The Dr. Dabber Boost eRig is Back in a New Revision; No Teflon On Top

Dr. Dabber just released their new Dr Dabber Boost Black Edition, so we’re reviewing the original Dr. Dabber Boost 2015 model today, and see how it stacks up in 2017. They were one of the first portable enails, how do they compare to every copy out there?

Design & Quality: Better Than Before

The Dr. Dabber Boost uses the G9/H-enail design, same as the Dabado Bolt, but in all black. This essentially means it most likely is a re-branded generic item, or at least started that way. The newer models use a ceramic top instead of Teflon. The Cannabist reported that the Dr. Dabber Boost Teflon top caused fear of polymer fume fever. It comes included with a basic bubbler, accessories, and 3 different nails: titanium, ceramic, and quartz.

The way it works is simple: there’s a built-in large ceramic rod that sticks out with heating coils embedded inside the ceramic rod. The nails all have an empty pillar in the center. You install the nails so the ceramic rod goes inside the empty pillar. Then twist. Once installed, press the power button the appropriate amount of times depending on the atomizer: 3 times for titanium, 5 times for ceramic or quartz. The “built-in” part of the ceramic rod is key, because like regular coils, the ceramic rod will burn out, but it’s not replaceable (which they changed for the new Dr Dabber Boost Black Edition).

Boost eRig Nail Sizes

The nails are noticeably different sizes, titanium being the smallest and quartz the largest. The titanium and ceramic nails are both one solid piece with threading built at the bottom. The quartz nail on the other hand, has a quartz nail resting on top of a sort-of cup with 4 prongs for walls. This design is later used on all 3 nails on the Dr Dabber Boost Black Edition.

The smaller size of the nails, 10mm (titanium) to 12mm (quartz), means you should use this for smaller pea sized dabs. If you go larger, you will have to turn it on back to back to keep it going. Make sure you also dab large in a long string, with a little bit touching at a time, or you will over flood the nail.

Battery: Seems OK, Brand is Questionable

The included 18650 battery is ok, but I recommend quickly purchasing a better brand name one like Samsung or Sony. They retain power longer. Once you start going around 50% power the nails don’t get as hot as before. This will be noticeable because larger dabs won’t vaporize fully as the batteries dies. The Dr. Dabber Boost also eats up battery power, so charge it every night or have an extra on hand if you’re a heavy user.

Dr. Dabber Boost Accessories

It comes with a very useful magnetic carb cap and dab tool, a keychain, and 2 silicone containers. The carb cap has a very nice looking gunmetal chrome and makes a great seal when in use. The silicone containers are also not filled with fillers like the This Thing Rips Four 2.0 Rig Edtion and passes the “bend test.” The bend test is when you bend the silicone 180 degrees and see if the color remains solid or if it is white. If it is white, then the silicone is not pure and has fillers. The Dr. Dabber Boost silicone containers did not appear to have any fillers which is good.

Ease of Use: Pretty Easy

The Dr. Dabber Boost is easy to use, especially for those that don’t want a dab rig and torch. Pop in your preferred nail, and then press either 3 times for titanium, or 5 times for quartz and ceramic.

When you click it 3 times, the light will turn White while heating up (25 seconds), and then Blue when ready to use and keep heating for another 25 seconds (50 total).

When you click it 5 times, the light will turn Blue while heating up (35 seconds), and then White when ready and heat up for another 20 seconds (55 seconds total).

The outer rim does take longer to heat up, because all of the power comes from the center ceramic rod. This means sometimes with quartz and ceramic you’ll have to run it twice.

Strength: Strong But No Range

The Dr. Dabber Boost give really good strong dabs, but because it only has 2 settings, it’s more geared to low temp dabs. You’ll only really get lung grasping dabs if you really burn it with a 5 on titanium. The smaller size dabs also mean that you won’t be taking quarter gram globs.

Efficiency: No Waste If Fully Charged

The Dr. Dabber Boost when used at perfect settings has absolutely zero waste. This means, full charge, and use a small pea-sized glob once it’s perfectly heated on a clean nail. The problem is when you one of these is out of whack.

If you’re battery is 50% or lower, your nail will get less hot, vaporizing slower and either inhaling it into the water, or not vaporizing by the time it shuts off (if that happens, just turn it on again with 3 clicks). The same happens if you have a dirty nail, the heat won’t transfer well enough and your dab won’t heat well, so keep your nails clean.

Cleaning Dr. Dabber Boost Nails

To clean them, soak them in 91% ISO over night, and then wipe everything off. After you take a dab, also use a small napkin and wipe the nail of all the reclaim while it’s still warm (don’t touch it!). Q-Tips won’t work because the heads are too big to fit in between the pillar and the walls. Their ISO-Snaps are also too big.

Pooling On The Nail

If you use too much at once, it won’t vaporize fast enough. Then it pools on the nail while it vaporizes. It’ll either boil over, you’ll suck it up, or you’ll have it left over after it’s done heating. For larger dabs, have a very small surface area touch the nails, and have it touch the inside pillar so it vaporizes quicker.

All of this happens on regular quartz bangers, so just use it correctly, and the Dr Dabber will waste very little wax.

Versatility / Atomizer Options

The Dr. Dabber Boost is one of the OG eRigs, and originally only had titanium nails. Then they added ceramic and finally quartz (you can tell quartz started their “cup” model).

It doesn’t work with the large XL nails of the Dr. Dabber Boost Black Edition because the connections are too small to fit. There are new G9 models that have silicon carbide nails, and they also fit on the Boost.

Portability

The Dr Dabber Boost is about as portable as a small beaker dab rig. The case it comes in 6in x 6in and fits in most backpacks.

Discretion: Not So Discreet but It’s More For Indoors

It’s hard to be discreet with the Dr. Dabber Boost in public. It’s very big, the glass can be seen from far away, and usually requires a solid surface and two hands to use.

Pro Tip – Want a more discreet one-handed way to dab? Fill your nail with wax first, about 1/3 full all around the pillar, the closer to the pillar the better. Cover with the carb cap without the tool. Hold it with one hand, use your thumb to click 3 or 5 times, wait 10 seconds, then inhale and use your index finger to plug and unplug the carb hole.

Taste: The Boost eRig Gives Great Flavor on Quartz

If you really want taste to shine, use a very small dab on a clean quartz nail with 3 clicks. Touch the outside ring first because the inside get hotter. Taste is ok on Titanium and Ceramic but it’s very hard to control the temperature, so you can burn the wax.

Value: Higher Priced But Warranty Excellent

At $149.95, the Dr. Dabber Boost comes in very pricey, especially when you consider that most G9/H-enails comes with almost the same things.

Their 1-year warranty does set them apart from everyone else. We had a problem with one of our Dr Dabber products and a replacement was shipped the next day. This is more important than in other products, because you don’t need to change the nails. They’re just nails, there’s nothing to fail. What fails is the heating element, which is built-in (unlike the new Dr Dabber Boost), so it’s covered under warranty.

Though they don’t fail every other month like atomizers, users do mention failures within the year at least once. They’re likely to fail once during year, so you get a free replacement instead of having to purchase a replacement like the Black Edition.

Safe to say, you get what you pay for. It might be pricier, but your purchase is secure.

Replacements

Replacement costs for the Boost is a weird category, because you don’t really need to purchase replacements. The nails don’t need to be replaced, the white ceramic rod does.

If you do want new nails or other glass attachments, they are on the expensive side. The titanium starts at $14.95 and the quartz comes up at $24.95!

Conclusion

The Dr. Dabber Boost is a great little replacement for tabletop eNails. It’s simple to use and straightforward, especially for beginners. If this had bigger nails and more temperature settings, this could replace an eNail. There are some downsides on the battery and price. Having an easy replacement policy and good warranty od help justify the higher price. If you are interested in purchasing the Dr. Dabber Boost, it can be found at VaporNation.