Universal Baller

Background

The Universal Baller from Terp Chasers Club is a super powerful and versatile ball vape kit that can be used as a wireless wand preloaded with heat, or wired with a constant power supply and zero heat decay. In this review, I’ll look at the kit, design, and features, and compare it to the Ruby Twist and the WOHW.

The UB is available from the Terp Chasers Official Store and retails for $500 for the basic kit. You can use coupon code VG10 for 10% off, bringing the final price down to $450.

Kit & Accessories

The assembled Universal Baller kit contains:

• The PID controller, an aluminum housing, and two rubber bands to attach them
• The heater, which plugs into the back of the PID and can be installed on the housing for wireless mode, or on the wand for wired mode
• The chamber of the wand, available in stainless steel or titanium (though it doesn’t really matter, as it has a quartz insert which isolates the airpath from the metal and creates a quartz-and-glass airpath free from any metals—so the stainless or titanium is only the outer shell and doesn’t affect the airpath)
• Inside the chamber, there are 1,000 2mm ruby balls, which store heat and transfer it on demand—but we’ll get to that in a bit
• A fritted disc that is used to increase airflow (I opt not to use it)
• A 22mm diffuser glass bowl with an 18mm joint
• An aluminum funnel filling aid for the balls or the herb
• A cleaning brush, herb scoop, and stainless steel screens

One additional accessory I use frequently that isn’t included is the “preheat” bowl, which is made from glass but has a metal housing that can soak heat for fuller, denser hits. It is available from the TCC store and  is actually my most-used bowl for this device, and I prefer it over the included glass bowl.

All these accessories are housed in the dock, including the unused rings or bowls.

Design & Features

One thing that stands out right away is the size of the heater. It is much larger than the Ruby Twist or WOHW, for example, making this a much more powerful unit. Also, while it looks like this setup has a lot of metal, the airpath has only quartz and glass, and there are zero contaminants in the airpath—not even stainless or titanium.

When assembling the chamber, I can use the ring with the folded ledge to lock the heater in place around the chamber. This is “wired” mode—the heater stays on the chamber, even when it is placed on the glass. Or, I can attach the flat ring without a fold in the edge, and that will allow me to take the chamber in and out of the heater. In this setup, the heater stays mounted on the docking station, the ruby chamber soaks heat via conduction, and then it’s transferred to the glass for “untethered” use.

The difference is pretty obvious—in wireless mode, the heat quickly fades away as there is no new heat being generated in the system. This is not an issue for quick, one-hit extractions, but it may be a little annoying if you’re looking for a “session” and the heat fades away in the middle. With wired mode, the heater stays hot, so the temperature of the chamber stays consistent with zero heat loss. This mode is better suited for session-style use—like slowly extracting over 3–5 inhales—which is my preferred method. So I’ll leave mine on wired mode.

If you’re new to ball vapes, here’s a short explanation of how they work:

The rubies in the chamber soak up the heat generated by the heating element via conduction (meaning direct contact with the heat source). Then, cold air enters the top and passes through these hot rubies, and comes out the other end as a jet of super-hot air, extracting the vapor and sending it up to the mouthpiece.

Performance

As far as performance goes—this thing is a beast. The heating coil is huge and powerful. It heats up quickly and keeps a steady, constant temperature.

Pair this heater with an all-quartz ruby chamber, and you get one of the strongest, purest, most robust, and flavorful ways to consume your herb. There is no flavor loss, and every subtle note of the plant transfers. That combination of flavor and power is truly exceptional.

I got the best results when I paired it with the full-bowl or the hybrid bowl, which are the same size. I let the heater sit on the bowl to preheat it, add the herb, place the heater back on, and I get full, milky, dense vapor right from the first hit.

Universal Baller vs Ruby Twist and WOHW

While the Universal Baller sits at the top of the game, it also comes with a premium price tag—around $500 at the time of recording. To see where that extra cash is going, let’s compare it to two more affordable options: one wired (the Ruby Twist) and one wireless (the One Hit Wonder).

Heater

The first difference you’ll notice is the heater. All three use the same type of heating coil, but the UB’s coil is much larger, giving it more power and better temperature stability.

PID Controllers 

All three PID controllers are made by the same company—Crossing Tech. In fact, the UB and the One Hit Wonder share the exact same PID model. This PID controller connects to a power source and to the vape wand via an XLR connector, regulating the heating coil’s temperature by adjusting the power based on real-time feedback.

Airpath

The next big difference is the airpath. The Ruby Twist has a stainless steel chamber with 230 rubies, the One Hit Wonder has 520 rubies, and the UB offers either stainless or titanium chambers with a quartz insert and 1,000 rubies. More rubies mean more surface area for faster heat transfer. Plus, the UB’s airpath contains no exposed metal—just quartz, along with your glass bowl or bubbler.

Quartz is chemically inert, so it doesn’t react with your material. Some users claim stainless or titanium can subtly affect taste, though in my opinion, the difference is minimal. Still, quartz is considered the “purest” option—it won’t corrode, it’s extremely thermally stable, and it maintains flavor integrity. The only downside is fragility.

While the UB does have a metal shell, the quartz lining ensures the air never touches metal.

So, what are you paying extra for? More power, a bigger chamber with more rubies for faster heating, and a 100% pure quartz airpath.

Drawbacks

First, the obvious one—ball vapes in general have some inherent downsides. They’re big, they need a dedicated station, and there are plenty of exposed hot parts—which can be especially risky if you have pets. Those limitations apply to any ball vape setup, so I won’t spend too much time on them.

Now, specifically with the Universal Baller:

• Draw resistance: The larger chamber and extra rubies mean the air has to weave through more media before it reaches you. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s slightly more restricted than some other models.
• Handle in wired mode: There’s no real handle included for the wand. I’ve been using a MiniNail handle from another device, which makes it much easier to hold in wired mode. At this price point, a simple handle should really come in the box.

Bottom Line

Alright, so bottom line—should you buy it? Is it worth $500?

It depends. How much do you value power and purity? I mostly use it in wired mode, so I’d compare it to the Ruby Twist over the One Hit Wonder. The Twist goes for $200—I have a dedicated review for it—and while it’s not as pure or as powerful, it is certainly more than enough for most users. You can get about 80% of the power and flavor for less than half the price.

But if you consider yourself a purist, or you’re just super passionate about consuming, and you want the absolute cleanest way to inhale, this is the ultimate choice. It’s been my daily driver since the day I got it, and it’s an exceptional combination of power and purity. It’s easily one of the best dry herb vaporizers of this year and well worth it if you can afford it.