Reclaim & Ash Catchers for Dab Rigs

A reclaim catcher or ash catcher is basically a “pre-filter” attachment that changes how gunk and airflow move through your dab rig, and it can make dab maintenance way less annoying if you actually keep up with it and clean dab tools regularly. The catch is that the wrong style can choke your pull, mess with your rig’s balance, or leak reclaim where you least want it.

I’ve been using some version of these attachments for about eight years now, mostly on small daily-driver glass rigs and a couple taller “weekend” setups. I’ve also broken enough joints to have opinions. Strong ones.

What’s the real difference between a reclaim catcher and an ash catcher?

A reclaim catcher is built for concentrates, it traps condensed oil before it hits your rig’s water.

An ash catcher is built for flower, it traps ash and plant debris before it hits your bong’s main chamber.

Using an ash catcher on a dab rig can work, but it’s often a compromise. Many ash catchers add extra water volume and extra diffusion you don’t need for dabs, and they can wash flavor out of a good live resin or rosin hit.

Reclaim catchers usually have:

• A dry or low-water path that encourages reclaim to condense and drip into a little jar or bulb

• Fewer percs, less “splash,” less risk of sucking water toward your banger

• Easy access to reclaim (if that’s your thing)

Ash catchers usually have:

• More diffusion (tree, honeycomb, showerhead percs)

• A water chamber that grabs ash

• More drag, which some people like on a bong but often hate on a dab rig

If you dab daily and care about terps, a reclaim catcher is the more natural fit. If you swap your rig between flower and concentrates (it happens), you can run an ash catcher, but expect more cleaning and a slightly muted flavor profile.

What types of reclaim catchers should you consider in 2026?

The reality is, most reclaim catchers on the market fall into a few buckets, and the “best” one depends on how you dab (cold starts, terp slurpers, big globs, tiny flavor sips, all of it).

Dry reclaim catchers (most common for dabs)

These are the simple ones, usually a glass adapter with a drop-down into a small collection chamber.

Pros: best flavor retention, less drag, easiest to keep from splashing.

Cons: reclaim can harden fast, especially in a cold room.

If you’re running quartz bangers and doing low temp, dry catchers make a lot of sense. Less water contact equals less weirdness.

Water reclaim catchers (reclaim plus diffusion)

These add a small water chamber and sometimes a perc.

Pros: smoother hits, a little more “bong-like” comfort.

Cons: more drag, more places for reclaim to stick, higher chance of water creeping toward the banger if you pull like a vacuum.

I don’t love these with terp slurpers unless the rig already has easy airflow. Slurpers plus extra diffusion can feel like sipping a milkshake through a coffee stirrer. Annoying.

Drop-down reclaim catchers (extra clearance)

These create distance between your rig and banger, sometimes lowering the banger position.

Pros: keeps heat a bit farther from your joint, can protect smaller rigs from thermal stress.

Cons: can make the setup front-heavy, easier to tip.

If your dab station is crowded (mine always is), stability matters more than people admit.

Silicone reclaim accessories (travel, not taste)

There are silicone options and hybrid silicone-plus-glass pieces in the wild. They’re tougher for travel, but silicone tends to hold odor and can cling to reclaim.

Pros: durable, budget-friendly, less heartbreak if it hits tile.

Cons: flavor purists will notice, and cleaning can be “fine” not “easy.”

Quick buying guide with realistic price ranges (2026)

Budget Option ($20 to $35)

• Material: Borosilicate glass

• Joint sizes: Usually 14mm only

• Best for: Casual dabbers who want less reclaim in the rig

• Trade-off: Thin glass, basic seals, can feel tippy

Midrange Option ($35 to $70)

• Material: Thicker borosilicate glass

• Joint sizes: 10mm, 14mm, 18mm variants common

• Best for: Daily-driver dab rigs, better airflow, better stability

• Trade-off: Still breakable, and the “perfect” angle can be hard to find

Premium Option ($70 to $140+)

• Material: Heavy borosilicate, better welds, tighter tolerances

• Joint options: More angle and gender combos, better fitment

• Best for: Larger glass rigs, terp slurper setups, frequent cleaning cycles

• Trade-off: Price, and you’ll cry harder if it drops

How do you choose the right fitment (size, gender, angle)?

Fitment is the unsexy part, but it’s where most people mess up. And then they blame the catcher.

You need to match four things:

1. Joint size (10mm, 14mm, 18mm)

2. Joint gender (male or female)

3. Joint angle (commonly 90 degree or 45 degree)

4. Clearance and balance (will it tip your rig?)

Joint size: 14mm is common, but 10mm is everywhere now

Smaller dab rigs in 2026 keep trending compact. Lots of newer rigs are 10mm to keep the footprint tight.

• 10mm: often small flavor rigs, less airflow, more sensitive to added drag

• 14mm: the “default” for many dab rigs and bangers

• 18mm: bigger glass, bigger airflow, more forgiving with attachments

If you’re unsure, measure. A cheap digital caliper beats guessing.

Gender: don’t overthink it, but don’t guess

• Female joint on the rig means you need a male joint on the catcher side that plugs in

• Male joint on the rig means you need a female joint on the catcher side that accepts it

Then you still need the correct top joint for your banger or nail.

Yes, you can stack adapters. But every adapter adds height, wobble, and another place to leak reclaim. Stack enough of them and your “dab rig” starts acting like a Jenga tower.

Angle: 90 degree is common for dab rigs, 45 degree shows up on bongs

Most dedicated dab rigs use 90 degree joints. Many bongs and some “rig-bong hybrids” use 45 degree.

If you use the wrong angle, your banger sits crooked, your carb cap sits weird, and you’ll hate your life for reasons you can’t name.

Balance and clearance: the hidden dealbreaker

A heavy reclaim catcher with a jar can torque a small rig hard.

If your rig weighs under roughly 250 to 300 grams and you add a catcher that’s 150 grams, you’re flirting with a tip-over, especially on a cluttered dab station.

I keep my Oil Slick Pad concentrate pad under my tools and jar partly for organization, partly because it creates a non-slip zone. It’s not glamorous, it just works.

How much do catchers change airflow and the feel of a dab?

They can change it a lot. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a “why is this suddenly a workout?” way.

A catcher changes airflow by adding:

• Extra volume (more space to fill before vapor hits you)

• Extra restriction (narrow joints, percs, sharp turns)

• Extra condensation surfaces (more glass to cool vapor and grab terps)

What you’ll notice first: drag and timing

With a catcher attached, your rig often needs an extra beat before it “clears.” That changes how you carb cap and how you feather the inhale.

If you’re used to snappy little sips on a small rig, adding an ash catcher with a perc can feel like turning your sports car into a minivan. Smooth, sure. Also slow.

Terp slurpers and blender nails: they’re pickier

Slurpers already want good airflow. They’re designed around pulling air through slits and spinning oil around.

So if you add a high-diffusion ash catcher to a slurper setup, you might kill the vortex effect. Less spin, less even vaporization, more puddle.

For slurpers, I’ve had the best luck with:

• Dry reclaim catchers

• Wide-bore pathways

• Minimal perc action (or none)

Flower bongs: ash catchers make more sense there

If you’re using a bong with bowls, ash catchers are great. They keep the main chamber cleaner, which means less stale smell and less scrubbing.

But for concentrates, reclaim is the real mess. Oil sticks. Ash rinses.

So the smarter split is:

• Dab rig: reclaim catcher

• Bong: ash catcher

• Hybrid “do both” setup: pick the one you hate cleaning more

How do reclaim catchers help you clean dab tools and rigs?

If you hate sticky glass, a reclaim catcher is basically a small tax you pay upfront to make cleanup cheaper later.

It keeps more oil out of:

• Your rig’s main chamber

• Your downstem area

• Percs that are a nightmare to reach

• The places that start smelling like old reclaim even after a rinse

And yes, it also helps you clean dab tools in a more controlled way. You’re not constantly scraping residue off everything because less of it splatters and migrates.

Real talk: the biggest quality-of-life improvement is that you can do a fast ISO rinse on a catcher instead of a full rig soak every time.

How do you clean reclaim catchers and ash catchers without cracking them?

Cleaning is where people get reckless. Hot water, cold glass, sudden temp changes, and then snap. I’ve done it. Once. Never again.

What you’ll need (simple, not fancy)

• 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol (ISO)

• Coarse salt (for agitation)

• Hot tap water (not boiling)

• Zip-top bags or a sealed jar

• Glob mops or q-tips

• Nitrile gloves if you hate sticky fingers

• Paper towels or microfiber

If you’re already buying dabbing accessories, toss in a dedicated set of “gross cleaning gloves.” Worth it.

Step-by-step: dry reclaim catcher cleaning

1. Let the catcher cool fully. No rushing.

2. Rinse with warm water for 20 to 30 seconds to soften residue.

3. Add ISO and a spoon of salt into a bag or jar.

4. Submerge the catcher and gently swirl for 1 to 3 minutes.

5. Dump, then rinse with warm water until the ISO smell is gone.

6. Air dry upside down.

If reclaim is stubborn, do a second ISO soak for 15 minutes. Don’t start shaking like you’re making a cocktail. Glass joints chip.

Step-by-step: ash catcher cleaning (perc-heavy)

1. Warm rinse first to loosen tar and ash gunk.

2. ISO soak longer, usually 30 to 60 minutes if it’s nasty.

3. Swirl gently, then rinse thoroughly.

4. Use glob mops to hit the joint and any reachable corners.

5. Dry fully before reattaching.

Perc ash catchers take longer. That’s the price of diffusion.

What about boiling water, dish soap, or cleaners?

Boiling water is the crack-speedrun method. Avoid it.

Dish soap is fine for a final wash, but it won’t touch heavy reclaim on its own.

Commercial glass cleaners work, but some are scented, and I hate tasting “citrus mountain breeze” on my first dab. If you use one, rinse like you mean it.

Safe handling and a quick external reference

If you want the straight chemical facts on ISO, PubChem’s isopropyl alcohol page is a solid reference: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Isopropyl-alcohol

And for general home ventilation and chemical safety basics, OSHA’s guidance is practical: https://www.osha.gov/chemical-hazards

Keeping up: a realistic schedule for dab maintenance

If you dab daily:

• Quick rinse of catcher: every 2 to 4 days

• ISO clean of catcher: weekly

• Rig deep clean: every 2 to 3 weeks (less if you run a catcher)

If you dab occasionally:

• ISO clean: whenever airflow starts feeling “tight” or flavor gets dull

This is also where clean dab tools matter. If your scoop tool is gunked up, you’ll smear reclaim everywhere, even if your glass is spotless.

Are reclaim catchers worth it, or are they just extra glass to break?

They’re worth it if you value any two of these: flavor, easier cleaning, less smell.

But they’re annoying if:

• Your rig is tiny and already has tight airflow

• You travel a lot and don’t want extra breakable parts

• You hate cleaning small chambers and joints

Between you and me, I still recommend one for most people who dab more than a couple times a week. It’s one of the few accessories that actually changes day-to-day ownership.

If you’re trying to keep a clean setup, a catcher plus an Oil Slick Pad dab pad under your tools keeps the mess contained. I’m not pretending it’s magic, it just stops the slow creep of sticky nonsense across your desk.

Related reads for your dab station setup

• How to set up a dab station that stays tidy (dab pad, tool cup, ISO)

• Quartz banger care: low temp habits that keep flavor sharp

• Dab rig cleaning routine: fast weekly dab maintenance without drama

And if you’re also juggling flower gear, a separate bong cleaning guide helps. Cross-contaminating dab rigs and flower bongs is how everything starts tasting like old ash.

Closing thoughts

A reclaim catcher is the practical choice for most dab rigs, and an ash catcher is the practical choice for most bongs. The only time that gets fuzzy is hybrid setups, and then you’re just choosing which mess you’d rather manage.

If you pick the right joint size and angle, keep an eye on airflow, and stay consistent with clean dab tools, the whole experience gets smoother. Less stink, less scrubbing, fewer sad nights staring at a brown perc.

And yeah, you’ll still spill a little reclaim sometimes. You’re human. Put a concentrate pad down, laugh, wipe it up, and get back to the sesh. Clean dab tools make that part way less gross.