The Pros and Cons of Quartz vs. Titanium Tips for Nectar Collectors

Nectar Collectors have completely revolutionized the world of dabbing since their invention in 2011, cutting the process down to heating the tip, dipping, and sipping without the bulk and peripheral clutter of conventional rigs.

Nectar collectors have linear form factors, making them significantly more discrete and extremely portable. Dabbers enjoy how little water they use, which make them much quieter than traditional dab rigs. The ability to choose between wet and dry nectar collectors adds welcome versatility as well.

The hallmark of the Nectar Collector’s unique design is the tip. By bringing the hot tip in contact with the hash oil rather than introducing the oil to a hot surface as is the method with traditional dab rigs, the Nectar Collector allows much more control over the size the dose eliminating waste and maximizing flavor. Nectar Collector tips are interchangeable and made from several different materials, two of the most popular being quartz and titanium. Let’s discuss key considerations when choosing between quartz and titanium nectar collector tips, some pros and cons between the two, and ways to optimize your experience with each tip type.

How Much does the Type of Nectar Collector Tip Matter?

When choosing between Nectar Collector tips, it’s important to note that tip composition affects numerous aspects of the dabbing experience, including effect on flavor and best practices for equipment cleanup.

This means that it pays to know if you’ll primarily be dabbing wax, oil, distillate or concentrate — and whether you’ll be enhancing your flavor experience with products from companies like True Blue Terpenes before choosing between tip types.

All About Quartz Tips

Quartz tips are your best bet for value without compromising on flavor experience. A pack of 5 replacement quartz stinger cores without the connector will only set you back $20, while a single threaded titanium tip also costs $20. The advantage of the replaceable quartz cores is that once they’re used up and can’t be cleaned anymore you can just pop a fresh one in and have a brand new tip.

For the best experience, go for an authentic Nectar Collector Quartz Stinger Tip which includes the core and the connector. Tip refill packs are available in packs of 5.

Flavor
Flavor is one of the primary draws of quartz tips. Since heat doesn’t affect the molecular structure of quartz in any way, it doesn’t give off unwanted or harmful gasses even at high temperatures. This practically guarantees raw, unaltered flavor when dabbing.

Heating and Heat Retention
Out of the box, a quartz tip is ready to be used with no additional prep. They’re very easy to heat and can tolerate temperatures of up to 1472°F (800°C) for as long as 3 minutes without risk of warping or melting. In fact, quartz heats the quickest out of all currently available tip materials at an impressive 5-10 seconds. It isn’t able to retain heat very well, so it does require a re-heat after each dab.

Durability and Maintenance
Quartz isn’t too resilient to drops and knocks. It’s important to keep quartz tips in a nectar collector case to avoid breakage.

Though quartz tips need to be handled with care, cleaning them is relatively easy. A quick swab with a Q-tip after every few dabs will keep your tip fresh for your next session and thoroughly cleaning a quartz tip is as easy as letting it sit in an isopropyl alcohol and salt soak for an hour or so. This is enough time to let the mixture go to work on whatever buildup has accumulated, and should break down even stubborn residue. It’s advisable to briefly season the tip in order to burn off any leftover traces of the mixture before next using it.

All About Titanium Tips

While titanium tips may come at a slightly higher price, their durability makes them a worthwhile investment. 

Flavor
Flavor is one of the few shortcomings of titanium tips. Though the temperatures required for titanium to oxidize into titanium dioxide falls between 1472°-2190 °F (800°-1200 °C), there is still a slight metallic taste users will notice out of the box, even at dabbing temperatures. This can be minimized by seasoning the titanium tip before use. Seasoning the tip is a quick process that involves heating the metal for two minutes, then immediately dropping it into ice water and giving it a final rinse before dabbing.

Heating and Heat Retention
Titanium tips are capable of much better heat retention than their quartz counterparts. In fact, it’s possible to take multiple draws before having to torch the tip again. They also heat relatively quickly at about 15-20 seconds. These two factors average out to slightly lower overall butane costs over time.

Durability and Maintenance
Titanium tips are very lightweight while also being very durable. They’re easy to keep without worry of getting knocked around in a backpack or purse. There’s no risk of breakage due to drops or reduced performance due to stress bending over time, regardless of how they’re stored. Short of extreme carelessness, the only reason titanium tips would need replacing is for a change in design.

Cleaning titanium tips is a bit tricky as you’ll want to avoid any scrubbing or chemical interactions that could end up damaging them. Using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol or hot water between dab sessions is a good way to avoid build-up — and if that isn’t enough, heating the tip sometimes works to remove stubborn residue by simply burning it off.

Pointers on Different Tip Types

As with dab rigs, Nectar Collector tips should be heated until they just begin to glow red and then allowed to cool approximately 5-10 seconds before dabbing or dipping it into your concentrate. With a little practice you can get the same low temp flavorful dabs that traditional dab rigs offer in about half the time and with much less waste. When using quartz tips, it’s best to heat them before each dab. This will guarantee a good hit with solid flavor every time.

When trying titanium tips for the first time, it’s advisable to heat the tip for a short while at first, then gradually increase the time it’s kept over the flame. This is because they’re considerably more prone to overheating than quartz tips.

Whether you prefer the superior flavor experience of quartz tips or the durability and longevity of titanium tips, both are great options that pay for themselves in the long run with adequate care.

PICK YOUR TIP!