Bong Shop

Choice of materials: What should you smoke?

If you are looking to buy a bong, the first thing to consider is the raw material. What should it be made of? The range of glass bongs available is by far the widest and there are many good reasons to trust its transparent elegance:

• Hygienic material, easy to clean
• Very heat resistant
• Individual design and a wide range of accessories
• Modular and expandable with pre-coolers, activated carbon adapters, vaporizers, diffusors or dabbing accessories
• Standardized ground joints in sizes 14.5 mm, 18.8 mm and 29.2 mm

If a glass bong is not your choice, then it is often an acrylic or plastic bong. bong. This material has the advantage of being relatively resistant and portable. However, this is usually at the expense of flexibility, as there is no such extensive range of accessories. The choice of bowls is also limited to models with screw threads. However, this in turn increases compatibility with simple screw pipes with screw-on bowls.

Lastly, there are numerous bongs and bubblers made of other materials, such as bamboo, ceramic, stainless steel or aluminium. Each one has its own strengths and preferred areas of application.

• Ceramic is used to produce some very fancifully designed pipes: Anything is possible, from aliens to dragons to skulls.
• Bamboo is an all-natural material that is very sustainable because it regrows so quickly. Bamboo - a traditional material - may have been used to make the earliest bongs.
• Stainless steel and aluminium fulfil the same purpose: High robustness and a good cooling effect. Which metal you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Ultimately, you should rely on your own feelings and experience when deciding whether you prefer to use a glass, acrylic or alternative material pipe in the long term, or whether you like to use different bongs for different purposes. In order to make the selection easier, we provide professional pictures to show you exactly what you can expect, especially in the case of glass bongs which are somewhat difficult to set in scene.

Size matters, but so does thickness - and adaptability!

Therefore, what should one consider when purchasing a bong? What are the main features of a top quality bong? There are numerous factors to take into consideration, such as varying glass thickness, cut sizes and designs. Certain innovations, such as the percolator, have established themselves and are becoming more and more common, and some construction methods are now considered obsolete.

• Size and design: The height and construction of a bong determines the volume of smoke and water, but there are other aspects too: For instance, when using a precooler, it is important to have a low centre of gravity to prevent the bong from tipping over. In comparison to a cylinder, a spherical shape has a greater capacity.
• Ground joint / connector: Most accessories are available for the 18.8 mm size, which is the lab standard joint size. This is followed by the 14.5 mm variant. Larger bongs occasionally have a 29.2 mm ground joint - it's a little more complicated to find spare parts for those. The same goes for small pipes; with a 12.5mm joint size, you'll find very few options for expansion other than using joint adapters and enlarging joints, which can cause further inconvenience.
• Carb hole: The location of the carb hole - also known as the kick hole, carb, shot hole or rush hole - determines whether a left or right handed person can comfortably smoke the bong. Some models have a hole in the middle. If a manufacturer chooses to exclude the shot hole entirely, you must lift the bowl to hit the bong. Lift-off handles make this much easier.
• Wall thickness: A wall thickness of 3mm is a good standard for glass bongs. It is recommended not to go below this. Glass bongs made of 5mm-thick glass are quite sturdy, 7mm-thick glass can usually withstand tipping over and other shenanigans without the slightest damage.
• Ice catcher: Items such as slots or notches located at the upper end of the bong's tube are commonly called ice catcher, ice tray or ice chamber. These can be filled with ice cubes to cool down the smoke.
• Percolator: Percolators work similarly to an espresso pot by channelling the water at certain points in the bong to ensure a homogeneous mix of smoke. In contrast with espresso that should be consumed hot, the smoke is softened and cooled.

A collection of greatest hits: Bong accessoires

Bongs used to come mostly without bowls and adapters. This has significantly changed. By default, most bongs are ready to smoke right out of the box, provided you have some pipe screens. You can find either an aluminium tube with a screw-on bowl, a one-piece chillum with a built-in bowl, or a multi-part downpipe system containing a glass bowl and tube for immersion/chillum. Some useful accessories can be:

• Diffusor chillum: A diffusor chillum is a useful accessory that can create a cooling effect by swirling the smoke through a perforated tube at the bottom.
• Pre-cooler: A precooler is placed between the bowl and the body and cools the smoke as well as serving as an ash catcher to keep the pipe clean.
• Activated carbon adapter: Here also, the actual bowl is replaced and plugged onto the adapter. You fill in loose activated carbon, which filters pollutants from the smoke and makes smoking smoother.
• Vaporizer: Vaporiser bowls and electronic vapes with a hose connection or adapter for bongs are both options that reduce combustion and vaporise instead.
• Oil Attachment / Dome and Nail: Used for dabbing, that is, smoking oil and aromatic essences. They usually come with a male joint that requires either a dab rig or a corresponding adapter.



A short history of smoking with water-filled devices

Considering the present diversity of models, it is equally interesting to take a look at the past. Smoking with a water-filled device is an ancient tradition with limited written records due to its prevalence as an oral cultural practice. Traditionally, water pipes come from Asian cultures. They were mainly made of bamboo and coconut. These devices were often disposable and could be easily dismantled, recycled or discarded after use - unlike, for example, the elaborately carved and decorated tobacco pipes of the 17th century.

The bong has undergone numerous developments and changes to reach its present form, including the narghilè or hookah - a type of water pipe widely used in the Arab world. The bong was an early product of industrial manufacturing. What is available today in bong shops is largely based on the original American concept from the 1960s, which featured a straight tube, stand, and detachable bowl.

Today, many manufacturers produce their bongs in large glass factories located in China. Imports from India have become increasingly rare. However, in the higher price ranges, many traditional glassblowing or laboratory glassware manufacturers have found an interesting market niche in bongs and accessories.