Water Pipes

• Glass gives the cleanest taste and the easiest view of when it needs cleaning, but it's breakable.
• Silicone is nearly indestructible, so it's great for travel, clumsy hands, or a first piece.
• Stainless steel (like the Chill) is built to last and stays cool to the touch.
  
  Pick glass for flavor and looks, silicone for peace of mind, and metal for a forever piece.

They're all water pipes, meaning smoke bubbles through water before you inhale it. "Bong" usually means a bigger tabletop piece with a removable bowl. A bubbler is a smaller, handheld water pipe that's pipe-sized but still smooth. Minis sit in between: bong style, palm size.

• Minis (4–6") are easy to hide, easy to clean, and give smaller hits that are great for solo sessions.
• Standard (6–10") is the everyday sweet spot: smooth hits that are still easy to handle.
• XL (10"+) gives bigger, cooler, more dramatic hits. It's the party piece.
  
  Bigger chambers mean more cooling, but more smoke to clear in one breath.

It's the joint size, where the bowl connects. A 14mm female joint takes a 14mm male bowl. Most of our water pipes use 14mm, the most common size, so replacement and upgrade bowls are easy to find. Check the product listing before buying extra bowls or ash catchers.

A percolator is an extra chamber inside the piece that splits smoke into tiny bubbles. More bubbles means more cooling and a smoother hit. It's not required, since a simple downstem works fine, but if your throat is sensitive, percs are worth it. The tradeoff is a little more drag and more nooks to clean.

Start with a mini or standard glass piece, or a silicone bubbler if you're worried about breaking it. Smaller chambers mean you won't take a bigger hit than you meant to. Something like the Froggy, Hello Kitty, or Elephant Silicone Bubbler is an easy, low-pressure first piece.

Just enough to cover the slits at the bottom of the downstem by about half an inch to an inch. Too little and you lose the filtration. Too much and you'll get bong water splashing into your mouth. Change the water every session, or at least daily, because stale bong water is the number one cause of nasty-tasting hits.

Pour in isopropyl alcohol (91% or higher) plus a spoonful of coarse salt, cover the openings, and shake. Rinse with warm water, never boiling water on cold glass, and let it dry. Silicone pieces can usually go in the top rack of the dishwasher (check your listing). Clean weekly if you smoke daily and your hits will taste brand new.

They have a sealed chamber or cup filled with glycerin that you put in the freezer before your session. It chills the smoke way down for icy-smooth hits without ice cubes. The Cooling Freeze Travel Cup Bubbler is a good example: pop it in the freezer and go.

Both. Pieces like the Hemper Ducky, Trippy Shroom, and Snail bongs are fully functional water pipes with standard joints, so they hit like a regular bong and look way better on your shelf. Cute is just a bonus.

Silicone or a compact mini. Silicone survives drops, bags, and road trips, and minis are easy to pack and hide. Travel cup bubblers like the freeze cup also fit right in a cup holder.