Is There a Vaporizer That Hits Like a Bong?

Vapes vs Bongs

Vapes come in many different styles and sizes. There are vapes that are meant for home use and are not truly portable, which are known as desktop vapes, and there are portable vapes such as box mods and wax pens. 3-in-1 combination vapes are usually portable and can utilize all three vaping modalities: dry herbs, wax, and oil concentrates.

Bongs are classic smoking devices that are unique in their ability to use water as their main means of smoke filtration. The water serves a dual purpose of filtering and cooling down the smoke as it passes through an elongated tube to produce a massive hit. Comparably, box mods also produce massive clouds of vapor that resemble the thickness of smoke from a bong hit.

The difference between the two is like night and day, however. Since vapes gently heat material below the point of combustion, they do not release additional compounds that require water filtration. Vapes are convenient in this aspect since water can be quite messy and tedious to deal with over time. However, there are vaporizer/bong hybrids that exist which offer the user a superior experience when it comes to vaping.

Dab Rigs

Incorporating the use of water as a means of cooling down a hit, dab rigs combine the utility of a bong and the power of a vape. This combination serves to use a bong while taking a hit of concentrated cannabis. Unlike bongs, dab rigs do not require the use of a traditional lighter to heat the material directly. Instead, dab rigs utilize heat the same way a vape is used.

A torch lights up the bowl, also known as a nail, and the heat that remains is used to vaporize the wax applied to the nail. Heat is dispersed and cooled down through the water chamber and delivers a hit that is rich in terpenes and produces a large accumulation of aromatic compounds that is collected as vapor.

This is the main method of using a vaporizer that hits just like a bong. Dab rigs remain the most popular method of vaporizing wax concentrates in a non-portable setting. E-nails on the other hand can be used in place of a dab rig onto a bong to deliver the same method of water filtration and vaporization as well. These are portable and much more convenient as they heat themselves electronically to produce a dab hit from a bong.

Other Vapes That Can Hit Like a Bong

There are ways to combine a vaporizer with a bong to create an enhanced method of taking a hit. Almost any type of vape can be altered in a way that will route the vapor through a bong and deliver a similar experience. Granted you will likely not have as big or as thick of a hit as you would from a traditional dab rig.

By creating an airtight seal around the junction that meets the vape and the bong, you can essentially create a homemade dab rig. Using a silicone adapter that can accommodate either sizable male or female joints, you can hook up your vape using a whip or even directly onto the bong itself. While this requires a bit of ingenuity, the result can be a functional unit.

Water filtration cools down the vapor, giving you a much cleaner and smoother hit. This is why it is desirable to enhance your vape by adding a bong and adapter to create your own type of dab rig. Alternatively, if all you have is a traditional bong, you can essentially create a crude vaporizer by heating metal or other flame-tolerant material that is inert and applying directly over your bowl if using dry herbs.

Why Using a Vape is Better

Converting your bong into a functional vape is much better than smoking through a bong, despite the water filtration aspect. This is because smoke contains many harmful by-products that do not serve any other purpose than to irritate your lungs. Even though bongs cool down and filter the smoke to a certain extent, vapes offer a superior end-product without the carcinogens or harshness associated with smoke.

Since terpenes are oil-based and not water soluble, they remain intact and go right through the water to deliver rich flavor profiles. Water can serve to cool down the vapor and filter out any lingering pollutants that may be present in material that has not been properly cured or produced. The best part about using a bong to take a vaped hit is the fact that there are no external hardware components to use such as lighters.

Some vapes are activated by pushing a button on a saved setting which can deliver a hit quickly and efficiently. Water simply enhances flavor, further cools and filters out minute contaminants, and allows for the full flavor to be enjoyed by the user. Unlike using a bong by itself through the use of a flame, burning the contents in a bowl leaves behind tar and other residues that are not part of a vape’s maintenance.

Final Thoughts

Using a dab rig or other vape with a bong is a superior method of cannabis consumption, whether with dry herbs, wax, or oil concentrates. Because bongs are rather large and bulky, they are not ideal choices when it comes to portability, despite using a portable vape with one. A small dab rig may be the best option for maintaining a sense of mobility while harnessing the power of a dab rig.

No matter what you end up using, always make sure you have your vape/bong combo dialed in with airtight seals to ensure a proper vape session. The best alternative method here to use with a bong would be an e-nail, which eliminates most issues associated with rigging your own vape. For all intents and purposes, dab rigs remain the king of the vape/bong combo.

Related Blog Posts

How to Use a Bong - Instructions from the Experts

How To Pick the Perfect Bong Every Time

Vaping Dry Herb vs Smoking Dry Herb