If you’re a serious herbal vaping aficionado, you’re certainly very aware of the extreme popularity that herbal concentrates have enjoyed over the past few years. There are plenty of good reasons for that. An oil or wax concentrate takes everything that’s great about your favourite herb and condenses it into a smaller space, giving you a supremely elevating experience with just a few puffs. The fact that concentrates take up so little space also means that they’re easy to store. A small silicone jar can hold enough oil or wax for several lengthy vaping sessions, and there’s no need to worry about controlling the smell.
What type of device should you buy, though, if you’re new to concentrates and want to buy your first oil or wax vaporizer? A good manufacturer like Rokin Vapes will offer both options. On one hand, you might base your comparison of oil vs. wax vaping simply on what’s available. If you have no local dispensaries but can order pre-filled vape carts online, your choice is an easy one – you’re probably going to choose oil vaping. If availability isn’t an issue, though, there are some definite differences between oil and wax vaping that you should consider before buying your first device. In this article, we’re going to help you understand those differences.
What Are Oil and Wax Concentrates?
An herbal concentrate can have a wide variety of different consistencies ranging from wet and runny to almost glass-like. Whether the concentrate is properly termed an oil or a wax depends on how liquid or solid it is at room temperature. An oil is liquid at room temperature, and a wax is solid. The consistency of the concentrate dictates the type of equipment used to vape it. Although a good 510-thread battery can work with both oils and waxes, you’ll still have to connect the right type of cartridge for the material you’re using.
What Are the Benefits of Oil Vaping?
The biggest benefit of oil vaping is that it’s incredibly easy to do thanks to the ready availability of pre-filled cartridges. Even if you don’t have any dispensaries in your area, it’s highly likely that you have the ability to buy pre-filled cartridges online – and in that case, all you need to do is charge your battery, connect the cartridge and enjoy. You can even find oil-based disposable vapes – and with those devices, there’s nothing to maintain at all. You just use the device until it’s out of oil and throw it away.
If you prefer to have a little more control over what you inhale, you can also buy empty oil cartridges and fill them yourself. You can make your own oil or buy it from a dispensary.
Whether you choose to go the pre-filled or refillable route, portability is another major benefit of oil vaping. An oil cartridge is essentially a sealed environment, and leaking is very rare. You can carry an oil pen in your pocket all day – puffing on it here and there when the mood strikes you – and you’ll enjoy a completely discreet experience every step of the way.
What Are the Drawbacks of Oil Vaping?
One of the drawbacks of oil vaping is that if you decide to use refillable cartridges, the cartridges aren’t particularly easy to fill. It’s best done with a blunt-tip syringe if you want to avoid a mess.
Oil vaping also isn’t an on-demand experience unless the cartridge is already filled when you want to use it. When you fill a new cartridge for the first time, it can take about a half hour for the oil to absorb into the ceramic wick. If you have some oil and an empty cartridge, you won’t be able to vape immediately. The need to wait, however, is eliminated if you use pre-filled cartridges or fill your own cartridges in advance.
The final drawback of oil in the comparison of oil vs. wax vaping is that oil-based concentrates can sometimes be a little less potent than wax. Both types of concentrates, however, are still markedly more potent than standard dry herbs.
What Are the Benefits of Wax Vaping?
The biggest benefit of wax vaping is its incredible potency, which is further enhanced by the design of most wax coils. A wax coil usually has very large airflow holes, enabling you to inhale deeply with ease. Oil-based concentrates are certainly potent, but a good wax concentrate coupled with a good wax coil or dab pen will allow you to reach your desired state with even greater ease.
Speaking of ease, the second major benefit of wax vaping is that it’s simpler than oil vaping in many ways because there’s nothing to fill and no need to wait for your material to absorb into a wick. If you have some wax and a wax coil, you can start vaping immediately. Just remove the coil’s mouthpiece and place some wax directly on the heating surface. Pulse the coil a few times to melt the wax, and you’re ready to vape. Wax vaping is always an on-demand experience.
What Are the Drawbacks of Wax Vaping?
Wax vaping certainly has its benefits, but it also has one major drawback in that wax vaporizers aren’t typically very portable. The same wide-open airflow that makes it easy to take a really big rip with a wax coil also means that a wax vaporizer really needs to be kept upright when it’s warm and will be highly susceptible to leaking if you carry it in your pocket. Although you can safely take an oil vaporizer just about anywhere, a wax vaporizer generally needs to be left at home. Although it’s certainly possible to eliminate the possibility of leaking by carrying your wax in a sealed container and putting it in your vaporizer only when you’re ready to use it, that’s not really a practical solution if discreet on-the-go vaping is your goal. If you want portability, oil vaping is definitely the way to go.