The Ultimate Guide to Nectar Collectors: Silicone, Glass, and Electronic
The amount of smoking accessories is only going up by the day. It all started with lighting something on fire and inhaling the smoke. We have advanced many times over since then and this time around, there is a new smoking device, the nectar collector.
It changes the way people are dabbing. This just might be the clear winner with dabbers looking for a portable and efficient solution that delivers monster hits.
What is a Nectar Collector?
A nectar collector or a honey straw is a portable dabbing pipe that is heated at one end then dipped into a concentrate jar. The heated tip will turn the wax into vapor, sending the vapor right up the stem into the mouthpiece. Some nectar collectors come with a water chamber to be able to pour water into it, making it like a bubbler for concentrates.
While some nectar collectors come with a chamber to fill it up with water, it helps filter the vapor for more toxins. It also cools it down. It is never a good idea to inhale hot smoke or vapor. This is why convection heating is the best type of heating method for vaporizers.
The Benefit of Nectar Collectors is mainly the efficiency
Why are nectar collectors growing in popularity? The efficiency of a nectar collector is beyond words. The motto is “tip, dip and sip.” Simply do those three procedures to smoke your hash, wax, or concentrate. The good thing is you don’t waste any wax because once you heat it up, you can put the tip right into the concentrate.
Silicone and Glass are both Nectar Collector options
When choosing a nectar collector, you might want to think about the material of it. Some will be glass and others will be made from silicone. They both have pros and cons to them however they both work really well. They also both have the same process of tip, dip and sip.
Glass
Glass is the most popular out of all the nectar collectors in the market today. Not only is it the most aesthetically pleasing with different nice designs but it also usually tastes better. Glass is the most common material used on pipes and that is because smoke and glass don’t mix. If you smoke from an acrylic bong, you will notice a sharp deterioration in the way your smoke tastes.
The bad part about having glass is that it gets harder to become portable and mobile. Glass is very easy to break or shatter. Even though this depends on the thickness of the glass, it can still break. Having thicker glass doesn’t necessarily mean you’re off the hook either. The thicker your glass is, the heavier it weighs. So this is another downside of owning glass pipes.
Silicone
Silicone is the newest materials and one of the funkiest looking ones, in a good way. They are much simpler to use and they are nearly unbreakable and indestructible. You can go anywhere with it and expect it not to break.
The best part about using a silicone nectar collector is that you can store it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. Silicone gets really cold but won’t actually freeze in your freezer. The cold parts cool the smoke down so it is nice and cool by the time it reaches your throat.
Electronic Nectar Collectors
These nectar collectors operate very similar to a vape pen. In fact, the Dipstick Dipper works better as a vape pen than a nectar collector. See our comparison of electronic nectar collectors that covers the most popular. You can also see individual reviews of the Boundless CF 710, Linx Ares, and Dipstick Dipper. The CF 710 turned out to hit the hardest, while the Ares offered the most flavorful hits.
How to Use A Nectar Collector
Knowing how to use a nectar collector is pretty important if you’re thinking about getting one. You obviously want to maximize efficiency as much as you can so you don’t waste any wax. If you’re using a dab rig, your nail can cool down far faster than you can tell. This will result in excess wax being left on the bangers or nail. When you reheat it with a torch, it will quickly catch on fire and burn.
To use a nectar collector, simply take your torch and heat the tip. Titanium tips generally keeps the heat longer on the tip but the quartz nail will definitely taste much better. They both have their tradeoffs but you can’t go wrong with either one.
After you have torched the tip, wait 5-15 seconds to cool off, depending on how hot it is. If your tip is glowing red hot, you want to wait until it cools off. High heat can cause Benzene and other toxins to be produced. This will result in inhaling these toxins, which can cause severe negative effects on the body. This is one of the only reasons a vape honey straw can be better but the intensity of a nectar collector is like no other. Some vapes like we found in our Vivant Dabox review still give a very strong hit.
How Nectar Collectors Change Everything?
It’s not a secret that wax itself has changed the cannabis industry, becoming a niche in itself. With so many different tools and accessories for it, things are only going to get more advanced. Not only can you be more portable with a dab straw because of its small durable nature but it is way more efficient. An oil rig looks exactly like a bong where as a honey straw can come off looking like a turkey baster!
Nectar Collectors vs Dab Rigs
Dab rigs are starting to be everywhere now. Now that a lot of people have gotten into dabbing concentrates, oil rigs or even e-nails are coming out with different designs. However, there are tradeoffs from using a dab rig to a nectar collector.
Portability – Nectar Collector
Nectar collectors are by far more portable than a rig. Not only does it come apart to be able to store it more efficiently but it’s also smaller when assembled. This also makes it easier to move around since there is no worry about breaking it.
Durability – Both
Both have great durability only because dab rigs also come in silicone. Silicone is a great material if you’re clumsy and often break glass. Silicone can be bent and twisted to fit in. it an also be dropped with no worries.
Efficiency – Both
Being efficient is something both of these smoking devices can reach the top. Both work very well in what they do and will ultimately get you the effect you want with max potency. The hits are really intense with both.
Social Gathering Events and your Dab Rig
If you’re at a party or a big event, an oil rig is going to be the best. This is because of its size. It’s big enough for people to use. They are also accustomed to a bong so a dab rig might look a bit more familiar to them.
Easier to Clean – Nectar Collector
Cleaning your smoking accessories is very important. If you want it working like the first day you got it, you have to clean it. There are different methods to cleaning your pipe like using isopropyl alcohol and salt. You can also use special pipe cleaning formulas.
Easier to use – Nectar Collector
When someone starts with something new, they want it to be easy to use right off the bat. Luckily, a nectar collector can help with that. It only takes a couple step process to be able to tip, dip and sip from your straw!
A Nectar Collector FAQ
What is a Nectar collector?
It’s a straight tube device used for dabbing, also called a “vertical vaporizer.” It works almost exactly like sipping through a straw. They have a neck, body, and tip, and they are used for dabbing wax or oil.
How much does a Nectar collector cost?
Prices range from as low as ~$20 USD, for the lower end, but complete fancy kits out there sell for a few hundred. If you’re asking though, you’ll probably be plenty happy with one under $50.
Are Nectar collectors good?
People seem to love them. They combine the quick-hit convenience of an oilpen with the syrupy goodness of dabbing concentrates. Since the fake vape cartridge epidemic hit, consumers are looking for a safer way to enjoy cannabis concentrates. Separating the hardware from the extract helps, since all you have to do then is find a reliable plug for the concentrate.
In conclusion…
Selecting the best nectar collector is up to you. There are plenty to choose from whether you want silicone, glass, or electronic. Electronic is the easiest to use, while glass offers a very smooth hit. When you want to cool down your hits, try freezing a silicone one!
Readers, what are your thoughts on this unique piece of dabbing technology? Tell us about it here in the comments or in our forum.