Liquid Badder vs. Wax vs. Shatter vs. Crumble: Which Is Better?

When it comes to cannabis concentrates, it’s easy to figure they’re all pretty much the same, so which type you choose has no impact on your dabbing experience.  The reality, however, is that each one is pretty distinctive, in terms of its consistency, the flavor it can provide, and how strong the effects will be.  So, we’ll be comparing four of the most popular types of concentrates: badder, wax, shatter, and crumble, to see which one might make the most sense for your hemp-based vaping and/or dabbing needs.

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Contender #1: Liquid Badder

Badder (not to be confused with budder) is a creamy n’ whipped, pale yellow concentrate that gets its name from its clear similarities to cake batter.  It’s the least concentrated out of all the concentrates we’re covering today, meaning that it’s undergone the least amount of heat exposure, making it less potent but more flavorful – the reason why being that terpenes degrade faster than cannabinoids, so less heat means more terpene retention in the finalized product.

Badder Creation Process

All concentrates that we’re covering today begin with the same initial process of extraction and concentration.  The first step is the application of a solvent, which is applied to the raw plant material.  Butane is the most common choice, and it’s purged out through a vacuum process later so that no traces of butane remain in the final product.

The solvent is responsible for separating the desirable compounds from the plant, leaving behind an oily extract.  This extract gets concentrated via slow heat, which reduces the consistency and leads to a higher concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes per gram.

What makes badder different from the other concentrates is what happens with that concentrated, hot oil.  While it’s cooling, it’s whipped vigorously, to create a fluffy, aerated texture.  The pale yellow color, meanwhile, reflects the fact that the concentration is lower than other extracts, as the more concentrated, the darker the product because of the natural color of extracted terpenes.

Budder Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Being the least concentrated of all of the concentrates, badder is going to give you the richest and most complex terpene flavor out of any of them.
• Badder isn’t as sticky as wax, so it’s a bit easier to transport from your container to your device without leaving behind residue.
• Budder is a bit less concentrated, like we said, so it’s a good concentrate type for newbies.

Cons:

• Badder, being less concentrated, won’t give you as strong of effects as other concentrates like wax, shatter, crumble, and even budder.

Contender #2: Wax

In terms of potency, the next concentrate on the spectrum is wax.  Basically, wax is a thicker and more concentrated alternative to badder, holding its shape better, while being malleable.  Its darker color reflects its higher potency, and it lives up to its name in terms of appearance and consistency.  Wax happens to be the most popular type of concentrate, for reasons that we’ll get into more below.

Wax Creation Process

The processes of making wax and making badder are almost identical, except wax is more concentrated because it’s exposed to heat for longer, to further concentrate and reduce the product.  Then, like badder, it’s whipped while it’s cooling, to aerate it and produce the wax-like consistency that avid dabbers are looking for.

Wax Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Wax is more concentrated than badder, so the effects will be stronger per puff, so to speak.
• Wax still keeps a lot of its terpene integrity, so you will also get a concentrate that’s particularly flavorful.
• Wax is very versatile since it’s sort of in the middle of the concentrate spectrum, meaning it can accommodate a broader array of temperatures.  This versatility plays a big role in its popularity.
• Wax is sticky, but still relatively easy to work with when it comes to applying it to your dabbing device.

Cons:

• Wax has slightly more flavor degradation than badder, because the higher temperature exposure slightly reduces the integrity of the terpenes.  

Contender #3: Shatter

Then, we have shatter, which is a sheet-like, brittle concentrate that looks like translucent glass, and has an amber color, again reflecting the higher concentration compared to wax and badder.  With shatter, you can break it into pieces, hence the name.  Shatter, like wax and badder, will melt into an oil when exposed to the high temperatures of your dabbing device.

Shatter Creation Process

Making shatter involves the same process as the other concentrates, and we want to point out that it can only be done when butane is used as the solvent, rather than propane, the second most popular choice.  Propane would create a lumpy sugar-like consistency, while butane ensures that classic glass-like texture since butane better preserves the terpenes in the plant when applied.  Shatter is concentrated more than the other two, so you have a higher amount of compounds per gram.

The difference with shatter is that the hot oil concentrate isn’t whipped.  Instead, it’s poured out into a tray in a thin layer, to produce what will become a sheet once it cools.  During this time, it’s vacuum-purged of any butane remnants, and that’s why shatter has surface bubbles.  What remains is a slab that’s ready to be portioned out.

Shatter Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Shatter is stronger than wax and badder in terms of the cannabinoid concentration, so the effects will be the strongest out of the three.
• Shatter is easy to work with since it breaks apart without leaving a sticky or wet residue on your hands.
• Shatter is easier to portion out since you can break apart small pieces.

Cons: 

• Shatter’s flavor is a bit weaker than the other two, as again, higher heat exposure means more terpene degradation.

Contender #4: Crumble

Crumble has basically the same concentration and flavor as shatter, because it’s concentrated to pretty much the same degree.  The difference is in the appearance and texture, as crumble is “crumbly,” and looks a lot like beeswax, rather than coming in thin sheets that are like glass.

You will likely find that some strains come in shatter form, and others in crumble form., the strain largely affects whether you’re going to end up with crumble or shatter.  Certain strains have higher THC concentrations naturally, which throws off the cannabinoid to terpene ratio in a way that inhibits a homogenized consistency like shatter.  Even the specific composition of terpenes can determine whether a strain works best in shatter or crumble form, as each terpene has its own chemical properties that influence how it dries once extracted.

Crumble Creation Process

The process of making shatter is identical to the process of making crumble, except once the oil concentrate is complete, what’s done to the concentrate makes all the difference.  Rather than pouring it into a tray and allowing it cool into a slab, it’s exposed to low heat and quickly agitated and/or whipped, so you get a crumbly texture.

Crumble Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Crumble is higher in potency than both wax and budder, and it’s about as concentrated as shatter. 
• The honeycomb-like appearance of crumble is very pleasing, aesthetically.

Cons:

• Crumble can get a little messy, and it requires more care when portioning out.

Between These Amazing Concentrates, Which One Will You Choose? 

At the end of the day, all four of these concentrates bring something unique to the dabbing table, and as you can see, they all have clear pros and cons.  It really comes down to your preferences regarding user-friendliness, cannabinoid potency, and flavor.  Of course, we’re going to suggest that you give them a try at Binoid, in order to see which type best meets your needs and preferences.

We’ll be comparing four of the most popular types of concentrates: badder, wax, shatter, and crumble. Badder is being the least concentrated of all of the concentrates, badder is going to give you the richest and most complex terpene flavor out of any of them. Wax is more concentrated than badder, so the effects will be stronger per puff, so to speak.

Shatter is stronger than wax and badder in terms of the cannabinoid concentration, so the effects will be the strongest out of the three. Crumble is higher in potency than both wax and budder, and it’s about as concentrated as shatter. At the end of the day, all four of these concentrates bring something unique to the dabbing table.

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