Beginner’s Guide to Bubblers

Though they’ve been around for decades, bubblers are probably the least explored category of smoking equipment. Many bubblers look like novelty items, usually some of the prettiest pieces of glass in the headshop but rarely taken seriously by smokers. Most people look from pipes straight past bubblers and over to bongs, but luckily these small, water-filled unsung heroes have lately been experiencing a resurgence that’s making more and more people wonder what exactly bubblers are all about.

In short, they’re little bongs that fit into the palm of your hand. They leverage the convenience of a glass pipe with the filtration of a bong while staying affordable, portable, and discrete. There are a few varieties of bubblers out there, and with some know-how, you’ll quickly be able to pick which of the options out there is the best for you.

Types of Bubblers
Unlike bongs, bubblers don’t usually have many removable parts (though there are bubblers that come with removable and customizable bowls). Bubblers with a built-in bowl are known, unsurprisingly, as “one-piece bubblers.” The most standard shape for a one-piece, the kind you’re probably most familiar with, is the Sherlock pipe. Named for its resemblance to the fictional detective’s favorite style of smoking device, Sherlock pipes are generally made of blown glass and stand on a bulbous base that is filled with water. The bubbler’s bowl draws air down into the water through a downstem and then back up and out of the body of the bubbler through the neck and mouthpiece on top. Some Sherlocks are not meant to be used with water, however, making them more like the closely related spoon pipes.

Double bubblers offer twice the filtration, with two distinct water chambers attached to one another in series to draw smoke through. Some bubblers make clever use of the second chamber to integrate an additional complex percolator into the design.

Hammer bubblers are also a popular option, perhaps because they’re less unwieldy than traditional stand-up bubblers. Hammer bubblers sit back on their mouthpiece like a judge’s gavel, using the body of the bubbler (also known as its “can”) as a base. Some have glass feet while others have a flattened base. Ex: Color Changing Hammer Bubbler

Sidecar bubblers offer a similar design to hammer bubblers but with an offset mouthpiece that juts out from the can at a 90° angle instead of sticking straight down. This helps prevent splashback, which can be an issue if you tend to fill your bubbler’s body with too much water. Ex: Tron Sidecar Bubbler

What Are Bubblers Made Out Of?
Because they can contain more parts than a bowl (such as a downstem and even a percolator), the most popular bubblers are made out of strong borosilicate glass. Scientific glass, as it’s also known, is a hardier option than typical (“silicate”) glass and can withstand more heat pressure and a little knocking around.

Manmade materials are hardly the limit when it comes to bubblers. Primitive Pipes’ Modern Jamaican Chalice Coconut Bubbler features a stone bowl, bamboo mouthpiece, and real coconut body. Because it’s lined with beeswax this all-natural option shouldn’t be cleaned with hot water or chemicals, but it’s the perfect option for the lion-loving hippie who’s looking to flesh out their setup with an earthy alternative to glass.

Bubblers come in all shapes and sizes—you’re bound to find the right one out there for you. Take a more broad look at the different kinds of pipes.