What Is a Reclaim Catcher and Should You Get One

Written by Lorien Strydom
February 17th, 2026

A reclaim catcher is a small glass adapter that sits between your banger and your dab rig, collecting condensed concentrate in a removable cup while vapor passes through to the water chamber.

It keeps your rig cleaner, preserves flavor, and lets you reuse material that would otherwise coat your percs and joints.

Most buying mistakes come down to one thing: not matching three specific specs to your existing setup.

This guide covers exactly how to get the right fit, which design works for your rig, and what to do with reclaim once you collect it.

Table of Contents:

• What a Reclaim Catcher Is and How It Works
• Matching Joint Size, Gender, and Angle to Your Rig
• Who Benefits Most from a Reclaim Catcher
• Choosing Between Glass, Silicone, and Drop-Down Designs
• Collecting and Storing Reclaim Safely
• Keeping Airflow Smooth and Setting Realistic Expectations
• What to Look for When You Buy
• Get the Fit Right and Enjoy Cleaner Sessions

What a Reclaim Catcher Is and How It Works

A reclaim catcher uses gravity and cooling to separate condensed oil from the vapor path.

As vapor cools inside the adapter, heavier concentrate residue drips down into a removable collection cup while lighter vapor continues into the rig.

The result is a barrier between your banger and your water chamber that intercepts sticky buildup before it reaches your percs.

Most catchers feature a detachable silicone jar or glass dish at the bottom for easy harvesting.

The collected material, called reclaim, still contains active cannabinoids and is ready to reuse without further processing.

If you've heard of ash catchers, those serve a different purpose.

Ash catchers trap particulate debris from burning flower, while reclaim catchers collect sticky concentrated oil that still contains active cannabinoids.

They look similar, but the function and the material they capture are completely different.

Matching Joint Size, Gender, and Angle to Your Rig

This is where most people get tripped up, and it's the single most important thing to get right.

Every reclaim catcher purchase depends on matching three specs to your existing rig: joint size, joint gender, and joint angle.

Joint size: 10mm, 14mm, or 18mm, and your rig's joint and your catcher must be the same size.

Joint gender: Opposites connect, so a female rig joint needs a male reclaim catcher and a male rig joint needs a female catcher.

Joint angle: 45 degrees or 90 degrees, and this determines whether your collection jar sits level and drains correctly.

Here's what that looks like in practice: if your dab rig has a 14mm female joint at 90 degrees, you need a 14mm male reclaim catcher at 90 degrees.

Swap any one of those specs and you'll run into problems.

A mismatched gender creates gaps that leak.

The wrong size either won't seat at all or requires adapters that add wobble.

And a 45-degree catcher on a 90-degree rig tilts the collection jar at an angle where reclaim pools incorrectly and can spill.

If your rig feels restricted after adding a catcher, try a wider bore design or a shorter drop-down style.

For setups that feel top-heavy, keck clips secure the connections and prevent tipping.

Who Benefits Most from a Reclaim Catcher

Reclaim catchers offer the most value for low-temp dabbers who produce more uncondensed concentrate and users who dislike frequent rig cleaning.

Casual dabbers with minimal setups may not see enough benefit to justify the added component.

Low-temp dab sessions leave more material behind because not all concentrate vaporizes at lower temperatures.

That means more reclaim collects in the catcher rather than coating your rig's internals.

If you prefer flavor-forward sessions at lower temps, a catcher captures material you'd otherwise lose.

Frequent dabbers benefit from reduced buildup in percs and joints.

Instead of deep-cleaning your rig every few sessions, the catcher intercepts residue at the source.

Your water stays cleaner and your vapor tastes better because old oil isn't sitting in the main chamber.

Torch users get a safety advantage from drop-down style catchers.

The added distance moves the hot banger and open flame further from your face, and reduces thermal stress on the rig's glass joint.

This matters more with smaller rigs where the banger sits close to the mouthpiece.

That said, reclaim catchers are upgrades, not necessities.

Plenty of dabbers run rigs without them and are perfectly happy.

The decision depends on how often you dab, whether you prefer low temps, and how much you dislike cleaning.

Choosing Between Glass, Silicone, and Drop-Down Designs

Four main designs cover most setups, and the right choice depends on what matters most to you.

All-glass units are easy to clean with isopropyl alcohol and appeal to flavor purists who want zero off-tastes from other materials.

If you care about terpene purity and don't mind a slightly more careful harvesting process, glass is the move.

Silicone hybrids with detachable non-stick jars make harvesting the most convenient option.

Reclaim peels right off the silicone container, so collecting your material takes seconds.

For dabbers who plan to reuse every bit of cannabis concentrate they can, this design makes the process effortless.

Drop-down styles lower the center of gravity for better stability and push the hot zone away from your face.

A small recycler that tips easily benefits from this design.

The angled shape also creates more surface area for vapor to cool, which helps with condensation.

Straight adapters keep added height minimal for setups where clearance matters.

If your rig is tall and stable on its own, a straight adapter collects reclaim without changing the balance or adding bulk.

The quick decision guide: easy harvesting means silicone hybrid, flavor purity means all-glass, stability and safety means drop-down, and minimal height means straight adapter.

Collecting and Storing Reclaim Safely

Reclaim is already activated by the heat of dabbing, which means it's psychoactive and ready to use without further processing.

That makes it worth collecting rather than letting it gunk up your rig.

Common reuse methods include re-dabbing for users who don't mind the stronger taste, infusing into edibles or butter where flavor matters less, making tinctures, or topping flower bowls for an extra boost.

Many experienced dabbers prefer oral consumption methods because reclaim has degraded terpenes and a noticeably harsher taste than fresh dabs.

That's normal and not a quality issue.

Harvesting depends on your catcher design.

With a silicone container, pop it off and scoop the reclaim out with a Dab Tool.

With a glass cup, gently warm the outside with a hair dryer so the oil liquefies and pours or scrapes out cleanly.

A dedicated tool like Mood's Dab Tool for $10 makes scooping and transferring sticky reclaim more precise and less messy.

One safety note that matters: if you use isopropyl alcohol to dissolve stubborn residue from a glass catcher, that alcohol must be fully evaporated before any consumption.

Some dabbers prefer to discard ISO-contaminated reclaim entirely rather than risk incomplete evaporation.

Fresh concentrates from quality sources give you a better experience without the concern.

Store collected reclaim in glass or PTFE containers.

Labeling with the strain and date helps you track what you have on hand.

Keeping Airflow Smooth and Setting Realistic Expectations

How much reclaim you collect depends on technique and dab temperature.

Most users capture around 10% to 30% of their concentrate as reclaim.

That's a realistic range, not a guarantee, and it varies with every session.

Several factors affect yield.

Oversized dabs leave more residue behind.

Pulling too hard can drag oil into the banger neck instead of letting it condense naturally.

Too-low temperatures don't fully vaporize concentrate, producing more reclaim.

Excessive temperatures can cause splatter that bypasses the catcher entirely.

For upkeep, make sure the collection jar is securely attached before each session.

Empty the jar before buildup hardens, because fresh reclaim is far easier to handle than dried, crusty residue.

Clean the glass adapter with isopropyl alcohol periodically to keep the vapor path unrestricted.

If your rig feels choked after adding a catcher, the most common fix is switching to a shorter drop-down or wider bore design.

A tilted jar usually means the angle doesn't match your rig.

Unstable connections benefit from keck clips that hold everything together securely.

Reclaim retains active cannabinoids but in different ratios than the original material.

The terpene profile is degraded, which explains the harsher taste.

Being realistic about quality means you'll choose the right reuse path and avoid disappointment.

What to Look for When You Buy

The priority order is straightforward: confirm fit first, choose a design second, then consider material quality and aesthetics last.

Start by checking your rig's joint size, gender, and angle.

If you're unsure, measure the joint opening: a dime fits inside a 14mm joint but not a 10mm, and an 18mm joint fits a nickel.

For gender, look at the joint itself: if it has a wide opening where another piece slides in it's female, and if it's a narrower stem that slides into something it's male.

Generic glass adapters typically run $15 to $30, with prices climbing for premium borosilicate glass or custom artistic pieces.

Device-specific attachments exist for certain e-rig systems, so check compatibility if you use one of those.

Fit matters more than brand, so don't overpay for a name when a correctly sized piece from any reputable glassmaker works the same way.

If you're also building out the rest of your weed accessories, grab a torch for dabs and a quality Dab Tool for $10 so you're ready to collect and handle reclaim from your first session.

Get the Fit Right and Enjoy Cleaner Sessions

The path is clear: understand what a reclaim catcher does, buy one that matches your rig's three specs, choose a design that suits your priorities, and keep the airflow clean with regular maintenance.

Follow that sequence and you'll buy the right piece the first time, skip the frustrating returns, and get exactly the value you expected.

Ready to explore Mood's concentrate lineup?

Browse the best concentrates or learn how to use a dab rig if you're still getting your setup dialed in.