This guide breaks down all of the parts of a bong. The core components that make a bong tick, the upgrades that actually improve your hit, and the accessories that are worth your time (and money).
Bookmark this page to further your knowledge of what works, why it works, and how to get the best session every time.
Essential Parts of Every Bong
Most people’s first bong is an afterthought.
It’s a pipe with a water chamber, it makes bubbles, and you get high. But once you start paying attention to the individual components, you realize just how much design affects function.
There’s no wasted glass if it’s made right. Let’s walk through the parts that actually make a bong a bong, and why each one matters more than you’d think.
The Bowl: Where It All Starts
Every hit begins at the bowl.
It’s the ignition point, the chamber where you pack your herb and spark the session to life. A well-designed bowl doesn’t just hold your flower; it controls airflow, combustion, and how evenly that material burns.
That’s where things get interesting.
You’ll find single-hole bowls and multi-hole bowls. The difference? Single-hole bowls are basic and familiar, but they tend to clog easily and burn unevenly. Multi-hole bowls create balanced airflow across the entire surface of the pack.
The result is smoother combustion, fewer clogs, and a more efficient rip every time.
Helpful Resource -> Bowl Sizes
The Joint: Matching Sizes for an Airtight Hit
The joint is the connection point between your bowl and your bong.
It’s tapered and precision-fit, when done right. Joint size matters more than most people realize. The standard diameters are 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm.
Pick the wrong one, and your parts won’t fit, or worse, they’ll almost fit, leading to a wobbly setup that leaks smoke and breaks under pressure.
Then there’s the male vs. female issue. A male bowl fits into a female joint and vice versa.
If you mismatch, you’ll need an adapter, which can be a useful fix, but it’s not ideal long-term.
A proper seal here isn’t optional, it’s the difference between clean airflow and a hit that feels like you’re sucking through a pinhole.
The Downstem: From Smoke to Water
Once smoke leaves the bowl, it enters the downstem.
This slender tube guides the smoke into the water chamber for cooling. It might look like a simple straw, but the downstem is your first layer of filtration, and it makes a massive difference.
There are two types: open-end and diffused.
Open-end downstems are bare tubes. They do the job, but they’re rough around the edges.
A diffused downstem (like the super-slit versions we include at TAG) breaks smoke into multiple streams through a series of small slits. That means more bubbles, more surface area, and a much smoother experience.
Removable downstems make cleaning and upgrades easier. Fixed downstems might look sleek, but when resin builds up, or worse, it cracks, you’ve got limited options.
And don’t ignore the angle. A shallow angle allows deeper water interaction, which means better cooling. Steeper angles can help with clearing and make it easier to pull out the bowl cleanly.
Helpful Resource -> Downstem Sizes Guide
The Base (Water Chamber): Smoke Meets Filtration
Now we hit the real heart of the piece, the base. This is where smoke and water meet. The size, shape, and stability of the base define everything that follows.
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A beaker base holds more water, which means better filtration and cooling. It also offers more surface area for the bubbles to expand before rising. That’s why it’s often recommended for beginners, it’s forgiving, simple to clean, and hard to knock over.
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A straight tube, on the other hand, clears faster because the smoke has a direct path to the mouthpiece, but it may feel harsher unless paired with good percs or diffusion.
Adjust your water level carefully. Too high and you’ll get splashback; too low and you’re pulling dry, hot air.
Most first-timers overfill their bongs. My advice? Add just enough water to submerge the bottom of the downstem by about an inch. That’s your sweet spot.
The Tube/Neck + Mouthpiece: The Final Stretch
From the base, the filtered smoke travels up the neck toward the mouthpiece.
This stretch is deceptively important. Longer tubes give smoke more time to cool, which is great for smoother hits, but they also increase the internal volume, meaning it takes more effort to clear the chamber. You’re trading power for finesse.
The mouthpiece should form a clean, comfortable seal around your lips.
Too narrow, and it feels restricted. Too wide, and you lose pressure and flavor. Angled or “bent” necks help prevent splashback and reduce neck strain, especially when using taller rigs or lounging on the couch.
Optional Parts That Improve the Smoking Experience
When it comes to function, the core parts of a bong get the job done, but it’s the extras that push the experience into wow territory.
Not every add-on is a gimmick. Some features solve real-world problems, like harsh pulls, water splashback, or poor cooling.
When designed well, they improve every hit. When slapped on for looks, they cause more frustration than benefit. Here’s where design meets intention.
Percolators (Percs): Extra Filtration for Smooth Hits
If you’ve ever taken a rip and thought, that could’ve been smoother, percolators are your answer.
These internal filters break your smoke into dozens, or even hundreds, of microbubbles. Each bubble increases surface area, cooling the smoke and removing particulate before it reaches your lungs.
There are a lot of perc styles: tree, honeycomb, matrix, showerhead...
The names don’t matter as much as the execution. A tree perc with thin, unreinforced arms might look fancy, but those arms snap during cleaning. A honeycomb with uneven slits will create back-pressure instead of smooth diffusion.
Don’t fall into the “more is better” trap.
Too many percs choke your airflow and turn your bong into a cleaning nightmare. One well-designed perc beats three mediocre ones every time. You’ll feel it in the draw.
Helpful Resource -> Percolator Bongs Vs Regular Bongs
Ice Catchers: Simple Cooling That Just Works
A good ice catcher can do wonders when placed right.
These are small pinches in the neck that hold a couple of ice cubes. When smoke passes through, it drops in temperature fast, reducing throat irritation and making your hit feel significantly smoother.
But there’s a catch, placement is critical.
If the catcher is too close to the mouthpiece or the water level’s too high, melting ice leads to a flooded neck and a soggy draw. It’s a fixable mistake, but one that ruins a good session.
Always use just enough water to cover the downstem, and let the ice do its work above that.
Splash Guards: Keep the Funk in the Base
Splash guards are like traffic cops for water.
These slotted domes or glass barriers sit above the water line and prevent water from reaching the mouthpiece, especially useful in short or aggressively diffused bongs.
Not all splash guards deserve your attention. Some brands slap them in as an afterthought.
At TAG, we engineer them as part of the internal architecture, factoring in pull strength, chamber diameter, and water flow. The result? Cleaner pulls, dry lips, and no surprise gulps of stale bong water.
Bent/Sidecar Necks: Function Over Fashion
If you think a bent neck is just a style choice, think again.
Angled necks, especially on taller rigs, serve three purposes: they reduce neck strain, they keep the bong more stable when resting on tables, and they dramatically lower the risk of splashback during big clears.
Sidecar configurations (mouthpieces offset at 45°) are especially comfortable for seated sessions.
You don’t have to lean forward or adjust your posture to get a full hit. It’s small ergonomic upgrades like this that separate a good bong from a great one. I’ll always choose comfort and control over flashy shapes.
Cool Add-Ons to Try with Your Bong
Once you’ve got a reliable setup, the next step isn’t buying another bong, it’s refining what you’ve got.
Small upgrades can make a big difference when they’re built with purpose.
I’ve tested every “add-on” under the sun. Some are clever. Some are nonsense. Here are the ones that actually enhance your session.
Ash Catchers: Keep It Clean
If you're tired of brown sludge building up in your water after just a few hits, this one’s for you.
An ash catcher connects between your bowl and joint, intercepting burned material before it ever reaches the water chamber. That means your bong stays cleaner five to ten times longer.
The taste? Cleaner. The smell? Fresher. The cleanup? Drastically reduced.
But there’s a tradeoff. Ash catchers add volume and weight.
On bongs with narrow necks or minimal water volume, this can increase drag or tip the balance, literally. If your base isn’t wide and heavy, it might be better to skip this add-on until you upgrade the main rig.
Adapters: Solve Fitment and Compatibility
Joint sizes aren’t universal, and that’s where adapters come in.
Whether you’re dealing with a 14mm female joint and an 18mm male bowl, or trying to connect a male-male configuration, an adapter keeps your setup compatible without forcing or damaging your glass.
They’re essential when you’re experimenting with accessories, especially when ordering online where sizing errors are common.
Pro tip: don’t eyeball it. Use a caliper or check the specs. A 1mm mismatch doesn’t sound like much until your bowl falls out mid-session.
Recyclers: For the Flavor-Conscious Smoker
Recyclers aren’t just eye candy, they’re a design upgrade.
These systems loop smoke and water through secondary chambers, creating extended filtration while keeping water from splashing into your mouth. The extra contact time improves cooling and gives you a hit that feels more refined.
What sets recyclers apart is how they preserve flavor. Hot smoke can dull terpene profiles. A well-built recycler keeps things cooler without over-filtering the taste. And when made properly, they don’t compromise airflow or cause stale pockets of smoke.
Glycerin Coils: Freeze for Frosty Hits
Want cold, smooth rips without the water hassle? Glycerin coils are detachable neck or chamber inserts filled with glycerin gel. Toss them in the freezer for 30–60 minutes, then attach before your session.
They’re ideal for dry herb purists who want smooth pulls without extra diffusion.
Just remember, they need maintenance. Glycerin can expand and contract, so always follow care instructions to avoid leaks or cracks. This is a precision piece, not a novelty.
Keck Clips: The Small Upgrade That Saves Glass
This one’s criminally underrated. Keck clips are plastic clamps that snap around the joint to hold your bowl or downstem in place. One tug too fast, and a hot bowl hits the floor, or worse, cracks your rig.
A $2 clip prevents a $200 problem.
They’re especially useful on heavy setups or during group sessions where someone’s bound to clear too aggressively. Trust me, if you’ve ever broken a downstem mid-session, you never skip the clip again.
Airflow & Smoke Dynamics, The Hidden Engine of a Great Hit
I’ve seen it too many times, someone spends hundreds on a flashy setup with five percs, double chambers, and a glycerin coil, then wonders why it hits like they’re sucking through a wet sock.
That’s not a bong problem. That’s an airflow problem.
Every part of your piece, from bowl to mouthpiece, either helps or hinders how smoothly smoke travels. Once you understand how airflow works, you stop guessing and start controlling your session.
The Flow Chain: From Flame to Lungs
The hit starts the moment you spark the bowl.
As the herb combusts, smoke is drawn through the joint into the downstem. If that connection isn’t airtight, your draw gets sabotaged before the smoke even hits the water.
This is why joint fitment matters so much.
A loose 14mm bowl in an 18mm joint? You’re leaking air. A cracked or poorly seated grommet? Same deal. That’s where adapters and tight seals come in, not just for compatibility, but to preserve the vacuum pressure that powers the entire smoke path.
Diffusion at Work: Downstem & Percolators
Once inside the water chamber, the downstem takes over.
A basic tube will send the smoke straight into the water. But a diffused downstem, with precision-cut slits or holes, breaks the smoke into smaller bubbles, dramatically increasing the surface area for cooling.
Now layer in a percolator, and that effect multiplies.
Percolators filter and condition the smoke even further, but here’s the caveat: every added chamber or slit increases drag. If you throw too many percs, or poorly designed ones, you throttle your airflow.
Volume vs Velocity: How Size Affects Smoke
A taller bong allows smoke more time to travel, which cools it, but it also increases the volume of air inside the chamber. More air means more effort to clear.
That’s not bad, it’s just physics. You want smoother? Go taller. You want faster? Go shorter.
The shape of the mouthpiece matters too. A narrow mouthpiece creates resistance, while a wider bore or angled neck reduces strain and makes draws feel more effortless.
Temperature vs Harshness
Everyone thinks cold smoke is the goal. And yes, cold = smoother. But you don’t just want cold, you want conditioned. You want turbulence, filtration, and diffusion working together.
That’s where ice catchers, recyclers, and glycerin coils shine, but only if your airflow isn’t bottlenecked by bad joints or draggy percs.
Balancing Drag and Filtration
The sweet spot is where filtration and airflow meet.
Clean slits. Straight airflow paths. Chambers that complement, not fight, each other. A well-balanced setup doesn’t just hit better, it feels right.
When airflow flows freely and filtration is dialed in, everything clicks.
You stop pulling and start inhaling. Effortlessly.
Putting It All Together, How to Choose (or Upgrade)
Think of your bong like a well-built engine, every part plays a role, and you want each one tuned for performance, not decoration.
Start with a strong foundation: a stable beaker base or straight tube, a diffused downstem that cools without choking, and a multi-hole bowl that burns evenly. That trio alone will outperform half the flashy setups on the market.
From there, build intentionally.
Want smoother hits? Add an ice catcher or a single perc, but always prioritize airflow. More features don’t always equal better performance. If it adds drag, makes cleaning miserable, or solves a problem you don’t have, skip it.
Every part should fit. Know your joint size, 14mm, 18mm, male or female, and match your gear accordingly. Mismatched components kill performance and waste good glass.
If you're upgrading, take it one step at a time. Swap in a higher-quality bowl. Try an ash catcher. Then evaluate. Each upgrade should feel like a clear improvement, not a question mark.
At Thick Ass Glass, we treat each piece like a system, not a sculpture. The goal isn’t more parts, it’s better function
Every Piece Has a Purpose
By now, you’re not just hitting a bong, you’re understanding it.
Every gurgle, every draw, every smooth or harsh pull tells a story about the parts in play. Whether you’re replacing a downstem that never quite fit right, chasing cooler hits with a recycler, or finally upgrading from that gas station special, the knowledge you’ve gained here gives you control.
Good glass isn’t about looking complicated. It’s about working well.
Choose parts that match how you like to smoke, whether that’s fast clears, flavorful sips, or long, icy inhales. And don’t be afraid to experiment. The best setups come from trying something new and feeling the difference immediately.
When you’re ready for glass that’s more than just decoration, check out the collection at www.thickassglass.com. Your best session yet is one piece away.