What type of bong should i get

Here are a couple questions you might want to ask yourself: 1- Where will you store it? Does it need to fit on a bookshelf, cabinet, or can it get as massive as you like, shining like a gem on the coffee table? Shopping for bongs online has a pretty endless list of pros from personal privacy to having the time to deliberate without a guy behind the counter impatiently waiting for your decision.

The con, on the other hand, is that as hard as a brand tries to accurately convey size through photographs, sometimes a gargantuan pipe can come off as tiny and vice versa. Let me share a bittersweet story about breakage with you: My S.

So, I decided to stop at the corner smoke shop to buy a sparkling new bong. In the end, I spent more on an extra-cute design that my cat broke the very. There are 3 ways to maximize durability: 1- Opt for borosilicate glass 2- Reinforced joints 3- Wide, stable bases So let this be a PSA to first-time bong buyers: durability is key! The main difference between the bong that never dies and the one-day lifespan of the new one was borosilicate glass.

It used to be the case that you had to sacrifice all the fun stuff on a pipe to afford borosilicate, but this is no longer the case in our golden age of pipemaking. And remember: you can always upgrade a basic but durable, cool bong with fancy attachments below.

While premium glass is the most significant element in the lifespan of a water pipe, there are other ways to maximize durability. Beaker bases and flared bases are features that will stabilize your pipe against topples. Think weeble-wobble. Beaker bases also increase water filtration by extending the surface area of the water for your smoke to bubble through. Flared bases, on the other hand, are most commonly found on straight stem or inline silhouettes that create a sturdy foot for the pipe to stand on--the wider, the better.

These joints have a second bar between the slide and main chamber so if your bong takes a tumble the force of impact is lessened by distributing it between two points instead of one. Base designs and two-pronged joints work best when paired with borosilicate glass, however. Consider a pipe that has all three features a triple threat. The taste comes off so clean because these pieces are generally made from the same high-quality silicone used for baking products. And, they come in some cool color combos and handy sizes, such as this one below:.

Silicone Mini Beaker Bong. You can easily clean a silicone bong and even run it through a dishwasher cycle, but it is hard to tell if it is clean because it is not transparent. Another drawback to silicone bongs is that they are not so pretty. These are basic and made for their durability and flexibility.

You will not find additional features such as ice trays or percolators with typical silicone bongs. Metal bongs are easy to make, and therefore, many are massed produced. A metal bong might not be the prettiest piece, but it is tough, masculine, looks great in the garage. You can count on it for a uniform experience and functionality, almost every time. Those features are things such as hinges and tightly threaded pieces that are removable. Being able to disassemble a metal pipe for cleaning gives you easier access to resin and residue inside the pipe, and it helps you ensure you get your piece clean.

Another advantage of metal bongs is that they are generally inexpensive and deliver a clean and smooth smoke taste. These metal water pipes are known for their durability, and it would be tough for even the clumsiest stoner to break one.

One of the downsides to shopping for a metal bong is that you must be careful and selective regarding the type of metal you choose. No matter what, you will notice a slightly metallic taste, regardless of the type of metal you choose. However, depending on the type of metal, that taste can either be more pronounced or more subdued. Wood is the material that was used to make some of the earliest bongs.

Types of hardwood that are traditionally used include maple, oak, rosewood, and walnut. Naturally, the wood's flavors infuse into the hit, making a one-of-a-kind mix for the tastebuds. In fact, most people who buy wooden bongs do so for this flavor enhancement. Bamboo is also used to make bongs, and you can find these types of bongs easily in places where it is plentiful, such as Thailand. Bamboo will not give off the same flavor profiles the wooden bongs do.

Straight-tube bongs are simple and straightforward. They have a tube that is sealed at one end by a stem and at the other end by a bowl attached to the outside of the bong.

The process of using one is straightforward. Fire it up! A beaker-shaped bong is very similar to a straight-tube bong, except its bottom is flared out into a cone shape. It gives it the shape of a beaker, and thus the name for the bong was born. Because it has a larger base, it is more stable and works the same way a straight-tube bong works.

If your bong has a hole in the middle of it, then it is a carburator bong. A carburetor is not intrinsic to the design of a bong, but many people enjoy the use of one, as they believe it can intensify the strength of the hit.

Fresh air comes in through the bong when you release your finger off the hole, and it can force that smoke into your lungs quickly and help you to inhale all the content deeply.

Also known as a recycler bong, a multi-chamber bong is a slight variation of the straight tube bong, and the tube is not always straight. With a multi-chamber bong, the tube is divided into two separate chambers connected by a third chamber. In this design, the upper chamber holds water. This means that the smoke goes through the cooling process twice and the smoke delivered is smoother and cooler than what other bongs can provide. These bongs are more difficult to produce and can be more expensive than other options on the market.

Cleaning these can be a real challenge. Percolator bongs come in a variety of shapes, i. What makes this piece unique is the addition of a percolator, which is a glass piece that dispels the smoke before it can go through the water. This creates a bubbling effect inside of the bong and, therefore, better filtration and cooling processes.

The percolator could be in the bottom of a single-chamber bong, or in one of the chambers of a multi-chamber bong, or even in both in a multi-percolator bong.

These are complex and difficult to make, making them expensive options on the market and difficult to clean. A honeycomb bong is a type of percolator bong.

It is shaped like a honeycomb, and it adds great filtration without much lag. On the other hand, they do have their down sides. For example, they are easily breakable and can be on the higher end of being pricey. If you have the means of spending a little more for quality, it is well worth the money. Acrylic bongs are extremely cheap in price and come in tons of different colors and fun designs to choose from. Not to mention they are virtually indestructible. Unlike my glass bong experience, you most likely won't have your expectations smashed to pieces from an acrylic bong.

But with anything cheap, you get what you pay for. Acrylic is another fancy way of saying plastic, and if you're a seasoned stoner with expectations of a high quality smoking experience, this will not be the type of bong for you. Because the material is acrylic, it makes it the least versatile piece for add ons or even accessories such as a much needed percolator.

To be honest with you though , you'll get the same quality smoke out of acrylic bongs that you would from smoking out of a household item such as an apple or water bottle. Not exactly quality you'd want from money spent on a bong. There's hardly any diffusion or smoke filtration from the absence of a perc and because of the plastic like material, both the downstem and bowl are generally made out of metal. How does this affect your smoking experience? Well, let's say it'll leave quite a bad resin like taste in your mouth.

Overall, ceramic bongs are extremely durable, reliable, and they get the job done. If I had to rank them, this would fall right behind glass bongs at number 2 for best choice, in terms of taste profile. Silicone possesses the same reliability but nothing beats the neutral tasting hit from a ceramic bong.

These are also known as the oldest type of bongs since they have been used for over years, putting them on the list of collector items as well. Since ceramic bongs do not contain many intricate parts, it makes them less prone to fractures and deformities over time.

Though still breakable if dropped, they are excellent in maintaining fluctuations in temperatures and not over heating like other materials such as glass. A bong made out of this material will be able to deliver a neutral flavor and smooth hit, despite the lack of versatility and complex parts, because of the combination of clay, stoneware and earthenware that is used.

Silicone bongs are becoming more popular over the years as they are the perfect cross in terms of customization, price, durability, and performance. They are probably the easiest to wash and clean out of all 4 materials since they are dishwasher safe and foldable! Silicone itself is soft and malleable, making them a perfect fit for travels or if you're someone who's constantly on-the-go.

Unlike acrylic, silicone bongs are able to withstand extremely high and low temperatures without melting or breaking apart. This makes them very durable and adds a lot of value for the long haul. Now that you're knowledgeable of the what to look for in a bong and why they matter, it's time to get you set up for how to pick a bong that is best for you.

So what is the best bong for beginners and how do you know what you'll need? For starters, I'd highly recommend purchasing a bong that is already equipped with accessories like a built in downstem or even glass chamber to ensure you get optimal water filtration. Oh, and I'd stick with glass or silicone over acrylic or ceramic by a long shot, despite ceramics durability.

Although breakable, glass provides the highest performance for delivering clean and smooth tasting hits , while silicone on the other hand, is non breakable, but also delivers smooth bong hits with extremely low chances of breakage. You shouldn't get your head too wrapped up around what features you need since majority of the time, it's really just preference. While more smoking accessories may benefit your overall experience, they are not essential.

Plus, if you're a newbie, you'd most likely want to deter from all those intricate pieces and add ons, they'll only complicate things more for you until you're actually ready to take it to the next step.

By buying a bong that is already equipped with the fundamentals such as a glass chamber, ice catcher, and downstem , the only thing you'll need to ever be cautious about, is not breaking it.

You won't have to worry about all those weed gadgets and extra pieces because it's already included! So how much does a bong cost and what's the best bong for your buck when it boils down to what you want and what you need? We've narrowed it down to two choices, acrylic and silicone. These types of bongs are always good on price while still delivering the benefits of an excellent smoking session.

This 5'' Neon Mini acrylic bong carries a simple electric design with its vibrancy and small look. That makes them more expensive than the simpler builds on this list. Multi-chamber bongs are also harder to clean.

Source: BestBongReviews. A percolator bong, or bubbler bong, can be straight-tube, beaker-shaped, round-base, or pretty much any other shape you can imagine. The thing that makes them unique is that they contain a percolator. The percolator shown up close below is a piece of glass that dissipates the smoke before it passes through the water and causes a bubbling effect in the bong. Spreading the smoke out in that way helps to filter it better and cool it faster. Source: Percolator-Bong. The percolator can be at the bottom of the bong a single-chamber percolator , in another chamber a multi-chamber percolator , or both a multi-chamber, multi percolator.

Because of the complexity of this type of bong, they can be difficult to clean, not to mention more expensive. Gravity bongs rely on the vacuum that water leaves behind when it leaves an enclosed space. The simplest version of the bucket gravity bong uses a plastic bottle and a bucket full of water.

Check out the link here for detailed build instructions. Source: TheWeedBlog. Once built and packed, you light the weed in the cap and slowly pull the water bottle out of the water being sure to stop before the bottle comes completely out.

Pulling the bottle up creates a vacuum in the enclosed space on top of the water that pulls the smoke down into the bottle. When the bottle is full of smokey goodness, remove the cap and inhale the contents. The waterfall gravity bong is similar to the bucket gravity bong but instead of pulling the bottle up to create the vacuum, you drain the water out the bottom.

Again, you can get detailed build instructions here. Source: Reddit. When everything is assembled, light your cannabis and let the water drain from the bottle. As the water leaves, it pulls the smoke down into the bottle.