What started as a way to quit cigarette smoking, has turned to a recreational activity. Nicotine Vaping paved the way for others to follow. Today, you can vape CBD, THC, and vitamins. If you are new to the world of vaping, you might have heard the different vaporizers used to vape.
Vaporizers look similar to each other. You must tell the differences apart. All the vaporizers can be collapsed into three groups: wax pens, vape pens, and dab pens.
This article will help to understand what is a wax pen, vape pen, and a dab pen. You will be able to differentiate each apart. You will have all the necessary information when you buy a vaporizer.
What Is A Wax Pen?
Wax pen is a wax vaporizer that looks like pens in design. A wax pen uses wax concentrates.
A wax pen has a battery- powering the device, a heating coil inside a chamber, and a mouthpiece for inhalation. It also has a steel casing – to protect a user from heat burning. Vaporizing wax requires a lot of heat energy.
This is how it works. You load a wax concentrate into the chamber, on top of a coil. The coil heats the wax, melts it, and vaporizes. The vapor collects and is inhaled if you want to get deeper and longer hits, press and release the switch button several times.
A wax vaporizer uses either convention or conduction mode of heating. For the convection method, the wax concentrate forms a light vapor. This feature makes vaping wax pen using the conventional way discrete.
Wax pens are available in several brands. Some use titanium coils, dual rod quartz, and ceramic coils. The coil they have differentiates them apart.
Why Do People Use A Wax Pen?
Lots of people have different reasons for vaping a wax pen. Some prefer a wax pen because:
- Wax pen is a small handheld device that is easy to conceal.
- Wax concentrates used for vaping are relatively odorless. They allow vaping in discreet.
- They use parts that are replaceable and available. Smokers can customize their wax pens.
- Wax pens have rechargeable batteries.
- Wax pen has a thermoregulation system; it allows temperature control.
- They are safe to use.
What Is A Vape Pen?
A vape pen or a vaporizer pen uses oil extracts and dry herbs. Basically, it’s a battery where cartridges are attached. The primary ingredient in the extracts is propylene glycol (vegetable glycerin). Some oil extracts have CBD or THC or nicotine.
Vape pens are easy to use. You assemble the parts and vape.
Vaporizer pens are the natural progression of the traditional e-cigarette. Earlier on, vape pens were for vaping nicotine contents. Time changed that, today, you can vape cannabinoids, THC, vitamins, and other supplements.
A vape pen has four primary parts: a battery – to power the device, a mouthpiece for smooth inhalation, a sensor and a heating chamber, or a tank. Some vape pens have sensors, and others do not have. Vape pens with sensors turn on automatic. Others have a button for users to switch the device.
When a smoker inhales into the mouthpiece, oil flows from the tank onto the heating coil in the atomizer. Vaporization forms small droplets of vapor.
There are two categories of vape pens: Disposable and rechargeable vape pens.
A disposable vaporizer pen has an inbuilt all-in-one unit. It consists of a prefilled tank, an internal battery, and a coil. When the contents get finished, the gadget is disposable. Disposable pens come into types: push-button and draw-activated vape pens.
Push-button vape pens have to be switched on before they can be used. They are switch on by pressing the switch button five times in a row. A single puff activates Draw-activated vape pens.
Rechargeable vape pens are battery-powered. They come along with different cartridges and atomizers. Users with vape pens can vape a wide variety of concentrates.
Why Do People Use A Vape Pen?
Vapers who prefer a vape pen choose it for the following reasons:
- Vape pens heat extracts at different temperatures. Users get a customized experience.
- Some vape pens allow users to adjust the voltage.
- Some models of vape pens are rechargeable through a micro USB port.
What Is Dab Pen?
A dab pen is a vaporizer that is explicit for vaping dabs instead of oil extracts or traditional dry herbs. It looks like a pen or a cigarette in design. Dabs have a small concentration of THC. The act of using puffing from a dab pen is dabbing.
Dab pens have a similar functioning system to a vape pen.
It has a mouthpiece for smooth inhalation, a chamber to hold substances, and a battery to power the device. A user has to do is load the dabs on the coil. The atomizer heats the dabs and melts it on a wick. The wick absorbs the melted dabs and vaporizes it.
Why Do People Use Dab Pens?
We have seen that dabs extracts have THC than traditional CBD concentration. Individuals who do dabbing do it to get the psychoactive effect of THC. Some of the reasons for vaping a dab pen are:
- To get high from the THC in the dab extracts.
- Dab pens are multipurpose. They allow users to smoke different types of concentrates.
- Dab pens resemble pens or cigarette in shape and size. It makes them extremely easy to conceal.
Similarities Between Wax Pen – Dab Pens – Vape Pens
Even though vaporizes look the same, they are uniquely specialized. In some aspects, they are more similar to each other. in another way, they are different. There have common similarities between them.
- Portability
Wax pen, vape pen, and dab pens are all handheld and portable. The vaporizers are designed to be sleek and small in size. You can pocket them on the go. To avoid losing your vaporizer, you can buy a carrying case to ensure their location is always known.
- Usability
The vaporizers have easy to use the system. All you have to do is switch it on and inhale. Some brands in the market have a relatively straightforward user system. Although different models and make have different operating systems.
- Efficiency
The vaporizers are small in size and very discreet. It makes it easy to conceal them on your hand, pocket, or in a purse. You can vape anytime and anywhere at your discretion. Smokers can reach on them and vape quickly.
- Allows Customization
Vaporizers are for personal use. They have features that can be replaced and offer a personalized experience. Some vaporize has temperature control features. Users can control temperatures for heating the extracts at will. To customize your experience, you can add and remove elements.
- Electronic Devices
Wax pen, vape pen, and dab pens are electronic devices. To power the activities, they all use some sort of batteries as units for power storage. In terms of power consumption, oil and wax pens use an almost similar power.
Differences Between Wax Pen – Dab Pens – Vape Pens
Now that we understand what wax, dab, and vape are and are not. Let’s dig deep and examine the differences between them. To understand their differences, we will analyse their different aspects.
- Type of Product Consumed
Wax pen uses wax concentrates, and dab pens use a variety of concentrates. Standard dabs are wax, shatter, crumble, and butter. When purchasing a dab pen, you should first know which product it’s going to use. Different dab pens handle either thin or thick viscous wax. As for vape pens, the vaporizers use oil-concentrates or dry herbs
Some modern vaporizers are designed to be compatible with a range of products. For instance, some vape pens are compatible with wax, oil, or herbs. Although here is the catch. Multipurpose vape pens will not perform optimally as specialized vape pens. The general rule is, specialized vape pens are of high quality. You should expect optimal performance.
- Amount of Heat Used (Temperature Levels)
Since wax pens and dab pens use wax extracts, a lot of heat energy is necessary to vaporize the extracts. Wax pens and dab pens have first to melt the concentrates, and then the melted liquid is atomized to vapor. Temperature levels for this kind of process range between 350 – 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Vape pens use oil concentrates or dry herbs. The substances need less energy to heat—the temperature required by a vape pen range between 315 – 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The Mode of Heating (Oil Cartridges/Chambers Versus Wax Coils)
Dap pens and wax pens of high quality are of ceramic coil or quarts. The coil heats to optimal temperatures that melt and vaporize the wax concentrate. The average life-span of a heating coil is between 6-8 weeks. A replacement is necessary after that.
Vape pens that use oil concentrates have a different way of heating. They use oil cartridges/chambers. Cartridges have an in-built heating source. Thus, no need to replace burnt-out coils. The moment a cartridge used up, you have to buy another one.
- The Smoking Experience: Which One Has A Smoother Experience
Wax pens and dab pens have a smoother smoking experience than a vape pen. We can explain it in two ways:
Heating temperature – wax pens and dab pens allow for more temperature control. It enables users to make deeper and cooler hits.
The density of smoke – wax pens and dab pens emit thin or no smoke at all. This feature makes smoking them less harsh. Vaping oils produce a thick cloud of smoke. Some users find the smoke harsh.
Experienced smokers can tell the difference by smoking either of the vaporize.
- The Mode of Loading
Wax pens and dab pens use wax-based concentrates. Loading wax concentrates on the vaporizers is messy when done by bare hands. Your hands get dirty and sticky. Cleaning the chamber needs you to scrape the wax off the sides, which is also messy.
Since vape pens use oil cartridges, it is not messy when they get cleaned or replaced. The pre-loaded cartridges offer great convenience.
Factors to Consider When Deciding Which to Vaporiser to Buy
Next time you are at a vaporizer store and do not know what to buy, use the following factors as a guide.
- The Vaping Material
You need to know which material you will be vaping. Specific vaporizers are best using different vaping materials. For instance, oil concentrates and dry herbs use vape pens. Wax pens use wax, shutter, and crumble. And dab pens are better used for smoking dabs.
By knowing which vaping concentrates you use, you are a step ahead of getting the right device.
- Battery Life
Most vaporizers are powered with lithium-ion in-built batteries. If you need a gadget that will last several days, you will need a device that has a larger battery capacity. And they slightly have a large body. Battery capacity will determine the frequency of charging.
The type of concentrate to use determines battery life. Wax-based concentrates use lots of heat to atomize. Thus, battery power gets drained quickly. Oil and dry- herbs need high heat energy. So, their battery life is long compared to wax-based vaporizers.
- Functionality
Functionality or the ease to use should not be dismissed when purchasing a vaporizer. Some vaporizers in the market are simple to use. Load the materials, close, and press the switch button. But others are quite complicated. They have features like programmable pre-sets and temperature control.
The more functionality a device has, the more costly it is.
Our take on Wax pen, Vape pen, and Dab pen
All the vaporizers discussed have their advantages. Vape pens are easy to refill. Oil cartridges make them clean to maintain. Dab pens and wax pens are more versatile, a go-to device for some people. They use different types of concentrates. Although cleaning and maintaining them is messy and a dirty affair.
In terms of the smoking experience, wax pens and dab pens offer a smoother vaping experience. Temperature control features make in wax, and dab pens make it more refreshing.
Now that you understand what wax pens, dab pens, and vape pens are, why don’t you grab yourself one or two vaporizers?
