5 Best Ice Bongs: Which Is Right for You?

1. 1. Most Indestructible Glass Bong: Tank Glass “Max” Beaker Bong

   Price: $179.00

   Shop now at Smoke Cartel
   Pros:

   • Virtually indestructible, thanks to 9 mm thick borosilicate glass
   • Classic beaker bong design with extra large ice chamber
   • 18 inches tall

   Cons:

   • Expensive (but it may be the last bong you ever buy!)
   • No additional percolators
   • Not designed to be portable (or discreet)

   This Tank Glass “Max” Beaker Bong stands out because of its unbelievable durability. This bong is virtually indestructible. (You can find videos of people dropping their Tank Glass bong from rooftops — and the bong, bouncing on concrete, stays intact.)

   This durability results from their 9 mm thick borosilicate glass. (The next thickest bong on this list clocks in at 7 mm thick.)

   This bong is 18 inches tall, making it one of the tallest bongs on this list. With a donut-shaped ice catcher, this height creates tons of room for extra ice cubes. 

   The ice catcher also doubles as a splash guard, according to happy customers.

   Note: This does not have a percolator. But customers love the simplicity of this classic beaker bong design. Also, because the bong’s beaker base is so large, customers report that the extra water and ice filters and cools their hit plenty, without any additional percolator features needed.

   It’s also difficult to tip this bong over, thanks to its wide beaker base.

   Get ready to enjoy stress-free toking for years to come. 

   Find more Tank Glass "Max" Beaker Bong information and reviews here.

2. 2. Best Affordable Ice Bong: Glasscity Beaker Ice Bong

   Price: $38.49

   Shop now at Grasscity
   Pros:

   • Affordable, compared to similar models
   • Simple design is easy to clean
   • Downstem has a built-in diffuser, for more bubbles/filtration
   • Ice catcher in neck accomodates several small ice cubes
   • Nice compact size is good for beginners and easy to transport
   • Screen for bowl is included
   • Quality borosilicate glass

   Cons:

   • Neck too narrow for full-size ice-tray ice cubes (It's okay -- just make smaller ice cubes!)
   • Downstem may be made of thinner glass
   • Included bowl has large hole, so it will need a screen
   • Requires a keck clip to keep downstem is in place (clip is included, but seems mildly annoying)

   The best bongs will always be glass bongs. The glass is easy to clean, built to withstand extreme temperatures, and more aesthetically pleasing than plastic or acrylic. Plus, the glass is translucent so you can see when the ice is melting and when the water needs to be dumped out. (Hopefully, before it creates a messy problem on your table.)

   But glass bongs are more expensive than plastic or acrylic bongs. Fortunately, you can still get a high-quality classic ice bong for under $60. This Glasscity water bong is a customer favorite.

   Some reviewers note that the neck is narrower than expected, and they can’t fit ice cubes from their ice tray. This actually isn’t all that uncommon. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: just make smaller ice cubes. When you’re refilling the ice trays (like the conscientious roommate you are), you just don’t fill them to the brim. Hopefully, your roommates won’t mind. (If they’re fellow ice bong lovers, they’ll probably high-five you for your foresight.)

   This model also has a diffuser in the downstem, so your smoke will be broken up into tiny bubbles and cooled by the water, before it even reaches the ice cubes. 

   Find more Glasscity Beaker Ice Bong information and reviews here.

3. 3. Best With a Percolator: Pulsar “Tree Hitter” Bong

   Price: $79.99

   Shop now at Smoke Cartel
   Pros:

   • Tree percolator filters smoke, making your bong hits easier on your lungs
   • Classic beaker bong design is unlikely to tip over
   • 11.5 inches tall, with 14.5mm downstem (and 14.5mm bowl included)
   • Comes in three colors

   Cons:

   • Thickness of glass is not specified (it just says "thick," without providing measurement in millimeters)
   • Not as tall or impressive as some statement bongs
   • The neck is straight (so it's not designed for reclined toking, like some bent-neck bongs)

   This Pulsar “Tree Hitter” Bong stands out because it includes a tree percolator. 

   Tree percolators are awesome. Each “branch” divides the smoke into separate streams, providing added filtration as the smoke bubbles up through the water. More bubbles mean more of the smoke’s surface area comes into contact with the water. The water cools down the smoke, making for a smoother inhale. It also filters the smoke, making it healthier for your lungs.

   To learn more about percolators, check out our guide to percolator bongs. 

   This model’s removable downstem makes it easier to clean, compared to bongs with fixed stems. The slits in the glass downstem also break up your smoke into smaller bubbles, further adding to the filtration.

   This model includes an ice catcher.

   This bong comes in three colors: amber, blue, or charcoal. The colors are only on the aesthetic accents; the tube of the bong is still made from clear glass. This means you can see how much smoke you’re about to inhale. (This can be useful for anyone, especially novice bong users.)

   This model is 11.5 inches tall, and includes a bowl that fits the 14.5 mm joint. If you click to view the product, you’ll also have the option to add a ceramic dab nail or quartz banger.

   Find more Pulsar "Tree Hitter" Bong information and reviews here.

4. 4. Best for Impressing Your Friends: ROOR Bong

   Price: $272.30

   Shop now at Grasscity
   Pros:

   • Most well-known high-quality brand in bong market
   • Made from thick borosilicate glass for added durability
   • Simple, classic design with minimal features makes it easy to clean
   • Ice-catcher provides lots of space in tube for maximum ice cubes
   • Comes with traceable unique code to prove it is not a counterfeit ROOR
   • Choice of joint size at checkout makes it easy to pair with your own bowl pieces

   Cons:

   • Expensive
   • No diffuser in downstem (not as many bubbles as most modern bongs)
   • Very basic design (no added features)
   • May take a while to ship from Europe
   • No handle on bowl to protect fingers from heat
   • Part sizes may vary slightly (each piece is made by hand)

   ROOR bongs are some of the most expensive bongs you can buy. But fans swear by this German brand, which was founded in 1995 by a German glass artist.

   The brand is well known for simple, clean bong designs made with super-thick durable glass. Each piece is made by hand from borosilicate glass.

   Since its founding in 1995, ROOR became famous for its high-quality bongs. The brand became such a stoner staple, in fact, that counterfeit ROORs started appearing in head shops across America.

   In recent years, the German manufacturer has filed dozens of lawsuits against headshops and bong vendors for selling fake ROOR bongs. They also implemented a new system so you can rest assured your bong is a genuine German-made ROOR. Your bong will arrive with a unique code, which you can trace online to ensure that you own a bona fide ROOR, instead of some cheap knockoff. (Need official bragging rights? ROOR has you covered.)

   For this price, you might expect a bong with tons of bells and whistles. But that’s not how ROOR rolls. This is about as classic a bong design as you’ll find anywhere.

   The downstem has one straight opening, instead of a diffuser. It has no percolator of any kind. This all makes it relatively easy to clean. But it also means it’s not producing as many bubbles as fancier bongs, in which tiny slits diffuse your smoke, to help it filter more thoroughly through the water.

   Luckily, your hit will probably still be easy on your lungs. Because above the ice pinch (which keeps the ice cubes from falling down onto the thinner-glass downstem), you’ve got nearly a foot of glass to fill with ice. As your hit travels past this bonanza of ice cubes, the smoke will be cooled, making it easier on your lungs — even without a percolator. 

   Find more ROOR IceMaster Bong information and reviews here.

5. 5. Best Ice Bong for Smokers Who Want to Dab Concentrates, Too: Grace Glass Limited Edition Ice Bong with HoneyComb Perc

   Price: $186.75

   Shop now at Grasscity
   Pros:

   • Artistic glassblowing with limited-edition design featuring one-eyed monster
   • Multiple percolators for smooth hits, even without ice
   • Includes vapor dome and nail attachment for dabbing concentrates
   • Also includes ice notches, for adding ice cubes when you're smoking flower

   Cons:

   • Not room for much ice (only fits a couple ice cubes near top)
   • Looks very difficult to clean
   • Design could mislead people into using ice cubes with concentrates (Don't do that)
   • Design may intimidate new users (or anyone with phobia about monsters)
   • Expensive

   Ice bongs aren’t normally intended for use with concentrates. When you dab concentrates, you use extremely high temperatures (usually with a butane torch) to turn your wax, oil, resin or shatter into a vapor. This is different from the normal combustion you get when you spark a bowl for a dab hit. Because you’re vaporizing your extracts at such a high temperature, you actually don’t want to use ice cubes. The ice cubes would cool the vapor too quickly, causing the resin to precipitate out of the smoke, and seriously gunk up the inside of your bong. Not to mention, you wouldn’t actually inhale all the cannabinoids and flavors dabs are known for, because too much of the good stuff would’ve been removed from your hit already.

   But this Grace Glass Ice Bong has options. And when you’re using it as a dab rig, you just don’t put ice cubes in it. Which wouldn’t be a huge loss, anyway: This ice bong only has room for an ice cube or two at the most.

   But you don’t need many ice cubes, because your smoke will already be well cooled and filtered before it reaches the ice. First, the smoke gets pulled through the drum diffuser attached to the downstem. The smoke is forced through its tiny holes, breaking it into many small bubbles, maximizing the surface area of the smoke that gets cooled by the water. Then the smoke is pulled through the honeycomb percolator, which further disperses and cools the smoke.

   So you don’t really need more than a couple ice cubes. Plus, with fewer ice cubes, you’re less likely to encounter the classic stoner problem: melting ice overflowing bong water out of your bong.

   This bowl doesn’t just have a handle. It has tentacles, which you can use to lift the bowl without burning your fingers. (The tentacles also prevent the bowl from rolling away when you set it down.)

   This bong comes with a vapor dome and nail, so if you’re looking to buy a dab rig and ice bong in one, this is perfect for you.

   Find more Grace Glass Limited Edition Ice Bong with HoneyComb Perc information and reviews here.

Who should buy an ice bong?

Anyone who enjoys bong hits.

Cooling your smoke seems like it has to be unequivocally better for your lungs. Nevertheless, there are people on the internet who aren't so sure.

Could ice cubes in your bong cause bronchitis?

A few people on the internet have suggested that ice cubes in bongs can cause respiratory problems like bronchitis, especially for those with pre-existing respiratory problems. (Should people with respiratory conditions really be taking any kind of bong hit?)But it's hard to give much weight to this theory, which suggests that the ice cools the smoke too quickly, causing vapor to build up in your lungs.

This post on Potent Media, for example, is based on personal experience alone. Meanwhile, another cannabis site reports that "these theories are completely unfounded and are backed up by no scientific research whatsoever, so don’t let this deter you [from putting ice in your bong]."