Knowledge Base

What Are The Different Types Of Percolator And Which One Is The Best Perc Bong?

What Are The Different Types Of Percolator And Which One Is The Best Perc Bong?

  • Friday, 24 September 2021
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Percolators are common additions to bongs, bubblers and dab rigs, and many of these water pipes have them built in to their glass design. They also come as add-ons to modify your glass with, so you can still reap the benefits if your go-to bong isn’t constructed with one, or if you just want to double-down on diffusion. Basically, when smoke travels through your bong and the water inside, the percolator filters the smoke and cools it down before you inhale. This makes smoking much healthier and (arguably) more enjoyable than using a typical dry pipe, by removing harmful toxins and creating a smoking experience that’s less harsh on your lungs.

Do percolators actually make any difference in your smoking experience, or are they just fancy additions that function just as well as plain glass bongs? You're in luck, because these are exactly the kind of questions we'll be answering in WD420 Glass' Knowledge Base on percolator bongs. 

What is a percolator bong? 

Whether you're looking for a simple piece of glass or something straight out of a chemistry lab, finding the perfect bong can be tricky with so many options available. And if you've ripped a few bongs in your life, you've probably heard of a perc bong, or “percolator water pipe,” before, though their purpose may still be a mystery. Percolator bongs are the must-have device for any genuine herbal enthusiast. One of the reasons why these bongs have become so popular is because of the sheer unadulterated bliss that they afford users. Percolator bongs are a longtime staple in weed culture. 

While percolators can look complicated, they actually make your bong easier to hit. Located either in the tube of the bong or the base, a perc is basically a small glass contraption which water passes through to create a filter. 

When you inhale from a percolator dab rig, the smoke is diffused into tons of bubbles which make that classic bong rip sound. These bubbles increase the surface area over which smoke travels within the piece, giving it time to cool down and filter out impurities. This process produces a smoother hit, which means less coughing and more bong rips.

If you're new to bong life, or you usually find them to be too harsh on your throat, you may want to include a perc on your list of must-haves when shopping for a bong. Plus, adding a percolator bong to your repertoire of smoking accessories can be highly cost effective. 

Percolator of bongs - How it works?

Usually, a percolator water pipe works by forcing different pressures between different outlets. What the user then does he/she inhales and this forces the smoke down into the water and into the filtration process.

The smoke is then filtered through the water and diffused in the percolator, this results in the smoke particles breaking down into finer, smoother particles and in turn results in a much smoother smoking experience. 

Best Percolator Bongs for Sale 

Ok, I feel that's enough of the science and now its time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the various bongs that will be at your disposal.

But first of all, you must be aware that there are many different types of percolator dab rigs and one of the reasons for this is because of the sheer popularity of the devices. Like in many things in life once the good news gets out everyone wants a piece of the action and this fact is no different when it comes to perc glass bongs.

Top 10 Percolator Types Of Bong

1.Diffused Downstem Percolator

    • This is the most basic of percolator types, and can be fixed in the construction of the bong or removable. They look like a vertical pipe extending from the bowl piece joint fixture, with slits at its base. The base of the downstem sits under the water and cools the smoke as it flows from the bowl and up through the top of the glass bong.
    •        Shop Diffused Downstem Perc Bongs






2.Honeycomb Percolator

    • Honeycomb percs look like discs that are riddled with holes. They are completely flat and often come in twos, creating multiple chambers with a stacked design. The percolators are parallel to the base of the bong or dab rig, helping them shoot bubbles straight up the chambers. The more levels of percs, the more filtration and cooling you’re guaranteed to enjoy.
    •         Shop Honeycomb Perc Bongs






3.Inline Percolator

An inline percolator has a fairly distinct shape. With a combination of a horizontal tube that holds a smaller piece with holes, or more commonly, small slits, this is another percolator design that is able to deliver more diffusion. This design is popular and can look different but has that distinct horizontal tube. By providing more slits in their design, these inline percolator bongs are truly able to create a smoother hit. The design of these percolators allow for more space in the above part of the bong. 

       Shop Inline Perc Bongs





4.Showerhead Percolator

Showerhead percs look just like they sound, directing smoke through a tube and then into a disk-shaped pieces of glass with many holes, and finally into the main chamber. Showerhead percolators are a common and very popular choice because they are easy to clean and maintain, yet they offer plenty of power and durability. They may not be the coolest looking percs out there, but showerhead bongs get the job done.       

        Shop Showerhead Perc Bongs





5.Swiss Percolator

Swiss percs are one in a million when it comes to design. Bongs featuring this percolator can look like they were victims of a barrage of bullets, with holes throughout. But these holes are actually the percolator part! Air is forced around these holes, filtering smoke without creating any drag on your pull. They’re functional and stylish, and definitely one of our faves.

        Shop Swiss Perc Bongs





6.Coil Percolator

Coil percolators are very similar to tree percolators. The major difference between both units is that the trees inside the device are bent into the shape of a coil. With these bongs, the coils will direct your herb smoke into a water chamber where the final act of diffusion occurs. The one issue that we have encountered with these bongs is that they sometimes can have a long drag that you may find irritating. Additionally, these types of bongs are sometimes offered on the cheap and if you do buy cheap you may encounter many performance-related issues.





7.Stereo Matrix Percolator

  • The Stereo perc is a percolator design for your glass bong or dab rig with a gridded series of slits in a matrix style. The slits run completely around the perc, allowing for 360 degree diffusion through the water. Whoa, can you handle it?!  Also known as a matrix perc, some stereo percs feature two smaller matrix percs stacked on top of each other. Some say the bottom matrix is overkill because it doesn't bubble, but the truth is that it's necessary for the water to displace into and out of as it takes filtration to the next dimension.
  •         Shop Matrix Perc Bongs






8. Tree Percolator

Tree percolators are probably the easiest to recognize, made up of multiple rods connected at the top which resemble tree limbs. Air comes up from a central tube and down through the rods which are slitted at the bottom, diffusing bubbles into the bong. Anywhere from 4 to 64 arms, and the more arms, the more diffusion. Arms will either be open bottomed or closed, usually with slits on the sides. Smaller slits give smaller bubbles, which gives more diffusion.  The more arms the more the smoke is separated, which allows for even more filtration.





9. Turbine Percolator

    • The turbine percolators are popular for their smooth high and the cool effects it produces. Also known as cyclone percolators, these bongs include carefully placed cuts along the sides. When taking a rip, the water creates a cyclone or turbine effect. This cool design also still achieves the desired result that comes from using a percolator, making it an unique addition to anyone’s collection. 







10. Fritted Disc Percolator

  • Among the most powerful percs, fritted disc percolators are similar to honeycombs, especially the stacked version. Fritted disc percs join together glass fragments with small spaces between them for smoke diffusion and percolation. With even more holes, they mean even smoother hits and more bubbles—but even more cleaning.
  •          Shop Disc Perc Bongs







  • Benefits of Percolator Bongs

Why use a bong with a percolator? If you’ve never tried one, but you’ve smoked cannabis, you may already know the best reason: smoke can be harsh. Percolator bongs cool down, filter, and moisturize your hits. Filtering smoke through water also removes some toxins and byproducts of combustion such as tar and ash. The end result is cooler smoke or even water vapor that delivers flavorful, potent hits. Still, if you’re not familiar with bongs, it may feel intimidating to try and figure out how these things work. They may seem to have more cultural and “druggy” stigma than just smoking marijuana for some users, and others worry that percolator bongs seem more potent than other tools. The bottom line, though, is these are just another way to smoke or vape cannabis or other herbs—and a smarter way, for that matter. It’s easier to tolerate cooler, more humid smoke—try it and you’ll see.  

How to keep your perc bong clean?

Percolators can definitely improve the quality of your bong rips, but they can also make your piece more difficult to clean. Resin will gunk up the nooks and crannies of the percs over time, rendering them useless. Luckily, you can avoid this problem altogether by cleaning your bong regularly with a mixture of salt and rubbing alcohol or a glass cleaning solution. 

A bong with one or more percs will likely require more frequent cleaning than a piece with no percs, but super smooth bong rips are worth a little extra time for cleaning. 

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