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Collection: Bongs & Water Pipes

Are bongs healthier to smoke? It’s a question that health-conscious cannabis consumers have been asking for decades. You don’t have to be a medical professional to see the well-documented link between inhaling smoke and compromised lung function.


With that said, it’s obvious that not all types of smoke are the same. While we aren’t doctors, when it comes to marijuana, we’ve done quite a bit of personal research.

There are many perks to smoking with a bong. The rips are bigger, and the smoke is cooler. But when it comes to your health, is smoking a bong better than joints?

To find out, let’s explore what’s bubbling inside your piece. From cooler smoke temperatures to water filtration, we’ll examine whether these are enough to make bongs healthier to smoke.

What Is a Bong?

In the simplest terms, bongs are water pipes with several key components. The cannabis smoke is pulled from the bowl into a water tank and then reaches the smoker through a long pipe that connects to a mouthpiece.

The smoke’s journey through the bubbling water at the bottom of the bong serves to cool and filter the smoke. The blend of functionality and sleek design makes bongs one of the most popular ways to consume weed. It’s also why many cannabis connoisseurs think smoking a bong is better than joints.

With a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and materials, there’s a bong for every style of smoker. Many popular bongs feature hand-blown glass designs, which are beautiful but fragile. We are partial to our durable, long-lasting, laboratory-grade borosilicate glass bongs

Aesthetics and bigger hits aside, the question remains: Are bongs the right option to stay healthier when you smoke?

Water Filtration in Focus

bong percolating with smoke

The water filtration in a bong provides two significant benefits. First, when you light the flower in your bowl and inhale, you force the smoke through the water before it reaches your lungs. As the smoke travels through the water, its surface area increases, cooling its temperature.

This alone is a huge benefit. Smoking a bong is better than smoking joints because it makes smoking easier on your lungs. With lower smoke temperatures, you can avoid throat irritation and afterburn that plague cannabis users. Adding The Freeze Pipe’s glycerin coils to water filtration cools the smoke by 300 degrees!

The water’s bubbles are even more crucial to proving bongs are healthier to smoke. When the smoke moves through your bong water, the bubbles act like tiny scrubbers that help remove larger particles. These bits of ash, butane, and other irritants would otherwise enter your lungs.

Just look at old bong water to witness the evidence firsthand. 

That dirty water is full of irritating plant matter and ash. Smokers call them “Scooby Snacks” or “Happy Meals,” but they’re anything but fun. Filtering this out makes the smoke smoother, more flavorful, and easier on your respiratory system.

So, Bongs Are Healthier to Smoke, Right?

Calling any type of smoke healthy is a misnomer. Regardless of what you’re smoking, it hurts the cells in your lungs. The real question is, what are the healthiest options for someone who wants to enjoy smoking weed?

Viewing marijuana through this lens, it’s clear that filtration is better than a non-filtered alternative. All forms of combustion come with health risks you’ll have to weigh for yourself. However, smoking a bong is better than joints or pipes because it’s easier on your lungs.