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What To Look for When Buying a Bong
If you're a beginner smoker who has just tried out blunts and joints, you've probably considered hitting a bong before. But these contraptions can look intimidating and crazy sometimes, so newer smokers have trouble experimenting with their first bong.
The truth is, there are so many types of bongs. Each has its own benefits, so we've made a list of those.
You can also find other marijuana paraphernalia listed in this article, so keep reading on if you're interested in that.
What to Look for When Buying a Bong
There's so much that goes into consideration when buying your first bong. Ultimately, you'll want something sturdy, easy to use, and reliable.
You also need something that's easy to clean, as inhaling dirty smoke possesses its own health risks. Different materials might also come with health risks too, so you'll want to avoid those as well.
Cost is something you might be considering as well. If you want to splurge a bit, we don't blame you. Your first bong is your baby. But for people who just want a casual smoke sesh here and there, you'll probably want to aim for a cheaper one.
Bong Materials
Material is definitely a huge factor that comes into play when considering what kind of bong you should use. With that in mind, each material has its own pros and cons. Let's take a look at those right here.
Glass Bongs
Glass is the most recommended out of all the materials because they don't require much maintenance and can be found in excess at almost all head shops.
Unfortunately, glass is quite expensive and easy to break. Be sure to buy from a trusted seller when buying glass bongs to prevent breaking.
Glass bongs can also be shaped into plenty of unique shapes and sizes. You can get one that's shaped like a normal tube, a glass beaker, or a bowl. You might even be interested in a crescent moon bong, so you can fight evil by moonlight, win love by daylight, and smoke marijuana in between.
Metal Bongs
Metal is probably the only material here that we really don't recommend.
This is because you can actually inhale toxic chemicals when smoking from metal. Not only that but smoking through metal changes the taste of the smoke itself. No one wants a metallic hit.
Additionally, they're not transparent, difficult to make, heavy, and just plain hard to find. Avoid these if you can.
Silicone Bongs
Highly recommended as of lately, silicone bongs are great choices for beginner smokers. They're affordable, extremely durable, and dishwasher safe. If you have concerns, read our guide to are silicone bongs safe.
Yet, it's hard to customize them. Percolators can't be shaped from silicone, so you can kiss smooth hits goodbye.
However, they're very lightweight and easy to transport.
Ceramic Bongs
Ah, ceramic. A true classic since bongs became popular.
Ceramics are great for all bong users as they're extremely durable and cheap. They also come in very large varieties, so you get the best bang for your buck. They're pretty customizable too since ceramic can be painted on and sculpted differently.
However, they are not see-through, so you can't see what's inside your bong. They're also a little tough to clean because of this since it's hard to see stains or residue left inside.
Homemade Bongs
Now we can't let you go without mentioning homemade bongs. While not the fanciest, you can definitely get away with creating your own bongs using different food items, plastic bottles, and other bits and bobs. Here is a guide to how to make water a bottle bong at home.
Just be sure what you're constructing is safe.
Different Types of Bongs
Bongs are very similar to people. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are thin and tall, while others are curvy and short.
Finding the right one for you can be tricky, and even daunting. Lucky for you, this guide highlights some of the more common bong types and their uses.
Scientific Glass Bong
Probably the most common type of bong you'll see is the scientific glass bong. Scientific glass bongs simply get their name from the fact that they look like they belong in a science lab.
These are the most basic ones and arguably the most commonly sold. They're fairly simple to use and don't have any extra tools like nails or percolators. We recommend using these for beginners because of how easy they are to get and how simply they function.
What's more, they're extremely easy to clean because of their simplistic function. The bigger bongs also allow for heavy rips, which we only recommend once you're used to regular bong hits.
If you're wondering what that percolator contraption we mentioned earlier was, then no worries, we got you covered. Some bongs come with a percolator. This is just a little tool that goes inside the middle of the bong that allows for smoother rips.
Percolators do this by adding filtered oxygen to the smoke you inhale, so when you take a hit your lungs aren't getting too bad of a beating.
Both of these bong types come in straight, beaker, and round-shaped tubes.
Recycler Bongs
Are you earth-conscious? Then this bong is for you!
Just kidding.
Unfortunately, this bong isn't made from recycled material that's meant to save the planet (though it can be, depending on where you buy it from). The recycle part in this bong means something a little different.
Recycler bongs come with multiple chambers and are even sometimes referred to as multi-chambered bongs. These bongs have complex systems of different pipes and tubes that allow smoke to circulate throughout the bong in different ways.
These bongs are separated into upper and lower chambers. Having multiple chambers allows for double filtration, which in the end produces a cooler and smoother hit. Keep in mind though, that these are much harder to clean because of the complex build.
Dab Rings
These are interesting. Hitting a dab is quite different from ripping a traditional bong, so we don't recommend these for the beginner smoker.
To add to that, hitting a dab is much more potent than ripping a bong. It's hard to adjust or estimate how much you'll be taking in, so overdoing consumption is quite common. These are definitely something for an experienced bong user.
Dabs do things a little differently. Rather than using herbs or mixtures, they use wax. The process involves heating a nail to a certain temperature and then adding the wax mixture to it.
Dab rigs are loved within the cannabis community because of their flavorful hits.
Mini Bongs
We won't try to trick you here with the name. Mini bongs are, well, what their name suggests. They're small bongs.
While small in size, these little suckers still pack a punch when smoked correctly. They're perfect for on-the-go smoke sessions, or even at-home smoke sessions when you don't want the hassle of cleaning a huge bong.
Other types of bongs might be known as bubblers. These are both water boilers and pipes in one, which offers the best of both worlds.
Both mini bongs and bubblers are generally cheaper, so they're great for the beginner bong user.
Buying a Bong Online
We hoped you learned a thing or two about the different types of bongs available online. We offer a wide variety of different bongs, so we invite you to take a look if you're interested.
There's so much that goes into choosing the right bong. If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ page to learn more.
