A Quick Look at Bongs & Rigs

Buying a bong or rig doesn’t need to be complicated. After all, what you really want to do is get home and try it out—so we’re keeping it simple with this handy quick reference guide.

Let’s get into what you need to know to pick up your next piece.

Should you get a bong or a rig?

Choosing between these two accessories is all about the type of cannabis you want to smoke: bongs are made for dried flower, and rigs are made for concentrates. That’s really all there is to it!

At their core, bongs and rigs are the same. They’re both water pipes that filter your smoke via percolation, and both have identical anatomy. The only difference between them lies in attaching either a bowl or a quartz bucket—which means you can use the same water pipe as both a bong and a rig, depending on this one piece.

To smoke dried flower, attach an herb bowl, pack it with ground weed, and grab your lighter. For concentrates, get a quartz bucket, heat it with a torch, and drop in your favourite concentrate like shatter or wax.

Keep in mind that concentrates have a much higher THC content than flower. If you haven’t tried concentrates before, start low and go slow.

Types of bongs & rigs

Two of the most common types of bongs include beaker bongs, like the compact Dopezilla Lil Lizard, and straight tube bongs, like the Famous Brandz 10’’ Amnesia. We can’t think of a more iconic “that’s a bong” shape than the beaker. Their stable base also means they can be very tall, giving them some heavyweight power.

Percolator bongs incorporate several layers of filtration into their design. These “percs” are small glass filters that are built into the body of your bong, and come in styles like showerhead, honeycomb, spiral, and more. More percs means smoother smoke—plus a super bubbly sound when you inhale. The Dopezilla 11.5’’ Mutos Water Pipe comes with two honeycomb percs and two turbine percs, which swirl and twirl your smoke for a seriously smooth hit.

Consider your piece’s size: for best flavour and potency, it's better to have a bigger bong, but a smaller rig.

While the same designs exist for dab rigs, rigs also come in a futuristic upgrade: e-rigs. Read on for more about them below.

Glass, silicone, or acrylic?

In most cases, we’d suggest picking up a glass bong or rig. They’re easy to clean, don’t distort the taste of your flower or concentrate, and come in a wide array of colours, designs, and sizes, giving you countless options for customizing your piece. Because they are glass, though, they can break—but durable pieces made of thick borosilicate glass, like the Vodka Glass 18’’ Bent Neck Water Pipe, are less likely to crack if they tip over.

If you’re prone to breaking things, a silicone bong is a sturdy option for clumsy smokers. They’re good for tossing in your bag when heading to a friend’s place, but don’t quite have the aesthetic punch of glass. Acrylic bongs are durable as well, but are known for a plastic taste when smoked—we’d stick with glass or silicone instead.

These days, glass bongs are just as inexpensive as silicone or acrylic counterparts. Pick up funky designs from Daily High Club for as low as $20, or stylish pieces from Cabana Cannabis Co, Dopezilla, and Famous Brandz between $20-$30.

Your next bong or rig doesn’t need to break the bank: at Canna Cabana, save up to 80% on accessories every day! 

Electronic dab rigs

So you want to up your concentrate game: look no further than electronic dab rigs, the next generation of dabbing.

Instead of a traditional torch, electronic dab rigs use a plug-in or battery-powered heat source, allowing you to dab without any flames or complicated set-up. They often have multiple temperature settings, several levels of filtration, mobile app control, and add customization options like programmable LED lights that pulse and swirl.

Notable e-rig brands include Puffco, with their stylish Peak Pro and unique Proxy, and Focus V, with their next-generation smart rig, the Carta 2.

Accessories at any budget

Ready to snag your next piece, or maybe your first? Drop on by your local Canna Cabana and get recommendations from our expert budtenders. What’s your flavour: a sugary sweet Daily High Club Gelato Cone Bong, or maybe a tropical Cabana Cannabis Co Tidal Bong? Or, get you a bong that does both, like the Famous Brandz Contact, which is perfect to use with both a bowl and banger.

All pictures shown are for illustrative purposes only. Actual product may vary.