Bong Bowl Weights and Measures

With all the choices available for smoking your favorite herb, it can sometimes be daunting to find the best one to use. Bongs are a popular choice due to their ability to filter smoke through water, providing a smoother hit. In this guide, we’ll explore the different bong bowl sizes, capacities, and applications to help you find the perfect fit for your smoking needs.

Bong bowls have two key metrics, the bowl volume or shape, and the connecting end size. The connecting end has four sizes which cover all but the most unique formats.

1. The 14 mm taper – This is the most common size and will sometimes be called a 14.5 mm or a 15 mm waterpipe bowl.
2. The 18 mm taper – This bowl size generally mates with vertical bongs or bubblers and can sometimes be called a 19 mm bowl
3. The 10 mm taper – Reserved for smaller bongs and bubblers, as well as some artisan bongs
4. The straight shaft – This can be found on acrylic bongs or other cheap bongs

To determine which size connector you need refer to our measurement guide. Generally, the size of the mating bong will determine which size bong bowl you need to get. However, taper adapters are available to switch from one size to another. For example, the Adaptabowl can adapt any 14 mm bong bowl to an 18 mm taper.

When looking at bowl volume more choices present themselves. With all of the artisan glass bowls and custom products out there it is impossible to give a full list, but we have captured an overview of several common sizes. The measured weights each bowl can fit are a maximum, and can vary depending upon type of herb used of packing density preference.

1. Generic glass bowl – With an opening of 18 mm, this conical martini bowl can hold 2500 mm³ of ground herb. With a nice tight pack this scales out to be 0.32 grams
2. Blown glass bowl – This deceivingly small, and notoriously fragile, bowl is only 1350 mm³ in volume and holds 0.17 g.
3. Spherical bottom bowl – Another favorite waterpipe bowl, it has a depressed hemisphere cavity with a diameter of 14 mm, equating 1800 mm³ and 0.24 g holding capacity.
4. Party bowls – Built for a big draw, this cylindrical bowl is a whopping 5000 mm³ and can be tightly packed with 0.65 g of good stuff.
5. Invincibowl- With a raised, precision manufactured screen providing full surface air flow from the underside, this cylindrical bowl is 2600 mm³ and can squeeze 0.33 g into its stainless-steel sleeve.
6. Straight metal slide – Basically a copy of a conical glass bowl, these aluminum bowls can be used with a cap and can hold 2300 mm³ and just under 0.30 g.

Uniform and complete combustion of herb inside the bong bowl is a feature exclusively available with the Invincibowl. With a typical martini bowl air is drawn through the central hole and the flow characteristics will change as a result of any material in the path. For example, if part of the cannabis is burnt on one side of the bowl, then air will preferentially pull to the burnt side of the bowl, where there is no obstruction. Packing or moving of the unburnt herb causes ash or flower to drop into the hole and down into the bong.

In contrast, the raised screen of the Invincibowl sits above the conical cavity, creating a separation zone for air to more uniformly pass through the bong bowl. This facilitates lateral combustion as air sweeps past the unburnt flower and down through the screen. The high surface area of the screen with uniform flow gives consistent and complete hits.