What is a bong - glass bong?

The bong—also known as a water pipe, blubber, beaker, glass pipe, tube, or affectionately, a device—is one of the most well-known smoking devices in cannabis culture. Its purpose: to cool and purify the smoke using water filtration to provide a smooth, flavorful, and intense smoking experience.

How does a bong work?

Whether it's a classic cylinder bong, a modern beaker bong, a compact mini bong, or even a dab rig, the structure is essentially similar:

• Herb or concentrate is filled into the bowl.
• When lit, the smoke is drawn through the chillum into the vessel filled with water.
• There it is filtered and cooled before being inhaled through the mouthpiece.

Optional features such as percolators, ice catchers, pre-coolers or a kick hole can further enhance the experience.

What parts does a bong consist of?

• Bowl – filling chamber for herbs or extracts
• Chillum (Downstem) – Leads the smoke into the water
• Water chamber – Cools and filters the smoke
• Smoke chamber / throat – passes the filtered smoke
• Mouthpiece – For inhalation
• Optional: Kickhole, percolator, ice compartment, pre-cooler

Common and alternative terms for “bong”

There are many names for the same device in the scene, in shops, and internationally. Here's an overview:

Classic terms:

• bong
• Hookah
• Blubber (German scene slang)
• glass pipe
• Beaker bong / Erlenmeyer flask bong
• cylinder bong

International terms:

• Water pipe (official, English)
• Tube (e.g. “straight tube”)
• Rig (for oil bongs/dabbing)
• Piece (US slang for high-quality smoking device)
• Boro (short for bongs made of borosilicate glass)

Scene terms & colloquial expressions:

• Device – generally for large or eye-catching bongs
• Pipe / tube – loose, mostly for cylinder bongs
• Cloud machine – for heavy smoke development
• Lungs made of glass – jokingly for large models
• High-end horn – with a wink for expensive bongs
• Chiller tower – for tall bongs with many percolators
• Chimney – for simple, large cylinder bongs