The Best Dab Rigs of 2021 and Why You Need It
3 of the Best Dab Rigs with Powerful THC Delivery
(We Tested 10 Dab Rigs in Order to Find the Best)
There’s absolutely nothing more satisfying than enjoying an intense concentrate high from taking a delicious dab.
If you are someone who takes pleasure in a powerful but clean and smooth hit that will do the job of 3 bong rips, then a dab rig will be your best friend.
After reviewing 40 dab rigs and testing 10, we discovered our top 3 picks:
Squirt Gun
Best Overall
Dab Rig
- Easy To Use
- Smooth Smoke
- High Quality Qaurtz
- Water Cooling/Filter
Swiss Hammer Perc
Best Premium
Dab Rig
- Amazing Smoke
- High Quality Nail
- Ice Freeze Chamber
- Water Cooling/Filter
Tree Perc Rig
Best Budget
Dab Rig
- Easy To Use
- Titanium Nail
- Travel Friendly
- Reclaim Catcher
A Dab Rig is the Equivalence to 3 Massive Bong Rips
Here at Cannassentials, we test cannabis products only from trusted online headshops. How did we test to find these top 3 best bongs?
- We Reviewed over 40 Industry Leading glass dab rigs.
- We Bought 10 of the best dab rigs.
- We Tested the 10 wax rigs to find out which ones were the best.
- We Contacted previous customers to see how well their wax rig held up.
We tested 10 glass dab rigs of various designs and styles, from matrix percs to 8 arm tree percs, in order to figure out how well each one served its purpose and how it effected the overall smoking experience. We based our final decisions off how harsh or cool smoke was delivered based on the percolation and filtration system, how well the nail or banger withstood heat retention, and lastly how reliable the glass structure and design held up.
If you find that you are new to dab rigs , then we highly recommend you skip below to learn: what is a dab rig? This is a powerful and intense method of smoking cannabis, and can be quite overwhelming for those who aren’t familiar, so it’s important that you have a strong understanding of how they work and if it is the right choice for your smoking needs.
Pro-tip: This article is equipped with Quick Skip function so you can save time and navigate to what section is most helpful. Click here to skip below and get started and find out which dab rigs we felt was worth the time and spend.
Constant Variables: Testing dab rigs were so fun! We narrowed down our top favorites and hand picked from them our top 3 best winners for you to choose from! To make sure our results were consistent and as accurate as possible, we tested the same cannabis strain using the same amount for each trial. We tested with the solvent free Purple Kush rosin concentrate with 77% THC <.1% CBD.
Finding the best glass dab rig certainly boils down to your personal preference, but also should greatly depend on how well the oil rig was able to deliver satisfying hits.
In our research, we made sure to find the best overall dab rig for daily use, and also the best budget dab rig, as well as the best premium glass rig. Take a look at the results for best dab rigs of 2021 and make sure to check out the research hours behind our testing for more product tips and best practices with a glass dab rig.
Best Dab Rigs Index
Best Dab Rigs of 2021
Using a dab rig is a great way to transition over to a much stronger feeling hit with longer lasting highs. Concentrates may be more expensive than your average dry flowers, but make no mistake that you will be saving yourself more money in your pocket whether it’s wax oil, shatter, live resin, rosin, or budder. One hit from any of these concentrates, and it is the equivalence of 3 of your bong rips, so as you can see, you won’t be needing much, as a little goes a long way with these monstrous THC hits. Take a look at our top 3 recommendations for best glass dab rigs.
Best All Around Dab Rig for Daily Use
This unique style dab rig is truly one of a kind with it’s beautifully designed matrix percolator sitting at the base of the rig to ensure for a powerful smoke and water filtration. The location of the perc makes it so that not much water is needed in order to optimally function. Smoke is drastically cooled and you can say goodbye to harsh hitting smoke with this squirt gun oil dab rig.
- High Quality Glass (Heat Resistant/Durable)
- Proper Design (Sturdy and Stable)
- Powerful Smoke Production
- Matrix Percolator
- Customers We Contacted Loved This Product
Best Dab Rig on a Budget
Whether you are new to the rig scene or someone who smokes daily, this 7″ tree perc oil dab rig from King’s Pipe is the absolute go to for producing powerful hits while staying within your budget. We loved how this rig performed and for the price, you can’t compare!
- High Quality Glass (Heat Resistant/Durable)
- 8 Arm Tree Percolator
- Bent Neck (Helps Prevent Splashback)
- Smooth Hitting Smoke
- Customers We Contacted Loved This Product
Best Premium Dab Rig with Splash Guard Feature
This Swiss Hammer dab rig from BadassGlass was quite the exceptional piece. We loved this dab rig for a number of reasons, such as how well the rig produced strong and powerful hits while optimally filtering the smoke, as well as the consistency in each hit. Inhale was so smooth, you would’ve thought an ice chamber was present. If you have the means to spend a little extra for quality, this dab rig is the ultimate all in one for all you need in a premium functioning wax rig. Sitting at 7″, you can take this beauty with you anywhere you go and dab away!
- High Quality Glass (Heat Resistant/Durable)
- Includes A Second Chamber (Acts As A Splashguard)
- Ring Design Around Bent Neck (Better Grip)
- Optimal Smoke And Water Filtration (Smooth Smoke)
- Customers We Contacted Loved This Product
Research Behind Smoke Cartel "Squirt Gun" Dab Rig
- Amazing Design
- Powerful Water Filtration
- Powerful Vapor Production
- Matrix Perc (Optimal cooling of smoke)
- Great for everyday use
- Multiple color options
- No splashback
- Great Pricing
- Shipping arrived on time and packaging quality was great
- Almost all previous customers were happy
- Glass thickness is not premium
With the mass amount of dab rigs flooding the market these days, it certainly was not easy finding and narrowing down the top ones that we liked. There were so many styles, designs, and options for rigs, that we had to be strategic in picking ones we thought were worthy of sharing. Dab rigs are perfect for those who enjoy extreme levels of THC and this Squirt Gun from Smoke Cartel won us over for best overall dab rig due to its quality function. Read below to see what we tested for.
Great Percolation Design and Function
"Matrix percolators are probably one of my favorite types of percs. I knew right when I purchased this piece that it was going to be great! For a small size, my dabs hit like a champ and were smoother than I would've expected. "
Smoke Cartel never fails us when searching for a quality piece such as their squirt gun dab rig. This piece came equipped with one of my personal favorite percolators, which is their matric perc. I find that the matrix percolator does an astounding job cooling down vapors while filtering out those harsh hitting smoke. Nothing’s better than a rig that delivers the smoothest tokes, allowing you to take monstrous hits without coughing your brains out.
Powerful THC Delivery with Optimal Smoke Production
"Got SUPER baked with this cute squirt gun rig! its deff one of my go tos for that early morning sesh because I get huge amounts of vapor from it. Love the design and most of all LOVE how high this rig gets me."
Let’s be real, the sole purpose of using a dab rig is so you can achieve that intense level high, with the bonus of providing super clean and tasty hits. This rig produced an exceptional level of smoke while giving you smooth smoke every time for every hit. You can count on this wax rig to make the best of your concentrates without wasting a drop of deliciousness.
A Proper Filtration System
It is so vital for a quality filtration system to be in place when using a dab rig. Concentrates by itself is already pure THC extact and therefore cleaner and healthier than dry flower by default. However, a good functioning diffuser or percolator makes all the difference with the creation of bubbles and water filter. Smoke Cartel’s squirt gun provided such a clean hit that we undoubtedly knew the filtering system in place was top notch and doing its job to maintain proper airflow and powerful hits.
Research on Best Budget Tree Perc Oil Rig
- Amazing Design
- Entire product made from high-quality borosilicate glass
- Powerful Smoke and water filtration
- 8 Arm Tree Perc
- Smooth and clean hits
- Consistent
- No splashback
- Shipping arrived on time and packaging quality was great
- Almost all previous customers were happy
- Tree arm percs are more fragile than most percolators. (Needs to be handled with caution)
If you know anything about dab rigs or even concentrates, you should know that these devices and method of smoking does not come cheap. Due to their amazing capabilities of delivering smooth, tasty, and powerful hits, they certainly come with a price tag for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean that good quality ones don’t exist for a lower price point, without losing value or sacrificing functionality. Getting a decent rig doesn’t always mean you have to break the bank. Take a look below to see how we reviewed the tree perc oil rig and why we chose this rig as our winner for best budget.
Produces Powerful, Smooth, and Cool Hits
"Concentrates for me generally hit smooth by default, but man did this rig take it one step up. My hits felt literally like I was breathing air and when I released I found that I didn't cough nearly as much as how I do with my other rigs. Love this piece!!"
As mentioned before, the best and most fun part about a wax rig is that it provides powerful, smooth, and clean hits. That’s exactly what this tree perc oil dab rig from King’s Pipe offers. We trialed a total of 6 hits within two hours intervals to give us time to properly test the consistency of each hit. That equaled out to 12 hours of testing for just this specific oil dab rig in order to really gauge the quality of smoke and the amount of coolness each hit provided.
Quality Percolation System and Design
No one can deny the fact that a proper percolation system makes a huge difference in the quality of smoke in which you inhale. It’s not always about just having a percolator present, for that does not necessarily mean you are going to have the best hits. The way in which it was designed as well as how well it was designed plays an important factor. We have found many faulty designed percs in rigs where there was uneven spacing and flimsy made glass that was prone to breaking with even the slightest shake. This tree perc oil rig never failed to maintain its balance, function, and durability when smoking, and therefore took the star rating for quality design.
A Dab Rig that Offers Stability and Sturdiness
"I must've had more than 3 rigs tip and fall off my table. Maybe it was just my bad luck, but I've had this piece for 2 months now and I can see the difference in how well it was designed, especially at the base, in comparison to others. The rounded design definitely gave it more balance and gave me more peace of mind."
I think a well balanced and sturdy dab rig is another vital component when figuring out what makes a quality rig. It is often over looked as one does not naturally think of the base shape or overall design as being a key factor in maintaining the longevity of your dab rig. While smoke quality is essential, having a poorly designed base or structure is a sure way of opening the doors for your beautiful wax rig to break or shatter. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have seen others including myself, place their rig on the table and next thing you know it’s tipping or leaning to one side. Equal weight distribution is key, and this tree perc oil rig came with an excellently well rounded base for providing optimal support.
Research Behind Best Premium Swiss Hammer Perc Dab Rig
- Amazing Design
- Entire product made from high-quality borosilicate glass
- Powerful smoke and water filtration
- Hammer Perc
- Optimal cooling of smoke
- Smooth Hits
- Consistent
- Shipping arrived on time and packaging quality was great
- Almost all previous customers were happy
- Pricey
We were happy to have found a premium quality dab rig that was beautifully designed and well worth the price. This dab rig not only met all the functions and requirements of what a standard or basic dab rig offered, but it also went above and beyond with smoke delivery and overall performance. Read below to see how we tested this one of a kind hammer perc dab rig and why we chose this as the best premium oil rig.
Best Dab Rig with Highest Quality Performance
A sure way of being able to differentiate between a mediocre dab rig and an exceptional one is by the consistency of the smoke it delivers and overall function. This swiss hammer perc dab rig from BadassGlass easily won the best premium oil rig for top notch quality and performance. The hits delivered from this wax rig was never inconsistent with providing effortless smooth and even vapor distribution while allowing you to get the best of all your favorite concentrates.
Strongest Filtration and Percolation Design
"This is one of my favorite rigs ever since I bought this a few weeks ago. Not only do I use it everyday but the hits and amount of vapors that I get from this is ridiculous! Every hit is so powerful yet so smooth, I am happy to say I made a great purchase."
This dab rig definitely had both a powerful percolation and filtration system in place to ensure the most satisfying mouth watering hits for every sesh. The hammer percolator allowed for the creation of numerous bubbles to be formed to help aid in the cooling process of vapors within the rig. Since the location of the percolator was close to the base of the wax rig, not much water was needed to cover the opened holes within the perc. This highly reduces the chances of water overflowing and spillage is less likely to occur even when tipped over. With just enough water covering the base, you have the perfect ideal amount of filtration to take place without causing drag and creating stale smoke.
Amazingly Built in Splash Guard with Ring Grip
"I hate when water hits my lips on a deep inhale or pull. It doesn't happen often but when it does I cant stand it, and I think thats the main reason why I love this rig. The way it was designed makes it hard for water to even make its way up. I also noticed the ring feature added to this piece which I thought was pretty neat."
One of the many amazing designs that this swiss hammer dab rig provided was the maria ring that was intricately placed around the mouthpiece or the bent neck, in order to ensure a perfect grip without your precious oil rig slipping from your fingers. Believe it or not, this kind of thing happens a little more than people think, and the fact that this wax rig added an extra design feature that is so simple, but beneficial to the user, is the one of the main reason we loved it so much. Not to mention the overall design of this dab rig was beautifully done, making it a worthy piece to show off to your friends and family during a sesh.
What is a Dab Rig?
A dab rig is a method for smoking specifically cannabis concentrates such as live resin, rosin, shatter, wax, badder, or budder. It is meant to only be used for oil based solvents that are pure THC extract, making them one of the most potent ways to get high with lasting effects. Is it definitely not one for the smoker who has just started out, for they will be in for a shocking and overwhelming intense high that will most likely cause a huge amount of uncomfortableness. With that said, for those who are more familiar or transitioning, it can be the perfect switch to ensure you are getting the best and cleanest types of highs without the need for much product to be used. A dab rig needs to be heated by method of a torch in order to reach the optimal smoking temperature to melt the dab or concentrate.
How to Use a Dab Rig
Using a dab rig is simple:
- Fill water just enough to cover the percolator holes or openings.
- Prepare your cannabis concentrate with your dab tool or wand.
- Hit the nail on your glass dab rig with a torch till it turns red.
- Wait 30-45 seconds to allow for the glass to cool down to optimal smoking temperatures.
- Take your dab tool or wand with the concentrate, and place dab wand into the exact area in which the torch lighted.
- Take a deep breath and inhale your delicious tasty wax, shatter, live resin, or budder.
How to Clean a Dab Rig
Cleaning a dab rig is extremely easy:
- Remove all water and extensions from your rig and place to the side.
- Fill your dab rig with isopropyl alcohol and 1/4 coarse sea salt.
- Give your rig a nice 30 second shake to allow residue to fall off.
- Add warm to hot water into the rig and continue stirring or shaking for another 30 seconds.
- Use a pipe cleaner to remove any remaining residue or build up and rinse completely with hot water.
- Place dab rig on a paper towel and let it sit and dry. All extensions or add ons from the dab rig can be cleaned using this same method.
What Makes a High Quality Dab Rig?
Dab rigs are a uniquely designed method of smoking that entails slightly more work than a dry herb pipe or bong, but produces up to 3-4x the high intensity as compared with dry cannabis flower. There’s no shock as to why many are making the switch from a standard water pipe to a dab rig. Not to mention wax rigs are a great alternative for getting the best bang from your buck since a little goes a long way with these concentrates. But what exactly makes a high quality dab rig, and what are important things to look for when finding a quality oil dab rig? Follow along with us below to see what we test for in a high functioning quality dab rig.
Using Thick and High Quality Evenly Blown Borisicliate Glass
Thickness in glass is an important factor in determining high quality glass dab rigs. It is literally the foundation for your piece and if your glass dab rig is poorly designed with cheap material, it won’t matter what other kind of specs or features the oil rig includes, for it will be a matter of time before your wax rig will go breaking on you. The type of material that the nail is made of is also vital, as this is what is being heated. If the glass is not designed properly, it will fail in terms of heat retention or possibly even shattering as it gets torched. Not fun. As stated earlier, dab rigs are not a device or glass piece that comes cheap, so why waste your time and money on a rig that isn’t reliable? If you are going to make the move or decision to use a dab rig, take the time to make sure the glass is of quality.
Having a Built in Percolator Feature within the Wax Rig
Not all dab rigs come equipped with a percolator or even a basic diffuser such as a downstem, and some may even argue that due to the nature of concentrates, a percolator isn’t necessary for obtaining a smooth hit. We want to be the first to tell you that while not absolutely essential, it is without a doubt, extremely beneficial to your overall smoking experience. Percolators are purposely designed with the intention and capabilities of reducing hot smoke while producing bubbles that allow for both water and vapors to be filtered. So just when you thought your dab couldn’t be any smoother, a percolator will enhance that effect tenfold. What cough? There won’t be any of that happening if you get yourself a quality percolator.
The Consistency of Each Hit, Use, and Smoke Quality
Consistency, consistency, consistency. It is stressed throughout this whole article because of how much it really matters when referring to what makes a high quality glass dab rig. If you can’t rely on a consistent hit every time, what’s the point of even using such a device or glass piece? I know for me, someone with over 15+ years of smoking experience, would hate to roll the dice every time I want to take a dab on whether or not my hit will be smooth or just like the last. This is why we make sure to not only test these wax rigs once, but numerous times back to back, over and over again so we can have the most accurate results for ensuring a glass dab rig is doing its job.
Why Trust Our Research on Finding the Best Dab Rig
As your reviewer and researcher, I have had over 15+ years of experience with cannabis, and I can confidently say that dab rigs are one of my favorite methods of smoking. I can still remember the first time I ever got the pleasure of smoking out of a wax rig, and I have never turned back since. As someone who is very adamant and particular about quality smoke, I will tell you that investing in a high quality dab rig is worth the investment and for me, one of the best that I’ve made.
With that said, we have reached out to other trusted and reliable sources and online headshops such as Daily High Club, Dankstop, Smoke Cartel, and Grasscity in search for the best of the best dab rig selections for all types of users, so that we make sure there is a glass dab rig for everyone. You can now shop with confidence knowing that the research has already been done on our end, and all that’s left for you to do is pick from any of our top choices. You’ve made it this far down the article, so now it’s time to get yourself an oil dab rig and dabba doo away!
