Using a bong is not the best way to get started in the weed world. There are cheaper and more convenient consumption methods out there, after all. However, once you’ve been into weed for a few months or a few years, there eventually comes a time when buying a bong is the best gift you can give yourself. Here are some of the reasons why that is.
1 – Clean and smooth hits
There are many types of bong and many ways to put them together, from cheap and compact travel bongs to unique pieces like DopeBoo’s Cheech & Chong glass bongs. However, what all bongs cheap and expensive have in common is water filtration. This is a system where the smoke from your weed — or other assorted herbs — goes through a water container before making its way through the rest of the bong.
The water traps tar and other impurities found in the smoke. This results in a much smoother and cleaner hit. This is one of the main reasons why cannabis veterans will often list bongs as their favorite way to consume the herb.
2 – Contain the mess
While using a bong will still require heat and ignition, the process is much cleaner than rolling a joint or even smoking from a pipe. The ground weed used by the bong is placed in a bowl inside the bong, which is where most of the ash and tar will be contained. What little ash and tar rise up with the smoke will be filtered by the water.
This means you won’t have to worry about getting smoke all over the house, or keeping an ashtray nearby. Your bong will get dirty over time, but the mess will be contained to the bong, which you can easily wash once in a while.
3 – Theoretically safer
If you have been wondering, yes, having weed smoke go through the water filtration process should make that smoke less harmful to your health. At least in theory. In practice, many health experts are doubtful of how big of a difference this makes — smoke going into your lungs is still bad no matter what. However, even if using a bong is only 5% healthier than smoking a joint, that’s not nothing. Especially if weed is part of your daily routine.
4 – Modulate the experience
There is a reason why the cannabis world doesn’t have a singular industry-standard bong that everyone uses. There are hundreds of different ways to make a bong, and everything from the materials used to the shape of the bong’s chambers can affect the hits produced by the bong.
This variation makes bongs a great way to give new life to your favorite herbs. The right bong can make cheap weed taste more premium than it is, and it will allow you to detect a lot more flavor and quality on premium weeds.
For example, one thing this guide hasn’t mentioned yet is how bongs cool down the smoke from the weed. This cooling effect — on top of the water filtration — also makes the hit much smoother. And you can get the smoke to be cooler or hotter as you prefer it by changing the type of bong you’re using.
There are different ways to approach changing the temperature of the smoke as well. Glycerin bongs are a good example of this. Like you can find at DopeBoo, these are bongs that come with a detachable glycerin coil. You can place that coil in the freezer, then attach it to your bong when you’re ready to smoke, so the coil will cool down the smoke as it rises.
5 – Express your identity
Bongs are more than a practical tool — they are a piece of decoration and a beautiful one at that. You don’t have to go far above the 100 dollar price range to find beautiful-looking bongs you’ll be able to proudly display in your living room. Of course, bongs look great in selfies as well, and they are a great way to enjoy weed with friends.
This is not to say bongs have to be overstated. There are also plenty of “stealth” bongs, which are made to look like harmless everyday objects. They’re a great option if you frequently entertain squares at home, or you’re worried you might forget your bong in the background during a business video call.
