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1-Inch Hollow Quartz Control Tower Insert Worth It
“Yeah, it’s worth it if you actually use your control tower a lot and care about smoother low temp dabs, but it’s not a magic upgrade.” That’s my honest take after running a 1-inch quartz control tower hollow insert in my daily setup for weeks, parked on a dab pad so I’m not scraping sticky mistakes off my desk like a gremlin.
If you’re already happy doing simple hot-and-go dabs, you might feel like it’s extra glass to baby. But if you like dialing in flavor and keeping things cleaner, it’s a legit quality-of-life add-on.
Is the 1″ quartz control tower hollow insert worth it?
Truth is, the insert earns its keep in three ways: it softens the heat curve, it makes low temp dabs easier to repeat, and it keeps reclaim more contained.
It’s most “worth it” if your control tower is a daily driver and you’re doing flavorful concentrates like live resin or rosin. It’s less worth it if you’re mostly ripping huge hot dabs and don’t mind extra cleanup.
Here’s the quick, quotable breakdown:
- Worth it: low temp people, terp chasers, anyone tired of a banger getting cooked and crusty fast
- Meh: occasional dabbers, “just send it” hot dab folks, anyone who already prefers an e-rig or vaporizer for convenience
- Not for you: if your tower’s inner diameter doesn’t fit a true 1-inch insert, because quartz-on-quartz stress is real and chipping sucks
And yeah, it’s another piece of quartz to clean. No escaping that.
What is a control tower hollow insert, and how does it work?
A control tower banger is that tall, vertical style quartz piece, usually paired with a marble set and a pillar or pearls. Airflow pulls down and swirls, and the tall chamber helps keep the spin consistent.
A hollow insert is basically a cup that sits inside your banger. Instead of dropping concentrate straight on the banger floor, you drop it into the insert, and the insert becomes the “hot surface.”
Why “1 inch” matters
Most 1-inch inserts are made to fit towers with an inner bucket diameter around 25 mm (1 inch). But quartz sizing in the wild is… optimistic.
So I actually measured mine with cheap digital calipers because I’ve been hurt before.
- Insert size: marketed as 1 inch (about 25 mm outer diameter)
- Best fit: towers with a little breathing room, around 25.5 mm to 26 mm inner diameter
- Bad fit: towers that are exactly 25 mm or slightly under, because you’ll wedge it, heat it, and eventually hear that tiny “tink” noise that ruins your night
Warning: Don’t force a tight insert into a tight banger. Quartz expands with heat, and a jammed insert is a fast lane to chips, cracks, or the saddest stuck-glass situation you’ve ever seen.
Why hollow, not solid?
A hollow insert heats differently than a thick, solid dish. You get a little air pocket effect that can soften the temperature spike and slow down how fast your dab goes from “tasty” to “toasted popcorn.”
It’s not a miracle. But it’s noticeable.
How did it perform in real sessions over 6 weeks?
Picture this: I’m testing this thing like a normal person, not a lab tech. Morning dab, post-work dab, weekend “oops that was a big scoop” dab.
I ran the insert for about 6 weeks in rotation, mostly with:
- Live resin badder
- A couple rosins (one super terpy, one kinda dry)
- Some shatter I had left over, because I’m not above being practical
For heat, I used a standard butane torch and checked temps with an IR thermometer. Not perfectly accurate on quartz, but good enough for comparing my own habits.
My typical routine (that actually worked)
1. Heat the control tower like normal, focusing on the lower bucket area.
2. Let it cool longer than you think, since the insert holds heat too.
3. Drop the dab into the insert, cap it, and let airflow do its thing.
4. Q-tip the insert while it’s still warm, then swab the banger lightly.
If I was aiming for flavor, I liked landing around the “feels like” 480°F to 520°F zone. The insert made that zone easier to hit twice in a row without guessing.
The biggest difference I felt
Consistency.
Without the insert, my control tower can be a little dramatic. One dab is perfect, the next is oddly harsh because I didn’t wait long enough. With the hollow insert, the heat felt more forgiving, and I wasn’t chasing the exact second to drop.
Pro Tip: If you hate waiting for cooldown, try a “warm start.” Load your dab in the insert first, cap it, then gently heat the side of the bucket until you see the concentrate start to loosen. Slow and steady. Less scorch.
Does it actually help with flavor, clouds, and reclaim?
But honestly, this is why most people buy inserts. Not because it looks cool, but because they’re tired of burnt terps and black chazz.
Flavor
Yes, I got better flavor more often.
Especially with live resin. The first pull tasted cleaner, and the second pull didn’t have that “I pushed it too hot” edge as quickly.
Rosin was even more obvious. The insert kept the dab from instantly spreading into a thin film on the banger floor, which is where I tend to accidentally overcook it.
Clouds
Clouds were solid, but slightly different.
The insert gave me a smoother, steadier vapor output instead of one big blast. If your goal is a massive, chest-punching hit, you can still do it, you just might need a touch more heat or a slightly larger dab.
Reclaim and mess
This is the sleeper benefit.
With the insert, more of the leftover oil stays in the insert instead of creeping into every corner of the banger. That makes cleanup less annoying, and it can keep your tower looking nicer longer.
It also makes your whole dab station feel less sticky over time. Which is a weird thing to be grateful for, until you’ve had a grinder, a phone, and a hoodie sleeve all get “mystery tacky” in the same week.
What role does a dab pad play in this setup?
If you’re running a control tower plus an insert plus marbles, you’re basically building a tiny glass obstacle course on your table. A dab pad isn’t optional at that point, it’s just smart.
I’m biased because I’ve used an Oil Slick Pad for a long time, but I’d say the same about any solid silicone dab mat that actually stays flat and grips the surface.
Here’s what changed for me once I treated the setup like a real workstation:
- The insert has a safe spot to cool without risking a scorched tabletop
- If you drip, it lands on a concentrate pad instead of your keyboard area
- Tools don’t roll off as easily, because silicone has a little grab to it
A control tower setup is already a bit “extra.” So lean into it and make it easy on yourself.
What I look for in a mat, specifically for inserts
- Enough surface area for a banger, cap, tools, and the insert
- High heat tolerance (some cheap silicone gets weird if you park hot quartz on it)
- Raised edges if you’re messy, because reclaim finds gravity fast
Note: “Silicone mat dabbing” sounds like a goofy phrase, but it’s the real-life difference between a clean sesh and the sticky desk of regret.
If you want something that feels like a dedicated dab tray, pair a mat with a little organizer cup for q-tips and a spot for your carb cap. Congrats, you now have a dab station.
How does it compare to other upgrades in 2026?
Real talk: the insert is only one path. In 2026 there are so many ways to tune a dab rig that it can get silly fast.
Here are the most common alternatives I see people choosing instead, with honest pros and cons.
Insert vs terp pearls
Terp pearls are cheaper and fun. But pearls can spread oil around and sometimes make cleanup worse, especially in towers if you’re heavy-handed.
The hollow insert keeps the mess more contained. It’s calmer.
Insert vs solid quartz dish insert
A solid dish insert can hold heat longer and can feel more “stable” at a set temp.
The hollow insert, in my experience, is a little less likely to scorch fast if you’re flirting with hotter temps. But it can also cool slightly quicker if your room is cold and you take your sweet time between hits.
Insert vs an e-nail
If you want repeatable temps with zero torch life, e-nail wins. Easy.
But an e-nail changes the vibe. Cords, a controller, the whole thing. Some people love that, some people just wanted a chill glass-and-flame moment.
Quick price reality check
Prices move around, but these ranges are what I’m seeing in 2026 for decent quality quartz and accessories.
Budget Upgrade ($10 to $25)
- Product: Basic quartz terp pearls (2 to 6 mm)
- Best for: More agitation, bigger vapor on a budget
- Downside: More reclaim movement, more cleanup
Midrange Upgrade ($20 to $40)
- Product: 1-inch quartz hollow insert
- Best for: Smoother low temp dabs, less chazz risk
- Downside: Another piece to clean and not every banger fits
Premium Upgrade ($60 to $150+)
- Product: Quartz control tower banger plus marble set (if you don’t already have one)
- Best for: Full “tower” airflow experience, stable spins
- Downside: Easy to overspend, and cheap towers can be a waste
And yeah, if you’re already running a bong for flower and a vaporizer for travel, I get why you might not want to stack more niche glass purchases. But for concentrate heads, small upgrades add up.
Who should buy it, and who should pass?
Between you and me, I don’t think everyone needs one.
Buy it if…
- Your control tower is in regular rotation and you want more consistent low temp dabs
- You’re sick of chazzing quartz and doing deep ISO soaks all the time
- You like rosin or flavorful live resin and want to taste what you paid for
- You’ve already got the basic dabbing accessories dialed, like a decent torch, a good cap, and a station that isn’t chaos
Pass if…
- Your banger fit is questionable and you don’t want to measure anything
- You take huge hot dabs and don’t care about subtle flavor differences
- You’re the type to forget to clean your stuff for a week, no judgment, but inserts will punish you for that
Important: Fit is everything. A slightly loose insert is fine. A too-tight insert is a cracked-banger speedrun.
How do you clean a hollow insert without hating your life?
Cleaning is the part nobody puts in the product photos. But it’s also where the insert can either become your best friend or your least favorite little cup.
Here’s what worked for me.
Daily cleanup (takes maybe 60 seconds)
1. After the dab, let the insert cool just enough that it’s not lava.
2. Swab the inside with a dry q-tip.
3. Follow with a lightly ISO-damp swab if there’s residue.
4. Wipe the outside lip if anything splashed.
If you keep up with this, the insert stays pretty clear. Miss a few days and you’ll start seeing that cloudy baked-on look.
Deep clean (when it gets funky)
- Warm ISO soak in a small glass jar for 15 to 30 minutes
- Rinse with warm water
- Fully dry before using again
I’d love to tell you there’s a lazy hack that works every time. There isn’t.
If you want to cite something legit about ISO handling and ventilation, this is where sources like OSHA guidance on isopropyl alcohol safety can back you up. Leafly also has solid baseline temp advice if you’re new to the low temp rabbit hole.
My verdict after living with it
I’m keeping the 1-inch quartz control tower hollow insert in my rotation. It made my tower feel easier to use, my terps came through cleaner, and my cleanup got simpler in a very “thank you past me” way.
It’s not a required purchase. It’s a comfort upgrade.
And if you’re building a tidy little dab station, do yourself a favor and give the whole setup a safe landing zone. A dab pad plus a good silicone dab mat setup keeps your tools, your wax pad mess, and your sanity in one place. Oil Slick Pad exists for exactly that vibe, keeping the ritual clean and chill, not fussy.
If you want to keep going down the rabbit hole, the most helpful next reads are a solid quartz banger cleaning guide, a beginner-friendly control tower airflow breakdown, and a roundup of concentrate tools that don’t feel like cheap gimmicks.