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Bongs & Glass Water Pipes

Q: What does a percolator do in a bong?

A percolator (often referred to as a perc) is designed to diffuse hot smoke through the water inside the chamber of a bong to delivery smoother, cooler, and less harsh hits . There are dozens of different types of percs, and each one offers different advantages and disadvantages. On a bong, a perc should effectively diffuse smoke by exposing it to as much surface area as possible - thus allowing the water to cool down the smoke before it is inhaled.

Water bongs have been around for decades, and are a favorite among stoners and tokers for their filtration, ease of use, and popularity. We've curated a selection of bongs for sale made from durable borosilicate glass and other high quality safe materials (like silicone bongs).

These sturdy glass water pipes not only filter fine particles from smoke, but also deliver smoother, cooler hits. Some bongs also offer percolators (percs) for greater diffusion, condensing and cooling smoke even more for massive rips!

Whether it's for flowers, dry herbs, or tobacco- savvy smokers have known about water pipes for millennia! Glass bongs filter and cool dry herbs or tobacco to provide a kinder, gentler smoking experience, often with internal percolators to create an even smoother smoke.

For use with wax, oils, and dabs, we recommend choosing a glass dab rig instead, as those are designed to maximize flavor and are perfect for concentrates.

Things to consider before buying a bong or water pipe:

Flowers or concentrate? If you're a dry herb enthusiast, you'll want a bowl; dabbers need a nail to get lifted. If you're into both, consider a piece with an unattached downstem to adapt to all that the good plant has to offer. If you're looking for glass for dabbing; shop our dab rigs.
Size matters. Glass bongs come in 10mm, 14mm, or 18mm joint sizes. Not *those* joints; we're talking the glass pieces that connect the various parts of the pipe, and to make things more interesting, glass joints can be either male or female. Add in the many types of percolators, and the permutations for your new pipe are endless!
Glass can break. That's why Smoke Cartel offers the GlassGuard Guarantee. Protect your piece!

Types of Bongs

From straightforward scientific styles such as the classic beaker bongs to elaborate functionals like recyclers with propellor percolators, Smoke Cartel has an excellent selection of water pipes. Shop by perc or size to find the pipe of your dreams!

Beaker Bongs

It's all 'bout that base. Beaker bongs are a classic water pipe with a wide bottom that offer increased stability and a smooth smoke. Bongs in the beaker style tend to be sturdier than their straight tube counterparts, making them less likely to be knocked off the coffee table by the cat.

Another advantage of beakers is that they hold more water and more smoke in the base, allowing for larger, grander hits.

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Straight Tubes

For buyers looking for a simpler or more traditional look, straight tubes and beaker base water pipes are the way to go. Not only will these designs be easier for beginners to master, but some styles also offer versatility in separate parts and accessories. Water pipes with removable downstems allow you to switch this part with a dabbing nail or another accessory to use with other substances. Just remember to purchase an accessory that fits your water pipe joint size and shape. Straight tube water pipes will hold less water than beaker base pipes, but many users prefer the lighter weight and style.

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Bubble Base Bongs

The bubble base style of bong was popularized around the 1970s, and is a familiar look to many. These water pipes either often come with a pedestal base, or sits directly at the flattened end of the bubble base. An iconic look that offers good versatility and ease of maintenance with it's no frills look.

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Recyclers

For an extra smooth hit, buyers tend to lean toward recyclers. These water pipes filter the water carrying the vapor up through a chamber close to the mouthpiece, release the vapor for the user to inhale, and dump the water back down to the base to be “recycled” again. This allows for the vapor to cool off in the water for longer and brings the vapor closer to the mouthpiece than other pipes permit.

Recyclers tend to work with concentrates the best, but can also be used with flower and herb. These pieces may look daunting, but they are fairly simple once the user familiarizes themselves with all of the parts.

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Something Unique

A beautiful piece of glass art, your bong, is like a treasured friend. We offer many unique pieces here at Smoke Cartel, and know you can find the perfect themed bong to show off your style. We look far and wide to find you the coolest bongs in the world. That's what makes our online headshop - so unique.

Shop our collection of Cool Bongs

In addition, check out our heady glass - we source one of a kind artisan glass pieces from glassblowers across the United States. More for style than added function, any user is bound to find an elaborate water pipe to demonstrate their unique personality.

Features of a Bong

Downstem

Downstems are an essential component of water pipes. If your water pipe features a removable downstem, it’s probably a diffused downstem. These include tiny slits or holes to break up the smoke before it enters the water. The more bubbles that are created by the downstem, the more surface area the vapor has to cool before it enters the tube for inhalation. If your downstem is non-removable, your water pipe will probably include a type of percolator. There are many percolators on the market, such as showerhead percolators or honeycomb percolators, and you may need to experiment to find the one you like the best.

Ice Pinch

Some water pipes include an ice pinch as part of their tube design, which give users an extra layer of cooling before the vapor reaches the mouthpiece. The pinch holds the ice in the tube part of the pipe so you get the best cooling effect before inhalation. Some people prefer inhaling warm vapor; but if you’re a cool vapor person, an ice pinch will be a necessary pipe feature.

Splash Guard

Splash guards are handy in preventing the water from the base of the pipe reaching your lips as you inhale. The splash guard includes slits so vapor can still pass through, but the top is domed so the water falls back into the base of the pipe.

Bong Accessories

Extra Downstems

A bong without a downstem is just a bottle with a hole. Pretty useless, right? A downstem is an essential glass piece that fits into a water pipe joint. Basically it makes it all happen.

Downstems function to carry smoke from the slide (or bowl piece) into the water chamber of your glass pipe to filter and cool each hit. Downstems are available in a variety of different sizes and lengths, so it is absolutely essential to know what you need before purchasing one.

If you’re on the market for a new apparatus but want to match your old slide or downstem to it, make sure you know what size you’re looking for. (If you need to touch up on joint sizes and gender, check out this Knowledge Base article.)

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Ashcatchers

Ash catchers are attachments for bongs that offer extra filtration. Ash catchers are available in many different shapes, sizes, and styles with a huge variety of different percolators.

These attachments enable even the most relaxed smokers to keep their favorite bongs and daily drivers significantly cleaner. They work as a vessel to catch nasty residues and other debris, leading to bigger and better tasting rips from your trusty water bong.

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Bowls

A bowl (also known as a slide) is an essential part of every bong. Bowls are empty chambers for loose leaf dry herb or tobacco, which, once packed, attach to the joint of your glass piece. You light a heat source, and the hot air pulled through the bowl ignites the herb and creates smoke through your bong.

Bowls come in a variety of different sizes (10mm, 14mm, and 18mm) and can be either male or female. Knowing the joint size and gender of your water pipe is essential when purchasing a new slide, otherwise you may end up with a new bowl that is not compatible with your bong.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the right bong for me?

Select between a bong for dry herbs and flowers, or for dabs and concentrates (called dab rigs). There are number of factors to consider, but it is mostly up to preference. Every bong has different percolators or percs, which diffuse smoke differently. Most customers search by looking at style and function, and consider things such as:

Price
Size and Height
Material - Glass or Silicone
Style
Percs

What does a percolator do in a bong?

A percolator (often referred to as a perc) is designed to diffuse hot smoke through the water inside the chamber of a bong to delivery smoother, cooler, and less harsh hits. There are dozens of different types of percs, and each one offers different advantages and disadvantages. On a bong, a perc should effectively diffuse smoke by exposing it to as much surface area as possible - thus allowing the water to cool down the smoke before it is inhaled.

How does a bong work?

Bongs work by allow the user to effectively and efficiently smoke dry herbs, tobacco, or cannabis in a better format. First, the bowl (often called a slide) is packed with your smoking material. Then, by inhaling through the mouthpiece, air is drawn while a flame is ignited. This heats the combustable material, and smoke is created. The bong diffuses the hot smoke through its downstem or percolator, into the water - which cools down the smoke and delivers smoother, cooler hits for the user.

What is the difference between glass bongs and silicone bongs?

Glass bongs are usually made with quality borosilicate glass while silicone bongs are made with food grade BPA free silicone. Glass is more heat resistant, and many people prefer the feel of glass as a texture. However, glass bongs are more fragile than silicone bongs. Silicone bongs are flexible, and can be rolled up, and easily stored for travel.

How are bongs made?

All glass bongs are hand blown through a process called glassblowing. There can be some machine work involved, such as joining two pieces of tubing together, but everything must still be hand made. There is not automated machine process to create bongs from start to finish. Because of this, there is a tiny degree of variation between every bong, but that's what makes them so unique.

Best 10 Bongs

Interested in learning more? Check out our guide for finding the best Bongs & Glass Water Pipes.

Learn More

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