Most stoners have both a glass pipe and a bong in their cupboard and if you asked them which is their favorite they’d probably have a hard time deciding. For people new to smoking weed that type of indecision is not a lot of help. They may not want to purchase both and are looking for a way to determine if glass pipes or bongs are quantifiably better. So, to help those folks decide, the team here at the Smoking Buddha vape shop have put together this brief guide on the relative pros and cons of both devices.
Glass Pipes vs. Bongs: Pros and Cons
Both devices have long track records of delivering the goods for the cannabis aficionado so choosing between a glass pipe and a bong is not always easy. Here are the pros and cons of each one:
Advantages of Glass Pipes
Convenience — A glass pipe is small enough to slip into almost any pocket so you can transport it discreetly. Try slipping a bong into the pocket of your jeans.
Affordability — While you can certainly find some glass herb pipes that are fairly expensive the average glass pipe will only cost a fraction of what a bong will cost.
They’re unique — Most of them are anyway. Almost every glass pipe is handmade with a unique shape and one-of-a-kind coloring.
Durability — If you accidentally drop your glass pipe it is not likely to shatter into a thousand useless pieces. It may chip but it will probably still be useful.
Drawbacks of Glass Pipes
Limited capacity — You’ll never get the kind of monster hits you can get with a bong off of a glass pipe. The limited capacity of the bowl also means it’s hard to effectively share using a glass pipe.
Harshness — With a glass handpipe the heat source is very close to your mouth and there is nothing to filter or cool down the hit.
Advantages of Bongs
Hit-a-rama — There is no other device that can produce the kind of gargantuan hits the bong is capable of producing. This was and is the primary draw of the bong.
Sociability — The bong was made to be passed around. When it comes to parties or just having a couple of buds over the bong reigns supreme in Parker in terms of sociability.
Smoothness — With bongs, the bowl is situated well away from your face. In addition, the smoke produced gets filtered through the water which cools it down and removes any particulate matter.
Beauty — Bongs, especially bongs of the heady glass variety, are works of art. There is no other word for them. Stoners often spend much of their buzz zoning out on their heady glass.
More flavorful — Because the hit is cooler and cleaner you are better able to appreciate the true taste of the weed.
Drawbacks of Bongs
The price — High-end bongs are as expensive as they are beautiful. Even simple bongs are not cheap.
They’re indiscreet — As we said, you can’t slip a bong into your pants pocket.
They’re fragile — If you drop your expensive bong don’t expect it to survive.
They need to be regularly cleaned — If you use your bong a lot you’ll find it gets gunked up pretty quickly. This means you’ll need to clean it, like, every week if you want to avoid a foul experience.
Are Glass Pipes or Bongs the Best Option?
After examining the pros and cons of each you can see why people who own both would have a hard time choosing one over the other. A glass pipe is discreet, affordable, convenient, and durable, while a bong produces extreme hits, is great for parties and get-togethers, and is easy to use.
For a lot of people who come into our head shop in Parker, the deciding factor is price. But even then some people on a limited budget will make the financial stretch and buy a bong just to enjoy its benefits. On the other hand, some of our headshop customers could easily afford a bong but choose a glass pipe because there’s less prepping, cleaning, and maintenance involved.
Stop by the Smoking Buddha Smoke Shop!
Just like the public in general the team here at our Parker head shop is pretty much split down the middle when it comes to choosing between a glass pipe and a bong. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal taste and practical considerations. If you treasure discretion you’ll choose a glass pipe. If you treasure epic buzzes you’ll pick a bong. Or you’ll do what so many do and buy both.
