Short answer: Both the GTT Lynx and the GTT Bobcat are single-stage surface-mix bench torches from Glass Torch Technologies, so they share the same gentle, quiet, color-friendly flame DNA. The difference is focus. The Bobcat is the more beginner-friendly, versatile, and affordable choice, a true do-everything starter that melts soft glass and small-to-medium boro and is famous for running well on a modest oxygen supply. The Lynx is a finer, multi-jet detail-oriented torch favored by intermediate and advanced artists for pinpoint precision, stringer work, dots, intricate boro detail. For most beginners and anyone wanting one versatile burner, buy the Bobcat. If your work lives in fine detail and precision, the Lynx earns its place.
If you’re still mapping the bigger decision, start with the complete glass torch buyer’s guide, this article zooms in on these two GTT models specifically.
First, what “surface mix” means here
Both of these torches are surface mix, which means the fuel (propane or natural gas) and the oxygen stay separate until they leave the torch face and combine at the surface, where they burn. That design gives a quieter, gentler, highly adjustable flame that’s kind to colors and forgiving of imperfect technique, the reason GTT’s entire line is built around it. One technology distinction worth knowing: the Bobcat is GTT’s standard surface-mix torch, while the Lynx runs GTT’s patented Triple Mix surface-mix system. If you want the full explanation of why this matters versus older premix designs, see surface mix vs premix torches and GTT Triple Mix technology. Source: GTT.
Both torches still share the surface-mix foundation, so this isn’t primarily a “which technology wins” debate. It’s about flame size, flame character, and who each torch is built for.
GTT Bobcat, the versatile starter
The Bobcat is GTT’s do-it-all single-stage bench torch, and it’s the one dealers and teachers most often point newcomers toward. Three things make it a standout starter:
- Versatility. It comfortably handles soft glass (beads) and small-to-medium boro, so you won’t outgrow it the moment you get curious about hard glass. GTT and dealers describe a flame that ranges from a useful pinpoint up to enough heat for solid boro work.
- Oxygen efficiency. The Bobcat is well known for running well on a single ~5 LPM oxygen concentrator (verify current figures with the maker). That’s a big deal, many torches are hungrier than a beginner’s oxygen supply can feed, and the Bobcat sidesteps that trap.
- Skill range. GTT positions it for beginner-to-intermediate users, which is exactly why it shows up so often in best beginner glass torch discussions.
It sits in the entry price band, and it earns that by being a torch you can grow into rather than out of. Source: GTT Bobcat.
GTT Lynx, the pinpoint detail torch
The Lynx is a multi-jet (seven-jet) single-stage bench torch built around a pinpoint detail flame. Where the Bobcat is a generalist, the Lynx is a specialist: its jet pattern delivers a tight, controllable, precision flame that intermediate and advanced artists prize for fine detail, stringer work, dots, and intricate boro. It runs the same patented Triple Mix surface-mix system as the rest of the GTT line, so it keeps the gentle, color-friendly character while concentrating the heat where you point it.
GTT positions the Lynx for intermediate-to-advanced users. It’s not that a beginner can’t run it, it’s that its strengths (pinpoint precision, detail control) are most valuable once your hands have the skills to exploit them. The Lynx is also the flame “building block” at the center of several larger GTT torches, which tells you how respected its detail flame is. Like the Bobcat, it sits in the mid price band. Source: GTT.
Side-by-side: Lynx vs Bobcat
Figures below come from the manufacturer’s own pages and manuals where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours. Configurations and prices change; confirm the current spec with GTT before you buy.
| Factor | GTT Bobcat | GTT Lynx |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface mix (standard) | Surface mix (Triple Mix) |
| Mount / stages | Bench, single-stage | Bench, single-stage |
| Flame character | Versatile, pinpoint up to broad enough for solid boro | Tight, multi-jet pinpoint detail flame |
| Best for | Versatile starter: soft glass + small-to-medium boro | Fine detail, stringer work, precision boro |
| Skill level | Beginner to intermediate | Intermediate to advanced |
| Oxygen appetite (qualitative) | Modest, known to run well on a single ~5 LPM concentrator | Confirm with maker; a precise detail flame, not a heat monster |
| Fuel | Propane or natural gas | Propane or natural gas |
| Price band | Entry | Mid |
Sources: GTT, GTT Triple Mix, GTT Bobcat.
Which should you buy?
- New to lampworking / want one torch to do it all: Bobcat. Its versatility, forgiving surface-mix flame, and modest oxygen needs make it the lower-risk, more flexible first torch.
- Soft-glass beadmaker who values a calm, easy flame on a single concentrator: Bobcat. The oxygen efficiency alone simplifies your whole setup.
- Intermediate/advanced artist focused on detail, stringers, dots, fine boro line work: Lynx. That pinpoint flame is exactly what it’s built for.
- You already have a larger torch for bulk heat and want a dedicated detail burner: Lynx. It pairs well as the precision tool in a multi-torch bench.
A useful way to frame it: the Bobcat is about range (do many things well on modest oxygen), and the Lynx is about precision (do detail work superbly). Neither is “better”, they answer different questions. And because both are surface mix, you keep GTT’s gentle, color-friendly flame either way.
Don’t forget oxygen and fuel
With any GTT torch, the flame is only half the system, your oxygen supply has to feed it. The Bobcat’s reputation for sipping oxygen on a single ~5 LPM concentrator is a real advantage if you’re building a home studio. Both torches run on propane or natural gas; just never mix up fittings between fuels, and always run flashback arrestors and proper ventilation. For the full breakdown of oxygen, fuel, and budgeting the whole system, see the complete buyer’s guide.
Key takeaways
- The Bobcat and Lynx are both GTT single-stage surface-mix bench torches, the same gentle, quiet, color-friendly flame family, though only the Lynx uses GTT’s patented Triple Mix system (the Bobcat is GTT’s standard surface mix).
- Bobcat = the versatile starter: soft glass + small-to-medium boro, beginner-to-intermediate, known for running well on a single ~5 LPM concentrator.
- Lynx = the pinpoint detail torch: a seven-jet precision flame for intermediate-to-advanced detail, stringer, and fine boro work.
- Most people should buy the Bobcat; choose the Lynx if your work is centered on detail and precision.
- Figures here come from GTT’s own pages where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours; confirm the current spec with GTT before buying, and plan your oxygen and safety gear as part of the budget.
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/
- GTT, “Triple Mix Torches”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/triple-mix-torches
- GTT, “Bobcat”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/bobcat
Editor’s note: model names and behaviors reflect public manufacturer/dealer info and community sources as of 2026; verify current lineups, specs, and prices with GTT before purchase.