Beyond Disposables: The Rise of Modular Vape Hardware

For years, cannabis vape hardware has been defined by a binary choice: 510-thread cartridges or all-in-one disposables. Each format emerged to solve specific problems, and each became deeply entrenched in the market. But as the industry matures, and extract innovation accelerates—that binary is starting to feel limiting.

Today’s brands are managing more SKUs, more extract types, and more educated consumers than ever before. Meanwhile, regulators and customers alike are asking tougher questions about waste, performance and long-term value. Against that backdrop, a new category of vape hardware is beginning to take shape: modular platforms designed to evolve alongside the industry.

ACTIVE’s Singular platform is one of the clearest expressions of that shift.

Designing Hardware Around the Extract, Not the Format

One of the most persistent challenges in vape hardware is the assumption that a single configuration can perform equally well across all oil types. In reality, rosin, resin and distillate behave very differently, both in production and in consumption.

ACTIVE approached Singular by flipping the traditional design logic: “By starting with the extract, not the device,” says Michael Brosgart, president of ACTIVE. “We built Singular around the physical realities and nuances of rosin, resin and distillates.”

Viscosity, fill temperature, and thermal behavior all influence how an extract performs inside a vaporizer. Singular’s modular architecture allows heating elements, materials and airflow to be optimized at the pod level, rather than forcing brands to compromise performance for the sake of standardization.

Singular condenses various vape lines into a unified SKU, creating a better experience for consumers and more streamlined manufacturing for brands. With multiple heating elements designed specifically for different extracts, various capacities available, and 510 compatibility brings all extracts into one platform for vaping.

For extractors and brand operators, that approach mirrors how product development already happens upstream: formulation first, hardware second.

Bridging Legacy Hardware and What Comes Next

While innovation continues to push forward, the cannabis vape market is still deeply rooted in legacy infrastructure, particularly 510-thread cartridges. Any meaningful evolution in hardware must acknowledge that reality rather than attempt to replace it overnight.

Singular addresses this directly through a 510-cartridge adapter, allowing brands and consumers to use existing 510 hardware within the Singular ecosystem.

This adapter does more than preserve backward compatibility. It creates a bridge between what the market already knows and what it’s becoming, giving customers continuity while enabling brands to transition at their own pace.

While consumers have pushed towards convenience and new form factors, 510 cartridges are still the backbone of the industry. In 2025, according to Headset Data, cartridges saw a 4.1% decline vs AIO’s across the US. That said, cartridges still own 53.6% of the overall vape market keeping 510s firmly relevant.

Rather than forcing a hard pivot away from familiar formats, Singular positions modularity as an inclusive step forward—one that keeps the customer experience at the center of the equation.

Modularity as a Sustainability Strategy

All-in-one devices helped normalize vaping for consumers by simplifying use and eliminating friction. But that convenience has come with trade-offs, particularly around environmental impact and long-term cost efficiency.

Singular’s reusable batteries paired with interchangeable pods offer a different path. By separating the long-life components from the consumable ones, the platform reduces material waste without sacrificing ease of use.

Simply put, ACTIVE is building upon the consumer-led form factors of All-In-Ones, without the waste. This becomes additionally more important to operators as potential disposable bans loom over various markets like what we’re seeing with proposed legislation in California and challenges across the pond in the EU.

Importantly, this isn’t sustainability layered on as a marketing afterthought. It’s baked into the system architecture, aligning environmental considerations with operational efficiency for brands and manufacturers.

Built With the Supply Chain, Not in Isolation

Hardware innovation in cannabis doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Filling lines, production schedules, retail realities, and customer expectations all shape whether a product succeeds or stalls.

“Singular has been three years in the making,” Brosgart explains. “We combined deep R&D with real-world data and feedback from the people actually filling and selling these devices.”

That collaborative development process shows up in the platform’s practicality. From compatibility across extract types to the ability to expand or adapt without overhauling an entire hardware strategy.

A Platform for an Evolving Industry

As cannabis continues to professionalize, vape hardware is shifting from novelty to infrastructure. The next generation of devices won’t be defined by a single format, but by their ability to adapt technically, operationally and culturally.

“It takes vision to reimagine how to take the best of all-in-one disposables and create something new,” Brosgart says. “I’m even more excited about what’s coming up next with new technology and functionality dropping in 2026.”

Singular reflects a broader industry realization: The future of cannabis vaping isn’t about abandoning the past, rather it’s about building platforms that respect it, while giving brands and consumers a smarter path forward.