Bong Bowl and Joint Size Guide for Beginners
Are you confused about a bong bowl’s joint size and gender? Let’s start with the basics.
A bowl is the part of a bong that holds cannabis. It’s typically a removable, funnel-shaped glass.
The joint is where the bowl inserts, allowing the smoke to travel from the bowl into the bong’s water chamber for filtration.
If the size of the bowl and joint don’t align, you can’t create enough airflow to pull a complete bong rip, which reduces the potency and wastes cannabis.
Joints come in male and female types: If the joint in your bong is female, then it is a wide opening like a socket, and the bowl’s bottom will have a narrow, tapered male end that fits into the female joint. If the joint is male, it’s a narrow protrusion, and the bowl will have a wide female opening that slides over the male joint.
How to determine joint size with a penny
The most common bowl joint sizes are 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm. To determine your bong’s joint size, use a penny which is 19mm in diameter. For female joints If the penny falls halfway into the joint, it’s 18mm; if 25% of the penny falls in, it’s 14mm; if it doesn’t fit at all it’s 10mm.
For male joints rest the bowl sitting upright over the penny. 18 mm joints will cover the entire penny evenly. 14 mm joints will cover about 40% of the penny and 10mm joints will cover about 20%.
Why bong bowl sizes matter for airflow and filtration
The bong’s bowl needs to fit securely into the joint to maintain an airtight seal. If the bong joint sizes don’t match and there’s no airtight seal, air will leak, reducing suction and preventing smoke from traveling through the water chamber resulting in a much weaker hit.
Taking a bong rip requires you to draw an incredible amount of air pulling the smoke through the bowl into the water chamber to create bubbles through the percolator. The water bubbles help filter ash, tar, and smoke toxins while cooling the bong rip so it reduces coughing.
Most importantly the bowl’s diameter (10mm,14mm, and 18mm) also directly affects airflow, draw resistance, and filtration strength, all of which ultimately impact your inhalation and hit strength.
How bowl joint size affects your smoking experience
The diameter of your bowl joint matters a lot when it comes to your smoking experience. A smaller diameter such as 10mm forces you to pull harder and for the smoke to travel through a thinner pathway, whereas an 18mm has a wider diameter for a more open and free-flowing movement. The size of the joint impacts:
- Airflow: How easily you can draw smoke through the bong.
- Inhalation comfort: How the smoke feels in your mouth and lungs.
- Cooling: How cool and smooth the smoke reaches your throat.
- Percolation: How well the percolator cleans and cools the smoke.
Deciding on the right bong bowl size depends on your personal preference and smoking style. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose:
- 10mm Joint: If you enjoy intense, concentrated hits with quick cooling.
- 14mm Joint: A balanced option for a smooth and easy smoking experience.
- 18mm Joint: Perfect for effortless pull with deep filtration but requires a longer inhale
10mm joints: The intense experience
With a 10mm joint, the smaller diameter creates more resistance when you inhale. This means you have to pull harder, which makes the smoke travel more quickly through the downstem and percolator. The increased draw resistance can make each hit feel more concentrated and potent, especially in smaller bongs.
How 10mm joints impact your experience:
- The narrow pathway requires a stronger pull.
- Forces the smoke through the water with greater velocity.
- Creates more vigorous bubbling inside the percolator.
- When air is forced through a smaller space, it speeds up, creating more bubbles.
- More bubbles mean more filtration of smoke byproduct.
- It traps more impurities and cools the smoke for smoother hits
Considerations: Because you need to pull harder through a smaller diameter, it requires more strength in the lungs when pulling which some may find uncomfortable, especially in larger bongs which require larger inhales to pull the smoke through the entire structure.
14mm joints: The balanced experience
A 14mm joint offers some middle ground in terms of draw resistance and airflow when inhaling a bong rip. The diameter allows for a smoother draw with moderate resistance. As you inhale, the smoke flows through the bong more comfortably, providing a balanced experience.
How 14mm joints impact your experience:
- Balanced diameter means moderate speed through the water.
- Creates more balanced size bubbles (more distributed)
- Offers a balance between strong filtration and easier inhalation.
- Bubbles cool and filter the smoke without causing excessive drag.
This balance in a 14mm joint makes each hit feel smooth and satisfying while being much easier to pull through than a 10mm joint. The hits are flavorful and smooth, without forcing smoke to move with such high velocity so it spends more time in filtration.
18mm joints: The smooth experience
An 18mm joint has the largest diameter, resulting in the least resistance when you inhale. This allows the smoke to flow through with minimal effort, making it easy to take big, smooth hits. The larger passageway means the smoke is less concentrated and more airy, and spends the most time passing through the water filtration cycle.
How 18mm joints impact your experience:
- Wider diameter results in a gentler draw.
- Smoke moves more slowly through the water.
- Creates fewer bubbles.
- Less intense filtration compared to narrower joints.
- Reduced resistance allows for longer, more relaxed inhales.
Considerations: The smoke takes a bit longer to move through the bong with an 18mm diameter which requires a deeper inhale, but has zero resistance so the hot smoke has more time to cool through the water percolation.
What if my bong bowl doesn’t fit my joint?
If your bowl’s diameter does not match your bong’s joint diameter then you have two options. You can use a universal bong adapter which works to connect different diameters together such as a 14mm bowl to an 18mm joint. The next option is to purchase the correct bowl size that matches your bong. This is cheaper than having to buy an entire new bong to match your bowl size.
Matching bowl and downstem sizes
The size of the bong bowl corresponds directly to the size of the downstem.
For example, a 14mm bowl will connect to a 14mm downstem, which has a 14mm diameter along its length. The same goes for 10mm and 18mm.
Matching the appropriate size bowl to the joint guarantees an airtight seal, which is critical for maintaining proper airflow. Airflow is what pushes the smoke through the bong’s water filtration cycle.
How the diameter of your bowl impacts filtration
The diameter of your bong bowl affects how the smoke interacts with the percolator. A narrower bowl (10mm) requires a harder pull, which creates more rigorous bubbles (larger bubbles) as the smoke passes through the water. This increased bubbling improves filtration but requires more effort to inhale.
On the other hand, a wider bowl (18mm) allows for an easier pull, creating smaller more evenly distributed bubbles but making the draw much smoother and less strenuous to your throat and lungs. This results in a more relaxed inhalation.
Joint genders
Bong joints come in two types: male and female.
Male Joints These are designed to fit into female joints. If your bong’s joint sticks out, it’s a male joint, and you’ll need a female bowl to fit it.Female Joints are Designed to receive male joints, if your bong’s joint is a hole, it’s a female joint, and you’ll need a male bowl.
Using the correct gender guarantees an air-tight seal, preventing any smoke from escaping and providing maximum suction to pull the smoke and create bubbles.
Common bong bowl shapes
Joint size and bowl diameter aren’t the only size options you have when it comes to picking out a bong bowl. The size of the bowl determines how you pack your bong bowl, how well the cannabis combusts, and if the bowl can accommodate cornering (which is great for sharing in social settings).
Standard glass bowl
A standard glass bowl is funnel-shaped, with a wide opening at the top that tapers down to a small hole at the base. This design allows for gravity to help hold the ground weed with more structure and fewer gaps.
This means it’s very easy to get a productive cherry which is important for smoking a bong in a single take, instead of having to relight the bowl again mid-hit because the cherry extinguished.
- The funnel shape allows even herb packing.
- Promotes uniform combustion.
- Optimal airflow for consistent burning.
- Holds a cherry well for continuous smoking.
Slide bowl
A slide bowl is similar to the standard glass bowl but includes a glass handle on the side of the bowl for easy removal. This makes it convenient for clearing the bowl and reloading it with fresh herbs.
After taking a hit, the lighter’s flame reaches temperatures up to 600 degrees which can make the bowl hot to touch. The slide makes removing the bowl much easier and cleaner so you’re finger won’t touch any sticky resin.
- Easy to remove for quick reloading.
- Protects fingers from touching resin and ash
- Easier to dump ash into the ashtray
- Protects fingers from hot glass
- Convenient for continuous sessions.
Pinch bowl
The pinch bowl features small pinches inside the bowl to hold the herb stay place. These pinches act as a built-in screen, preventing ash and small particles from being sucked into the downstem. You'll notice fewer particles in your mouth and bong water. Live plant particles entering your bong water are the leading cause of mold growth in bongs.
The pinches also give structural integrity to the ground cannabis. This is important because you need the ground weed to stay in position for the fire to catch and burn evenly. If the weed loses structure while being ignited the cherry can extinguish which cuts your bong rip in half and decreases potency and waste cannabis.
- Helps even combustion
- Prevents plant particles from entering the water chamber
- Conserves herb by holding it in place.
Party bowl
The party bowl is larger and deeper than standard bowls, often with a wider opening. It is designed to hold a larger amount of herb, making it perfect for group sessions. You can pack more herb into the bowl, which means fewer reloads during a session with friends.
The larger surface area is trickier to pack and requires a tamping tool to evenly press the top layer for combustion. The wider bowl opening is great for cornering, where you light just a portion of the bowl. This lets you pack a bowl for 2-3 consecutive bong rips.
- Holds more herb for group sessions.
- Requires fewer reloads.
- Trickier to pack
- Best bowl for cornering
Common bong bowl materials
Just like there are many different types of bong materials there are also different bong bowl materials. Each material reacts to heat differently, so it’s good to know what you are getting yourself into:
1. Borosilicate glass bowls
Borosilicate glass is known for its high resistance to thermal shock and ability to withstand extreme temperatures (up to 515°F without melting). When you light your cannabis in a borosilicate glass bowl, the material's high heat resistance makes it so the bowl doesn't crack or under the intense heat of the flame. You'll notice that the glass remains clear and doesn't leach any unwanted flavors to your smoke.
Boro glass also absorbs and distributes heat evenly, instead of building isolated hot spots. This results in a consistent, smooth hit with each bong rip. The glass also cools down rapidly after the fire is removed, making this bowl material great for consecutive hits from a bong.
- High resistance to thermal shock.
- Maintains clarity and flavor.
- Promotes even combustion.
- Cools quickly for consecutive hits
2. Ceramic bowls
Ceramic bowls are known for their heat retention and durability. They can handle high temperatures without cracking but are more fragile compared to borosilicate glass. When using a ceramic bowl, you'll notice that it retains heat well while also keeping the flavors intact similar to glass.
However, ceramic bowls can get quite hot and take longer to cool down compared to glass, so you should wait a bit before picking the bowl up to dump the ash out.
- Excellent heat retention.
- Durable but fragile.
- Maintains a consistent cherry.
- Longer cooling time.
3. Stainless steel bowls
Stainless steel bowls are highly durable and resistant to shattering like ceramic and glass. They can withstand high temperatures without deforming. A stainless steel bowl paired with a silicone bong makes the perfect duo for a travel bong. The metal can get very hot during use, so be cautious when handling it immediately after smoking.
Stainless steel heats up quickly and retains heat well, promoting efficient combustion of the cannabis. However, some users might detect a slight metallic taste in the smoke, which can affect the flavor profile. The bowl retains heat for a significant time, so it requires careful handling post-use to avoid burns.
- Highly durable and unbreakable.
- Quick to heat and retains heat well.
- A slight metallic taste is possible.
- Requires careful handling due to heat retention.
4. Titanium bowls
Titanium bowls are extremely durable, lightweight, and can handle very high temperatures without deforming. It heats up quickly and can withstand the highest temperatures even from a torch flame without any issues.
Titanium promotes even combustion and has rapid cooling which makes it comparable to glass without any concerns of it breaking. However, even though titanium cools down fast, the bowl is much hotter to touch immediately after taking a hit, so give the bowl a minute to cool before handling.
- Extremely durable and lightweight.
- Quick to heat and promotes even combustion.
- Cools down faster but handles with care.
Final thoughts
Matching your bong's bowl and joint size is key to getting the most out of your session. When sizes align, you create an airtight seal that maximizes airflow and allows you to inhale a bong rip fully and activate the percolator to filter the smoke with water and bubbles.
Here's how joint sizes affect your experience:
- 10mm joints force a harder pull, creating intense, concentrated hits
- 14mm joints offer a balanced draw with moderate resistance
- 18mm joints allow for effortless, smooth pulls with less filtration
The size you choose impacts how smoke moves through the water, cooling and filtering as it goes. Smaller diameters mean more bubbles and filtration, while larger ones provide a gentler draw. Remember, the right fit means better hits, smoother smoke, and no wasted herb. Pick the size that matches your smoking style and lung capacity for the best results.
