Collection: Bongs

Glass Bongs	Percolator Bongs	Beaker Bongs	Ceramic Bongs	Mini Bongs	Bubble Bongs	Heady Glass	Bong Accessories

What is a bong?

A bong, or water bong, is a type of water pipe that features some sort of filtration device. In simple terms, it will filter the...

Glass Bongs	Percolator Bongs	Beaker Bongs	Ceramic Bongs	Mini Bongs	Bubble Bongs	Heady Glass	Bong Accessories

What is a bong?

A bong, or water bong, is a type of water pipe that features some sort of filtration device. In simple terms, it will filter the smoke from every hit you take through water.

Bongs have been one of the most popular ways to smoke dry flower on Earth for thousands of years, and with very good reason! Water bongs make for much smoother and cleaner hits then other methods. They're also much more efficient in terms of the amount of flower you end up using, require less flower for stronger hits.

But how does a water bong work? The journey the smoke takes through a water bong starts at the bowl piece. Once you light up your dry herb and inhale, the smoke travels through the downstem into the water in the base. The suction created within the bong causes the smoke to bubble through the water. Upon reaching the surface, these bubbles burst and fill the chamber with clean, billowy smoke.

This process accomplishes several great functions. The water catches any gross ash particles that are pulled through the bowl piece during the smoking process. Pulling the smoke through the water (as well as the length of bong) cools down the hit, making it less harsh than with other methods. The suction created in the tube produces larger hits, helping you make the most out of the dry herb you're smoking. Overall, smoking out of a bong allows for a cooler, smoother, more efficient smoking experience!

Table of Contents

1. The Different Parts of a Bong
2. Buying a Bong? Here's What To Look For
3. Types of Bongs
4. Bong Accessories
5. Bong FAQ

The Different Parts of a Bong

The term "bong" encompasses a wide variety of water pipes. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can play host to a variety of features! While there are some features that every bong has by default, there are others that are only found in certain pieces. If you're looking to get a new bong, knowing which extra features you may want is an important part of making the most informed purchase! To make things easy for you, we've included a breakdown of the various parts of a water bong below.

Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is the end of your smoke's journey. As you may expect, this is where you draw your smoke from.

Ice Pinch

Some water bongs, called "ice bongs", have what's called an ice pinch or ice catch. They allow you to place cubes of ice in the neck, making your hits cooler and smoother!

Splash Guard

A splash guard or splash shield is a slice of glass incorporated somewhere within the chamber that prevents water from splashing up into your mouth when taking a rip. Their domed shape causes the water to fall back down into the base of the bong. All of them have some sort of slits so that smoke can still pass through, which has the added effect of filtering your hits like a perc. In fact, many of them have a percolator attached! Splash guards aren't found in all bongs, but they're definitely helpful when they're included!

Perc

Considered the king of smoke filtration, the perc or percolator is a widespread feature among water pipes, and are found in many of the water bongs on our site! They serve a similar function to the water itself, filtering each draw for greater circulation of the smoke. This results in an even smoother and cleaner hit. The more percs a bong has, the smoother the hit!

Percs come in a ton of different styles and sizes. They can also be found in a variety of locations within a bong, usually in the base or the chamber. They can also be found attached to other parts, like the downstem or the splash guard. You can even attach a perc to certain bongs via the use of an ash catcher.

Given the artistry and skill required to create and incorporate quality percs, they often tend to raise the price of the bongs they're placed within. However, their ability to create amazingly smooth hits makes them a worthwhile investment!

Bowl Piece

The bowl piece (also known as a slide or simply a bowl) is where you put your dry herb. Simple as that! It is important to note, though, that bowls come in a few different joint sizes. Unlike the type of joint you're used to, this joint refers to the point in the bong at which the slide enters the downstem. There are three standard sizes that bowl pieces come in: 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm. Of these, 14mm is by far the most popular size among modern water bongs.

Slide joints also come in two different "genders", which refers to how the slide is attached to the water pipe. If it's inserted into the downstem, then it's a male joint. If it's placed onto the downstem, then it's female. These classifications of joints apply to the downstem as well.

If you're looking for something with a bit more fun and colorful then your standard bowl piece, we have a range of handcrafted bowls available!

Downstem

A bong wouldn't be a bong without the downstem! It is the mechanism that transports the smoke from the bowl piece down into the water. It is a vital part of the bong!

Some downstems are removable, while others are affixed to the piece. This primarily dictates how you clean the water bong, with removable downstems making the process easier than with fixed downstems.

Just like bowl pieces, downstems come in a few standard joint sizes: 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm. Fixed downstems trend towards an 18mm joint size. Removable downstems often feature a 14mm joint, and are placed into the actually bong via an 18mm joint built into the chamber. That being said, these sizes can vary from bong to bong.

Downstems also come in one of two "genders". Female downstems, where the slide is pushed inside the downstem, are definitely more common. The less popular male downstem features a joint where the bowl piece is placed atop the downstem's joint.

Base

The base is simply the bottom of the bong, including the bottom chamber where the water is held. The size and shape of the base can determine how much water the bong can hold, as well as the size of the hit. In addition, the shape and thickness of the base of glass bongs dictates its durability and stability, which is important when it comes to any accidental drops. No one thinks they'll have to deal with a drop until it happens to them!

Buying a Bong? Here's What To Look For

Beyond figuring out what extra features you may want in your new water bong, there are a few other important factors to take into consideration:

• Dry Herb or Dabs?
  • Smokers looking to use dry flower should make sure their bong comes with a bowl, while dab aficionados are going to need a banger. Dry herb fans have a wide variety of options available to them when it comes to water bongs. For dabbers, we highly recommend checking out our dab rig section.
• Intent (Form vs. Function)
  • When looking for a new bong, it's very helpful to consider what you value most in a new piece. We think it's important to consider what we refer to as "Form vs. Function". Do you value form, or the way your piece looks and feels? Or do you primarily care about how well the bong functions? People valuing function should focus on pieces that will best serve this purpose, like scientific glass and percolator bongs. People who want a cool or unique looking piece should consider more exotic options, like those in our heady glass section.
• Filtration
  • In terms of the smoothness of each hit, a good bong is superior to any other smoking method, plain and simple. But not all bongs are equal in this respect. It's important to consider how smooth you want your hits to be when browsing. Features that will increase filtration include percs, ice pinches, and ash catchers. The more of these features that are in a bong, the smoother the hits will be!
• Material
  • Think about what a bong looks like. What material is it made out of? It's almost certain that glass was the first material that came to your mind. After all, glass bongs are the most popular and widespread type of bong, both in the past and the present. This is with very good reason, as glass makes for a fantastic bong material! Glass bongs lack any sort of chemicals that can ruin your smoking experience, and can handle high temperatures. That being said, there's several other materials that bongs can be made out of, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. A few standouts include:
    • Silicone bongs are highly valuable for their durability! All the silicone water bongs we carry are practically indestructible. This durability combined with their flexibility make them perfect for bringing on adventures, or just for not having to worry about breaking your bong. Some even have built in compartments for carrying your dry herb and other extras! Silicone bongs are easier to create and apply a wide variety of colors to then glass, so they are come in a lot of cool designs for a really affordable price. They're completely safe, heatproof, BPA-free, and even dishwasher safe! Simply put, silicone bongs are the height of endurance and convenience!
    • Ceramic bongs really connect us to our ancestral smoking roots, being one of the oldest materials on Earth to be used in water bongs. They receive solid marks in function and reliability. A lot of ceramic bongs come in unique designs that you may not find with other materials.
    • Acrylic bongs, or plastic bongs, run in a similar vein as silicone. The main difference is that they are hard-shelled in comparison, and they are even more affordable. If you're looking to get a bong at a very low price, then acrylic is the way to go. They're more durable and easier to clean than glass. While smoking veterans and daily tokers are likely better off with a different option, beginners and those on a low budget will definitely benefit from the affordability and durability of an acrylic bong!
• Size
  • Some people may want all the smoke they can handle, while others desire a smaller, more discrete smoking experience. When looking at your new bong options, consider how much space you have to use and store your water bong, as well as how many people will be using it in a session. If you'll be five friends deep in a sesh or you're after the BIG smoke, we recommend a larger bong. Those who are looking to have smaller sessions or aren't trying to store 1+ feet of bong should look at smaller options.
• Cleaning
  • That intricate triple perc bong that you can't keep your eyes off may be absolutely sick, but how're you going to keep that bad boy clean? It's critical to ensure you have a plan when it comes to ensuring your new water bong remains gunk-free! Luckily, we have a variety of cleaning options available to help you keep your piece nice and tidy.
• Budget
  • Most shops would simply want you to buy the most expensive piece possible, but we're not most shops. We want you to have the best experience possible at an affordable price! With that in mind, we carry a variety of bongs to fit every budget level. (We'll also be implementing an option to pay in installments soon, so stay tuned!)

Types of Bongs

There's so many different kinds of bongs out there that it can be hard to keep track! We've got your back! While there are a range of pieces out there that can fit under multiple labels, there are certain features of each type of bong that lock them into a specific title. Here's some of the most popular types of bongs on the market:

Beaker Bongs

The Beaker Bong is the OG when it comes to the bong game! A classic among classics! Its wide base and beaker shape are not just unmistakable, but also functional. All that junk in its trunk enables the beaker bong to create copious, smooth hits. They make for some of the most stable bongs out there, so you don't have to worry about it easily tipping over. For those who'd like to avoid ruining your carpet with stinky bong water, this is a big deal! This high stability is why you tend to see most larger bongs adopting a beaker base shape.

Dab Rigs

Dab rigs are water pipes that work best with dabs or concentrates. If you were curious, you can indeed smoke dry herb out of these too! While they may might not be the most ideal pieces for toking flower, they are still a completely valid option. If you're a dabber, we recommend heading over to our dab rigs page for an experience more tailored to your specific needs.

Gravity Bong

For most of history, gravity bongs were purely a homemade invention. This specific method of chiefing the spruce, which involves using gravity to create massive hits, was primarily done by submerging a bottle with it's bottom cut off into a larger container of water. Once the bowl fixed to the top cap of the bottle was lit, the user would slowly raise the bottle out of the water, which would quickly fill up with a thick, pillowy smoke. All you'd have to do then was remove the cap and literally let the smoke shoot into your mouth.

Homemade gravity bongs are just another example of the ingenuity of smokers! The homemade version is still used to this day, but going full DIY is no longer a requirement! There are a few different bong options that allow you to enjoy the hefty smoke and clean rips of a gravity bong without having to do arts and crafts in order to experience it.

Percolator Bong

A percolator bong is essentially any bong that has a percolator inside of it. As stated earlier, a percolator or perc is a glass apparatus fixed inside the bong that filters each draw you take for greater circulation of the smoke. They are the king of smooth hits! Given all the different types of percs and ways they can be placed inside of a water bong, there are many bongs that fit under this label.

Recycler Bong

To those recently initiated to the smoking scene, recycler bongs (also known as recycler dab rigs) can almost seem otherworldly. With all of their chambers and tubes, they can appear rather complicated, but their purpose is essentially the same as most other features in bongs: to create cool, smooth rips!

Recycler bongs accomplish this task in a rather unique and captivating way, creating a ton of airflow within a relatively small amount of space. They feature two or more chambers that are attached by a series of two or more tubes. Every time you take a rip, the smoke travels through the bottom chamber, where the water and the main perc of the bong usually sits. After filtering through this perc, it's pulled through the series of tubes into the second chamber. Most of these second chambers take on some sort of cone shape, which creates a whirlpool effect.

Since the water has nowhere else to go when it's pulled up into the second chamber, it "recycles" back down into the lower chamber, creating an endless airflow loop with every hit. This recycling process creates incredibly smooth hits while requiring little space and creating no splash-back, which makes it an awesome option for dab enthusiasts. Dry herb smokers can benefit greatly from recycler bongs, too!

Straight Tube Bong

Straight tube bongs are bit like beaker bongs, but more...straightforward. True to their name, straight tubes are a straight tube with a downstem and bowl affixed to the bottom. A flared flat base is attached to the bottom to ensure that they sit stably on flat surfaces. While some straight tube bongs are as simple as this, others may include added features, like percs or ice catches. 

Bubble Bong

A bubble bong or bubble base bong is a classic bong design straight out of the 70's. Their main feature is a bubble-shaped chamber on the bottom of the bong. A clean, vintage design that creates a solid amount of smoke for a smooth draw!

Heady Glass

Heady glass, also called heady bongs or heady dab rigs, are where bongs cross over from simple smoking pieces to straight up art. These pieces are hand-crafted by individual artists and usually one-of-a-kind. To try to lock down heady glass under a certain look or design would be a foolish undertaking! We suggest checking out our heady glass section to learn more about this special category of water bong, as well as to see all the gorgeous heady pieces we have in stock.

Bong Accessories

There are a TON of different bong accessories that you can grab to enhance your bong-smoking experience! Below is a quick run-down of a few key accessories. To see more, we recommend heading to our bong accessories section.

• Bowl Pieces, Dab Nails, and Downstems
  • Every bong we sell comes standard with a downstem and a bowl piece or dab nail. If you're looking for something with a little more sauce, browse our Bowls, Nails and Downstems section!
• Lighters
• Can't light up your dry herb if you don't have anything to light up with! It's a no-brainer, but having a solid lighter can make a big difference in your smoking routine.
• Herb Grinders
  • Grinders are an absolute staple in the smoking game! Herb grinders are essential for breaking down your dry herb, making for a much more even and smooth toke.
• Ash Catchers
  • An ash catcher does exactly what you'd think it does. It's a small chamber filled with water that you attach to the joint of your bong. It features it's own joint on the top, where you place your bowl. Ash catchers act as a removable filter of sorts, catching all of the burnt ash that may get pulled through your bowl piece during your smoke sesh. It's a fantastic way to keep your bong clean! While you still need to clean the ash catcher every so often, it's much easier to clean out these small removable chambers than to clean your entire bong. On top of this, most ash catchers contain a perc, making your hits even smoother!
• Bong Cleaner
  • Beyond utilizing an ash catcher, you can also keep your bong unsoiled by simply cleaning it with bong cleaners. Many often undervalue the importance of bong cleanliness. Don't be one of them! Keeping your bong tidy is vital to maintaining peak function and preventing your hits from tasting gross. We have a range of safe and effective cleaning solutions and tools available on our cleaner page.
• Bong Filters and Screens
  • Another great way to keep burnt ash out of your bong is by using a bong filter or screen. These small filters are placed into the bottom of your bowl piece, preventing what smokers affectionately call "scooby snacks" from getting pulled down into the bottom chamber of your bong!
• Scales
• A scale is an essential tool for both avid cooks and avid smokers. They enable you to weigh out the proper amount of herbs and other items, helping you stick to your recipe. Having a scale on hand can also help you make sure you're getting all of the legal dry herbs that you paid for, as well as to portion them out.
• Bong Adapters
  • Your favorite bowl piece or ash catcher doesn't fit onto your new bong? A bong adapter is what exactly you need! Bong adapters allow you to change the size of your bong's joint piece to a different size, enabling the use of a different size of bowl piece or ash catcher.

Bong FAQ

How do I clean a bong?

Keeping your bong clean is essential to maintaining peak function and preventing your hits from tasting nasty. When it comes to keeping your bong clean, we always preach prevention! The harder it is for your bong to get dirty, the less you have to clean it out!

Prevention can be accomplished in a number of ways. Ash catchers and bong filters/screens are a great way to keep ash particles from entering your water bong, which is the main way a bong can become gunky. You can also use smokable solutions, like RezBlock. These fantastic inventions keep your bong clean while you smoke!

If your bong is already dirty, then your best bet is to use a cleaning solution. A tried and true method is to use a mix of isopropyl alcohol and coarse sea salt. However, these materials might not always be readily available (especially recently). In addition, it's hard to beat the cleaning solutions that are made specifically to clean smoking devices. We carry several options in our cleaner section.

To keep the water contained inside your bong during a soak, you can use cleaning caps or plugs. Any tough gunk spots that aren't in a hard-to-reach space can always be brushed out with pipe cleaners or cleaning swabs.

How do I hit a bong?

To the eyes of a beginner, smoking from a bong might look a bit intimidating, especially if it's on the larger size. Not to worry, though! Taking bong rips is easy once you get the hang of it.

Before you do anything, make sure your bowl piece is tightly packed. Not too tight though! You want it to be just loose enough to allow for a little airflow.

Place your mouth in the mouthpiece (not around) and ignite your dry herb. Make sure not to burn your finger in the process. This is surprisingly easy to do if you're holding your lighter at the wrong angle.

As soon as you see your flower begin to burn, suck in some air. Not too much! Just enough for the bowl to cherry and the bubbles to begin rising. You only need to light the dry herb until it begins to cherry.

Once the chamber has filled with your desire amount of smoke, remove your bowl piece (or downstem, if it's removable) and inhale. If there's more smoke then you can take in one hit, don't feel obligated to keep inhaling. You DO NOT have to eat the entire hit in one go, unless you want to cough your brains out! Simply remove your mouth from the mouthpiece and cover it up with your hand. The remaining smoke will linger inside the chamber as you finish inhaling and exhaling your first hit. As we explain below, you're only going to want to hold your hit for around three seconds or so.

Upon exhaling and recovering from your first hit, you can clear the chamber of that remaining smoke (or "milk"). That's all there really is to it! Sit back and enjoy that well-deserved rip!

How long should I hold my hit?

Veterans and the older generations will often tell you to hold the smoke in your lungs for as long as possible, but this is an urban myth. While every smoking setup is different, most studies suggest that you should only hold it in for around three seconds. Smoke has a high bioavailability, meaning that it produces its desired effect in a very short amount of time. Holding it any longer than a few seconds will only deprive your brain of necessary oxygen. This is why some people believe that they feel "higher" from holding the hit as long as possible, as depriving your brain of oxygen is highly likely to make you feel light headed after a certain point.

How much does a bong cost?

The answer to this question can vary widely. There are a large range of factors that determine the cost of a bong. These factors can include the materials, size, who made it, the features, and a whole lot more. Fortunately, we have a range of bongs to fit every budget!

How much water should I put in my bong?

Whether you have a simple beaker bong or a complex triple perc bong, the way to determine how much water to pour into your bong remains relatively the same. Put in enough water to cover the slits that the smoke will be pulled through. This allows the smoke to be filtered through the water. The amount of water you put beyond this point is up to your own discretion. It's generally a good idea to leave a significant amount of space so you have more room in the chamber to fill with smoke.

If you have separate chamber with a perc in it, the same rule applies here. Fill it up just enough to cover the slits of the perc. Those with bongs that have two or more perc chambers on top of one another can fill up the uppermost perc chamber with water, and then blow down. This will push the water into the chamber below it.