If you have spent any time researching portable concentrate vaporization options, you have surely ran across these portable E-Nail style rigs like the Boost eRig from Dr Dabber.

As a concentrate connoisseur and daily dabber, I was very skeptical of the Boost eRig when I first came across one; I didn’t think I would really enjoy it as I have never been a big fan of wax pens in the past, and before trying the Boost eRig I expected the experience to be similar to a wax pen, rather than a traditional oil rig.

However, I quickly found this device was a convenient option for dabbing at home or on the go and was more comparable to hitting a rig rather than a wax pen.

 

In this review, I will break down everything about the Dr. Dabber Boost eRig, and compare it directly to a traditional torch oil rig, and an oil rig connected to an e-nail.

Here is what we will be covering:

• Efficiency
• Temperature Control
• Nail Types
• Vapor Path
• Portability
• Battery Life and Charging
• Accessories
• Warranty
• Oil rig and E-Nail comparison
• Pro Con Breakdown
• Final Subjective Assessment

With all that said, let’s begin to break down the Dr. Dabber Boost eRig!

Efficiency of the Dr. Dabber Boost

Overall I found the Boost eRig to be an efficient use of my concentrates.

You do have to be mindful of how large your dabs are though. Ideally, you want a small BB sized amount of concentrate; anymore and the unit has a hard time effectively vaporizing most of the dab.

In general, I found less is more with this unit. I found taking more small dabs with this unit yielded better results than taking fewer larger dabs, as the unit has an easier time fully vaporizing small amounts of concentrates.

Compared to most wax pens on the market, this is a much more efficient use of your concentrates!

Temperature Control on the Dr. Dabber Boost

The Dr. Dabber Boost eRig has two temperature settings.

You set the Boost eRig’s temperature by clicking the power button 5 times. The light on the power button will glow blue indicating that it is heating up.

Once it is done heating to its set temperature, the light will turn white.

In my experience with both the titanium and ceramic nails, the first heat cycle from a cold start usually isn’t hot enough to properly vaporize a dab; it will get most out of it, but the nail is too cold and the dab will puddle significantly from my experience.

However, if you run the unit through 2 heating cycles from a cold start the unit hits like a champ the way it should. Once the unit gets going and you are actively hitting it every few minutes, the nail doesn’t need the extra heating cycle. I found it was only necessary when I started using the device from a cold start.

The video below shows a dab after the second heating cycle from a cold start.

Once at temperature, the unit will run its heat cycle for 30 seconds. This prevents you from taking larger dabs, and I would like to see this possibly extended in future iterations of the Dr. Dabber Boost eRig.

There is also a lower temperature option you can set by tapping the power button only 3 times.

With this mode the colors are reversed. The light on the power button will turn white indicating it is heating up, and it will turn blue once it is at temperature.

This setting worked fine with titanium nail, but it is very ineffective with the ceramic nail. If you wish to use the ceramic nail, I would stick with the hotter temperature setting.

Nail Types

The Boost eRig comes standard with 2 interchangeable nails for your preference. You will receive a titanium and ceramic nail and both have advantages and disadvantages.

Dr Dabber also offers a quartz nail, however I have not had the opportunity to try it yet.

Both nails simple screw onto the ceramic heating element and are very simple and easy to swap out, just be mindful not to touch the nail shortly after use!

Titanium Nail Performance

Typically titanium is my least favorite material to dab off of, however with the Boost eRig, the titanium was my preferred nail.

Overall, I found the titanium nail to conduct more heat from the ceramic heating element, which allows for you take a higher frequency of dabs as you aren’t sitting around for the ceramic nail to get to temperature, and still vaporize most of the dab.

I didn’t have many issues with the titanium nail puddling my concentrates, the flavor all around is great for a portable unit, and I didn’t find it that much smoother or harsher compared to the ceramic nail. There is a slight difference though in this case.

Ceramic Nail Performance

I am normally a big fan of ceramic; it is my preferred dabbing material.

However, I found the ceramic heating element in the unit wasn’t powerful enough to properly heat up the ceramic nail. There is always lots of residual oil left over even after multiple heat cycles.

The ceramic nail just does not conduct enough heat from the heating element to properly vaporize all your concentrate. I love low temp dabbing but with this nail it is just too low.

With that said, the dabs you do take off of the ceramic are very flavorful and smooth. Doesn’t quite tickle your throat the way the titanium nail does, but this is also probably due to the fact that the titanium nail can transfer the heat faster than the ceramic.  In general, I feel more people will use this unit with the included titanium nail.

Vapor Path

The Dr. Dabber Boost eRig uses a variety of small hydratube type apparatuses that filter your vapor for a smoother hit.

The glass is what I expect for it only being $30 worth of glass. Overall the glass is good, though the weld on mine is definitely suspect in my opinion. However, that’s par for the course with all china glass.

Dr. Dabber also offers more expensive glass for the Boost eRig starting around $100.

The included mouthpiece is overall satisfying and does its job well. Personally, I have no desire to acquire more glass for the Boost eRig, and I feel many people who purchase this probably feel the same.

The function is minimal diffusion, and great flavor. The mouthpiece has a splash guard, and this also prevents the unit from spilling water if you knock it over or turn it upside down.

Cleaning and maintenance with the glass isn’t terrible either. Fill a small ziplock baggy with some isopropyl alcohol and let soak while shaking it periodically.

The glass should be clean after 15-30 minutes of soaking. I found cleaning to only be necessary when I was wishing to maintain flavor; the unit will function fully while it is dirty.

Portability of the Dr. Dabber Boost

I found the Dr. Dabber Boost eRig to come in somewhere in-between a wax pen and a dab rig in terms of portability.

While it isn’t an appropriate option for every situation, I found the unit to be great for something to bring with you to friends places, hiking, festivals, etc. The included padded carrying case makes the unit relatively easy to transport, but that does not make this a discrete unit.

It is obvious that if you use this in public people are going to know something’s up, so clearly this is a unit you would use away from the public eye.

For someone looking for something more discrete, this probably isn’t what you are looking for. With that said, we do have many wax pen reviews on our website that may help you out if you are looking for a more discrete option to vaporize concentrates.

Battery Life and Charging

This unit comes with 1x 18650 BestFire 3.7V 2500mAh Rechargeable Li-HP battery.

The battery life in my experience gets me about 20 dabs. This number can be smaller if I have to start the unit from cold more often than sitting down and having a session.

If you only take a dab at a time, the battery life will be shorter since you are doing constant heat cycles to get the nail to temperature.

I found the battery to be charged over a few hours or overnight – definitely not a fast charging unit with the micro usb cable.

It is also good to remember that you can buy multiple 18650 batteries and an external charger, giving you as much battery life as you need on the go. The replaceable batteries are a major selling point for me. Batteries also fail over time and it is great when the user can replace them without having to send the unit in for servicing.

Accessories

When you purchase the Dr Dabber Boost, you will receive the following:

• Carrying Case
• Boost eRig Unit
• Micro USB cable
• Glass Mouthpiece
• Magnetic Titanium Dabber + Carb Cap
• Titanium Nail
• Ceramic Nail
• 2 Dr Dabber Silicone Containers
• Dr Dabber Key Chain
• Alcohol Wipes

I love the Magnetic titanium dabber and carb cap. I have been using them with my regular oil rigs, and the carb cap works great with my quartz banger!

I would prefer not having the keychain and containers being included. They’re kind of just cheap freebies, and take up unnecessary space in the carrying case.

Warranty on the Dr. Dabber Boost

Dr. Dabber offers a 1 year, no questions asked warranty on the battery, charger, or any of the electrical components.

Please take note that the glass pieces are not covered by the warranty! Personally, I would like a longer warranty, but 1 year no questions asked is still better than nothing.

Oil rig and E-Nail comparison

This section will build a point of reference for someone interested in purchasing a dedicated concentrate vaporization device whether it be a traditional oil rig, E-Nail, or one of these portable eRigs!

Hopefully this will give you a general idea of where the Dr. Dabber Boost eRig fits into the market.

Traditional Oil Rig

Typically, a traditional oil rig will be a smaller sized waterpipe with some type of nail that is heated with a torch. This is the most common way cannabis concentrates are consumed, and the second most efficient use of your concentrates next to an E-Nail.

Traditional oil rigs will use nails with materials ranging from glass, quartz, titanium, and ceramic. Finding the correct temperature with the torch isn’t difficult and just requires some trial and error with your preferred nail and figuring out heating and cooling times.

Typically I dab off of a quartz banger when using a torch. When I am dabbing with the banger, I will heat the banger red hot, and start a timer as it cools down so I can get consistent results. Not everyone likes to do this, it can be tedious, but in my experience it is the best way of ensuring proper temperature and optimal vaporization with a torch and nail.

Because you are using a torch to heat your nail, you do not need to be tethered to an electrical outlet or a battery, but you do need to have a sufficient supply of butane or propane depending on what kind of torch you are using. This makes traditional oil rigs great for camping, or when you have to dab somewhere that may not have an outlet readily accessible or somewhere to safely setup an e-nail.

Taking an oil rig along with you to a friends house or a festival is a feasible option, especially if you have something like a pelican case making the whole act of transporting your glass much easier and safer.

Traditional oil rigs are the best compromise between portability and heavy hitting/efficient concentrate hits.

Traditional E-Nail

This is my preferred way of consuming my concentrates. E-nails work with most oils rigs, but you want a piece of glass with a thick, heavy, and strong base.

You typically want to use a drop down with an e-nail as well, since the heat from the nail and coil may stress the joint of your water pipes.

E-nails will use the same materials to construct their nails as traditional oil rigs. You will find quartz, titanium, and ceramic e-nails most often.

Finding your right temperature on the e-nail is simple. I found in my experience with most that anywhere from 580°F-740°F will be optimal ranges for most people.

On my personal e-nail, I typically hover around 640°F-680°F with my ceramic nail.

What is great about e-nails is that you can tune in your lower temperature dabs without wasting a bunch of oil, you can find your sweet spot between flavor and optimal vaporization, and since the heat is consistently applied to your nail, you don’t have to worry about your nail cooling off and puddling your dab.

Something to take note of is the fact the nail will take a good amount of time to heat to temperature, and once the unit is off it takes a significant amount of time for the nail to cool down to room temperature.

Typically when you setup an e-nail,. you need a “station” for it. Passing around an e-nail is asking for someone to be burned (especially with a bunch of stoners). It’s best practice to set it up somewhere and leave it there.

Likewise, the e-nail itself is something I typically wouldn’t take with me to a friends house or anything. You could if you wanted since it isn’t hard to transport, buts it’s more effort than it’s worth for most people.

In general, if you know you are only going to be dabbing at home exclusively or are a hardcore dabber, you should most definitely consider an e-nail or an oil rig.

Portable eRig

If you are only going to be casually dabbing, or dabbing a lot on the go or away from home, this is one of your best bets for an optimal concentrate vaporization apparatus.

I usually have my Dr. Dabber Boost eRig setup on my desk. It’s great to pick it up, turn it on and take a dab without much trouble or effort.

It is very convenient for anyone, or someone who doesn’t want to fuss with a torch or a hot e-nail. The included carrying case makes it very easy to throw in a bag and bring it in the car or to a friends house.

If you think you will find yourself mostly away from home, this is most definitely your most convenient option. You don’t need a big piece of glass, and you do not need to bring a torch around with you.

Torching a rig in your car sucks – it’s a small space and is a good way to get yourself in trouble if you aren’t mindful to your surroundings.

The Boost eRig’s small size and spill proof design make it a lot easier to quickly conceal than a traditional oil rig in sticky situations. The vapor quality definitely isn’t as good as more traditional methods of dabbing concentrates, but it is more than good enough for most casual dabbers or enthusiasts alike.

Overall a portable like the Dr. Dabber Boost is the best option for the on the go or casual dabbing. 

Pros and Cons Breakdown of the Dr. Dabber Boost

We will briefly break down the pros and the cons of the Boost eRig in this section.

Pros

• Greater flavor than most wax pens.
• Greater vapor production than most wax pens.
• Water Filtration.
• Excellent battery life.
• Cheap and easily replaceable glass.

Cons

• Ceramic nail doesn’t get hot enough.
• Long charge time with micro USB cable.
• Short 30 second heat cycles.
• Not as discrete or portable as a wax pen.
• Top heavy design, needs a wider base.

Best Place to Buy the Dr. Dabber Boost?

If you want to pick this unit up, we recommend grabbing it from VapeWorld.com

Vape World is one of the most reputable merchants in the industry, they ship for free, and they also throw in some cool bonuses with every order.

Final Subjective Assessment

Now I’m a daily dabber, and even with two beautiful oil rigs, I still found myself reaching for the Boost eRig in some situations as it is just easier than my other options. I do not have to heat any nails, time anything, or put any effort in at all. All I have to do is get the eRig to temperature by running two heat cycles and I’m golden to take a quick dab.

Even though I also have pelican cases to properly transport my glass, I still find myself just bringing along the Boost eRig as it is a lot less that I need to carry, and the included glass won’t devastate me if it is broken due to someone tipping it over or something.

The Dr. Dabber Boost is overall a great option to vaporize concentrates, and a great middle ground between wax pens and oil rigs. It isn’t hard to use, it isn’t hard to transport, and anything that can break is easily replaceable.

I highly recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a portable unit for your concentrates.