Minimalism has had a good run, but in many areas of life, maximalism seems to be taking over. And while I generally like to keep the things I use stripped down to the basics, vaporizers are a notable exception where I can get behind some maximalist thinking. Take, for example, the Dr. Dabber Switch.
Among the larger consumption tools I own, the Switch can tackle both cannabis flower and concentrates. The 25 heat settings go from 300 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit. You can play around with the various color profiles, or go into stealth mode for more low key use. And that’s just the more visible parts of using the vaporizer. What really got me behind the Switch and made it a piece that sits out in my office day in and day out is the tech that powers it.
The Switch uses induction heating (the first Dr. Dabber product to do so). That means using electromagnetic coupling to heat the induction cups with an oscillating magnetic field. It’s precise and consistent—something I’ve come to deeply appreciate as someone who typically wants to actually enjoy the flavors and strong terpenes that led me to purchasing a specific concentrate in the first place. I can appreciate a big hit with a thick exhale as much as any other smoker when the occasion is right, so being able to quickly and easily toggle between the heat settings is a must for anything I use regularly.
Induction cup heating is also incredibly fast: it heats up and is ready to use within five seconds. While I have a number of pieces that tend to get passed around when guests are over, nothing else heats up at this speed and makes it so easy to all get on the same level quickly.
“With the Switch, a little goes a long way,” Jamie Rosen, CEO of Dr. Dabber, tells me over email. “Anaerobic vaporization delivers dense clouds of vapor and exceptional flavor retention. The low amount of oxygen in the heating chamber ensures nothing is wasted.”
For anyone looking to get deeper into the features, advanced mode can be activated with a couple button taps. A rainbow shows on the front LED lights, letting you know you’re there. In addition to choosing the power level, you can choose how long it holds the temperature from five seconds to 30 seconds (and your choice is automatically saved for next time until you choose to reset it).
With all this in mind, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s also easy to switch between flower and concentrate. All it takes is changing to the specified induction cup and flipping the switch to the correct side. The flower vaporizer heats even, so you can get the most out of whatever you’re smoking even when you didn’t spring for top shelf bud.
Either way, cleaning is simple. The induction cup can undergo a self cleaning cycle that burns away residue with high heat (just keep in mind it only works with the ceramic induction cup). The rest is easily cleaned out the standard way using 90 percent isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. It’s relatively simple to clean compared to some of the glass pieces I’ve owned over the years. Those clean air pathways are all part of the appeal as well.
“We use all quartz dishes and all glass air pathways without exposure to silicone or electronic components,” Rosen says. “This leads to a much better experience. In contrast, the competitors use ceramic atomizers with silicone pathways where the smoke travels through electronics.”
The Switch is by no means on the cheap end of the price spectrum, but it’s also one of the more affordable options on the market right now. Especially when you consider all that it can do and how long it’ll be in use.
