Bong bowl pieces can be generic or totally customized to your smoking needs. If you're serious about personalizing your bong, read on for tips on purchasing the right piece to fit your needs, along with the skinny on different price points and styles.
What do bong bowl pieces do?
A bong is a cannabis smoking apparatus that notably features a water chamber to filter and cool your smoke. Most bongs have several other functional parts, including an ash catcher, downstem, percolator, and mouthpiece. Though bongs can be made of many materials (such as plastic, wood, and acrylic), most are constructed from glass.
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The bong bowl piece is an important component of the smoking apparatus, as it provides the place where you pack the weed after the grinding process. Some bowl pieces have built-in screens which eliminate the need to frequently replace wire screens — a plus for those who use their bongs frequently.
Choosing the right bong bowl piece for your needs
Several factors will come into play when choosing the right bong bowl piece for your smoking needs. If you already have a bong, you'll want to measure the size of your joint — and no, we're not talking about rolled up weed. The joint of a bong is the opening that cradles the bowl piece.
The standard joint sizes are:
- 10 millimeters (sometimes referred to as mini or nano joints)
- 14 millimeters (typical size for a standard water pipe)
- 18 millimeters (works well with oversized bong bowl pieces for multiple smokers)
Joint measurement is not the only size aspect to consider. You may also choose a larger or smaller bong bowl piece depending on whether you usually smoke in a group or solo.
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You'll also need to consider the gender of your joint. If your bong joint is male, you'll need to purchase a female bowl to slide over it. If your bong joint is female, you'll need to get a male bowl to slide into it.
Once you know the joint size and gender of your bong, you can match it up with the right kind of bowl piece.
Bong bowl piece styles and prices
Many bong bowl piece styles fall into an affordable price range of $12 to $25, with some a little less pricey or considerably more expensive depending on the intricacy of the design. Sometimes called a slide, the bong bowl is one way to enhance the smoking experience through a variety of styles and designs.
Snapper bowl: Perfect for the solo smoker, the snapper bowl is alternately called a martini bowl as it is shaped like the cocktail glass. These compact bowls are ideal for enjoying a single large hit all at once. One of the benefits of the snapper bowl, or any bowl piece made of glass, is that the material may offer a cleaner smoking experience. Whereas toxic fumes can emit from other materials (like wood), glass facilitates a healthier smoking session.
Metal bowl: While most snapper bowls are made of glass, a metal bowl is fashioned from sturdier brass or stainless steel. Though the metal bowl doesn't run the risk of shattering, it can get very hot, so be mindful of overheating when in use.
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Oversized bowl: If you're going to share your smoke, go for an oversized bowl which is both wide and deep. You can light up multiple hits in an oversized bowl and extend the smoking experience without reloading.
Double bowl: This novelty bong bowl piece is designed for a couple to enjoy a side-by-side smoke. The double bowl has two containers that you can pack full of weed and share with your partner or friend.
Other novelty bowls: The sky's the limit when it comes to finding a bong bowl piece that suits your personality. Some pieces are shaped like animals, while others display abstract artistic designs. The price point for a novelty bowl may be higher than other kinds of bowl pieces — $40 or more on average.
Bottom line
Bong bowls are essential pieces that you can customize by the intimacy of your smoke session and your personal preferences. Although you have numerous choices of bong bowl material, glass may be the best bet for health and safety reasons. Relatively inexpensive, bowl pieces are a core component of any bong and keep your weed firmly packed and ready to smoke.