Cannabis 101

What is a silicone bong?

Published on April 21, 2020 · Last updated July 28, 2020
(Julia Sumpter/Leafly)

If you are ever in the mood for a good story, ask a cannabis consumer about their smoking paraphernalia collection. Their eyes will light up with such excitement, you’d think they had just won an Oscar. 

Their speech will definitely run over the allotted time, as they wax poetic about glassblowing techniques, the benefits of their percolation choices, and the artists behind their pieces. Each piece most certainly comes with a story. You will be treated to tales of true love, tragic loss, and epic adventure. If you are lucky, you might even get a glimpse into the rituals that surround the way pieces are used. 

Related
How Does a Bong Work? A Guide to the Water Pipe

This is not an article about those types of bongs. 

Sometimes you just need a piece that gets the job done. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to have an artist attached to its creation. It doesn’t need pomp and circumstance to get going. It just needs to be there for you when you need it. 

Enter silicone bongs. 

5 reasons to use a silicone bong

They may not be as epic as a glass piece, however, they still have plenty to offer. Check out why you should have one of these in your smoking repertoire. 

Durability

These things are almost impossible to break. Do not let a happy dog with a weaponized tail be the reason you lose a prized bong. Silicone can take a hit and keep on going! 

Worst case scenario is you need to clean up some stanky bong water. That’s pretty bad, but at least you won’t be mourning the loss of a prized piece while doing it. 

Portability

A silicone bong’s portability is tied to its durability—you can literally throw it in a bag before you head out camping and not have to worry about it. There are even silicone bongs that are designed to roll up, so you can easily, and more discreetly, bring them wherever the wind takes you. Finding water will be your only challenge. I find it’s best to just bring a little extra with you.

Easy to clean

Cleaning a glass piece can be labor intensive. Silicone bongs speed up the process. Not only can you send this thing through the dishwasher (be sure to get as much of the resin off as possible before putting it in), but many of them can be broken down into sections. This allows you to get every nook and cranny clean—difficult to do on a glass piece with an intricate percolator. 

Fun designs

There is no limit to the designs you can print on these things, and the shapes they can be molded into are quite impressive. A seahorse shaped silicone bong … why not? 

You may also come across some interesting unlicensed renderings of your favorite television show. Like a knock-off band tee you bought in the parking lot of a concert venue, silicone bongs can be a fun treasure you enjoy for a long time. 

Reasonably priced

Buying a glass piece can be a special moment, but it also can be a very expensive moment. You don’t have that problem with silicone bongs. Besides, if you do end up taking it with you on adventures, it is really only a matter of time before it gets misplaced. Thankfully you can get a replacement for around $40. 

Disadvantages of a silicone bong

The main reason some people might not like a silicone bong is that they aren’t as pretty as a beautiful glass piece. But as mentioned above, function can outweigh form in a lot of circumstances.

Another other concern is taste—some think a silicone bong has a plastic-like taste. Although maybe not as clean as glass, you may need a couple smoke sessions to break one in and it should be fine.

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Adam Pallay
Adam Pallay
Adam is Leafly’s Education Editor, specializing in helping people build expertise within the cannabis industry. He has spent the last five years working every job imaginable in retail cannabis and looks forward to continuing to help customers through writing.
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