Bong material - glass or acrylic?

When buying a bong many questions arise. The first and most important decision you have to make is to choose the right material.

The two most common materials on the market are glass and acrylic. Both materials have their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Which are these we present in the respective subsections.

In addition to glass and acrylic, there are now also bongs made of more exotic materials such as bamboo. But also pipes made of aluminium or stainless steel are available on the market. In the third subsection on the subject of material you will find more detailed information as well as advantages and disadvantages of these rather unusual bong materials.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of glass bongs?

Glass is the classic bong material. Glass has a number of characteristics which make it predestined for the production of bongs. In the following we present the material glass as well as its advantages and disadvantages in more detail.

To the advantages of glass bongs

• Modern glass water pipes are mostly made of borosilicate glass. The name Duranglas, a special high-quality variant of borosilicate glass, is also frequently used. Borosilicate glass is characterised by its special heat resistance and is mainly used for laboratory materials in addition to bond production. It is extremely hard-wearing and robust. Although there are also bongs made of crystal glass, they are virtually unaffordable in price and represent an absolute niche product. The same applies to the sometimes very popular Hüttenglasbongs.
• Glass does not take on any foreign taste. A well-maintained glass pipe can therefore still taste fresh and pleasant even after years. Meanwhile there are even dishwasher-safe versions.
• There are countless attractive models. Meanwhile there are many specialized manufacturers, as an example only Ehle is mentioned, which manufacture glass pipes of enormous quality. Beside attractive optics there are so meanwhile also pipes which are quasi unkaputtbar by their enormous glass thickness of 8mm and more in the normal use.
• Glass bongs are stable. Due to their relatively high weight, glass bongs do not fall over as easily as acrylic models. By the glass feet the weight is shifted still further downward which increases the stability of the bong in addition.
• There are standard ground joint sizes. Since standard ground joints have become established in the market, accessories from different manufacturers can be combined to create smoking devices tailored to individual tastes.

To the disadvantages of glass bongs

• Glass can break. No matter how high quality is produced, when buying a glass bong you always run the risk of a total loss due to an unfortunate fall from the table or from your hand.
• Glass bongs are comparatively expensive. Compared to acrylic, the production of a glass bong is more complex, the safe shipping more difficult and the storage more complex. All this leads to relevantly higher prices.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Acrylbongs?

Acrylic has established itself as the second standard material for bongs besides glass. Which advantages and disadvantages should be considered when buying an acrylic bong?

Advantages of acrylic bongs

• Acrylbongs consist of acrylic glass. Alternatively, the term plexiglass is often used, but this term is less common in the bonding sector. Acrylic glass is characterized by its high break resistance. In normal use it is therefore almost impossible to destroy an acrylic bong.
• Acryl is easy to shape. Therefore there is a wide range of different models. There are now models with ice as well as designs that could hardly be produced with another material due to their complex shape.
• Acryl is available in many colours. While with glass bongs coloured versions are usually considerably more expensive, this does not represent an obstacle with acrylic bongs. So if you have special color preferences, you will hardly be able to avoid an acrylic bong.
• Acrylbongs are light. So if you are looking for a transportable bong for festivals and the like, an acrylic bong is the perfect choice. Of course the special durability is also an advantage here.
• Acrylbongs are cheap. Due to the easy to process material and the problem-free shipping, acrylic bongs are usually considerably green.