Glass Bong

Information About Glass Bongs

Unable to decide what kind of bong to get? Well, consider a glass bong—the connoisseur smoker’s choice. Tough, reliable, and smooth, glass bongs can range from simple to extremely complex, providing all the functionality you can dream of—and often more!

Besides a few drawbacks, which are fairly insignificant, glass bongs cannot be beaten when it comes to ripping bowls!

What Is a Glass Bong?

A glass bong is a type of water pipe used to smoke herbs, marijuana, and tobacco. However, they cannot just be made from any type of glass. The two main materials used to make glass bongs are known as artisanal glass and “scientific” glass.

The former prioritises style over function (though functionality will still be high), while the latter opts for robustness over all else. Usually, highly functional glass bongs are made from scientific borosilicate glass.

Most are blown, like many glass objects. However, some of the softer glass water pipes available are spun, more like pottery. So, though the term “glass bong” may seem simple, there can actually be a surprising amount of variety.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Glass Bongs?

Glass tends to be a firm favourite among bong smokers. But as with most things in life, there are pros and cons to them.

The advantages of glass bongs are:

• Material doesn’t release dangerous chemicals when smoking
• Easy to clean
• Smooth, clean taste
• Attractive
• Highly robust when made from borosilicate

The disadvantages of a glass bong are:

• Easier to break than acrylic
• Lack of portability
• More expensive

What Is the Best Glass for Glass Bongs?

Borosilicate glass is specifically designed with tough conditions in mind: the kitchen or the lab. Given that, it’s the perfect material to subject to the extreme heat of a flame.

So, the good news is that your bong will be heat resistant, and surprisingly tough in terms of taking knocks and bumps too. That’s not to say it won’t shatter like any other glass under enough of an impact, so still be careful with it!

Can a Glass Bong Handle Big Temperature Differences?

A borosilicate glass bong should technically be able to come straight out of the freezer and then subjected to intense heat without breaking. Nevertheless, we would advise caution with this, as the last thing you want when inhaling a load of cannabis smoke is a bong's worth of glass shattering in your hand.

Moreover, unless you’re certain that your bong is made from high-quality scientific glass, do not try this!

How To Use a Glass Bong

Using a glass bong doesn’t really differ from using any other bong.

How exactly to go about using one depends more on what features your bong has, rather than what material it is made from. What kind of head does it have? Does it have a percolator? And so on.

But in general, there are a few basic steps to using a bong, which can be best understood by describing the main components:

• The mouthpiece: This is where you inhale the smoke from.

• The bowl: This is where you load and burn the herb. Once it is all lit, or you have burned enough, you remove the bowl, pulling fresh air through the downpipe. Alternatively, some glass water pipes have a carb hole, preventing you from needing to remove the bowl to take a hit.

• Downpipe: Connects the bowl to the chamber; it may have a diffuser in it.

• Chamber: This is where the water goes. Fill the water just past the bottom of the downpipe.

• Carb hole: Some bongs do not have this. As you burn the herb, the carb hole should be covered so all the air comes through the bowl. However, when you want to inhale the smoke, releasing the carb hole will help as it pulls in fresh air.

How To Clean a Glass Bong

Glass bongs tend to be the easiest to clean; and you’ll find the job significantly easier if you do it often. Allowing a bong to get very dirty will make it taste disgusting, and it will be a hassle to clean.

You can clean your device and its parts by leaving them in warm soapy water and giving them a scrub. For particularly tough stains, vinegar or something else acidic can work wonders.

The downpipe can be a little tougher, due to its small size and its proximity to burning bud. Using a pipe cleaner is, while not a necessity, highly advisable if you want to keep your bong-smoking life clean and smooth.

Can You Put a Glass Bong in the Dishwasher?

A good-quality bong should be able to go through the dishwasher. Just make sure that it's secure in there, as you don’t want it bumping around and getting smashed.

What Features Are Often Found on Glass Bongs?

Like other cannabis accessories, bongs can range from the puritanically simple to those exhibiting excesses of opulence and functionality rarely found outside the haunts of the enormously rich. Whether these functions appeal to you or not will depend on what you want from your smoking life.

Glass Bongs With a Carb Hole

As mentioned, a carb hole allows you to draw extra fresh air in through the side of the bong, making inhaling the smoke much easier. Though these are not found on every bong, they appear on most. Unless you know you don’t want one, it’s probably worth getting a bong that has a carb hole. You can always put a finger over it!

Glass Bong Smooth

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Glass Bongs With a Percolator

Percolators filter marijuana smoke so it enters the water and forms many tiny bubbles. This increases the overall surface area of the smoke that comes into contact with the cooling water, meaning the smoke is much smoother on the lungs.

Glass Bongs With an Ice Catcher

Ice catchers are very simple, often appearing as little more than indents at the base of the neck, above the chamber. They allow ice to sit in the neck, providing a final, freezing layer of cooling power. The downside is that the ice melts pretty quickly and can cause water to flood up your downpipe, drenching the contents of your bowl and spilling delicious bong water. So keep an eye on your water levels!

Glass Bongs: Are They Worth It?

Yes. Glass bongs remain the top choice for most marijuana smokers. If looked after, they provide unparalleled smoothness for smoking. Not to mention, they are the easiest material to clean.

Though they may be a little more delicate than alternative materials, they are still fairly tough, and breakages are fairly rare. And if you intend to blast them with a blowtorch, glass is really the only way to go. Combustible materials just won’t cut it!

For the best smoke available, go glass!