong, also known as a concentrate rig. These have a similar setup as a bong, with the base filled with water and the pipe leading to the mouthpiece.

However, the main difference is the stem and what exactly you’re placing on it to smoke. With a bong, you’re smoking herbs. With a dab rig, you’re consuming concentrates.

This primary difference is what sets the two apart, so let’s explore this element further.

Herb vs Concentrate

With a bong, you smoke a small amount of dry herb, which refers to cannabis flower. These are the raw buds that you would grind up and put in a blunt or joint.

Because flower is one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis, it’s pretty easy to find no matter where you live.

It comes in many different strains, which come in bottom shelf or top shelf variations. This allows you to find flower that is within your budget, or you can choose to splurge.

Concentrate, on the other hand, is a much different story. Concentrate is resin that is extracted from cannabis flower. It is then concentrated down into a sticky substance, often known as a dab.

Because concentrate is rare and contains high levels of THC and CBD in a small amount, it is usually much more expensive than flower. However, it is known to provide more intense effects, so it is often considered worth the price.

Nails vs Bowls

Perhaps the most significant design variation between a bong and dab rig is the part where you place your smoking material.

For a bong, you will use a bowl. This is a metal or glass miniature bowl you pack with your dry herb. These work best if you grind the herb up first, as it will burn more efficiently and evenly.

You can use a traditional lighter for a bowl. Start by placing your mouth on the mouthpiece, and begin inhaling until you feel and hear bubbles forming.

Then, place the lighter at the bowl, light it, and the smoke will go through the stem, filter through the water at the base, and get pulled up into your mouth and lungs.

It is very simple and effective

Dab rigs use nails or bangers instead of bowls. A nail is a small, round-shaped tube that is made from titanium.

A banger is similar but is usually a bit bigger and more bowl-shaped. It can be made from quartz, glass, or titanium.

While you place the flame directly on a bowl to smoke dry herb, to consume concentrate, you heat up the nail or banger first. This requires a blow torch instead of a regular lighter.

Once the nail or banger is heated adequately, you place the concentrate on the surface, and it will begin to vaporize as you inhale.

While this requires a bit of practice, it is highly effective and is one of the most powerful ways to consume cannabis.

Dab Rig vs Bong: Which Is Better?

Many places may give you an outright answer to this question, but truthfully, it comes down to quality and preference.

To get the best experience for either, you want to ensure you purchase high-quality cannabis material, whether that is herb or concentrate. If the herb is too dry or the concentrate includes foreign contaminants, you probably won’t enjoy using either device.

The quality of the bong and dab rig itself also matters, as well as the accessories that you get with them, such as with these Dr Dabber Dab Tools. Smoking out of a titanium dab rig will be a much better experience than smoking from a plastic bong, for instance.

Cleanliness is also a huge factor here, as the cleaner the device is, the better the hit will be.

And, of course, if you prefer concentrate over herb or the other way around, you will probably also develop a preference when it comes to bongs and dab rigs. Yet, this doesn’t make one better than the other, as they both have something unique to offer.

Explore All the Different Ways to Consume Cannabis

There are many different ways to consume cannabis, but making the comparison of a dab rig vs bong is an excellent place to start. While these two have many things in common, it’s their differences that matter the most.

Now you know what sets them apart, so you can decide which you like the best!

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