Bongs are very popular because they are considered to be very cost-effective. They also tend to produce very big hits and get you very high with minimal amounts of cannabis.
That said, one reason why many people choose to stay away from bongs is that they can be very harsh and make you cough, sometimes uncontrollably. For anybody who has been scared away from smoking bongs because of this, no worries because we are here to help you solve the problem.
We’re about to take a look at all of the reasons why you might cough when hitting a bong and what you can do about it.
We have some really ingenious solutions to help make the process smoother and more enjoyable. We’ll also take a look at the top six bongs that are the least likely to make you cough.
Key Takeaways
- Today, we will discuss the various reasons why bongs make you cough, including taking hits that are too big, smoke being too hot, and more.
- We’ll also discuss tips on how to prevent yourself from coughing, such as using ice, taking smaller hits, and pacing yourself, among others.
- We will finish things off by taking a look at the top six best bongs on the market that are the least likely to send you into a coughing fit.
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A Quick Look at Our Smoothest Bongs
Here’s a quick look at the six smoothest bongs on the market that are the least likely to make you cough.
- Freeze Pipe Bong XL
- Phoenix Star Glass Straight Heavy Bong
- Session Goods Elegant Glass Bong
- Dankstop Valiant Recycler Bubbler Rig
- Grav Labs Beaker Tube Bong
- Nothings Impossible Gold Fumed Showerhead Perc Bong
What is a Bong?
A bong is also known as a water pipe. This is a special device designed for smoking tobacco, cannabis, and other herbs. A bong consists of a large chamber that is filled with water, through which the smoke is pulled.
There is a bowl that holds the herb, along with a downstem or stem that extends down into the water. Above the water, there is an empty chamber, with room to fill with smoke, along with a mouthpiece above where you put your mouth.
When you put your mouth on the mouthpiece and inhale with your lungs while simultaneously holding a flame to the herb in the bowl, it lights the herb and pulls the smoke through the water, therefore filtering it, after which it accumulates in the chamber, and eventually goes into your mouth and lungs when you clear it.
Bongs are often considered to be very cost-effective because they produce very big hits and don’t need a lot of weed to do so. Therefore, they get you extremely high with minimal money spent. People also tend to like bongs because they are said to help filter out the smoke of harmful chemicals thanks to the water.
back to menu ↑Why Do People Use Bongs Instead of Joints and Pipes?
There are a few big reasons why people like using bongs instead of joints or pipes, so let’s take a quick look.
- Bongs can help save money. Due to the way in which they function, they produce very big hits with lots of smoke at once. They get you very high but don’t require a lot of plant matter.
- Many people also like bongs because they are said to be healthier than joints and pipes. The water is said to filter out a lot of the harmful chemicals and resin from the smoke before it gets to your lungs, therefore making the experience just a little bit healthier.
- Some people also just like the challenge of smoking huge bong bowls at once and seeing if they can clear them without coughing or failing.
Why Do Bongs Make You Cough?
There are a few very simple and straightforward reasons why bongs make a lot of people cough.
The Smoke is Too Hot
One of the primary reasons why bongs make so many people cough is because the smoke is so hot. Unlike with joints and pipes, with a bong, you inhale a lot more smoke at once. If that smoke is very hot, it’s going to hurt your throat and make you cough.
You Took in Too Much Smoke at Once
Another simple explanation here is that you just overdid it. If you try inhaling too much smoke at once, it’s going to make you cough. Humans aren’t really designed to inhale smoke at all, but small quantities are often fine without causing us to cough. That said, there is such a thing as too much, and this certainly applies to bongs. How to properly hit a bong is an art form.
You Choked on the Smoke During Inhalation
Related to the above point, our throats aren’t meant to inhale smoke, and that smoke is very irritating. Most of us cough simply because that is a natural bodily reflex that occurs when smoke enters our system. It’s your body telling you that something is wrong, and it’s a natural reaction designed to quickly get the smoke back out of you.
back to menu ↑7 Tips on How to Hit a Bong Properly Without Coughing
Although bongs make a lot of people cough, there are some simple tips that you can follow to prevent this from occurring.
Regularly Clean Your Bong and Change the Water
You should always clean your bong and change the water on a regular basis. If you are a heavy smoker, you should do this on a daily basis. All of the built-up substances and resin in the water decrease the water’s ability to filter the smoke properly, plus it also creates a very bad taste.
These are both things that can end up irritating your throat, so the cleaner the water, the better. On a side note, how much water in a bong there is also makes a difference. Theoretically, the more water there is present, the higher the filtration capabilities should be.
Use a Hemp Wick Instead of a Lighter
Lighters are very convenient, but butane lighters might also make you cough a bit. Therefore, a much better solution is to use a hemp wick that is not fueled by something like butane or another fuel. It’s a much more natural source of fire, therefore decreasing how harsh your overall hit is going to be.
Cool the Smoke Down with Ice or Try a Freeze Pipe
One of the best ways to stop yourself from coughing when smoking a bong is to use a freeze pipe or freeze bong or to just put ice into your existing bong. Seeing as a high temperature is often the cause of coughing, cooling the smoke down is, therefore, the simple solution.
Try a Percolator Bong
Something else that can help cool the smoke down and diffuse it is a percolator. A percolator has many small holes in it, which diffuses the smoke into small bubbles. This increases the surface area of the smoke, therefore exposing it to more cold water and cooling it down much more efficiently.
Exercise Breathing Control When Inhaling
Some people just have really strong reactions when they inhale smoke, as it’s your body’s reaction to something that shouldn’t be there. Therefore, you might just have to exercise some control and practice your breathing so that you can stifle a cough when you feel it coming.
Start Small and Don’t Pack Your Bowl to the Brim
One of the biggest mistakes that newbies make is to try and stuff as much weed into the bowl as possible. More is not always better, and this certainly applies to coughing and bongs. How to hit a bong properly means also knowing how to fill a bowl properly.
Cover the Top of the Bong and Take a Break in Between Hits
If you have too much smoke in the bong and you can’t clear the whole chamber, put your hand on top of it and wait. This isn’t a race, and you should only proceed when you feel comfortable.
back to menu ↑Our Top Picks of the Smoothest Bongs and Where to Buy Them
Here we have six amazing bongs, all of which are designed in one way or another to allow for a fantastic smoking experience with minimal coughing.
Freeze Pipe Bong XL
The Freeze Pipe Bong XL might look like a regular bong at first appearance until you notice the large coil in the middle of it. This large coil is full of glycerin, a material that you can freeze. Glycerin can freeze without expanding, and it also freezes much colder than regular water.
This means that a glycerin coil bong like this gets much colder than a regular bong that you put ice cubes into, plus the glycerin stays frozen for much longer too. It’s perhaps the best way to cool down the smoke before it gets to your throat.
On that note, it also comes with an inline percolator to help diffuse the smoke and cool it down just a little bit more.
This is a relatively large 16-inch bong that is made with scientific glass. Scientific glass is very durable, so you should have no problems there. This is quite likely the number one coolest and smoothest bong out there.
- Freezable for cooler smoke
- Durable design
- Percolator for smoother hits
- Allows for big hits
- Quite expensive
Phoenix Star Glass Straight Heavy Bong
PHOENIX STAR Straight Heavy Bong 9mm Thick 12 Inches
What we have here might seem like a super ordinary straight tube bong, which in reality, it is. However, it is made with extremely durable borosilicate glass, so it should stay in one piece for a long time to come.
If you are wondering what exactly cools down the smoke in this bong, it’s the ice catcher. There are three small indents located about a third of the way up the bong, which is designed to hold ice cubes in place.
This allows you to add ice to the bong, therefore cooling down the smoke to the point where it should no longer make you cough. This bong comes in at 12 inches, which is fairly decent.
- Ice catcher to cool smoke
- Durable glass
- Chamber isn’t huge – doesn’t allow too much smoke to build up at once
- Good price
- Nothing special to look at
Session Goods Elegant Glass Bong
The Elegant Glass Bong is primarily designed for appearance and general functionality more than anything else, but it’s still a good option to consider.
It might not really have any special features to cool down the smoke, such as a freezable coil, percolators, or any diffusion or ice catchers, but it’s still a very functional bong.
It has an ergonomic and portable design, it’s made out of durable materials, and it works exactly as advertised. It’s just very comfortable to use.
If we aren’t talking specifically about cooling down smoke, this is one of our favorite bongs, and it’s because it’s more a piece of art than anything else. This has to be one of the most beautiful bongs on the list today.
- Durable
- Stylish
- Functional
- Portable
- Comes with extra bowls and stems
- No cooling or diffusion
DankStop Valiant Recycler Bubbler Rig
So this is technically a dab rig, not a bubbler or bong. However, it does have a recycler function as well as an inline percolator, both of which are designed to cool the vapor down. Let’s not forget that dabbing and vaporizing can also be very hot.
Those dab rigs can be in excess of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, and that produces some very hot vapor. This rig has features that cool that vapor down, not to mention that the unit itself just looks really cool too. It’s like a functional piece of art.
- Inline percolator
- Recycler
- Looks cool
- Durable glass
- Great price
- Technically not a bong
Grav Labs Beaker Tube Bong
Grav - 16" Beaker Bong With Removable Downstem
$149.99
Here we have a 16-inch bong designed for people who want something simple yet functional. This unit is made out of extremely thick scientific glass, therefore making it one of the more durable models on our list today. This is one of these classic beaker bongs, which we like because they can fit a lot of water.
The more water the bong can fit, the better the filtration quality. Furthermore, about one-quarter of the way up the stem, there is an indent designed to act as an ice catcher. This means that you can fill it full of ice to cool down the smoke significantly before it reaches your throat.
- Thick and durable
- Ice catcher for cooling smoke
- Plenty of room for water for great smoke filtration
- User-friendly and functional
- Somewhat expensive for what it is
Nothings Impossible Gold Fumed Showerhead Perc Bong
Here we have a neat little 10-inch bong. It’s big enough to provide you with some decent-sized hits, yet also small enough so that there isn’t so much smoke that it will make you cough uncontrollably. It’s also small enough to be portable.
It has a 14-millimeter bowl, which should be big enough for most while also not being oversized.
What stands out about this particular bong is that it features a showerhead percolator on the inside. This is a very special type of percolator that is ideal for diffusing smoke into very small bubbles, therefore cooling it down significantly. It should help to smoothen the smoke so you don’t cough as much.
- Cool design
- Showerhead perc for smoothness
- Ideal size for most purposes
- Ergonomic shape for ease of use
- May not be overly durable
Final Thoughts: How Not to Cough When Hitting a Bong
Whether the smoke you’re inhaling is too hot or you’re just inhaling too much of it at once, as you can see, there are some simple ways to prevent yourself from coughing when smoking a bong.
Besides the tips that we provided above, using one of the bongs that we reviewed today is your next best bet. If you’re a little confused about how to choose a bong, check out this more of our reviews linked below.
Looking for more products like this? Check our review of the Black G Pro, or our RooR Bong Review.
