What's the difference between a dab nail and a banger?

Just like vaping, dabbing has become very popular in the cannabis community. Dabbing is an excellent method of ingesting cannabis, particularly for consumers with a higher tolerance to THC!

There are more options and tools for dabbing available on the market now than ever before. Innovation has made way for more fascinating methods of dabbing, rather than just using a traditional bubbler or a water pipe - but the process of dabbing can be pretty intimidating, especially for beginners. It can be overwhelming if you’re starting out and you’re not familiar with the essential items needed to land a dab.

The essential tools you’ll need for a successful dabbing experience are a dab rig, nectar collectors, a torch, nails, bangers, dabbers, and more.

That’s a lot to cover in one article!

This time, we’ll look to clear up some confusion about the differences between a dab nail and a banger.

Are Bangers and Nails the Same Thing?

Dabbers frequently use the terms dab nail and banger synonymously. However, there are some slight differences.

A banger nail is a type of dab nail. Not all dab nails are bangers, but all bangers are dab nails. 

You connect dab rig nails to your rig by a glass joint. Then, you can heat them with either an electronic coil or a torch. They can be made of glass, titanium, ceramic, or quartz. If you’re entirely unfamiliar with these terms, a nail and banger are where your concentrates are vaporized.

It's the “bowl” you see on dab rigs.

What is a Dab Nail?

Dab nails allow you to consume oils. Your dab nail will look just like, you guessed it, a nail you hammer.

Dab nails are heated up with an electronic heater coil or a torch. Once your wax is heated to the appropriate temperature, it’s placed onto the dab nail to produce flavorful vapors. Just like the bowl piece for your bong, a nail cleans your hash oil after receiving it and lets you inhale the vapor by feeding it inside the rig.

There are different kinds of dab rigs, but most nails require a dome to be placed inside a glass joint. All dab rigs will function at their best when you have the right tools. Choosing the right nail is crucial to building your setup and can be the difference between efficient smoke and flavorful dabs!

Domed Vs. Domeless Nails

As we touched on above, there are dome nails, domeless nails, and e-nails.

You heat dome nails and domeless nails with a torch and e-nails heat up with an electronic coil. The dome is an essential component of a dab rig. It can be made of quartz, titanium, ceramic or blown glass. Your dome fits over the nail and confines the vapor of your cannabis concentrate. The dome is built-in on most dab rigs.

Domeless nails are great for our more efficient dabbers. With domeless nails you don’t need a dome to be used correctly. You just heat and dab right away. Not worrying about using a dome on a hot nail makes it much simpler.

What is a Banger?

A banger nail is one of the many options of a dab nail.

Bangers come in a flat-bottomed and swan-necked design, kind of like a hammer. Banger nails look like swans because of the way it extends out like a curve. Many dabbers prefer these nails because of the large dabbing surface.

Bangers are also more efficient because it extends away from the face. They are great for people just starting out because they are pretty easy to use and won’t break the bank. Banger nails could be made of many different materials, like quartz, crystal, titanium, or glass. They are also pretty versatile, and you can use them with or without a carb cap. With a carb cap, you can have a low-temperature dab.

Quartz bangers are popular because they are more durable than glass and taste better. There are unique ways to heat different materials. For example, if you heat it up enough where it is glowing red hot, give it 10-20 seconds to let it cool down.

The Different Materials

Quartz banger nails are costlier than glass nails but last longer and don’t need slow heating. Quartz nails also have great flavors, won’t crack from quick temperature changes, and have excellent airflow. Just be careful not to drop them!

Titanium nails are great if you’re afraid you might drop your banger. Titanium nails are very durable and they can withstand regular heating sessions. You can also rip a huge dab with a titanium nail. The only real complaint we get about titanium nails is that they don’t produce flavors like quartz nails do.

Ceramic nails are easy to clean and reuse, but they are highly fragile and can break pretty easily. Only get a ceramic nail if you have a steady hand.

Should You Use A Dab Nail Or A Banger?

Now that we know the general differences, with a nail being pretty standard and a banger being more versatile, let’s decide which you should use for your smoke session.

Flavor

If you want the authentic taste of those terps, you should opt for a banger nail.

When you use a banger, if all the terpenes are present and vaporized at the optimal temperature, you’re in for a real treat. Quartz and ceramic nails offer clean and rich flavors, making them a go-to for people who are in it for the taste. Don’t use titanium if you are worried about taste because they can compromise the authentic flavor of the dab and give it a metallic taste.

Heating

When we’re talking about heat and dabbing, we need to cover two factors: the heat-up time and heat retention.

As far as heating goes, titanium or banger nails could be a good pick. Heating with banger nails depends on what they’re made of.

• Quartz nails take 10 seconds to heat up, but they’ll lose their heat pretty fast.
• Ceramic nails will take about 30 seconds to heat up, but they’ll hold onto heat much longer.
• A titanium nail is somewhere in between.

You’ll heat a titanium nail longer than quartz but not quite as long as ceramic. It’ll retain heat better than quartz and just as good as ceramic.

Durability

Titanium nails own this category. We all know titanium is a super-sturdy metal and won’t break due to heat or impact.

Between all the banger nails, quartz bangers are best if you care about the taste of your dab but need durability. Quartz bangers will break if they’re dropped, but they’re not as susceptible to heat stress as ceramic bangers.

Budget

Budget is a significant factor for most of us.

We just can’t walk to the smoke shop and get everything we want without considering the price. Quartz bangers are typically the most expensive material, and glass is usually the cheapest. But even the most expensive dab accessories won’t set you back too much. For example, you can get a premium quartz banger from Daily High Club for just $24.99.

Final Thoughts

Buying a dab rig can be pretty confusing if you’ve never done it before, but we’re here to help.

If you’re looking to start dabbing, the first thing you need to know is the difference between a banger nail and a dab nail.

• Bangers come in various shapes and materials, but a dab nail always looks exactly like a nail.
• Dab nails are also always made of titanium.
• What you decide to use is mainly decided by your personal preference.
• A titanium nail is the most durable option, and banger materials like quartz give you the purest taste.

Happy dabbing!