Whether you’re shopping for an ergonomic appliance, a contemporary contraption, or some other ultra-modern, cutting-edge canna-gift to round out a friend’s utensil collection, one thing’s for sure: there’s an overwhelming number of pot-related devices on the market today and it can be difficult to know where to start.
Recreational cannabis has opened the floodgates for not just advancements in cultivation, but consumption tech as well. Flower vaporizers that were once exclusively tabletop devices can now be held in the palm of a hand. Extracts that were exclusively reserved for those brave enough to wield a torch can now be consumed from pen batteries, candy-colored straws, or even electric rigs that perform rainbow LED light shows. Devices that for years were relegated to the back of a closet are now designed to complement minimalist bookshelves and new-bohemian end tables.
With so many exciting cannabis gadgets and gadget adjacent items seemingly launching daily, a few of our suggestions might start your shopping expeditions off on the right foot. And since we audition, explain, and review new cannabis devices year-round, we were able to narrow down our recommendations to these five standout products.
Dr. Dabber Boost EVO E-rig
The Dr. Dabber Boost EVO’s six distinct sensor-controlled temperature options, straightforward portability, and optional, tailored party vibes have ensured its place as the go-to e-rig for our daily dab rotation.
Boost EVO operates neatly, with a magnet securing the heating chamber and power source to a compact water chamber. The 8-inch, 3-piece device satisfyingly snaps apart to reload or to pack for travel, and the quartz atomizer heats enough concentrate for either a single consumer or a small pod of passers.
Overall, the Boost EVO is the easiest to use, easiest to clean, and most portable e-rig we auditioned this year, but what made this device an all-time favorite is its over-the-top, customizable glow mode. In glow mode, a spectrum of LED lights pulse and swirl around the body of the Boost EVO in a ribbon that either throbs like a party light, or flows in slow rhythmic waves reminiscent of a lava lamp. The rig also operates in stealth mode, with no light features at all, which feels like an excellent complement to its portability.
Bottom line: despite its complexity, this e-rig is exceptionally easy to use. Plus, it features a customizable instant party light show.
Price: $329.95
G Pen Dash Vaporizer
Anyone whose affection for cannabis outdates recreational legalization may recall early flower vaporizers that required a tabletop and a grounded electrical outlet to function. Similarly, newer cannabis consumers may have been alienated by the price attached to the revolutionary, portable models of what was once a stationary machine. In general, it’s easy to consider flower vaporization a method of consumption reserved for folks with a generous gadget budget.
However, when the G Pen Dash vaporizer crossed our desk earlier this year, we were introduced to a handheld flower vaporizer that rivaled its upscale competitors at a considerably smaller price point. The G Pen Dash is essentially a ground flower vape with the distinct vibe of a personal one-hitter; it heats at three low temperatures, delivering super-smooth, flavorful, terpene-rich hits in a device discrete enough to slip into a suit pocket.
Bottom line: the G Pen Dash is an excellent, easy-to-use, portable dry herb vaporizer, regardless of your budget.
Price: $69.95
Moose Labs MouthPeace
The days of passing mouth-wet joints between strangers are most likely behind us, but sharing weed never goes out of fashion — which is how Moose Labs‘ MouthPeace landed on our gadget radar.
This hummingbird-sized silicone funnel fits into/onto the mouthpiece of spoon pipes, bongs, rigs and, by nature of its conical shape, can potentially hold thick pre-rolls or blunts. Having tested floppy silicone bong condoms, fragile, glass joint extenders, and flat plastic mouthpiece shields, MouthPeace stood out in a field that seemed more opportunistic than practical.
While other products protect consumers from actual oral contact with a device, they do not filter. MouthPeace does both and with a fraction of the fanfare of a flesh-colored bong condom or decorative hand-blown extender. Charcoal filters roughly the size of a nickel drop neatly into the body of the MouthPeace so that the cone can be used from either end, either dipping into the shaft of a water pipe or gripping the entire intake of a spoon pipe. The filters are changeable, the device is portable, its function is practical and straightforward, and it’s suitable for use with a wide range of smoking utensils.
Bottom line: this simple silicone filter can potentially make bong, pipe, and even joint passing among acquaintances pandemic safe.
Price: $9.99
Dip Devices Little Dipper Dab Straw
For every enthusiastic device collector, there’s a low-stakes consumer for whom one or two consumption devices are collection enough. For those, the Little Dipper Electric Dab Straw from Dip Devices might be all they need to enjoy their waxes, shatters, budders etc. Little Dipper is what’s known as a dab straw, a reinterpretation of both an e-rig and the glass straws growers would use to inhale vaporized concentrate pre-rec.
A contemporary dab straw’s heating element is at its tip, so consumers need only to press a button, dip the tip of their straw into their concentrate, and inhale to facilitate a fat, greasy dab. With modern dab straws, external dab tools are not needed, there is no water chamber to consider, and the entire unit is compact enough to slide into a back pocket — once cool, of course. The Little Dipper ticks each of those boxes, but also stands apart from other straws for its low price point, long-lasting micro-USB rechargeable battery (nearly twice the life of its competitors), and easy cleanup. Dip Devices also donates a percentage of its proceeds to one of three non-profits supported by the brand.
Bottom line: this dab straw makes the act of consuming extracts discreet, relatively neat, and also, legitimately philanthropic.
Price: $29.99
Blazy Susan Weed Tray
This graduation of the prototypical weed tray is so universally useful that referring to it as a “weed tray” feels far too flippant, even though the Blazy Susan is, in fact, a weed tray. Despite a straightforward function, this gadget’s efficacy is magnified through the use of a rotating lazy-susan base. For the uninitiated, a “Lazy Susan” is a large, flat, round platter with a base that enables rotation, often used by restaurants to serve food family style.
Anyone whose stone zone, blaze station, or cannabis-crumb-covered coffee table could use a little organization, might appreciate the thoughtful assemblage of this next-level tray. The dish itself has a number of impressions: some to fit e-rigs, others large enough for standard water pipes, as well as silicone ashtrays with cleaning spikes, joint, blunt, and vape-pen holders, divots to rest your lighters in, and flat areas for rolling, grinding, and packing. It’s available in either bubblegum pink, black, or wood finish with black, pink, or olive-green details.
Bottom line: Level up yours or your bestie’s reefer depot with this smart, sassy, and stylish marriage of lazy susan and weed tray.
Price: $79.99 – 144.99
