Vaping vs Dabbing: Key Differences

💡Dabbing and vaping are completely different, here’s why:

• Dabbing uses highly concentrated extracts (60-90% THC) heated at higher temperatures for intense effects. 
• Vaping uses cannabis flower or oil (15-25% THC) at lower temperatures for a very clear-headed and moderate high.

In short: Both dabbing and vaping produce vapors not smoke, but dabbing hits harder while vaping is more beginner-friendly when it comes to potency.

Dabbing cannabis: What it means

Dabbing is all about concentrates: Cannabis concentrates are made by extracting the most potent parts of the cannabis plant and typically contain 60-90% THC compared to 15-25% found in regular cannabis flowers and oils.

To “dab” you’ll need special cannabis smoking devices such as a dab rig, electric dab rig, nectar collector, or concentrate pen.

The dabbing process: 

• Heat the dab bowl either electronically or with a dab torch
• Place the concentrate in the bowl with a dab wand
• The hot surface vaporizes the concentrate
• The vapor is rich with THC for you to inhale

Vaping cannabis: What it means

Vaping is all about gentle temperatures: Heating cannabis oils and dry herbs at lower temperatures (350-390°F) avoids combustion (smoke) which avoids many harmful toxins and is a much gentler experience both psychoactively and on your lungs.

• To vape cannabis dry herbs you’ll use a dry herb vaporizer which can either be a desktop or portable device
• To vape cannabis oils you’ll use a vape battery and oil cartridges (think plug and play)

Still confused? See our full list of every type of vaporizer explained or check out our guide on how to choose a vaporizer.

The vaping process:

• Load vape with oil cartridge or ground herbs
• Set the temperature (recommended 390°F)
• Wait for the vaporizer to heat up
• Once ready, inhale THC-rich vapor

Dabbing vs vaping

Now that you know the fundamental differences between vaping and dabbing cannabis, let’s talk about how the two modes stack up next to each other.

1. Vaping is healthier, dabs get risky

Vaping cannabis can be healthier than dabbing because vaping can done at much lower temperatures (350-390°F) which avoids the release of harmful toxins. Research by Dr. Strongin found that dabbing at higher temperatures (572°F to 752°F) converted cannabis terpenes into toxic compounds: methacrolein and benzene.

Vaping is healthier than smoking as long as you set the vaporizer to temperatures below 392°F. The same goes for dabbing, you want to keep below 572°F to avoid releasing harmful toxins.

Dabbing at higher temperatures (572°F to 752°F) you inhale:

• Benzene: potent blood toxin
• Methacrolein: a known lung irritant

Vaping at higher temperatures (400°F to 450°F) you inhale:

• Benzene: potent blood toxin
• Toluene: nervous system depressant
• Naphthalene: lung tissue irritant

Solution: While dabbing at higher temperatures can be harmful, you can prevent this by using an electric dab rig set at lower temps or the cold start dab method.

2. Dabbing is potent, vaping is milder

 

Dabbing is much stronger than vaping cannabis, because it uses highly concentrated extracts with THC levels of 60-90%, compared to the 15-25% THC found in flower or oil used for vaping. These potent concentrates deliver a more intense dose of cannabinoids in a single hit, resulting in faster onset and more powerful effects compared to vaping.

What makes dabbing stronger is how the cannabinoids are released:

• Dabbing: Uses direct heat which rapidly releases more THC molecules at once. The higher concentration and rapid delivery are felt instantly and with greater intensity.
• Vaping: Vaping using hot air that gently releases THC in layers. This delivers a more gradual effect, so the effects slowly build and are more controlled.

Did you know? You can increase the strength of dabbing by using a dab rig which is similar to the strength of a bong rip. You can also decrease the strength by taking smaller doses with a dab straw which is known to micro-dose dabs.

In short: Vaping cannabis is like drinking coffee; dabbing is like a double espresso shot. 

3. Dabs are hot (coughing), vaping is smoother

 

Dabbing hits harder because it heats concentrates to over 600°F, producing a dense, hot vapor that stresses your lung tissues, causing irritation and coughing. Vaping heats cannabis at lower temperatures (300-400°F), creating cooler vapor that's smoother on your lungs.

If you plan on dabbing, dab rigs have water chambers with percolators that help spread hot vapor apart via water bubbles. The water absorbs heat from the hot vapors while the bubbles breaks apart vapors to add moisture and cool for a much smoother hit. If all that sounded like gibberish check out our beginners guide to dab rigs.

Want more cooling: To reduce temperatures with dabbing, try a glycerin dab rig or recycler rig, both help drop the vapor temperatures significantly for a much smoother and gentler experience.

4. Dabs smell stronger, vaping’s more discreet

Concentrates are packed with more terpenes because of their higher potency. Dabbing’s intense heat vaporizes these terpenes all at once, producing thick, strong-smelling vapor that lingers. Vaping uses lower heat and less potent material, releasing fewer terpenes and creating a milder, more discreet vapor.

• Dabbinguses concentrates with 5-40% terpenes, heated to 500-600°F, releasing these aromatic compounds quickly and intensely.
• Vapinguses oils and flowers with typically lower terpene content (1-3%), heated to 315-440°F, releasing terpenes more gradually and in smaller amounts.

Dabbing’s conductive heating (direct contact) creates denser vapor, while vaping’s convective heating (oven heat waves) produces lighter vapor. All in all, dabbing creates thicker more aromatic clouds compared to vaping’s milder, shorter-lived scent.

5. Dabs you feel immediately, vaping is gradual

Dabbing delivers intense effects rapidly because it heats concentrates at higher temperatures releasing all cannabinoids and terpenes in one powerful hit. Vaping heats more gently, releasing compounds in layers over several puffs, so you feel the effects build slowly.

In short: Dabbing hits fast and strong but ends quicker compared to vaping which has a more gradual effect and last longer.

• Dabbing uses conductive heating (contact heat) to rapidly vaporize concentrates at 500-600°F, releasing 5-40% terpenes and 60-90% THC in a single, dense vapor hit. This causes immediate and intense effects.
• Vaping uses convective heating (hot air) at 315-440°F, gradually releasing 1-3% terpenes and 30-60% THC over multiple puffs. This creates a more controlled experience.

6. Dabbing requires skill, vaping is easy

Dabbing takes more skill than vaping. With dabbing, you heat the nail with a blowtorch and apply the concentrate. If you aren’t careful, you can burn and waste expensive dabs. Vaping is easier. You press a button, wait for the device to heat up, and inhale, making it very beginner-friendly.

• Dabbing uses a dab rig, torch, dome cap, dab wand, and you must heat the nail or banger to 500-600°F. Then you have to time the cool-down and apply the concentrate precisely to avoid over-burning dabs (destroying the cannabinoids from excessive heat).
• Vaping's convective heating is more forgiving, so you never have to worry about high heats burning away precious THC, CBD, or terpenes.

Just because vaping is easier doesn’t mean it’s not versatile. Check out advanced ways to use a dry herb vape from terp surfing to temperature stepping.

7. Dabbing fades fast, vaping lasts longer

Dabbing gives you a quick and strong high that doesn’t last very long compared to vaping. It’s potent and you feel it right away, but it goes away fast. Vaping gives you a more gentle but well-rounded high that lasts longer.

In short: With dabbing you use all of the cannabinoids and terpenes at once in one single inhale, vaping gives them to you slowly over a few inhales, giving you a longer-lasting session.

• Dabbing uses intense temperatures of 500-600°F which instantly releases all of the THC, CBD, and terpenes from the concentrate in vapor for you to inhale. This creates a lot of cannabinoids entering your body quickly. Your body processes this large amount fast, so the effects don't last long. 
• Vaping uses oils or dry herbs heated gradually at 315-440°F. This releases cannabinoids more slowly. Instead of one single hit (like dabs) you take about 4-6 puffs over a few minutes. The effect builds in layers, lasting much longer than the single dab hit. 

8. Dabbing stays home, vaping goes anywhere

Dabbing needs more tools and steps than vaping. With dabs you need a rig, torch and other items to get a productive vapor. It takes both hands and you have to be careful with hot parts and timing. Vaping you just load the device and take it anywhere you want. This makes dabbing more suited for at-home use, and vaping for home or on-the-go.

In short: Dabbing usually means staying in one place, while you can easily take a portable vaporizer anywhere you want.

• Dabbing requires a dab rig, torch, nail (heated to 500-600°F), carb cap, and dab tool. You heat the nail, apply concentrate with the wand, rotate the carb cap, and inhale at the right time. This process needs focus and a dedicated space.
• Vapinguses a pocket-sized device that has a bowl, battery, and temperature control all in one single unit. All you do is load the bowl or cart and vape anywhere you want, whenever you want.

Tip: You can simplify the dabbing process by using an electric dab rig like the Puffco Peak. By fine-tuning the best dab temp digitally you get perfect and productive dabs just as easy as you would if you vaped. Check out our beginner's guide to electric dab rigs.

9. Vaping saves money, dabbing cost more

Vaping cannabis flower (dry herb vaping) saves you more money than dabbing concentrates. Flower is cheaper than concentrates, and vaping uses less material to get similar effects. Vaping also lets you use the leftover flower for other things like edibles and tea. Dabbing uses very strong concentrates that cost more and can make you need more over time.

In short: For most people, dry herb vaping is the more budget-friendly choice when it comes to cannabis vaporization.

• Vaping uses flowers with 15-30% THC, costing $10-$15/gram. Vaporizers extract cannabinoids with only 5-10% loss. Temperature control also delivers more terpenes making you need less product. The cherry-on-top is the AVB (already-vaped bud) can be reused for edibles or cannabis tea.
• Dabbing uses concentrates with 60-90% THC, costing $40-$60/gram. While potent, it rapidly increases tolerance making you need more. It takes time to learn how to efficiently extract cannabinoids from dabs with a torch (learning curve) as well.

10. Dabs offers 12 concentrates, vaping has 2

 

Dabbing gives you 12 types of concentrates like rosin, live resin, and shatter, each with its own texture and benefits. Vaping usually sticks to oil carts and dry herbs because vaporizers can’t handle different consistencies like dabbing can. This gives dabbers more variety in flavor, potency, and effects.

Why dabbing has more variety: Concentrates use more diverse extraction methods like mechanical pressing, solvent-based extraction, and CO2 processing. These create concentrates with different cannabinoid and terpene profiles. 

Below are the 10 different types of concentrates and their unique benefits:

1. Shatter: Glass-like consistency with high potency and long shelf life.
2. Wax: Soft, pliable texture that's easy to handle and dab.
3. Budder: Creamy consistency with rich flavor and high terpene content.
4. Crumble: Dry, crumbly texture that's easy to portion and sprinkle.
5. Rosin: Solventless extract with full-spectrum effects and natural flavor.
6. Live Resin: Fresh-frozen extract preserves more terpenes for enhanced flavor.
7. Terp Sauce: High terpene content for maximum flavor and aroma.
8. Crystalline: The purest form of THC or CBD for precise dosing.
9. Hash: Traditional concentrate with a rich history and full-bodied effects.
10. Distillate: Highly refined and versatile, ideal for precise dosing and edibles.

11. Dabbing uses direct heat, vaping uses hot air

Dabbing uses direct heat (conduction), where concentrates touch a hot surface, creating an instant, strong vapor. Vaping uses hot air (convection) to heat material indirectly, producing smoother vapor. Dabbing delivers more intense effects quickly but can be harsh. Vaping offers a gentler experience with better flavor preservation. The heating method affects potency, smoothness, and overall user experience.

• Conduction in dabbing involves heating a nail or banger to high temperatures (300-700°F), causing rapid vaporization of cannabinoids and terpenes. This can be harsh but efficient. 
• Convection in vaping heats air to lower temperatures (320-446°F), passing it through the material. This preserves more compounds and allows for better temperature control. 

Dabbing's higher heat extracts more cannabinoids quickly, while vaping's lower heat offers a more balanced, flavorful experience with potentially fewer health risks.

Final thoughts

While both methods avoid smoke, they work very differently and are intended for specific types of cannabis consumers. Vaping is the gentler approach, using lower temperatures (350-390°F) to heat cannabis flower or oil that contains 15-25% THC. This creates a smoother, more controlled experience that's prefect for beginners and light or frequent use. The effects build gradually and last longer, plus it's portable and easier on your lungs.

Dabbing, however, is more intense by design. It uses highly concentrated extracts (60-90% THC) heated at higher temperatures, delivering powerful effects immediately. While this provides faster relief for veterans, it requires more skill, specialized equipment, and careful temperature control to avoid potential risks from overheating. Dabbing is also less portable and can rapidly increase your tolerance.

The choice between them comes down to whether you want potency or not. For more potency, we recommend dabbing, for a more well-rounded effect choose vaping cannabis.