The right size bong for you depends on your smoking habits, the average number of people in your smoking circle, and how often you smoke. A bong with a large bowl is perfect for the lone smoker while the group will prefer using a bong that has a medium-sized bowl.
This table should give you a rough idea of what size to get:
Number of People Number Of Times Per Day Average Time Per Session
1 Person 1-2 20-30 minutes
2-3 Person 2-4 10-15 minutes
4+ Person 4+ 5-10 minutes
You’ll also need to take into consideration the height of the cheap bongs. The taller a bong is, the more smoke it can hold and the more hits you’ll get from a single bowl of herb.
A tall bong will not only increase your smoking experience but will also be safer since you won’t have to bend down as much while inhaling.
In general, tall bongs are made with glass tubing while smaller ones are made with acrylic or bamboo tubing. Acrylic and Bamboo do offer less resistance compared to glass so if you want a smooth hit every time choose an acrylic or bamboo bong over a glass one. You may also consider getting a water pipe – they produce bigger hits than regular bongs!
Bongs are measured in the thickness of their glass. Most bongs you’ll see measure around 3-5mm thick. A thicker piece will usually last much longer than a thinner one, especially if you’re clumsy like me and break your bong often. If you plan on using your bong for years to come consider getting a thick glass bong!
How to choose a really good bong?
There are a few features which can make your smoking experience better and these include:
- A removable down-stem – this is where the smoke enters the water chamber and provides cool, clean smoke. The down stem should be kept clean to prevent blockage since it has several holes for the smoke to pass through.
- Ice catchers – these allow you to place ice above the ceramic or glass percolator which will produce cooler, smoother hits that you will love especially during hot summer days. These are usually found in bigger bongs with multiple percolators because they need more cooling power to keep up with production of big hits
- Bent neck or “kick-dab” – This feature ensures that there is no splash back to your face and it also prevents you from inhaling water droplets.
- Thick Glass – This feature is not exactly a must-have but it certainly protects the bong against damage that can happen during transport or even storage since glass breakage can be prevented if the glass is thick enough. How thick does a bong have to be? At least an inch for a bong less than 7 inches in height while anything above 11 inches should have at least 2 inch thickness of glass, especially those with ice catchers
- Cleanliness – The more components there are in a bong, the harder it will be to clean them, so make sure you choose one which has as few as possible parts to avoid difficulty during cleaning.
How much should I spend on a bong?
Bongs are expensive but they are definitely worth the price – if you choose one that is of good quality and has all the features you want. You will be able to save money by spending more on a bong than buying several cheap ones because you will only end up having to replace them after a short while which is certainly more expensive than buying one high-end bong. Rule of thumb: don’t buy something unless it’s between 25% and 50% of your monthly income, but better safe than sorry so stick within your budget!