What's the Difference Between Wax, Shatter, and Live Resin?
Learn the differences between popular cannabis concentrates including wax, shatter, budder, live resin, and rosin.
•5 min read•273 words
Walk into a dispensary and you'll see many types of concentrates. Here's your guide to understanding them.
The Main Concentrate Types
Shatter:
- Appearance: Translucent, glass-like sheets
- Texture: Brittle, breaks like glass
- Potency: 60-80% THC
- Why it looks that way: Minimal agitation during extraction
- Handling: Break off pieces, can be tricky to dose
Wax (Budder/Badder):
- Appearance: Opaque, creamy, butter-like
- Texture: Soft, malleable
- Potency: 60-80% THC
- Why it looks that way: Whipped during processing
- Handling: Easy to scoop and dose
Crumble:
- Appearance: Dry, honeycomb-like texture
- Texture: Crumbly, falls apart easily
- Potency: 60-80% THC
- Why it looks that way: Purged at low temps
- Handling: Easy to portion, can be messy
Live Resin:
- Appearance: Golden, sauce-like, sometimes with crystals
- Texture: Wet, terpy
- Potency: 60-90% THC
- Made from: Flash-frozen fresh plants (not dried)
- Flavor: Superior terpene profile, more aromatic
- Cost: Higher due to process
Live Rosin:
- Appearance: Varies (budder, jam, etc.)
- Potency: 60-80% THC
- Made from: Solventless extraction using heat and pressure
- Considered: Cleanest concentrate by many enthusiasts
- Cost: Premium pricing
Diamonds (THCA Crystals):
- Appearance: Crystalline chunks in terp sauce
- Potency: 95-99% THC
- Notes: Pure THCA, extremely potent
- For: Experienced users only
How They're Made
| Type | Extraction Method |
|---|---|
| Shatter/Wax/Crumble | Solvent (BHO, CO2) |
| Live Resin | Solvent from fresh-frozen |
| Rosin | Solventless (heat + pressure) |
| Diamonds | Separation from live resin |
Choosing Based on Preference
- Best flavor: Live resin, live rosin
- Easiest to handle: Wax/budder
- Cleanest process: Rosin (solventless)
- Budget-friendly: Shatter, crumble
- Maximum potency: Diamonds, distillate
Key Takeaways
- Texture differences come from processing methods
- Live concentrates preserve more terpenes
- Rosin is solventless (heat + pressure only)
- All types are significantly more potent than flower
- Choose based on flavor preferences and handling ease
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