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What you will learn in this post:
Vape cartridges are surging up in market sales each year. Across legalized states, the demand is growing and should only continue to rise in the coming years. As the demand increases, so too does the number of products a person can choose from. So, which is the right cartridge to choose? What should a person consider when buying a vape cartridge? The Nugg team has put together a list of factors to consider when selecting the best cart to meet your needs. In fact, these attributes are the basis of Nugg’s Vape Cartridge Score, the proprietary rating system we use to rate cannabis vapes.
As you’re deciding which product to purchase, here are some factors to consider:
Packaging
Packaging should be eye-catching and, more importantly, strong enough to last many uses.
Concerning design, a vape cartridge package should contain impressive artwork and unique designs that let a customer know which brand it is. From there, the package needs to protect the product inside and be easy enough to open without diminishing its childproofing. To strike a happy medium, we recommend choosing a vape cartridge that considers light leakage and allows the customer to see the product, like this Rove Tangie vape cart.
Labeling
A label should provide a customer with all the detailed information you want to know. Little to no info is not advised. While sufficient info about the product’s name, blend and lab results is acceptable. However, a top-notch vape cartridge product delves into its terpene profile, flower origin, distillation process, full cannabinoid profile (i.e., THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN) and much more to provide consumers with the clarity and product safety confirmation that it warrants.
Check out Level’s Remedy 3:1 CBD:THC vape, which lists percentages for five major cannabinoids, the strain, and even a note about what effects to expect.
Cartridge Quality
When using the cartridge, a quality product will remain clear and won’t clog. Avoid cheap, plastic cartridges that are prone to breaking. These products are likely to leak or have oil spit out its mouthpiece. While some midrange products fill the void, a top cartridge is made of high-performance products, including standard 510 threaded, glass tank, ceramic heating element, metal, glass or chrome tip, silicone stoppers where needed.
Taste
First and foremost, your vape cartridge should taste as advertised. If its flavor is unfamiliar or tastes like plastic, consider putting it down and never picking up again.
Strains should be flavorful and accurate to the information on the package. A cartridge should taste like the strain and be so tasty that it is difficult to put down. Some may also consider solvent-based extraction less than ideal. In those cases, customers should look for cartridges with natural terpenes extracted from the plant and not infused later in the manufacturing process.
A good example of delicious taste is dosist’s Calm vape pen, which earned a 5/5 from the Nugg team for its palate-stimulating sweet and sour cherry flavor.
Vapor Quality
A quality vape cartridge should never be harsh on the lungs or throat. If one serious pull has you coughing or struggling to enjoy, make it a hard pass. Instead, choose a cartridge that is extremely smooth. Customers deserve a light consumption process that is never harsh on the throat or lungs.
Oil Quality
Too often, customers end up buying vape cartridges that are too thin. In some cases, its fluids can contain cutting agents like glycerin, polyethylene glycols, medium chain triglycerides and others.
A high-quality vape cartridge is crystal clear, contains thick oil and shows no signs of cutting agents. When combined, it should provide the smooth hits mentioned above. To ensure that this is the case, look for oils extracted using CO2, heat press and appear to have undergone further refinement.
The Nugg team gave Select Elite’s L.A. Confidential vape a 4/5 on vapor quality and a 5/5 for its top-shelf, spun gold oil. Read the full review.
Consistency
A reliable, high-quality brand’s products are consistent every time. Each vape cartridge should have the same look, taste, pleasure and relief. You should never have to worry if one cartridge of GSC will vary from the next. It should taste the same, deliver the same effects and never clog.
Think of it this way, a reliable brand of vape cartridges should be able to have a lineup of multiple cartridges of the same strain, and each performs the same way.
Effectiveness and Ease of Use
An effective vape cartridge should be straightforward, easy to use and as potent as it bills itself to be.
If a cartridge doesn’t work every time, even if it requires a little finessing to work, it isn’t worth your time. Instead, find a cartridge that just works. There’s no guesswork or fumbling. All you have to do is open the package, connect it and enjoy.
Combining the points mentioned above, consumers should have an enjoyable experience that leads to no adverse effects. If a cartridge provides an uncomfortable consumption experience, or its effects fail to deliver, look elsewhere for your vape cartridge.
AbsoluteXtracts’ Pineapple Afghani vape earned a 4.5/5 from the Nugg team for its immediate calming effects with equal feelings of euphoria in both the head and body. Learn more about this vape’s full spectrum of cannabinoids.
Price
Tattoos, skydiving and vape cartridges – none are worth bargain shopping
If possible, spring for the cartridge that provides fantastic taste, pleasure and the medical relief you’re seeking. Saving a few dollars won’t balance out for the loss of experience a superior vape cartridge provides.
Overall, the experience of the product must be considered. This includes its taste, packaging, consistency and customer service when needed. Don’t sell yourself short by being sold a product that falls short of your needs and expectations. Find a vape cartridge that checks all the boxes above to get the best out of your purchase.
