Should You Put Ice In Your Bong?

Should You Put Ice Cubes In Your Bong?

 

Both novices and marijuana connoisseurs can benefit from adding ice to a bong. It is a way to cool bong hits and enhance smoke sessions with frosty rips. 

Bongs are one of the most popular ways to smoke weed. They are probably the most iconic marijuana paraphernalia immortalized in film and pop culture. 

Bongs come in various shapes and sizes and different materials. Basic bongs are made from acrylic or silicone, whereas more elaborate ones are made from glass. In essence, however, they all have similar cylindrical tube structures with wider bases designed to hold water.

Many bongs have ice catchers, which are little notches placed in the neck of the bong to hold ice. 

 

What are the advantages of putting ice in a bong?

There are many benefits to adding ice to a bong

Ice can cool your hits: 

Bong rips can be harsh and cough-inducing, with hot smoke irritating the throat and lungs. This is where the ice comes in. As the smoke passes over the ice, it is significantly cooled. This results in cooler, smoother hits than just the bong water, and filtration will achieve alone. 

Ice filters the smoke: 

Not only does the ice cool the smoke, but it can also help filter it. A screen of ice cubes for the smoke to pass through makes a very effective filter. 

Ice enhances the flavor of your hits:

Not only is the smoke you inhale from a pipe with ice filtered, but it also has a better taste. The cooler smoke allows you to enjoy more of the flavors of your weed.

You could also add your own flavors to the bong water or ice to amplify or complement the flavonoids of your herb. You can read about several bong water alternatives to flavor your session. 

Ice enables you to take bigger hits:

Bongs are known for creating big rips. Adding ice to your bong will make the smoke cooler, allowing you to inhale more of it without a coughing fit. Therefore you can take bigger tips and get higher. 

Ice acts as a splash guard:

Nobody likes splashback from bong water. It's not a taste anyone likes or desires. By placing ice in the neck of the bong above the water level, it can act as a splash guard and direct any water back down into the bong. 

 

How do ice catchers work?

A bong with a built-in ice catcher allows you to stack ice cubes on the neck of your bong. The typical ice catcher is made from a pinch with two or more points in the neck of the bong. This ice pinch allows the ice to be stacked into the neck of the pipe. 

When you use the bong, the smoke gets drawn through the ice, which cools and filters it. 

Remember that as the ice melts, it will increase the water level in your bong, so you may need to adjust this to prevent splashback. 

 

What if my bong doesn't have ice catchers?

If you have a bong already, even if it doesn't have an ice pinch, there is no need to spend more money to enjoy cool hits. 

Add some ice cubes through the neck and let them sit in the water. 

If you have a beaker bong with a removable downstem, remove the downstem before adding the ice cubes to your bong. 

Don't drop the ice cubes into your bong as they could damage it. Instead, hold your water pipe at an angle. Then allow the ice to slide down the neck into the bong. If your bong doesn't have an ice catcher, you can still enjoy cool rips by using ice water before adding it to your bong. 

 

Which bongs are suitable for ice?

You can put ice cubes on almost any type of water pipe. 

But some bongs are better suited to ice than others. Of course, using a bong that already has an ice catcher is recommended, but this is not essential. 

If you want to enjoy the benefits of ice in a bong, it is highly recommended that you use a glass bong. It allows you to see the smoke as it swirls around, and it enhances the smell and taste.

For those wanting to add ice to their bongs, a straight pipe or beaker bongs with a wide neck are the most logical. 

You will also notice that different sizes of ice will affect the cooling temperature and the harshness of the hits, so you can experiment.

 

Safety precautions

Smoking with ice can cause bronchitis and other serious lung issues if you're not careful.

When you take the ice out of the freezer, you may notice it has a white frosted covering. You may also see a white vapor rising from the ice. 

That white vapor and frosted ice are exactly what you want to avoid inhaling.

The water vapor and frost are so cold that, when inhaled will cause strain and stress to your respiratory system.

Never put ice cubes in the bong neck and use it straight away. Always allow ice cubes a few minutes to warm up after removing them from the freezer and before adding them to your bong. 

If you have respiratory diseases or are prone to asthma attacks, then bongs (with or without ice) are not recommended.

Strong smoke will irritate your respiratory system, so it'd be better to avoid smoke and choose other consumption methods that are milder for your throat and chest. Maybe vaping, edibles, infused drinks, or sublingual tinctures.

But with all things considered using ice or ice water with your bongs is a way to bigger rips and cooler temperatures that will be kinder on your lungs and get more from your weed.