A lot of portable dab devices have an identity crisis. They want to be pocketable, but they’re too chunky. They want to hit like a rig, but they taste like burnt residue after two pulls. And they want to feel premium, but somehow still make you load concentrate into a chamber the size of a contact lens case for ants. The Dr. Dabber Ghost² doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be everything at once. It’s a small concentrate vaporizer made for small dabs, quick sessions, and actual on-the-go use. That already gives it a clearer purpose than a lot of dab pens.It is still slightly larger than the average dab pen, so I wouldn’t call it tiny. But compared to other portable concentrate devices in this category, it feels very lightweight. It has a great hand feel, the shape is ergonomic, and it does not have that overbuilt “pocket rig pretending to be a pen” feeling.A portable dab pen should be easy to hold. I don’t want every concentrate device to feel like I’m gripping a tool battery or trying to discreetly use a tiny e-rig in public. The Ghost² feels closer to what I actually want from a dab pen: light, simple, comfortable, and strong enough to make small dabs worth the effort.The Ghost² has five preset temperature settings, heats quickly, and can still be used while it’s charging. The chamber is perfectly small and deep for small dabs, which makes it feel especially suited for on-the-go dabbing. And the clouds are very decent considering how small the device is.Photo Credit: Maha HaqHot TakesThe Dr. Dabber Ghost² is a portable concentrate vaporizer that feels like it understands the assignment. It is not trying to be a full e-rig. It is not trying to handle giant globs. It is a dab pen for smaller, cleaner, more manageable concentrate sessions.The best part is the hand feel. The Ghost² is ergonomic and surprisingly light compared to other comparable devices. It is slightly clunkier than an average dab pen, but not in a way that ruins the experience. If anything, the extra size gives it enough body to feel stable without making it annoying to hold.The vapor is also better than I expected from something this small. The plume is very decent, especially if you go in understanding that this is a small-dab device, not a desktop rig. It heats quickly, the five presets are easy enough to work with, and pass-through charging makes it more convenient if you forgot to charge it before using it.Best for: Dabbers who want a light, ergonomic dab pen for small sessionsNot best for: People who want huge globs, massive clouds, or a full e-rig replacementBest feature: Great hand feel with surprisingly decent vaporBiggest drawback: Slightly clunkier than an average dab pen, looks more like a vape barBottom line: The Dr. Dabber Ghost² is a compact, comfortable dab vape that makes small dabs feel easy instead of annoying.(opens in a new window)dr. dabberGhost²(opens in a new window)$119.95 at Dr. DabberBuy Now(opens in a new window)Photo Credit: Maha HaqWhat Is the Dr. Dabber Ghost²?The Dr. Dabber Ghost² is a portable concentrate vaporizer, or dab “pen,” made for extracts like rosin, resin, wax, badder, sauce, and similar concentrates.It has five preset temperature settings across a 420–540°F range, with a heat-up time of about 5–10 seconds depending on the setting. This is the smaller, more portable side of Dr. Dabber’s lineup. The brand also makes larger concentrate devices like the Switch² and Boost Evo, but the Ghost² is not trying to be a table rig. It’s meant for quicker, lower-maintenance dabs.Basically, the Ghost² is not the device I would grab if I wanted a giant dab at home. It’s the one that makes more sense when I want a dab without the whole dabbing ritual.Read here to learn more about dabbing, what it is, and how to do it.How I Tested the Dr. Dabber Ghost²I tested the Ghost² as a portable dab pen, and not as a replacement for a full rig. I paid attention to how it handled small loads, how quickly it heated, how the vapor felt, if the chamber size made sense, and if the device was actually comfortable to use.The main thing I cared about was whether it felt annoying to use. Some dab pens work fine and still feel awkward: too heavy, too wide, too hot, too tiny to load properly, or too weak to justify using over a cartridge.The Ghost² avoids most of that. It is slightly larger than a standard dab pen, but the lightness keeps it from feeling cumbersome. The chamber is small, but in a way that matches the purpose of the device. You’re not supposed to be loading huge globs into this thing. It’s better for controlled dabs that you can take on the go. Vapor Quality & Cloud ProductionThe Ghost² produces very decent clouds for its size. That’s probably the most important performance note. I don’t expect a compact dab pen to hit like a full e-rig, and I don’t think judging it that way is fair. But the plume from the Ghost² is better than I expected from something this small.The vapor feels appropriate for the device: not massive, not weak, but satisfying enough that it doesn’t feel like you wasted your dab. That can be a low bar in the dab pen world, but it’s still an important one. A lot of small concentrate devices technically work, but they make the dab feel thin or incomplete. The Ghost² gives you enough vapor to feel like you actually took a dab.The chamber size also helps define the experience. It’s small and deep in the right way. You load a modest amount of concentrate, let the device heat quickly, get a few solid pulls, and move on. I actually like that restraint. Not every dab device needs to be built around who can load the largest glob and survive.Photo Credit: Maha HaqTemperature Settings & Heat-UpThe Ghost² has five preset temperature settings, which is enough control for the way I’d use this device. I don’t need a portable dab pen to make me enter a full engineering relationship with my dab. I want enough temperature range to choose between flavor and bigger vapor, but I don’t necessarily need a giant app ecosystem or endless customization for a quick dab.The presets make sense here. Lower settings are better for flavor and smoother vapor, while higher settings give you denser clouds. Dr. Dabber lists the range as 420°F to 540°F, which is a reasonable spread for a small concentrate device.The heat-up time is also quick. It takes around 5–10 seconds depending on the setting, and the device feels fast in use. That’s a big part of why the Ghost² works as a portable device. If I’m using a dab pen instead of a rig, I don’t want to wait around like I’m preheating an oven for a crumb of hash.Design & Hand FeelThis is where the Ghost² won me over. It has a great hand feel. The shape is ergonomic, it sits comfortably in the hand, and it is very lightweight compared to other similar devices. It’s technically a little clunky and slightly larger than an average dab pen, but it doesn’t feel heavy in my smaller-than-average hands.Some portable concentrate devices get bigger and start feeling like they are trying to become e-rigs. The Ghost² feels like a dab pen that got a little more capable without completely losing the point of being a pen. If anything, it’s more like a vape bar than a pen. It also does not feel over-designed. There is no giant glass attachment, no sidecar, no app-first personality. It’s a small device for small dabs. That’s the whole appeal.The size may still be a drawback for someone who wants the thinnest, most discreet pen possible. But if you’re comparing it to more serious dab pens, the lightness makes it much easier to live with.Photo Credit: Maha HaqBattery & Daily UseThe Ghost² is easy to understand as a daily-use dab pen because it doesn’t ask much from you.The battery is rated for up to 20 heating cycles, or dabs, per charge, with a 45–60 minute full charge time. Besides the standard USB-C charging, the practical win is pass-through charging. That just means you can still use the Ghost² while it’s charging, which sounds minor until you’ve dealt with a dead vape right when you wanted to use it.For regular use, the Ghost² feels best as a quick dab option. Not your main home rig, not your giant dab station, not the device for showing off the largest glob you can fit into a chamber. It’s more useful than that. It’s the pen you keep around because it makes small dabs feel easy.Cleaning should also be manageable because the chamber is small and the intended load size is small. You still need to stay on top of residue, because dab are always going to be sticky if you ignore them. But the Ghost² doesn’t feel like it’s inviting chaos in the same way larger portable dab devices can.Read more on how to clean your weedy accessories.Photo Credit: Maha HaqIs the Dr. Dabber Ghost² Worth It?The Dr. Dabber Ghost² is worth it if you want a lightweight, ergonomic dab pen/bar for small on-the-go concentrate sessions.At $119.95, it’s not the cheapest dab pen, but it also doesn’t feel overpriced for what it does. You get five preset temperature settings, fast heat-up, pass-through USB-C charging, a comfortable hand feel, and decent vapor for the size.I would skip it if you want something ultra-thin, extremely discreet, or built for massive globs. The Ghost² is slightly larger than an average dab pen, and the chamber is clearly meant for small loads.But that’s also why it works. The Ghost² knows what it is: a light, comfortable, fast-heating dab pen for small dabs that don’t need to become a whole scene.(opens in a new window)dr. dabberGhost²(opens in a new window)$119.95 at Dr. DabberBuy Now(opens in a new window)Photo Credit: Maha HaqOther Dab Pens to tryThe Focus V Aeris is a chunky dab pen that nevertheless makes a solid case for its size. Read my full review of the Aeris here.(opens in a new window)Focus V Aeris(opens in a new window)$225 at HeadshopBuy Now(opens in a new window)The Puffco Pivot is a pen-sized concentrate vaporizer, not a full e-rig, but it has enough Puffco DNA to feel like a real device instead of a tiny metal tube for wasting good hash. Read my full review of the Pivot here.(opens in a new window)Pivot(opens in a new window)$130 at PuffcoBuy Now(opens in a new window)The post The Dr. Dabber Ghost² Makes Small Dabs Feel Easy appeared first on VICE.