The Difference between Vaporizing and a Bong
Bongs and vaporizers deliver totally different experiences: bongs give you an immediate heavy punch, while vaporizers give you a smooth, gradual lift.
The core difference is in how they burn the cannabis (temperature).
In short: Bongs flash burn cannabis, releasing all THC at once for one powerful bong rip. Vaporizers heat at lower temps, releasing compounds gradually, creating a smoother, more clear-headed high.
A bong is better for stronger hits, immediate effects, and activating all the possible cannabinoid compounds (THC, CBN, CBC). Vapes are much healthier than bongs and are better for less overwhelming effects and a much cleaner experience both physically and mentally.
Use a bong if you want much stronger effects both physically and mentally, but you don’t mind harsher hits, coughing, and potentially overwhelming mental effects (like racing thoughts). Don’t worry, you can tweak your bong’s performance by selecting different models, check out our guide to every type of bong.
Use a vape if you want more well-rounded effects that are much easier to handle, keep you clear-headed, and are much healthier and easier on the lungs. Vaping weed can sometimes deliver less potent effects, don’t worry, you can tweak your vape performance by selecting different models, check out our guide to every type of vaporizer.
Tip: If you love the idea of no smoking with vapes but don’t like the idea of it being less potent than bongs, try dabbing. Dabbing is more potent than vaping, but is still a great option to avoid smoke when compared to bongs.
A vaporizer is healthier than a bong because with vapor you inhale fewer harmful chemicals. With a dry herb vaporizer, you’re inhaling cannabinoids and terpenes, and avoiding tar, carbon monoxide, and other byproducts of smoke combustion that you would normally inhale in a bong rip.
What’s really going into your lungs when you smoke from a bong or a vaporizer?
It’s more than just cannabinoids and terpenes - there’s a whole range of substances that come along for the ride.
Bong: When you use a bong, smoke releases a variety of harmful compounds:
How do I prevent this? Bongs use water filtration through a percolator to filter out some toxins but to really filter out the maximum amount of toxins you need a carbon-activated filtration.
Vaporizers offer a much cleaner option since they don’t rely on combustion and that means zero smoke. Instead, they heat the cannabis at lower temperatures so you still get all the THC and terpenes but just no smoke.
However, even vaporizers aren’t completely free from unwanted compounds:
Bong rips are known for their power, that’s because of the science and physics behind a bong.
Bong tip: While bong rips are stronger, the smoke is much hotter which can irritate the lungs and trigger coughing fits. To prevent coughing with a bong, try an ice bong or a glycerin bong which cools hot smoke for a cough-free experience.
Vaporizers are much gentler on the lungs because they heat cannabis at lower temperatures, producing a vapor that is easier to inhale, smoother, and less likely to irritate the lungs and cause coughing fits.
While this makes vaporizers more comfortable to use, single hits are generally less potent than bong rips. This means you have to take more hits from a vaporizer to achieve the same effect as one bong rip.
Vape and bong highs are completely different because of how the cannabinoids are released when you inhale.
Bongs burn cannabis at high temperatures releasing all the cannabinoids at once for a fast, intense high but destroying some terpenes in the process. Vaporizers heat at lower temps, preserving terpenes and delivering cannabinoids gradually in layers, resulting in a lighter but longer-lasting high.
In short: Bongs hit harder and faster which is great for veteran smokers and vaporizers hit slower but last longer and feel less overwhelming which is great for work, beginners, or micro-dosing.
Bong or vaporizer: which method wastes less cannabinoids (THC and CBD)?
In Short: A bong burns cannabis continuously, wasting cannabinoids between hits, while vaporizers only heat cannabis when directly inhaled (when you draw on the device) preventing THC loss.
Bioavailability tells you how much of the good stuff in your cannabis actually made it into your bloodstream where it can have an effect.
Why vaping absorbs more cannabinoids:
Hot smoke from a bong rip can scorch your lungs and lead to very uncomfortable coughing.
Your lungs prefer temperatures below 140°F. Anything hotter risks potential tissue damage. Here’s how vape and bongs stack up with temperatures in the lungs:
Pro-tip: To stop heat damage with a bong, try an ice bong or a glycerin bong which reduces the temperature in hot smoke by up to 300°F, eliminating any potential damage.
Terpenes are cannabis’ secret weapons, offering a ton of therapeutic benefits beyond just flavor.
These delicate compounds are easily destroyed by high-heat (bongs) and preserved far better by a vaporizer at lower temperatures.
Remember, terpenes are one of the best parts of cannabis and when you smoke with a bong, you destroy a large amount of them. Vaporizing at lower temperatures is the best way to enjoy your strain’s natural terpenes.
The difference between a smooth, easy inhale and a harsh dry one comes down to how much moisture is in your smoke (bong) or vapor.
Bongs use water filtration through a percolator to help cool, filter, and add moisture to the smoke. While the water does make it feel smoother initially, the smoke is still very hot when it enters your lungs and it evaporates most of the moisture leaving your throat feeling dry which can lead to coughing.
Vaporizers work differently. The lower temperature means the vapor retains much more moisture with zero evaporation, delivering a much smoother hit.
In short: Vaporizers offer a smoother, moisture-rich feel in the throat and lungs compared to bongs which can feel much drier leading to coughing.
So how well does a bong or vaporizer decarboxylate THCA?
In short: Bongs rapidly decarboxylate cannabis with high heat, which destroys some cannabinoids and terpenes, while vaporizers provide more control over the process, preserving terpenes and converting THCA into THC.
In conclusion, bongs and vaporizers offer entirely different experiences.
Vaping also allows for “terpene surfing” which you can’t do in any form of combustion smoking. Terpene surfing lets you graze the cannabis and inhale only therapeutic terpenes that bongs would normally destroy from high heat.
Ultimately, the choice between a bong or a vaporizer depends on individual preferences:
The core difference is in how they burn the cannabis (temperature).
- Bongs burn cannabis at intense temperatures (450°F) creating smoke to inhale.
- Vaporizers heat your flower at lower temperatures (390°F) to produce vapor to inhale.
In short: Bongs flash burn cannabis, releasing all THC at once for one powerful bong rip. Vaporizers heat at lower temps, releasing compounds gradually, creating a smoother, more clear-headed high.
Is a vape or bong better?
A bong is better for stronger hits, immediate effects, and activating all the possible cannabinoid compounds (THC, CBN, CBC). Vapes are much healthier than bongs and are better for less overwhelming effects and a much cleaner experience both physically and mentally.
Use a bong if you want much stronger effects both physically and mentally, but you don’t mind harsher hits, coughing, and potentially overwhelming mental effects (like racing thoughts). Don’t worry, you can tweak your bong’s performance by selecting different models, check out our guide to every type of bong.
Use a vape if you want more well-rounded effects that are much easier to handle, keep you clear-headed, and are much healthier and easier on the lungs. Vaping weed can sometimes deliver less potent effects, don’t worry, you can tweak your vape performance by selecting different models, check out our guide to every type of vaporizer.
Tip: If you love the idea of no smoking with vapes but don’t like the idea of it being less potent than bongs, try dabbing. Dabbing is more potent than vaping, but is still a great option to avoid smoke when compared to bongs.
What is healthier a bong or a vaporizer?
A vaporizer is healthier than a bong because with vapor you inhale fewer harmful chemicals. With a dry herb vaporizer, you’re inhaling cannabinoids and terpenes, and avoiding tar, carbon monoxide, and other byproducts of smoke combustion that you would normally inhale in a bong rip.
Medical studies found that with a bong you inhale toxins like benzene, toluene, and naphthalene but with a vaporizer, you avoid them completely. Vapes also produce zero airborne particles, produce less oxidative stress to the body, and are much gentler on the lungs with lower heat settings.
Bong tip: While smoking isn’t healthy, bongs are a healthier option when it comes to combustion (smoke) compared to joints and weed pipes. That’s because bongs use water diffusion to filter ash, tar, and toxins. Learn more about the awesome benefits of a bong.
What are you actually inhaling?
What’s really going into your lungs when you smoke from a bong or a vaporizer?
It’s more than just cannabinoids and terpenes - there’s a whole range of substances that come along for the ride.
Bong: When you use a bong, smoke releases a variety of harmful compounds:
- Tar: A sticky byproduct of burning plant material that can settle in your lungs and affect your breathing.
- Ash: When the plant combusts it turns into ash and some of the ash gets inhaled.
- Carbon monoxide: A gas produced during combustion that can interfere with your body’s oxygen levels, causing dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Benzene: Chemical that can irritate your throat and lungs when inhaled regularly.
- Formaldehyde: Can cause a harsher hit and irritation to your airways
How do I prevent this? Bongs use water filtration through a percolator to filter out some toxins but to really filter out the maximum amount of toxins you need a carbon-activated filtration.
Vaporizers offer a much cleaner option since they don’t rely on combustion and that means zero smoke. Instead, they heat the cannabis at lower temperatures so you still get all the THC and terpenes but just no smoke.
However, even vaporizers aren’t completely free from unwanted compounds:
- Aldehydes: These compounds can form if your vaporizer reaches higher temperatures (typically over 392°F), which can cause some irritation to your lungs.
- Heavy metal traces: Low-quality vaporizers can occasionally release tiny amounts of metals like nickel or lead, especially if the heating element is poorly made or starts to degrade.
Bottom line: For the cleanest inhale, use a vaporizer at 392°F or lower and avoid using low-quality vaporizers.
Bong rip vs vapor hits
Bong rips are known for their power, that’s because of the science and physics behind a bong.
- Bong rip: You’re inhaling a large volume of smoke in one single hit, which requires a very deep breath. Bong rips engage the diaphragm, allowing the lungs to stretch and absorb more cannabinoids in a single inhale which can be very harsh on the lungs.
- Vapor hits: With vaporizers, the vapor releases gradually from the cannabis, so it’s almost as if you’re taking “sips” in layers. Vapor hits are much smoother and gentler on the lungs but less potent than bong rips.
Bong tip: While bong rips are stronger, the smoke is much hotter which can irritate the lungs and trigger coughing fits. To prevent coughing with a bong, try an ice bong or a glycerin bong which cools hot smoke for a cough-free experience.
Vaporizers are much gentler on the lungs because they heat cannabis at lower temperatures, producing a vapor that is easier to inhale, smoother, and less likely to irritate the lungs and cause coughing fits.
While this makes vaporizers more comfortable to use, single hits are generally less potent than bong rips. This means you have to take more hits from a vaporizer to achieve the same effect as one bong rip.
Vape vs bong high
Vape and bong highs are completely different because of how the cannabinoids are released when you inhale.
Bongs burn cannabis at high temperatures releasing all the cannabinoids at once for a fast, intense high but destroying some terpenes in the process. Vaporizers heat at lower temps, preserving terpenes and delivering cannabinoids gradually in layers, resulting in a lighter but longer-lasting high.
- Think of a bong as lighting and inhaling all of the compounds at once (THC, CBD, CBC, etc) for a single but very powerful hit that starts strong and ends fast.
- Think of a vape as releasing one layer of compounds in one inhale, then the next in the second inhale, and after about 4-5 inhales you finish the entire bowl. The effects come in gradual waves and each inhale releases a different set of cannabinoids and terpenes.
In short: Bongs hit harder and faster which is great for veteran smokers and vaporizers hit slower but last longer and feel less overwhelming which is great for work, beginners, or micro-dosing.
Vapes waste less THC
Bong or vaporizer: which method wastes less cannabinoids (THC and CBD)?
- Bongs: When using a bong, the flame from your light ignites the entire plant. This keeps the cannabis burning even when you’re not inhaling, when smoke slips from the bowl into the air it’s wasting cannabinoids.
- Vapes: Vaporizers heat your cannabis at controlled levels, and only release cannabinoids and terpenes when you actively inhale, since there is no continuous burning you preserve more compounds.
In Short: A bong burns cannabis continuously, wasting cannabinoids between hits, while vaporizers only heat cannabis when directly inhaled (when you draw on the device) preventing THC loss.
Bongs unlock more compounds
Bongs unleash cannabinoids that vaping might miss.
Unlike vapes, which typically operate below 400°F, bongs use combustion temperatures above 450°F, which activates a wider range of beneficial cannabis compounds.
- Bong rips activate a wider range of therapeutic compounds:
- THCV (428°F): Supports appetite control and balanced energy
- CBN (365°F): Promotes relaxation and better sleep
- CBC (428°F): Offers soothing relief and comfort
- Vaping at lower temps can't reach these beneficial compounds:
- The recommended setting for vapes is 392°F, missing key cannabinoids
- Low-temp vaping preserves terpenes but sacrifices THC potency
The bottom line: Bongs use an open flame from a lighter, which burns at around 1,500°F. This extreme heat causes the cannabis in the bowl to combust at 450°F, instantly releasing all cannabinoids for powerful effects. Vaping targets cannabinoids in lower temperature ranges and can miss out on certain compounds like THCV and CBC entirely.
Vape tip: For vape enthusiasts, invest in a high-temp device (up to 428°F) to access those extra cannabinoids without full combustion. Start low, then gradually increase to release all the cannabinoids your plant has to offer.
Vaping absorbs cannabinoids better
While bongs release more cannabinoids from the plant, vaping actually helps you absorb more cannabinoids into your bloodstream.Bioavailability tells you how much of the good stuff in your cannabis actually made it into your bloodstream where it can have an effect.
- Bioavailability for bong: typically delivers around 20-27% of available THC
- Bioavailability for vaping: typically delivers around 50-60% of available THC.
Why vaping absorbs more cannabinoids:
- Particle size: vapor particles are ultra-small, penetrating deep into lung tissue
- Less irritation: Lower temperatures mean less lung inflammation, which means less resistance to absorption
- Purity: Vapor contains fewer contaminants that could interfere with cannabinoid uptake
Vapes are gentler on the lungs
Hot smoke from a bong rip can scorch your lungs and lead to very uncomfortable coughing.
Your lungs prefer temperatures below 140°F. Anything hotter risks potential tissue damage. Here’s how vape and bongs stack up with temperatures in the lungs:
- Bong rips: Cannabis burn at 450°F in the bong’s bowl, and after the hot smoke moves through the downstem into the water chamber, the smoke reaches your lungs at 150°F - 170°F which is still too hot and can cause immediate irritation to the lungs.
- Vaping: If you keep temperatures in the safety zone (392°F), vapors reach your lung at 115°F which significantly reduces the risk of heat-related lung damage.
Pro-tip: To stop heat damage with a bong, try an ice bong or a glycerin bong which reduces the temperature in hot smoke by up to 300°F, eliminating any potential damage.
Vaping unlocks more terpenes
Terpenes are cannabis’ secret weapons, offering a ton of therapeutic benefits beyond just flavor.
These delicate compounds are easily destroyed by high-heat (bongs) and preserved far better by a vaporizer at lower temperatures.
- Bongs burn away terpenes: When you torch your bowl, temperatures soar to 450°F. These higher temperatures can easily incinerate terpenes, robbing you of many benefits such as the terpene Limonen’s stress relief or pinene’s focus-enhancing effects.
- Vaping preserves terpenes: Vapes let you set temperatures very low so you can operate in the sweet spot of 311°F - 388°F where terpenes thrive.
- Pinene (311°F): Supports clear breathing and mental clarity
- Myrcene (334°F): Enhances relaxation and cannabinoid absorption
- Limonene (349°F): Elevates mood and fights stress
- Linalool (388°F): Calms the mind and eases tension
Remember, terpenes are one of the best parts of cannabis and when you smoke with a bong, you destroy a large amount of them. Vaporizing at lower temperatures is the best way to enjoy your strain’s natural terpenes.
Moisture in smoke and vapor
The difference between a smooth, easy inhale and a harsh dry one comes down to how much moisture is in your smoke (bong) or vapor.
Bongs use water filtration through a percolator to help cool, filter, and add moisture to the smoke. While the water does make it feel smoother initially, the smoke is still very hot when it enters your lungs and it evaporates most of the moisture leaving your throat feeling dry which can lead to coughing.
Vaporizers work differently. The lower temperature means the vapor retains much more moisture with zero evaporation, delivering a much smoother hit.
In short: Vaporizers offer a smoother, moisture-rich feel in the throat and lungs compared to bongs which can feel much drier leading to coughing.
Decarboxylation: vaporizer vs bong
Decarboxylation is the process that turns THCA into THC - without it, you won’t feel a thing.So how well does a bong or vaporizer decarboxylate THCA?
- Bong: decarboxylation happens instantly because of the intense heat from combustion. This high heat converts the THCA to THC quickly, but it also comes with a downside: many cannabinoids and terpenes are destroyed in the process. So while bongs give a much faster and potent effect, you may lose some of the beneficial compounds along the way.
- Vaporizers: offer much more control over the decarb process because you can control precise temperatures. THCA converts to THC at around 220°F and 250°F so by setting your vaporizer’s temperature in the range of 315°F to 392°F you can decarboxylate THCA while also protecting cannabinoids and terpenes.
In short: Bongs rapidly decarboxylate cannabis with high heat, which destroys some cannabinoids and terpenes, while vaporizers provide more control over the process, preserving terpenes and converting THCA into THC.
Maintenance and cost
Maintenance is rarely talked about, but it’s important if you want your vaporizer or bong to keep delivering powerful and clean hits. Which smoking device is easier to maintain and costs less to upkeep?
Bongs use water to filter the smoke, so that means the water chamber builds up quickly with resin, ash, and tar from filtering smoke. If plant particles fall into the water chamber, it provides the perfect recipe for bong mold growth. The only maintenance and cost with a bong is the material needed to clean a bong which is usually salt and Isopropyl alcohol.
Vaporizers are electronic devices and require different upkeep to continue delivering productive vapors. This can be changing screens, and coils, and using q-tips with IPA to clean the chambers.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, bongs and vaporizers offer entirely different experiences.
- Bongs deliver powerful, immediate effects through high-temperature combustion, activating a wide range of cannabinoids. However, this method can be harsh on the lungs and destroy beneficial terpenes.
- Vaporizers, provide a smoother, more controlled experience by heating cannabis at lower temperatures, preserving terpene, and allowing for gradual cannabinoid release.
Vaping also allows for “terpene surfing” which you can’t do in any form of combustion smoking. Terpene surfing lets you graze the cannabis and inhale only therapeutic terpenes that bongs would normally destroy from high heat.
Ultimately, the choice between a bong or a vaporizer depends on individual preferences:
- Bongs: immediate, powerful, and fast. A wider range of activated cannabinoids can have overwhelming or powerful effects.
- Vaporizers: healthier option with better terpene effects and more efficient THC absorption into the blood-stream. Better for beginners or if you prefer clear-headed and gentle effects.
