A bowl, also known as a slide, is an essential part of every bong. Bowls are empty chambers for dry herb or tobacco, which, once packed, attach to the joint of your glass piece. You light a heat source, and the hot air pulled through the bowl ignites the herb and creates smoke through your bong.

Bowls come in a variety of different sizes and can be either male or female. Standard water pipes are usually female, bong bowls generally have male ends - but not always. Therefore, you need to pair your bong stem with the right plug so that they are opposites, otherwise you may end up with a new bowl that is not compatible with your bong.