Types of Weed Pipes: Your Guide to Smoother Hits

From cult classic glass pipes to heat-insulating wooden pipes, the material, shape, and size of your pipe can drastically alter your inhale. In this guide, we explore every type of cannabis pipe and the specific pros and cons of each. 

Learn: Pipes vs Bongs - Which is better?

What is the best weed pipe type?

The best weed pipe depends on your preferences. Glass pipes are best for a clean taste, bubblers for smoother hits, glycerin for no coughing, and silicone and metals for portability. Steamrollers are stronger while one hitters allow you to micro-dose.

Pro-tip: If you are new to pipes, we recommend a classic glass pipe to start with. Below is the complete list of every type of cannabis pipe:

 

Glass Pipes: The classic choice

Glass pipes deliver a clean taste and smooth hit. Made from borosilicate glass, the non-porous surface blocks odors and chemicals, preserving your cannabis's full flavor range. From earthy to sweet terpenes, you'll taste it all. Glass also spreads heat evenly, preventing overheating for smoother and gentler inhales.

The main advantage of a glass pipe is its transparency, which allows you to see the smoke as it fills the chamber. This helps you gauge the size of their hit and clear the smoke more effectively with the carburetor.

Benefits of spoon pipes:

• Pure taste
• Smoother hits
• Visibility of smoke
• Easy to clean

Considerations:

• Fragile 
• Higher cost

 

Helix pipes: A vortex of innovation

The Helix pipe is known for its bulbous mouthpiece that tapers into a narrow bowl. This unique shape leverages the Venturi effect: as smoke moves from the wide bowl to the slim exit, it naturally forms a spiraling vortex. 

The main advantage of helix pipes is their ability to deliver a cooler and gentler smoking experience without water filtration. This makes it an excellent pipe if you want a smooth hit but love the simplicity of a dry pipe.

Benefits of helix pipes:

• Cooler, smoother hits
• Diffusion without water
• Enriches flavor

Considerations:

• Learning curve
• Fragile

 

Glycerin Pipes: Zero coughing

Glycerin pipes force hot smoke to travel through winding coils surrounded by frozen glycerin. This clever device uses food-grade glycerin, a non-toxic substance to drastically cool hot smoke without water filtration.

The main advantage of glycerin pipes is their ability to cool combusted smoke by 300 degrees for a cough-free experience. Unlike water or ice, glycerin acts as a heat sink, absorbing thermal energy from smoke while preserving flavors.

Benefits of glycerin pipes:

• Superior cooling
• Flavor preservation
• No coughing

Considerations:

• Higher initial cost
• Requires freezing 

 

Heady Pipes: Hand-made art

 

Heady pipes are unique, hand-made glass smoking devices that double as art pieces. Each one is crafted by skilled glassblowers using advanced techniques to create intricate designs and patterns.

The main advantage of heady pipes is their individuality. No two pipes are exactly alike, making them both rare and more valuable. Heady pipes are usually much thicker and more durable than scientific glass.

Benefits of heady pipes:

• Unique, artistic designs
• High-quality materials
• Collectible value

Considerations:

• Higher cost
• Fragile

Sherlock Pipes: Elegance in Smoking

Sherlock pipes have a long, curved stem and a deep bowl. These pipes draw inspiration from traditional tobacco pipes, combining timeless style with clever engineering to provide a much smoother inhale.

The main advantage of Sherlock pipes is their long, curved stem. As smoke travels through this extended path, it cools down naturally before reaching your mouth. This cooling process allows you to taste more flavors and experience a smoother hit.

Benefits of Sherlock pipes:

• Cooler smoke 
• Richer taste
• Cleaner hits 

Considerations:

• Bulky to carry

 

Steamroller Pipes: Strongest pipe

Steamroller pipes are straight tubes with a bowl on top and a large carb hole at one end, designed for quick and powerful hits. These pipes allow for a large volume of smoke to be collected and inhaled rapidly, especially the larger models.

The main advantage of steamroller pipes is their potent hits. They deliver strong, direct hits that can be great for anyone with higher tolerances. The intensity can also make it less suitable for beginners, but it’s a great way to waste less and get more bang for your buck.

Key features of steamroller pipes:

• Powerful hits
• Easy to use
• Portable

Considerations:

• Harsher
• Raise tolerance

 

Metal pipes: Durable and portable

 

Metal pipes are built to last and are perfect for on-the-go smoking. Crafted from stainless steel, brass, or anodized aluminum, these pipes uniquely handle heat. The metal quickly absorbs heat from the smoke, giving you cooler hits at first. Their size and durability make them one of the best portable pipes for travel or stealth smoking.

The main advantage of metal pipes is how tough they are. Drop them, toss them in a bag, or accidentally step on them - they'll survive what would shatter other pipe materials like glass, ceramic, and heady.

Benefits of metal pipes:

• Virtually indestructible
• Compact and portable
• Discreet appearance
• Rapid cooling between uses

Considerations:

• Can heat up with prolonged use
• Potential metallic taste

 

Ceramic Pipes

 

Ceramic pipes are hand-made pipes that excel at heat distribution. Ceramic spreads heat evenly across the bowl, preventing the pipe from overheating from back-to-back hits like silicone and steel. Most ceramic pipes have a glazed surface that's easy to clean and helps the pipe stay cooler during use, for gentler hits to your throat and lungs.

The main advantage of ceramic pipes is their neutral impact on flavor. Unlike metal or some plastics, ceramic doesn't react with smoke or release any substances when heated. This means you taste only your herbs, not the pipe itself.

Benefits of ceramic pipes:

• Steady, even burn
• Cooler smoke
• Untainted flavor

Considerations:

• Fragile
• Heavier than glass

One-Hitters and Chillums: Micro-dosing

One-hitters and chillums are slim, straight tubes designed for precise and controlled smoking. These small pipes deliver a single, potent hit directly from bowl to mouth with no carb. One-hitters typically hold just enough for one inhale, while chillums might allow 2-3 puffs.

The main advantage of these pipes is how they make microdosing easy. Their small size lets you control exactly how much you smoke, which is great for keeping your tolerance low or getting just a light buzz throughout the day.

Benefits of one-hitters and chillums:

• Perfect for micro-dosing
• Helps manage tolerance
• Highly portable and discreet

Considerations:

• Requires frequent reloading

• Gets dirty faster

 

Glass Blunts: Social sharing

 

Glass blunts combine the convenience of blunts with the reusability of a glass pipe. This clever pipe uses a glass tube with a sliding mechanism, letting you pack a hefty amount of herb – often a gram or more. As you puff, you simply push out the ash, keeping your hits fresh.

The main advantage of glass blunts is ditching the paper. Blunt wraps add harsh chemicals that mask flavor and irritate your lungs. Glass blunts give you a pure experience, perfect for sharing. They're ideal for social sessions - just like passing a blunt but without the tobacco downsides.

Benefits of glass blunts:

• Easy to pack and use
• Provides a blunt-like smoking experience
• Reusable and eco-friendly

Potential drawbacks:

• Harsher
• Requires more flower

 

Bubblers: Water filtration

 

Bubblers blend the portability of a hand pipe with the water-filtering experience of a bong. Slightly larger than a hand pipe, they feature a small water chamber below the bowl that cools and filters the smoke with a percolator.

One of the main advantages of bubblers is water filtration, which filters ash, tar, resin, and other smoke by-products. This results in a smoother and cleaner hit compared to dry pipes which offer zero filtration.

Benefits of bubblers:

• Water filtration
• Cleaner hits
• Smoother inhales

Potential drawbacks:

• Less portable (water)
• Dirty bong water

Learn: Bubbler vs bong - which is better?

 

Wooden Pipes: Heat resistant

 

Wooden pipes offer a classic smoking experience with an all-natural twist. Made from woods like briar, maple, or cherry, these pipes build flavor into the wood over time. As you smoke them, they absorb cannabis oils and resins, gradually enriching your smoke's flavor.

The main advantage of wooden pipes is their heat management. Wood naturally insulates, keeping the pipe cool in your hand even during long sessions - something glass, metal, silicone, and ceramic can’t do. 

Benefits of wooden pipes:

• Natural insulation for cooler handling
• Durable and drop-resistant
• Develops unique flavor over time

Considerations:

• Requires gentle, specific cleaning
• May alter pure cannabis flavor
• Needs occasional oiling to prevent drying

 

Maze and Divet Pipes: Waterless filtration

Maze pipes use clever engineering to improve your smoking experience. These pipes feature a winding internal path that smoke must travel through before reaching your mouth. This design cools the smoke naturally, without needing water or ice.

The main advantage of maze pipes is how they smooth out harsh hits. As smoke travels the maze, it cools down and leaves behind sticky resins. You get a cleaner, cooler puff without the hassle of water filtration.

Benefits of maze pipes:

• Significantly cooler smoke
• Built-in resin collection
• No water is needed, great for travel
• Durable aluminum and glass construction

Considerations:

• Can be tricky to clean thoroughly
• Often pricier than simple pipes
• Might reduce potency slightly

Silicone Pipes: Accident friendly

 

Silicone pipes are rubber pipes with glass bowls. These pipes are made from heat-resistant rubbers that stay cool to the touch, even during long sessions. Many silicone pipes are also antimicrobial, naturally resisting the growth of bacteria and mold. This means a cleaner, safer smoke with less frequent cleaning needed.

The main advantage of silicone pipes is their incredible durability. Drop them, step on them, or throw them across the room and you are good to go. This makes them perfect for outdoor adventures, travel, or just for clumsy smokers who've broken one too many glass pieces.

Benefits of silicone pipes:

• Heat-resistant 
• Antimicrobial properties
• Nearly unbreakable
• Easy to clean

Considerations:

• Slight taste differences
• Not as smooth-hitting as glass

Things to consider

When choosing a glass pipe it’s important to research price, glass type, pipe style, and brand.

Glass pipes are commonly constructed from lab-quality glass that has been engineered to withstand high temperatures while standing up to a wide array of chemicals without affecting the quality of the glass.

Be on the lookout for pipe descriptions containing “scientific glass,” “lab quality,” and “borosilicate glass” in them, as these indicate a high-quality, safe and tested product. 

Likewise, all brands are not created equal, so use care when shopping for the perfect pipe. At the end of the day, the best glass pipe will be one that is both beautiful to look at and safe to use, while giving you the best flavor with every session.

 

Final Thoughts

To wrap up our guide on cannabis pipes, remember that the best choice depends on your individual needs and preferences. There is no best type of pipe. Glass pipes offer purity of flavor, while bubblers provide smooth, filtered hits. For durability and portability, consider metal or silicone pipes. Wooden pipes offer a classic experience with natural insulation, while innovative designs like helix and maze pipes cool smoke without water.

When selecting your pipe, consider factors like:

• Smoothness (glass, glycerin, bubblers)
• Portability (silicone, metal, wood)
• Durability (silicone, metal, wood)
• Flavor (steamroller, glycerin, glass)
• Strength (steamroller)
• Budget (silicone)

Experiment with different types to find your perfect match. Whether you love smooth hits, rich flavors, or stealth, there's a perfect match for your needs!