Bongs & Water Pipes

Bongs, aka water pipes, are a great way to smoke flower, as they offer smoother and cooler hits. Bongs feature a water chamber where smoke passes through from the downstem to filter the smoke. The dissipated smoke from the water chamber then travels up the neck of the pipe and out of the mouthpiece to deliver those smoother hits. Inside the water chamber, you often see a tunnel-shaped cavity, called a downstem, where you can install bowl attachments from the side of the water chamber. Weed bowls or attachments often vary in size, but you can place any sized bowl on your bong as long as the bowl’s stem fits seamlessly into the downstem’s opening. Finally, all bongs need a mouthpiece and a neck. The neck of a bong comes in all shapes and sizes; some even feature ice catchers to get more chilled hits in. But no matter the size or shape of your bong, you can rest assured knowing that these nifty water pipes are a surefire way to get more cool and smooth hits.

Components of a Bong:

Mouthpiece: Obviously but hear us out. For our newbies, the mouthpiece shouldn’t be covered by your luscious lips, rather you should place your lips inside the mouthpiece. If you have been blessed with big lips, try pursing them and slowly relax them to create an airtight seal inside the mouthpiece. Remember, you always want your lips inside the mouthpiece, not over it. 

Water Chamber: Put simply, this is where your water will live. Water chambers come in different sizes, but the bigger the chamber, the smoother hits you’d get in. You might be asking, “Can I fill my water chamber with tap water?” To each their own, but you typically want to smoke with water that is classified as “drinking water.” In our personal preference, any brand of distilled water should be good for your smoking sessions.

You might also be asking, “How much water does my water bong need?” The answer is simple, just enough to submerge the slitted downstem, or at least by ½ inch from the downstem’s slits (which we will explain more below).

Downstem: A downstem is a tube-shaped cavity built into the body of the water pipe. This is where you’d insert your stemmed bowl attachment. The downstem is important because it allows the smoke from your bowl attachment to travel into the water chamber, where it will be filtered.  

Bowl Attachment: For our newbie bong smokers, bowls are where you load up your weed to light it, creating smoke where it travels down to the downstem. Bowls are attached to a stem. The stems slide into or onto the downstem. You can have male and female attachments. If you have a tapered stem, then it is a male attachment. If the stem is wider, then it is a female attachment. Still confused Don’t worry most water bongs feature a male attachment (remember, a tapered stem), which is inserted into the female downstem opening. Attachments come in different sizes, so it is important to know the size of your bowl attachment’s stem in case you ever need to replace it. If you’re not sure about the size, just take the bowl joint to your head shop and they should be able to pair you with the correct attachment for your bong.

Percolator: Percolators are neat built-in devices that help filter smoke and impurities in water bongs. They’re not always found in bongs, but if you have a perc built-in, it is considered a perc bong. There are many perc designs out there, but they all are created with one goal, to filter. Percolators create bubbles when water passes through them, and the bubbles create a sort of screen where smoke and herb bits could be filtered through and out; ultimately, this process means smoother hits. A bong with a perc would be ideal; they allow for smoother hits and allow you to inhale more smoke--which will allow you to get the most from your weed.

Ice Catchers: Ice catchers are a nice feature to have on any water pipe. They’re usually built into the interior neck of a water bong, and they look like pinched glass nodes. As you can imagine, ice catchers lend toward cooler hits, as the smoke travels up the neck. If you can find a water pipe that features both ice catchers and a perc, you’re in for a treat.

Carb Hole: Not all water bongs feature a carb hole, but if your bong has one, all the better. Carb holes work like any other carb hole you’d find on a hand pipe, and they’re meant to control airflow into the body of the pipe. When you’re lighting up your herb in your bowl, you’d cover the carb hole and when you’re ready to take a rip, you uncover the carb to flush the smoke through the pipe to make its way up the pipe.

And there you have it, a comprehensive list of the many bells and whistles of a water bong. If you can find a pipe that features a combo of these features, then you’re in for some fun. Water bongs, in general, are better for you, as they often do a good job of filtering through all that gunk you don’t want to ingest. If you can find a perc bong, then all the better, as they add an extra layer of filtration. No matter what you decide to opt for on your bong, you put your mind at ease knowing bongs help you get the most out of your weed, regardless of its features or design.

Types of Bongs: 

Some of the most common bong designs include beaker bongs, straight tubes, and bubble base bongs.

Beaker Bongs: Think what you’d typically see in a chemistry lab. These bongs offer a sturdy base, making them less prone to accidental falls. Their design offers an ample chamber to allow for more water storage, which in turn leads to smoother smoking experiences.

Straight Tubes: Straightforward in design, these water pipes are exactly as described, they are straight tubes. They hold less water than beaker bongs, but some folks prefer them because they are often lighter than other water pipes and they’re also easier to clean.

Bubble Base Bongs: Bubble base bongs feature spherical water chambers that can sit on a pedestal base or a flat base. They’re stylish and offer users decent water storage for smooth rips.

Multi-Chamber Bongs: These bongs can have up to three (3) chambers where the smoke is filtered through in each chamber and often connected by a tube where the smoke can pass through. Each chamber would have water to help with the filtration.

Water Bong Compositions:

Glass Bongs: Glass bongs are often made with borosilicate glass, which is a durable, heat-resistant glass, making them durable. Glass is the most popular material used to make bongs and with good reason. Glass lends toward cleaner and more flavorful rips, and glass is easy to clean.

Acrylic Bongs: Acrylic bongs offer great price points, but they’re also limited by way of features. Most acrylic bongs cannot, for example, support a percolator. They’re some of the most durable bongs, but they don’t offer the same taste or experience as glass bongs.

Ceramic Bongs: Ceramic bongs are relatively durable and offer flavorful hits, but they’re also prone to breakage.

Silicone Bongs: Silicone bongs are dishwasher safe, so in this respect, they are easier to clean. They offer great price points, and they are durable.

 Pros: 

+Bongs offer some of the cleanest and smoothest hits thanks to their amazing filtration system, which incorporates water found in their water chamber.

+You often get the most out of your herb given a bong’s ability to produce ample amounts of smoke.

+Bongs feature wider mouthpieces for added comfort.

+Bongs come in a variety of designs, styles, and colors.

+The craftsmanship, in many cases, is top-tier.

+Bongs look and feel more elegant. 

+The taste of the smoke produced by a bong is better for some people.

+Bongs offer clean and smooth hits, especially when you have a percolator. A percolator is an added line of defense to filter out any impurities from your herb.

Cons: 

-Bongs have higher price points; prices can be a deterrent for some people. 

-Bongs are relatively larger and not necessarily portable. You might want to dry a bubbler for portability but still want those cooler hits.  

Quick Tips:

If you want to make your hits as healthy as possible, then it’s a good idea to consider using warm water rather than cold. Warm water won’t cool the smoke as much, but it will catch and dissolve more tar and other contaminants in the smoke. 

Picking a Bong:

Firstly, you’ll want to consider a price point you’re comfortable with and a style that will endure. We also recommend perc bongs for those extra clean and smooth hits. Hand-blown glass bongs come in various shapes and sizes, but most folks tend to lean toward the classic straight bongs. There are many selections and styles to choose from, so it comes down to preference and personal tastes. At the end of the day, you’ll want to pick a glass bong that you’ll want to keep for a period of time.

Wrapping It Up:

Of course, there are many other things to know about bongs, but we’ve covered fundamental knowledge here, and we hope it is a great starting point on your research journey as you look to add bongs to your pipe collection. Bongs are great smoking devices at the end of the day, and they’re great for group smoking sessions. If you’d like to shop our collection of high-quality glass bongs, check out our collection. 

FAQs: 

How Much Water Does a Water Bong Need?

You need just enough water to submerge the slits of your downstem, typically ½ an inch from the slits. If you have a percolator built-in, then you need to ensure you submerge all the slits on the percolator. Try performing a drag test, and if water is spouting out from the mouthpiece or the percolator isn’t creating bubbles, then you know you have too much water. You can dump excess water from the downstem cavity, by tipping your bong to pour out the excess water.

What is the difference between a dab rig and a bong?

Not much. You can use a bong as a dab rig and a dab rig as a bong. One distinct difference is that dab rigs use dab nail attachments (which are made specifically for cannabis concentrates) and bongs use bowl attachments (which are made to hold dry herb).   

What is a percolator? 

Percolators are nifty built-in devices that help filter smoke and impurities in water bongs.

Are bongs generally better at filtering out gunk?

In short, yes. Water bongs offer cleaner hits, thanks to the water chamber that filters and diffuses the smoke and impurities. If you have a perc bong or a recycler bong, the smoke is filtered even further for optimal hits.

How do I clean a bong?

It depends. If you have a silicone bong, for example, you can often stash it into a dishwasher and call it a day, but if you have a glass bong, it is a lengthier process. It is worth cleaning your bong on a regular basis. You can use salt and water to clean them.