Choosing a bong

Choosing a Bong Online: 6 Things To Lookout for When Buying a Bong in 2024

Posted by VITAE GLASS on

Selecting the perfect bong can be a bewitching dance between delirious anticipation and disorienting options. Choosing a bong online in 2024 will not be as easy as it was in years past.


Designs are getting more sophisticated and digital integration puts numerous innovative features at your fingertips. It's both exciting and overwhelming. But don't stress!


We're going back to the basics and taking you through the steps you should know when buying a bong online and the five essential things to look out for.


Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or a nascent novice, these insider tips will ensure your online bong-buying expedition is smooth, informed, and gratifying. 

Quick Overview of Bongs

Bongs are a popular tool for smoking cannabis because of the unique benefits they offer. Bongs use water to filter and cool the smoke before inhalation, resulting in smoother hits compared to other methods such as pipes and joints.


The key parts of a bong are the bowl for packing and holding your cannabis, the downstem connecting the bowl to the base, the water chamber holding the water that filters the smoke, and then lastly, where you inhale from - the mouthpiece.


Modular bongs by VITAE Glass allow users to customize their experience with interchangeable parts, making them easy to clean or upgrade over time.


Bongs come in many different shapes, styles, and bong materials. 

Why Choose to Buy a Bong Online?

Buying a bong online vs. a headshop offers several benefits. Firstly, you get the convenience of shopping from home at any time.


You're not limited by store hours or location. You can browse through countless options on websites from many different brands, compare prices, and read customer reviews in peace.


This helps you make an informed decision without feeling rushed. Plus, with discreet packaging offered by many online retailers, privacy is maintained too.


But there might be drawbacks such as shipping costs or potential damages during delivery. So always check return policies before making your purchase. 

6 Things To Consider When Choosing a Bong Online

1. Bong Features To Look For

When shopping for a bong online, certain features can enhance your smoking experience. We're not talking about the standard things like bowls and downstems. Those are standard items that come with most bongs.


We're talking about those extra cool features like percolators, ash catchers, ice catchers, bowl screens, and bong filters. And if you want to take it a step further, you can consider features like digital integration and E-Rigs with laser and electronic heating units.


All of this sounds cool but be careful as things can get expensive quickly.

Our recommendation is to stick with a well-crafted glass bong made from borosilicate glass that is at least 5mm thick and add a few smoking accessories to give you a smooth hit.

Start by adding a good quality perc as this will improve filtration and a more enjoyable smoke sesh without throat irritation. From there you can add more bong accessories but if cost is a factor, it's not necessary.

2. Choose the Right Size Bong

Selecting a bong size starts with your personal preference and usage habits. For beginners, a smaller bong is easier to handle and clean. Mini bongs are easier to use and have fewer bong parts. This means less can go wrong and easier to fix.


If you're after portability or discretion, small bongs are perfect. But remember that smaller ones might not deliver as powerful hits as larger ones.


Tall bongs offer cooler and smoother smoke due to their longer path but can be challenging for newbies because of the strong pull required. If this doesn't faze you, then go big.


Before purchasing, contemplate how often and in what circumstances you'll use your water pipe to make the best choice for yourself. 

3. Understanding Bong Pricing

The cost of a bong can differ greatly depending on various elements. First is the material used. Glass bongs, like our custom bongs, are generally more expensive due to their durability and build quality.


Size also plays a role in pricing. A larger bong requires more materials, which raises its cost. Complexity is another factor - modular designs that allow for customization will typically come with higher price tags because they offer greater flexibility and convenience.


Lastly is branding. Large brands such as Puffco usually charge more, not only because their products are high quality but because their branding is also premium.


To get a good deal online, compare prices across different websites before making your purchase decision. 

4. Different Types of Bong Styles

Beaker Bongs

The quintessential beaker bong is often spotted in television shows and films when cannabis is featured. It is probably the most well-recognised style of bong.


The broad bases not only provide a smooth puffing session due to plenty of filtration but also offer additional steadiness. These beaker bongs are typically more robust and resilient compared to the standard cylindrical bongs.


Beaker bongs often hold a special place in the hearts of many cannabis enthusiasts, as they hold plenty of water and smoke in their base. Perfect for those serious hits. 

Straight Tube Bongs

Straight tube bongs are recognized for their effortless maintenance and streamlined forms. These water pipes tend to be tall, ranging from 16 inches to over 24 inches, and are commonly constructed from a single, piece of borosilicate glass.


Due to their long slender design, certain models of straight-tube water pipes might be prone to tipping, so it's best to keep them in a place where they won't be inadvertently knocked over!


Their simplicity and efficiency make these water pipes a popular choice. A percolator is often included in many straight-cylinder water pipe designs. 

Multi-Chamber Bongs

As the name suggests, multi-chamber bongs feature more than a single chamber, providing an additional level for smoke filtration.


Usually, a multi-chamber bong has more than one percolator creating a dual-chamber design that the smoke has to travel through. This is highly beneficial for bong smokers who prefer their smoke extra smooth.


A popular practice among users includes filling one chamber with warm water and the other with cold. This is because warm water proves more efficient at extracting tar from the smoke compared to its colder counterpart.


Therefore, using a multi-chamber bong you can fill the base chamber with warm water and the percs with cold water to filter more tar out and cold down the smoke. 

Percolator Bongs

If you love a chilled, smooth drag, percolator bongs are the ultimate choice. Although they can look complicated it's pretty simple.


A perc diffuses the smoke into tiny bubbles before filtering through the water. More bubbles the more the surface area culminating in a cool smoke that is much easier on your lungs when you breathe it in.


In our opinion, this is the best style of bong to invest in. 

Mini Bongs

Ideal for when you need a swift toke, mini bongs, as evident from the name itself, are smaller water pipes in comparison to standard-size bongs.


They are an excellent choice for those moments when you want a swift toke either on the move or are too lazy to load up a big bong.


However, mini bongs don't offer the same kind of smoking experience or potency as their larger counterparts. Also, they can be somewhat delicate, particularly if they are not constructed from high-quality material. 

5. Materials Used in Bong Construction

Glass Bongs

Glass bongs are a timeless selection. Glass is the most frequently used material for bongs due to its strength, and visual charm but also for its cost-effectiveness.


Bongs made from borosilicate glass stand out due to their exceptional resistance to sudden temperature changes, which makes them an ideal option when you need to balance the temperature of the water within your bong against the heat from your lighter.

Ceramic Bongs

Ceramic bongs have a rich history, having been invented long before glass bongs.


The smoking experience they provide is notably smooth. However, while ceramic bongs offer artistic designs but can be more fragile than glass. They're perfect if you're looking for something unique and don't mind extra care.

Plastic Bongs

Before silicone bongs came around, plastic bongs were the go-to option if you didn't want to buy glass. Affordable as they are, plastic bongs have a reputation for breaking easily. So, if you're in a fix and need a fast hit, you could try an acrylic bong for just about $10.


Although we wouldn't be surprised if you upgraded to a glass bong as most plastic bong users do. A warning, a big downside of using plastic bongs is that they alter the taste of your herb. 

Silicone Bongs

Silicone bongs, despite being the new kids on the block in the bong world, have quickly earned a large fan base. There's a multitude of reasons why they're a hot pick.


Firstly, silicone is commonly found in cookware so it's safe for human use. Secondly, this type of silicone can endure the high temperatures that often come with bongs. A cherry on top is being less breakable than glass, making them ideal for taking on trips or using outside.


What's more, silicone bongs generally come with a smaller price tag than glass ones, making them an ideal choice for beginners.

Wooden Bongs

Now this type of bong you don't find often. Wooden bongs are made from wood, typically bamboo.


The term "bong" actually originates from the Thai word "baung," a reference to a hollow, water-filled wooden pipe used for smoking. From this, we can see that crafting bongs from bamboo predates our modern glass versions.


Bamboo is a very strong and incredibly robust material. Comprising up to 70 percent silica (the same component found in borosilicate glass), a lot of the same techniques used to temper glass are used in the making of bamboo bongs. 

Metal bongs

We generally advise against opting for metal bongs because they are notorious for negatively influencing the flavor of the herb you're smoking. They don't provide a pleasant, smooth smoking experience.


But the thing we don't like is you can't see what's going on inside your bong! You're left guessing about the intensity of the hit you're about to take because you can't see the smoke buildup.


The one positive about metal bongs is that some contain a ceramic lining inside the bong that helps keep water cold for cool filtration. 

6. Glass Thickness And Quality

The thickness of the glass has a major effect on both the durability and the weight of the bong. When it comes to bongs, the thickness is measured in millimeters and ranges from around 2 millimeters on the thin end and 9 millimeters on the thicker side.


Most professionals suggest a bong that is between 3 and 9 millimeters, as anything thinner than that is more prone to shattering and is too delicate to hold up to regular usage.


With bongs, the quality of glass refers to both its clarity as well as its strength. The higher the quality of the glass, the clearer and more resilient it will be. Its quality is directly related to both the material the glass is made of and the skill level of the person who is blowing it.


Most of the glass bongs made in the United States are made of high-quality borosilicate glass. However, bongs imported from China are mostly made from much cheaper, lower-quality glass, but some do use thick quality glass too.


Higher-quality thick glass is far more durable which means your bong will last longer and be more aesthetically appealing. 

Choosing a Bong Online FAQs

How do I know what bong is right for me?

Choosing the perfect bong boils down to your smoking habits, budget, and personal style. Factor in size, material type, and features.

What type of bong is best for beginners?

A simple glass or acrylic bong with a minimalistic design suits most beginners well due to its ease of use and maintenance.

What type of bong hits the smoothest?

Glass percolator bongs deliver some of the smoothest hits because they cool down smoke through water filtration before inhalation.

How much should a decent bong cost?

You can find good quality entry-level bongs around $30-$100 range. However, high-end prices start at $200.

You Now Have Everything You Need to Choose a Bong Online

If you're a newbie, we get it - choosing a bong online can be an overwhelming experience you're first time. You don't know what you're doing so you inevitably make a mistake that could cost you a lot of money.


Now you don't have to worry about that. Hopefully, with this guide, you now have all the basics to buying a bong online.


Remember, stick to the tried and tested basics of the five points we highlighted and you won't go wrong.


And if you do have any questions, just send us a message using the chat box on our website. 

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