So, What Are E-Nails and E-Rigs?

As concentrates become more readily available, portable e-nails and e-rigs have become the preferred means for vaping concentrates. Compact yet powerful, these devices represent the latest way to vaporize every consistency of concentrate, delivering thick, extra-potent clouds.

More consistent, reliable and efficient than traditional concentrate pen vaporizers, e-nails and modern e-rigs provide the type of power you'd expect from a desktop rig that draws energy from a wall outlet. Coupled with better temperature control, the main difference between desktop rigs and portable e-nails is that the latter is battery-powered, portable and rechargeable, enabling desktop-like vaping on-the-go.

If you're looking for the best e-nail or e-rig for you, check out our list of the best electric concentrate rigs.

With concentrates, the most important factor in terms of enjoyment and efficiency is temperature control. Too hot of a nail and you’re left with a plastick-y tasting draw, too cold and the material won’t give off as much vapor as it should. Since the dawn of rigs, concentrate users have relied on a butane torch, an inefficient and imprecise form of heating. As soon as the users torch isn’t in direct contact with their nail, it will begin to cool rapidly, meaning you’ll never have 100% confidence in your nail temp.

Older model e-nail units are usually made up of a controller box which delivers heat through a coil that's directly connected to the nail itself, so the temperature guessing game isn’t an issue. Modern e-rigs are self-contained units that only require you to load your material and pick your temperature before blasting off. With your e-nail you can set a desired temp without worrying about heat variability of any kind. Enails allow for consistent vaporization at precise temperatures and will stay hot without the need for re-torching, so all you have to worry about is loading and dabbing.

Maintaining your enail is much easier than a desktop or glass rig situation. Your nail will stay cleaner thanks to precise temperature control. Whereas the high temps of a torch will cause wax to burn, leaving tough residue in your nail, an enail will promote cleaner burn-offs at lower temperatures. E-rigs usually only require you to clean the atomizer of your device since that is the only place your material will be in contact with. The most common erig atomizer is the "bucket style" option which allows for easy loading and use of directional carb caps.

The Benefits of E-Nails & E-Rigs

• No need for a torch: Instead of carrying around a torch to heat the nail or banger to high temperatures, enails use a battery-powered coil to heat the concentrate until it vaporizes the necessary properties of your material, which is done at lower temperatures. You also get all the flavor profiles that normally come with a desktop rig.
• Portability: Traditional e-nails are on the bulkier side and need an at home setup. Portable erigs are designed to be taken anywhere since they’re battery powered and you don’t need a wall outlet.
• Versatile: You can turn a glass piece into a powerful E-Rig by using an attachable enail. Which is basically an electronic heated banger or nail. A great option is the G Pen Connect Vaporizer as it vaporizes concentrates with ease and heats up in seconds.

How To Use An E-Nail/E-Rig

Using an electric dab rig is easy and simple to use because it requires minimal steps. Just start by prepping your materials, fill the glass chamber with water, connect the base, turn on your rig, dial in your ideal temperature, and then load your concentrate into the heating element using a dab tool. If you’re using a carb cover, place it on the heating element to modify the airflow of the chamber to your liking.

What Temp Do E-Rigs and E-Nails Reach?

Enails and erigs allow users to better utilize their temperature, enabling “low temp vaping” if wanted, or users can go the other way and drive up temps to create denser clouds. A draw taken between 315°F and 450°F is considered “low temp”. Low temp draws deliver more flavor and potency while keeping hits smooth, the lowest temp draw available from a modern e-rig can be achieved with the Puffco Peak. You can unlock new flavor notes that a torch would simply burn off, which also promotes fuller effects with a higher presence of terpenes.

Concentrate enthusiasts who put a premium on flavor will especially enjoy enails and erigs, as their ability to maintain stable temperatures ensures no odd, unnatural flavors will be tasted. Utilizing a carb cap boosts vapor production, so when you cover the chamber, vapor will billow out during a low temp session.

While some subscribe to the low temp draw lifestyle, a lot of concentrate users swing the other way, choosing to boost their enail up and take high temperature dabs. High temp draws, between 600°F and 900°F, deliver thick clouds and intense effects, the KandyPens OURA is one of the most popular high temp e-nails out. With low temp draws, you’ll need to use a carb cab to keep your nail heated, not so with high temperature draws: the high temps will waste no concentrate, vaporizing all your material instantly. This temp range is not for those who value flavor, as the high temp eliminates your concentrate's terpenes.

Enail vs Torch

Portability is a huge reason why enails are increasing in popularity. Before the enail, concentrate enthusiasts would have to lug their desktop unit around (hoping there would be an outlet in sight) or haul their glass rig and all its parts wherever they wanted to session. Erigs eliminate the reliance on butane and wall power letting you enjoy desktop style rips anywhere from a festival to a food truck. With their optimized functionality, enails require very little power to operate, while still being able to last for hours. Torch and desktop rigs cannot come close to the sheer volume of dabs that enails can deliver in a short time.

As concentrates grows in popularity, the enail and erig industry has responded with the release of more advanced units. Enails boast long-lasting and rechargeable batteries. Capable of delivering the vapor production of a desktop rig, these devices combine portability with power for a more convenient dabbing experience.