Bong vs Bubbler vs Hand Pipe: Which Should You Buy?

Choose a hand pipe if you want the smallest, simplest and cheapest option. Choose a bubbler if you want water-filtered hits in something you can still carry. Choose a bong if you smoke mostly at home and want the biggest, coolest, smoothest pulls. All three work with dry herb or tobacco.

Bong vs Bubbler vs Hand Pipe at a Glance

Hand Pipes: Best for Simplicity and Portability

A hand pipe is the best choice when you want something small, simple and ready to use. You pack the bowl, cover the carb hole, light and inhale. There's no water, no extra parts and almost nothing to break or lose.

The trade-off is smoothness. With no water to cool it, smoke reaches you hotter than from a bubbler or bong. Longer pipes such as Sherlocks help a little, because the smoke travels further before it reaches you.

• Pick a hand pipe if: you want something pocket-sized, you smoke on the go, or you want the lowest-cost way to start.
• Skip it if: you want cool, smooth hits or you mostly smoke at home.

Good starting points: the Pulsar CORE Glass Hand Pipe, a thick 4.25" spoon, or the GRAV Sandblasted Classic Sherlock for a longer, curved draw. Browse all glass hand pipes.

Bubblers: Best for Smooth Hits on the Go

A bubbler is a hand pipe with a small built-in water chamber, so it's the middle ground between a pipe and a bong. Smoke passes through water before it reaches you, which cools it and makes each pull noticeably smoother than a dry pipe.

Bubblers are still small enough to carry in a bag, though you need to add water before each session and empty it after. Their small openings also make them the hardest of the three to clean, so a soak in cleaner works better than scrubbing.

• Pick a bubbler if: you want water filtration but still want to travel with your piece.
• Skip it if: you want the simplest possible cleanup, or you want big bong-sized hits.

Hammer bubblers stand up on their own, which helps keep water from spilling. Try the Rock Glass ShadowForge Hammer Bubbler or the Pulsar CORE Glass Bubbler. Browse all bubblers.

Bongs: Best for the Smoothest, Biggest Hits at Home

A bong gives the coolest, smoothest and biggest hits of the three. It has the largest water chamber, a removable bowl and downstem, and often one or more percolators that split smoke into smaller bubbles for extra filtration.

Bongs are also the most upgradeable. Because the bowl is removable, you can swap in a different bong bowl, add an ash catcher to keep it cleaner, or fit a quartz banger to use it for concentrates. The downside is size: most bongs stay at home.

• Pick a bong if: you mostly smoke at home and want the smoothest pull.
• Skip it if: you need something portable or you don't want to change water regularly.

A compact 7" bong like the Rock Glass 7" Bong with Showerhead Perc is an easy first bong. For bigger pulls, the 14" Pulsar Transporter Straight Tube clears fast. Browse all bongs.

Which One Should You Buy?

Match the piece to where and how you smoke most:

• Mostly on the go: hand pipe.
• On the go, but want smoother hits: bubbler.
• Mostly at home: bong.
• First piece and not sure: a hand pipe is the cheapest way to start, and a small bong is the easiest step up.

Many people end up with more than one: a hand pipe or bubbler for travel and a bong at home.

What About Dab Rigs?

Dab rigs look like small bongs but are built for concentrates, not dry herb. Instead of a bowl they use a heated nail or banger. If concentrates are what you're after, see our dab rig vs bong guide or browse dab rigs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a bubbler better than a bong?

Not better, just different. A bubbler is smaller and portable with a small water chamber. A bong has more water and often percolators, so it gives bigger and smoother hits but stays at home.

Is a bubbler smoother than a hand pipe?

Yes. A bubbler passes smoke through water, which cools it, so each pull is smoother than from a dry hand pipe of a similar size.

What is the easiest piece to clean?

A hand pipe. It has one open chamber with no water. Bubblers are the hardest because their small openings make scrubbing difficult, so soak them in a cleaning solution instead.

What is the best piece for a beginner?

A glass hand pipe is the simplest and cheapest place to start. If you want smoother hits from day one, a small bong around 7 inches is easy to use and easy to clean.

Can I use a bong or bubbler without water?

It will work, but you lose the filtration that makes them smoother. With no water, a bong or bubbler smokes much like a hand pipe.

All products are intended for use with legal smoking herbs and tobacco only. You must be 21 or older to purchase.