Harsh bong hits can ruin a good session, leaving your throat burning and your lungs fighting back. If you've ever wished for a way to make each hit smoother, a percolator might be the answer. These built-in filtration systems break up smoke into tiny bubbles, cooling it down and making every inhale easier on your throat. But there's more to it than just smoother hits—percolators also enhance filtration, giving you a cleaner, more enjoyable experience.
So, what exactly is a percolator, and how does it work? It’s not just about looks—though they do add a cool visual effect. The way they function can change how your bong rips, how the smoke feels, and even how much you enjoy each session. Let’s take a closer look at why percolators have become a must-have for bong enthusiasts.
What Is a Percolator bong?
A percolator is a filtration system added to a bong or water pipe to enhance your smoking experience. It cools and filters smoke, making each hit smoother and less harsh. Without a percolator, smoke can irritate your throat and lungs, but with one, the smoke is filtered, removing toxins and impurities for a cleaner hit. This not only makes the smoke more comfortable but also improves the flavor.
Percolators bong work by breaking up smoke into smaller bubbles, which pass through water-filled chambers. These chambers help cool and filter the smoke, ensuring a smoother inhale. There are various percolator designs, each offering a unique experience. Some create more bubbles, while others focus on distributing the smoke more evenly for a better hit.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Percolator?
Percolators are a popular upgrade for bongs and smoking devices, and it’s easy to see why. They provide numerous advantages that improve both the quality and comfort of your smoking experience. Here are the key benefits of using a percolator:
- Smoother Hits: Percolators diffuse smoke, cooling it down for a smoother, less harsh inhale.
- Better Filtration: They filter out harmful toxins, ash, and impurities, ensuring cleaner smoke.
- Enhanced Flavor: Removing impurities, percolators help preserve the true flavor of your smoking material.
- Healthier Experience: The filtration process may reduce the inhalation of harmful particles, making smoking potentially less irritating to the lungs.
- Varied Designs: Different percolators offer unique benefits, such as improved diffusion, better smoke distribution, and more efficient cooling.
Overall, a percolator is a worthwhile addition to any water pipe or bong, boosting both flavor and comfort.
What are the Different Types of Percolators & How They Work
There are several types of percolators, each designed to offer a unique smoking experience. In this section, we’ll look at some of the most common percolators, explore how they work, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses to help you find the right one for your setup.
Showerhead Percolators
These percs feature a mushroom-like shape with multiple slits around the base. The smoke passes through these slits, diffusing in the water for a smoother hit, though they provide medium smoothness and can have higher drag.
Tree Percolators
Shaped like the branches of a tree, these percs feature multiple arms that filter smoke through the water. They are known for good filtration and a smooth hit, with varying arm numbers offering different drag and smoothness levels.
Disc Percolators
A simple design with a glass disc featuring slits around its perimeter. These percs offer decent filtration and smoothness, with low drag, and are commonly found in both flower bongs and dab rigs.
Fritted Disk Percolators
These percs use a porous disc made of small fused glass particles to create tiny holes that filter the smoke. They are known for excellent smoothness, bubble action, and minimal drag, making them one of the best options for a clean hit.
Inline Percolators
Inline percs are horizontal tubes with slits or holes that filter smoke through water for smooth hits. Longer inlines provide minimal drag and exceptional smoothness, and they're commonly built into bongs and dab rigs.
Turbine Percolators
Shaped like a disk with angled slits, turbine percs create a tornado-like effect in the water, producing a unique sound and decent bubble action. They offer medium drag and smoothness.
Honeycomb Percolators
Featuring a flat glass disc with multiple tiny holes, honeycomb percs are excellent for filtration and diffusion. They produce many small bubbles with minimal drag, but they can clog quickly when used with flower, so they’re often preferred in dab rigs.
Halo Percolators
Shaped like incomplete circles with holes at the sides and ends, halo percs create impressive bubble action, depending on hole size and whether the ends are capped. These percs are commonly found in dab rigs.
Each type of percolator brings a different set of benefits, from improved filtration and smoother hits to unique design features that enhance your smoking experience.
How to Properly Fill a Percolator Bong for the Best Hits
Filling a bong with percolators may seem simple, but getting the water level right is key to a smooth, enjoyable smoking experience. Start by removing the bowl and downstem, then add enough water to cover the first percolator. Slowly add more water until it’s just above the top of the percolator, ensuring each one is fully submerged. Leave a little extra water to cover the downstem when you reinsert it.
Too little water can result in harsh hits, as the smoke won’t be properly cooled or filtered. Conversely, too much water can cause bubbling and splash-back, ruining your bud. To find the ideal water level, do a few test hits without any flower, adjusting the water until you achieve a balance between smoothness and bubbling. Keep in mind that different percolators may require slightly different water levels, so take the time to experiment and discover what works best for your bong.
Upgrade Your Bong Hits with Percolators
Harsh hits don’t have to ruin your smoking sessions anymore. With the right percolator, you can transform every bong hit into a smooth, enjoyable experience that’s easier on your lungs and throat. From improving filtration to enhancing the flavor of your smoke, percolators offer significant benefits that take your smoking game to the next level.
Now that you know how percolators work and the different types available, it’s time to level up your setup. If you’re ready for smoother, cooler hits, don’t wait any longer to try one out. Check out the range of percolator bongs at Gatorbeug, and find the perfect one to suit your needs. Enjoy a better smoking experience today!
