How Much Water Should You Put In Your Bubbler?

What is a Bubbler?

A hybrid between a bong and a pipe, bubblers are one of the most popular methods for consuming cannabis. By uniting the best qualities of a bong with the desired attributes of a glass pipe, bubblers create filtered, smooth, and effortless hits that you can bring anywhere.

While their sizes may vary, most bubblers are structured in a similar fashion to a bong with the portability of a pipe. Commonly made of high-quality borosilicate glass, a bubbler has a bowl with a chamber beneath it that is used for storing water for filtration.

From the bowl of the bubbler descends a stem into the chamber. This stem is to be submerged beneath the water approximately to ½ of the way. This allows for the smoke to pass through the water, cooling your hit (the colder the water, the cooler your hit will be) while simultaneously filtering out any unwanted ash or debris that falls through the bowl. If you put too little, the air bubbles created by the inhale would be big enough to barely pass through any water at all, rendering it useless. Go too heavy on the water, and there is a chance it could spill into other parts or even up the mouthpiece with the smoke, not to mention with more water, you wouldn't be allowing the chamber to fill with much smoke, leading to a weaker hit.

Technically, you can use a bubbler without water, but this would likely result in a very dry harsh hit, and would just be weird. Not the good kind of weird, either. By filling the chamber with water, using a bubbler will provide a much creamier draw, while also producing the unique bubbling sounds that these water pipes were named after.

While pipes are often the easiest to travel with, they can't deliver the benefits of a filtered, milky hit the same way a bubbler can. These pipes can easily be considered a portable bong for anyone who likes to take their piece along for an adventure.

Since many bubblers are one glass piece, there are no parts that can be removed to ease the process of cleaning your pipe. Regularly cleaning your piece is important for keeping it functional, reducing the build-up of resin, and looking pristine.

How to Pick the Right Glass Bubbler for You

There are various types of bubblers on the market today that highlight slightly different features, however, most of these pieces function just the same; water is used to filter smoke and debris.

When it comes to choosing a bubbler, the most important things to consider are the size, style, and any additional features that may interest you.

Size

Bubblers make a great addition to any smoker's arsenal, and one of their more appealing features is that they are travel size. This is great for those who enjoy taking their piece along for a trip, or for those looking for a more affordable water based way to consume their herb. Because they are often smaller, less material is needed to create it, making their price tags smaller in size as well.

You could also look to the other end of the spectrum and go for a bigger sized bubbler. Some have multiple chambers that can all be filled with water, adding even more filtration, while others can simply be larger than any handheld pipe and you might need a buddy to light it for you.

Style

Bubblers come in various shapes and designs. We've made a list of the most commonly used bubblers to help find the style that works best for you.

• Sherlock Bubbler - Aptly named after Sherlock Holmes' pipe, these commonly have an S-shaped stem.

• Hammer Bubbler - Closely resembling a hammer, these are often designed to securely rest on your table without rolling around.

The Color Changing Bubbler's name says it all. This 4.5-inch hammer bubbler will change color with every smoke session you bring it out for. Visit https://everythingfor420.com/ if you're interested in checking out the color changing bubbler.

Made with high quality, heat stable glass and yellow swirls around the stem, bowl, and mouthpiece with a clear chamber. Its flat base will prevent this piece from tipping over when not in use.

• Sidecar Bubbler - To combat water splashback, the stem and mouthpiece of this bubbler are attached to the side of the chamber.

• Double Bubbler - Twice the number of chambers, twice the amount of filtration.

Beautifully crafted from hand-blown borosilicate glass, the Bubble Blaster is 7 inches tall and has twice the chambers for twice the filtering and cooling, for a much smoother hit.

How Much Water To Use

Now that you've picked your bubbler, you may be wondering how much water you're supposed to fill the chamber with. Much like a bong, you want to fill approximately of the chamber with water, or until you see the stem is sufficiently beneath the waterline.

This can be done via the mouthpiece, carb, or bowl. Doing so through the bowl is often the easiest method as it has the largest opening and works as a small funnel for the water, reducing your chances of spilling.

One way to tell if you have an adequate amount of water in the chamber is by tipping your piece slightly and making sure that the stem is still submerged. If it is difficult to see the water level inside your bubbler's chamber, simply add what you think is enough and take a test pull.

If you have water coming through the mouthpiece, there is too much. On the other hand, if you aren't getting a good amount of bubbles forming when you hit it, it is likely that you do not have enough water in your piece.

Once you've found the right level of water, be sure to adequately dry your piece, especially the bowl, before packing it so that your herb does not get wet. Then puff, puff, pass....and repeat!