What is a Bong, Anyway?
Bongs have long been an integral part of smoking culture, popular for their ability to enhance the smoking experience. These water pipes come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, each offering a unique way to enjoy herbs or concentrates.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the diverse world of glass bongs, reviewing different types of bongs and functionalities. Whether you're a seasoned smoker or new to the scene, understanding the intricacies of bongs is essential for choosing the one that will fit your smoking needs best. Let's dive into the fascinating world of bongs and discover how they can elevate your smoking sessions.
1. Beaker Bongs
Beaker bongs are a classic and beloved choice among cannabis enthusiasts. These bongs are easily recognizable by their iconic, laboratory-inspired shape, resembling a conical scientific beaker. But there's more to them than just looks.
Design and Functionality:
Beaker bongs are famous for a reason. Their wide base provides excellent stability, making them less likely to tip over. This stability is crucial, especially when passing a glass bong among friends. The large base also allows for a more substantial water chamber, resulting in better filtration and bigger volume hits.
Smooth Hits:
The extended neck of a beaker bong allows for a longer, condensed smoke path, which cools down the smoke before it reaches your lungs. Condensing the smoke this way also provides more potent hits and after-effects. These features help to provide smoother, more effective hits, reducing the harshness often associated with smoking.
Easy to Clean:
Maintenance is a breeze with beaker bongs. The broad base and removable downstem makes them easy to clean, and the simple design minimizes hard-to-reach spots.
Customization:
Beaker bongs come in various big and small sizes and materials, glass being the most premium when compared to alternative materials like plastic, acrylic, or silicone. Often featuring a removable downstem, you can easily pair your beaker with downstems that have different percolators, colors, etc. You can customize the level of water filtration and its overall look. This versatility allows you to choose a beaker bong that best fits your personal preferences.
Beaker bongs are a fantastic choice for those who appreciate a blend of form and function. Their stability, smooth hits, ease of cleaning, and customization options make them a favorite among cannabis enthusiasts.
2. Dab Rigs
Dab rigs, also known as oil rigs or concentrate pipes, are specially designed for consuming cannabis concentrates, such as wax, shatter, or oil. Dabbing has gained popularity due to the potency and flavor of concentrates. Let's dive into what makes dab rigs unique.
Design:
Dab rigs are designed to optimize concentrate consumption. They feature a unique design that works well with vapor and maximizing flavor. Dab rigs are used with a nail or banger instead of a traditional bowl. This nail is heated, and the concentrate is dabbed onto it, creating a potent vapor for inhalation.
Water Filtration:
Like traditional bongs, most dab rigs incorporate water filtration to cool down and filter the vapor. This feature provides a smoother and more enjoyable experience while preserving the concentrate's flavor.
Different Types:
Dab rigs come in various styles, including recycler rigs, mini rigs, and classic rigs, each offering a distinct function and aesthetic. Recycler rigs, for example, recycle water and vapor for maximum filtration.
Heat Source:
The choice of heat source is crucial. While torches are most commonly used due to their accessibility, others prefer electric nails (e-nails) or electronic dab rigs, which offer precise temperature control and require less time to heat up your nail.
Portability:
Mini bong-style dab rigs are compact and portable, making them travel-friendly if needed. Classic rigs, on the other hand, provide more stability and may be better suited for home use.
Dab rigs are a must-have for concentrate enthusiasts. Their efficient design, water filtration, and various styles cater to a range of preferences, allowing you to enjoy the full potential of cannabis concentrates.
3. Round Bottom Bongs
Round bottom bongs are a unique and popular variation of the classic beaker water pipe. They have garnered attention for their distinctive design and exceptional functionality. Here's a closer look at what makes round-bottom bongs stand out.
Unique Shape:
As the name suggests, round bottom bongs feature a spherical or rounded base instead of the typical beaker-shaped bottom. This unique shape adds aesthetic charm and a smooth and ergonomic grip, all without compromising the volume of the water chamber.
Stability:
Despite their appearance, round-bottom bongs offer excellent stability when made properly. The rounded base lowers the bong's center of gravity, making it less prone to tipping over, especially with the weight of its substantial water volume.
Enhanced Filtration:
The rounded chamber allows for increased water volume, leading to enhanced filtration and cooling of the smoke. This results in a smoother and more enjoyable smoking experience.
Customization:
Many round-bottom bongs come in different sizes and offer features like removable downstems with various percolators or ice catchers, allowing users to customize their smoking experience further.
Round-bottom bongs combine sleek design with functionality. Their unique shape, stability, enhanced filtration, and customization options make them one of the most popular bong styles for new smokers and experienced enthusiasts.
4. Honeycomb Bong
Honeycomb bongs are famous among enthusiasts due to their innovative design and outstanding filtration capabilities. Let's get into what makes honeycomb bongs unique.
Intricate Percolation:
The main feature of honeycomb bongs is their intricate honeycomb percolator. This percolator is shaped like a disc and consists of multiple small holes arranged in a grid-like pattern. When smoke passes through these tiny holes, it gets diffused into countless smaller bubbles, significantly increasing the surface area for filtration.
Smooth Hits:
Thanks to the honeycomb percolator, hits from a honeycomb bong are exceptionally smooth. The diffusion process refines, cools, and filters the smoke, resulting in a less harsh and more enjoyable smoking experience.
Visual Appeal:
Many honeycomb bongs feature transparent glass with the honeycomb percolator prominently displayed. The sight of smoke diffusing through the honeycomb grid, resulting in stacking bubbles, adds a mesmerizing element to your smoking sessions.
Customization:
Like other types of bongs, honeycomb bongs often come in various design options. Some include ice catchers, various numbers of percolators, colored percolators, and more. Externally, you can add an ash catcher or high-performance bowl, like our multi-hole bowls, further allowing you to customize your smoking experience.
Honeycomb bongs offer exceptional filtration, resulting in smoother hits and a cleaner smoking experience. Their unique honeycomb percolator and sleek design makes them a top choice for those seeking functionality and visual appeal in their smoking devices.
Classic Design:
A straight-tube bong features a straightforward design with a vertical tube and a fixed or removable downstem. This simplified design makes these bongs easy to use and clean.
Efficient Filtration:
Despite their simplicity, straight tube bongs provide efficient filtration. Smoke travels directly through the water in the base and straight up the tube , cooling and filtering it for a smoother hit.
Effective Results:
Due to the smoke traveling straight up the neck and through the bong’s mouthpiece, it is condensed and direct, delivering potent hits with improved after-effects.
Easy Maintenance:
Cleaning a straight tube glass bong is simple due to its sleek shape. You can easily fill it with Purr Glass Cleaner or your preferred bong cleaning solution to ensure your bong stays pristine. If your bong features a removable downstem, simply remove it and soak it in a cleaning solution to clean it apart from your bong.
Variety of Sizes:
These bongs come in various sizes, making it easy to find one that fits your preferences. Whether you prefer a compact, portable option or a larger, more intricate piece, there's a straight tube bong you’ll enjoy.
Customization Options:
Many straight-tube bongs have different features, such as ice pinches or multiple percolators, allowing you to enhance your smoking experience. If featuring a removable downstem, it’s easy to customize your bong with downstems that have different percolator styles or colors.
Straight tube bongs are a classic choice for smokers who appreciate simplicity, efficiency, and ease of use. Their timeless design and reliable filtration make them a staple in any smoking collection.
5. Multi-Chamber Bongs
Multi-chamber or multi-percolator bongs are popular among enthusiasts seeking an exceptionally smooth and filtered smoking experience. These bongs are designed with multiple chambers, each serving a unique purpose in enhancing your smoking experience.
Enhanced Filtration:
Multi-chamber bongs feature multiple percolators that break down and filter smoke through water, resulting in extra filtered, smooth, and clean hits, reducing harshness and enhancing the flavor of your herbs.
Smooth Hits:
As smoke passes through each chamber and percolator, it undergoes additional filtration, resulting in an exceptionally smooth hit. The increased diffusion also helps cool down the smoke, making inhaling more comfortable.
Eye-Catching Design:
The intricate design of multi-chamber bongs enhances functionality and adds interesting visual appeal to your smoking setup. They often become a centerpiece for your smoking sessions.
Multi-chamber bongs are the choice for smokers who value smooth hits and superior filtration. Their complex design and advanced percolation systems deliver a high quality smoking experience.
6. Percolator Bongs
Bongs feature percolators, often called "percs," which can provide smoother, more incredible, and more flavorful hits. Bongs can have simple to specialized percolation systems designed to elevate your smoking experience.
Enhanced Filtration:
The percolation system is a critical feature of bongs. A vast selection of percolators, such as honeycomb, tree, or showerhead percs, help diffuse and filter smoke through water. This results in a cleaner, more refined smoke with reduced harshness.
Cooler Hits:
Percolators break down the smoke into smaller bubbles, increasing the surface area in contact with water. As a result, it efficiently cools the smoke, making your hits smoother and much more comfortable on your throat and lungs.
Improved Flavor:
By removing harsh particles and impurities, percolator bongs provide a heightened flavor profile for your herbs or concentrates. The intricate diffusion process allows you to savor your material's full spectrum of flavors.
Visual Appeal:
Percolator bongs come in various designs, showcasing the mesmerizing percolation process. The intricate patterns of bubbles and smoke within the chambers add an artistic element to your smoking setup.
Many Options:
There are percolator bongs, from single to multiple percolators, to suit every preference. Whether you prefer the simplicity of a single honeycomb perc or the complexity of a multi-perc system, like our Incycler, there's a percolator bong for you.
Percolator bongs are necessary for smoother, cleaner, and more flavorful hits. Their advanced percolation systems improve the quality of your hits and overall smoke session.
7. Gravity Bongs
Gravity bongs, also known as "grav bongs" or "bucket bongs," offer a unique and powerful way to consume your favorite herbs or concentrates. These DIY-style bongs utilize gravity to create a concentrated hit, making them popular for an intense hit and novel experience. Here's what you need to know about them.
Simple Yet Effective:
Gravity bongs have two main components — a container filled with water and a smaller bottle or chamber. The process is straightforward: you submerge the chamber in water while lighting your material in the bowl. As you lift the chamber, it creates a vacuum that fills with smoke. Once fully lifted, remove the bowl and inhale the dense, concentrated smoke.
Potent Hits:
One of the biggest appeals of gravity bongs is their ability to deliver incredibly potent hits. Because the smoke is highly concentrated, users often claim to experience a more intense and immediate effect compared to traditional smoking methods.
DIY Innovation:
Many users enjoy crafting their gravity-style thick glass bongs using readily available materials. This DIY aspect adds an element of creativity to the smoking experience.
Gravity bongs are a unique and efficient way to consume herbs. While they may not offer the same filtration and cooling as traditional bongs, their ability to deliver potent hits makes them a favorite among those seeking a potent smoking experience.
How to Choose the Right Bong
Choosing the perfect bong is a crucial decision for any herb enthusiast. With various types available, selecting the right one can significantly improve your smoking experience. Here's a guide to help you make an informed choice.
Material:
Bongs come in different materials, such as glass, acrylic, and silicone. Glass bongs are a top choice for their function, cleanliness, and ability to preserve the flavor of your herbs. Acrylic and silicone bongs may not be the top choice for purity seekers, but are lightweight for travel. For a better and safer on-the-go option, check out Purr2Go which pairs an American made, BPA-free, medical grade polycarbonate exterior with your favorite glass inner components for one of the best alternative pipes on the market.
Size:
Different types of bongs come in various sizes, from small and discreet to large and intricate. Consider where you'll primarily use it. Larger bongs provide bigger hits and more percolator options due to increased size, while smaller ones offer are more portable.
Percolation Style:
If you value smoother and cooler hits, choose a bong with percolators. These features help diffuse the smoke for a less harsh experience. Some popular percolator bong types include honeycomb, tree, and inline.
Consider Accessories:
Many bongs can be paired with ash catchers or specialty bowls, like our multi-hole bowls, to enhance your smoking experience.
Price:
Set a budget before shopping. Bongs come in a wide price range. Some cheaper options may not be as durable or provide as many benefits as higher priced pieces that may be more of an investment that can last a lifetime.
Choosing a suitable bong is a personal decision based on your preferences and lifestyle. Consider the bong material, size, percolation, accessories, and price to find the perfect bong that will be best for you.
Why Does the Size of a Bong Matter?
The size of bongs plays a significant role in your smoking experience, affecting everything from the potency of your hits to the ease of use. Here's why size matters when choosing the suitable bong.
Smoke Quality:
A larger bong offers a bigger, smoother, and more filtered smoking experience. The increased water volume allows for better cooled smoke filtration, resulting in less harsh hits.
Potency:
Smaller glass bongs deliver more concentrated hits, making them ideal for users who want to control the potency of their smoking sessions. They also conserve your herbs, as you can achieve the desired effect with less material.
Portability:
Smaller bongs are more accessible to carry and store, making them a preferred choice for on-the-go smokers. They're discreet and convenient for travel, ensuring you can enjoy your herbs wherever you are.
Versatility:
Larger glass bongs can have multiple chambers and percolators, providing additional features for an enhanced experience. However, they can be heavier, bulkier, and less suitable for portable use.
Personal Preference:
Ultimately, the size of your bong comes down to personal preference. Consider your smoking habits, whether you prioritize smooth hits, portability, or versatility, to determine the correct size.
Conclusion
In the world of smoking accessories, bongs stand out as the most popular, versatile devices to help enhance your smoking experience. From classic beaker bongs to innovative percolator designs, each type offers a unique way to enjoy your herbs.
When choosing from different types of bongs, consider your preferences, smoking habits, and desired effects. Purr Glass provides a wide selection of American-made glass bongs, ensuring you can find the perfect fit for your needs. Explore our collection and elevate your smoking journey today.
