Monday June 28, 2021
By Paul Barach
420 Culture
Silicone smoking pieces haven’t gotten their due in the cannabis world. Although, that’s understandable. Let’s be honest, they haven’t been doing themselves any favors. Besides their basic design, many of them are so cartoonishly colored that they look like something a circus clown smokes out of after a long day under the big top.
Glass pieces, on the other hand, need no one to hype up their appeal. With their various colors and elaborate designs, not to mention the artistry it takes to create them, a well-crafted glass piece is either going to be a smoke sesh local fave or a conversation piece. But let’s take another look at silicone smoking pieces. While they may not be flashy, they are the jeeps of the smoking apparatus world: rugged, durable, and dependable. Nobody would argue that a Jeep is going to bump a Bugatti or Maserati off of a showroom’s main platform, but neither luxury vehicle is going to get very far up a pitted logging road. In that same vein, silicone pieces serve a purpose that few glass pieces can.
Benefits of Silicone Pipes
Let’s take a look at why you might want to consider a silicone piece.
Durability
No matter how ornate a glass piece is, it goes from an admired showpiece to trash can occupant the second it drops onto hard ground or collides with a denser object. Silicone, on the other hand, can literally bounce back from a lot more abuse. This makes silicone pieces a great choice for the chronically clumsy, as well as any cannabis user struggling with mobility issues. Silicone pieces are also not going to chip or crack when being jostled in a backpack, which makes them ideal for those who enjoy a little toke on their bike commute, hike, or backpacking trip. After all, you’re not going to risk your favorite glass bubbler or bong on a hiking trip just for the joy of using it around the campsite. But a silicone bubbler will give you reliable, deep, percolating rips after you pitch your tent at your destination (be sure to use filtered water).
Ease of Cleaning
Silicone pieces are far easier to clean than glass, which means enjoying a cleaner, easier pull with much less effort. Once you remove the bowl from a silicone piece, you can slide whatever cleaning utensils you use into the body without needing to wedge, bend, or angle your swab. In fact, it’s much easier to just bend the pipe body itself to get blockages out of any hard-to-reach places.
Beyond that, silicone surfaces are also non-stick. This makes them a far more convenient choice for dab rigs, concentrate pipes, and nectar collectors.
Price
There’s a lot that goes into creating a glass pipe, bong, or dab rig. The cost of that material and labor comes down to you. Silicone pipes, on the other hand, are cheap to create and durable. This means that you will be paying less for a product that is almost certain to last longer.
Best Silicone Pieces
Manufacturers have been working hard to create silicone cannabis pieces that up the cannabis smoking game. That’s why PotGuide is here with some of the best silicone smoking pieces to add into your rotation.
Pipe: Stratus Silicone Bee Dab Spoon Pipe
Stratus' 4’ Silicone Bee Dab Spoon Pipe gives you everything you want in a silicone pipe and more. The design is fun but still aesthetically pleasing, and at a price that’s hard to argue with. It also has the added bonus of having a little concentrate stash spot under the bowl, and a holder for a dab tool in the neck of the piece. You can use the included glass funnel for either concentrate or flower, making this piece the perfect switch-hitter.
It’s a fun touch that lets you bring a little something extra to the party without needing to carry another container/device. The spoon comes in a flower-only option as well if that’s your preference, however the price is the same.
Price: $7.99
Bubbler: Eyce Hammer
The Hammer by Eyce boasts a platinum-cured silicone body for extra durability that comes in your choice of eight-color designs. The bubbler’s large borosilicate glass bowl snaps in tight and pops out for easy cleaning. However, what puts the Hammer above the usual silicone bubblers is its swiss-army knife of features. The base contains a hidden storage area for any flower you’re bringing along and a tool holder for the included steel poker. The water chamber can also be converted to an ice chamber, which means a pocket of built-in ice for an extra-chilly smoke sesh.
With the purchase of an extra 10mm glass collar and titanium nail, the Hammer can also be converted into a portable dab rig.
Price: $39.99
Bong: Piecemaker Kali
The Kali by Piecemaker may look basic (and kind of like a beaker designed by a muppet), but that is this bong’s strength. It’s not going to provoke any “oohs” or “ahhs” from your friends if you pull it out to use in your living room. However, if you pull it out from your backpack after a long day of hiking, your friends will be plenty impressed. All the extras in this piece are equally strong.
The bong boasts a contoured mouthpiece for comfort and a stainless steel bowl piece with a matching carb cap. The downstem is engineered with Piecemaker’s patented Hi-Tek high perc technology to double the bubbles on each rip. Even if your backpack takes a tumble down the mountainside, this virtually indestructible bong will still be in one piece when you pull it out at the end of the day.
Price: $50
Dab Rig: Eyce Rig 2.0
Creating a quality silicone dab rig can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to offer both high and low temp dab options. Eyce created just such a rig, then asked “why stop there?” The Eyce Rig 2.0 body and stem cap is made out of their standard platinum-cured silicone, but it’s the rig’s design that really sets it apart. A 10mm glass collar acts as a heat barrier, protecting the silicone body from whatever flame you want to throw at the titanium nail. Reinforced chamber walls provide extra stability to the body and stem cap. Outside of that, the Eyce Rig 2.0 includes a built-in concentrate container and four tool slots for a true all-in-one, on-the-go dab rig.
Price: $49.99
The Wrap Up
Despite their second-fiddle reputation, silicone smoking pieces have their place in the cannabis consumer’s arsenal. They’ll never replace glass as the light of the smoker’s eye, but much like a Jeep vs. a Ferrari, silicone pieces can go places that glass pieces can’t. If you enjoy an active lifestyle, or have a tendency for your pieces to tumble out of your hands, a silicone smoking piece can make an excellent addition to your collection of pipes, bubblers, bongs, or dab rigs.
What’s your favorite silicone smoking piece? Let us know in the comments!
