Last reviewed October 18, 2026
To smoke shatter, you heat a small piece until it vaporizes and inhale the vapour. The four common ways are a dab rig, a dab pen, a bowl topped with flower, or a joint. Shatter is a glassy, brittle concentrate made by solvent extraction, and it’s much stronger than flower, so a piece the size of a grain of rice is enough to start.
You’ll need:
- Shatter, and a dab tool or a clean pin to break it
- One of: a dab rig with a torch or e-nail, a dab pen, a pipe or bong with some flower, or rolling papers
- Parchment paper, to handle the shatter without it sticking
Method 1: a dab rig
- Heat the banger (the bowl on the rig) with a torch until it just glows, then let it cool for 30–60 seconds. An e-nail does this at a set temperature.
- Break off a rice-grain-sized piece with your dab tool.
- Touch it to the banger while inhaling slowly through the rig.
- Cover with a carb cap if you have one, to keep the heat even.
A rig gives the strongest, cleanest hit and the most flavour. It’s also the most gear to buy.
Method 2: a dab pen
- Charge the pen.
- Drop a small piece into the chamber.
- Replace the mouthpiece, hold the button and draw slowly.
This is the easiest way to smoke shatter. See What is a dab pen? for how they work.
Method 3: in a bowl
- Pack a pipe or bong with flower.
- Lay a small piece of shatter on top, or a few crumbs mixed through.
- Light the flower, not the shatter directly, and inhale as normal.
Some shatter melts into the flower and some is lost to the flame, but it needs nothing extra.
Method 4: in a joint
Warm the shatter slightly between your fingers through parchment, stretch it into a thin strand, and lay it down the middle of the flower before rolling. This is called “twaxing”. Keep the strand thin so the joint burns evenly.
Common mistakes
- Too big a piece: the most frequent one. Start small; you can always take another.
- Banger too hot: it scorches the shatter and tastes harsh. Let it cool after heating.
- Lighting shatter directly: it burns off instead of vaporizing.
- Handling it with warm fingers: shatter goes soft and sticky. Use parchment and a tool.
Common questions
Can you smoke shatter in a bowl or pipe?
Yes, on top of flower. On its own in a regular bowl it melts and burns away, so a rig or dab pen works better.
Is shatter the same as dabs?
“Dabs” means any concentrate you heat and inhale, including shatter, budder and live resin. Shatter is one kind of dab.
What’s the easiest way to smoke shatter?
A dab pen. There’s no torch, and you load it in seconds.
How should I store shatter?
In parchment inside an airtight container, somewhere cool and dark. Heat and light make it go soft and lose flavour.
