We use cookies for certain features and to improve your experience. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy to learn more

Leafly

Shop legal, local weed.

Open
advertise on Leafly
ShopDeliveryDispensariesDealsStrainsBrandsProductsCBDDoctorsCannabis 101Social impact
  • Sign in
  • Create account
  • Strains
  • Shop
  • Shop
  • Delivery
  • Deals
  • Dispensaries
  • CBD Stores
  • Brands
  • Products
  • Learn
  • Cannabis 101
  • News
  • Leafly Learn
  • Science of cannabis
  • Doctors
  • Social impact
  • Lab partners
  • Download the Leafly App
  • Advertise on Leafly
    • Leafly.comUSA flag
    • Leafly.caCanadian flag
    • Leafly.deGerman flag
  • Help
  • News
  • Cannabis 101
  • Growing
  • Strains & products
  • CBD
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science & tech
  • Industry
  • Reports
  • Canada
  • Podcasts
  • Leafly Lists
Strains & products

Glass 101: Pipe, bong, or bubbler?

vapor.com
Presented Byvapor.comPublished on March 25, 2020 · Last updated September 27, 2021
Courtesy vapor.com

This article is brought to you by vapor.com, an online hub for bongs, beakers, bubblers and more.


As cannabis gets mainstream acceptance, we’re using all kinds of new gadgets, but there’s nothing like that OG classic, glass.

Glass pieces—like bongs, pipes, and bubblers—ruled cannabis consumption long before we had vaporizers, crafted by skilled artisans hoping to give you both a great high and a work of art.

Above all, glassware is extremely practical. It requires zero electricity and helps you learn about your herb, in a slower, more intimate way – bowl by bowl. For those who weren’t cannabis connoisseurs until the recent wave of legalization and high-tech consumption, it’s possible you’ve never passed a pipe or hit a bong before (or if you have, it’s been a good long while).

Don’t despair. We’ve got you covered with this guide to the basic types of glassware, all available at vapor.com.

Glass pipes

The most user-friendly cannabis accessory has to be the pipe—they’re portable and extremely user-friendly. There’s a lot of variety here depending on what you’re looking for, but for the uninitiated, the basic instructions are the same:

  • Load your herb into the bowl end of your pipe
  • Put your thumb over the carb—a small hole, usually on the side—if there is one
  • Light your herb, inhale, and lift your thumb to release the smoke

The biggest downside is that you’re inhaling smoke straight from the source, so it’s easy for even the most experienced smokers to hit a little too hard and cough a few times. Here are a few other choices you can make when it comes to pipes:

Spoon pipes

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

When you think of a cannabis pipe, this bowl-and-stem shape is probably what comes to mind. This shape is a classic for a reason: it’s easy to use and the stem usually keeps your face reasonably far away from your flame.

The minimalist design of spoon pipes is both chic and user-friendly, and you can often find them with large bowls and ash-catchers for smoother drags. Some come in a hammer shape that’s both durable and rests easily on a table between sessions.

Tasters

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

Also known as “one-hitters,” tasters are clutch when discretion is key. They’re compact little tubes designed for tamping ground herb in one end and inhaling on the other. The key is packing in the cannabis to keep it securely in place and to maintain a gentle touch with your lighter.

You can find sleek tasters made from durable borosilicate glass and built for portability, so you can take a hit anywhere.

Steamroller

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

If you want big, smoky hits, a steamroller pipe is designed to deliver. It’s one long tube with a carb on the end for a super-efficient hit. The flower typically loads in a bowl piece at the top and are easily packed with pre-ground bud and a thumb.

Bongs and Beakers

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

Often known as “water pipes” (especially in headshops in cannabis-prohibition states), you’ve definitely seen a bong if you’ve ever watched a stoner film. It’s a taller piece of glass with water at the bottom, typically with a bowl piece that can be removed and replaced to build vapor. If you’ve never hit a bong before, the steps are similar to a pipe:

  • Add water to the bottom of the device and load the bowl with flower
  • Start inhaling through the top as you light the bowl
  • Lift the bowl to clear the chamber

While there are all sorts of bongs to consider, a beaker, shaped like the piece of lab equipment, is a great place to start. The wide base holds plenty of water and helps keep it from tipping over, and you can often put ice in the stem for a smoother hit. Some even come with dry storage in the beaker, so you can pack a fresh bowl with ease.

Bubblers

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

Bubblers are a delightful link between dry and water pipes. They’re more portable and easier to pass and store than a bong, but still use water to soften the hit. A bubbler is typically going to hit like a dry pipe, with a carb to build and release the smoke.

One fun thing about bubblers: designers tend to have a lot of fun with them, so if you’re looking for a conversation piece, bubblers are a great place to look. The drawback here is that depending on how elaborate they are, they can be a little more challenging to clean.

Dab rigs

(Courtesy of vapor.com)

If you want to get a lot of high out of the least amount of product (or you just prefer vapor in general), it might be time to give dabbing a try. Unlike most of these glass options, which work with flower, dabbing is designed for concentrates, like wax or shatter.

A dab rig has a few basic elements: a hot instrument called a nail for vaporizing concentrates and a water pipe.

There are options to adapt existing glass rigs into dab rigs by getting the right accessories, including bangers and e-nails – the latest in dab technology. With an e-nail, concentrate lovers can let the blowtorch rest and take a hit of their favorite wax with the press of a button and some pre-heating patience.


Check out vapor.com to get all the gear you need to smoke smooth, silky hits from glass pieces.

bongsdabspipessponsored article
vapor.com
Presented Byvapor.com

The latest in Strains & products

  • Leafly’s top 10 THCA concentrates of 2025 image
    Leafly’s top 10 THCA concentrates of 2025
    Leafly Staff
  • The best products for Oil Day 2025 image
    The best products for Oil Day 2025
    Leafly Staff
  • How to roll a hash hole image
    How to roll a hash hole
    Leafly Staff
  • The easiest hash to make at home image
    The easiest hash to make at home
    Leafly Staff
Get good reads, local deals, and strain spotlights delivered right to your inbox.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.



Stay In Touch

Receive updates on new products, special offers, and industry news.

Something went wrong, please try again.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Leafly mobile app
Get high for less.
Download the Leafly app.
Download Leafly: Marijuana Reviews on the App StoreDownload Leafly Marijuana Reviews on Google Play

Business Solutions
  • List your store
  • List your CBD store
  • List your brand
  • List your practice
  • Business log in

About Leafly
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Investor relations
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Accessibility

Dispensaries in
  • Los Angeles
  • Seattle
  • Portland
  • San Francisco
  • Toronto
  • Detroit

Privacy & Terms
  • Terms of use
  • Commercial terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • Do not sell my personal information

* Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice.


© 2025 Leafly, LLC
Leafly and the Leafly logo are registered trademarks of Leafly, LLC. All Rights Reserved.