Silicone Bongs and Pipes, Explained by People Who Love Glass
Your pipe or bong collection is incomplete without a couple of silicone pieces in the mix. While glass will always be our first love, silicone brings protection and versatility to your smoking setup that just can't be beat.
Back when all this *gestures* was new, GRAV® was all about glass. This was 2004, remember, when pretty much all weed smoking took place in private, away from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors with itchy cop-calling fingers.
Since then, smoking has moved out of the basement and into the light of day. We're smoking on hikes, at parks, on road trips, and in some places, on the streets.
That means we need pieces that are travel-friendly. Enter silicone, that wonderful material that protects our glass and lets us take our sessions out into the wide world.
Why Use Silicone Over Traditional Glass Bongs or Pipes?
For starters: that's actually not what we're suggesting.
Silicone has major benefits, which we're going to get into. But it still doesn't beat the clean smoke of a glass bong or pipe.
That's why our approach is glass and silicone.
→ Glass at most flower and smoke contact points.
→ A protective rubbery skin around the glass, to shield your piece from shocks.
It's a "why not both?" angle that gives you the best smoking experience and the protection you need when you're out and about.
Here's what we're digging about silicone bongs and pipes:
Silicone Boasts Major Durability & Shock Absorption
Even high-quality, heavy-duty borosilicate can break. While our glass pieces have been known to survive a tip or a drop, it's not guaranteed.
A silicone skin creates a shock absorbing barrier between that breakable glass and hard surfaces, protecting your investment for years of happy smoke sessions.
Thick borosilicate combined with bouncy silicone? It's a match made in stoner heaven.
Silicone Gives You Better Grip and Texture
Glass is clean and elegant. It can also be a slippery customer, especially in smaller hand pipes.
If you have a habit of dropping your tasters, a silicone skin can add a bit of additional grip and just may keep that herb in your hand, instead of on the floor.
Silicone Comes in Vibrant Colors
Clear glass is classy and timeless. But we love a little color to brighten things up.
Silicone comes in a wide range of vibrant colors, from mustard yellow to avocado green to classic blue. So you can pick the perfect hue to complement your daily fit.
Silicone is Always Travel-Ready
With the rise of legalization, smoking has become something we do on-the-go more than ever before.
Traveling with naked glass can be a risky proposition. But when your piece is wrapped in shock-absorbing silicone, it's much safer to bring it along on your adventures.
Plus, the silicone on some GRAV® pieces actually extends over the bowl. So you can pre-pack your pipe, cap it, and be ready to smoke when the mood strikes you.
Are Silicone Pipes Safe for Smoking?
Water pipes and hand pipes made from food-grade silicone are safe for smoking.
This type of silicone is a non-toxic, super durable, heat resistant, BPA-free material. It won't degrade when it touches hot smoke, and it's safe to bring in contact with your mouth.
It is not, however, fireproof. That's why nearly all silicone pieces have borosilicate glass bowls at the flame end. Glass handles the heat so silicone doesn't have to.
How to Clean Silicone Bongs & Pipes
Rubbery and removable, silicone skins are easy to clean.
Just unwrap the skin from your pipe and scrub each piece with warm, soapy water. Dish soap works great for this. Use an old toothbrush to get into corners and edges. Rinse the pieces well and let them dry thoroughly before reassembling your piece.
For an extra deep cleaning, our silicone pieces are dishwasher safe as well.
To clean the glass parts of your piece, we swear by Grunge Off. This special cleaning solution is all-natural and reusable. Pour some in your glass water chamber and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. You can then pour it back in the bottle, and rinse your newly clean piece well with distilled water.
We do not recommend using Grunge Off on the silicone, as it's specially formulated for glass.
You can also pour isopropyl alcohol in your water pipe with some coarse salt. Cover the openings with your hand and give it a gentle shake to let the salt scour the glass clean.
Then pour it out and rinse well with distilled water.
For small pipes, you can use the Grunge Off or isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt methods above by pouring your liquid over the piece in a zipper bag, so it's fully submerged.
The GRAV Silicone Collection
Our curated silicone pipe and silicone bong collection is small-yet-mighty. Check out some of our favorite silicone-wrapped pieces to find the right one for your smoking style.
16mm Octo-Taster with Silicone Skin
One of our top-reviewed silicone pieces, the 16mm Octo-Taster is a heavy hitter. This little pipe has a glass screen and a pinched mouthpiece that serves as an ash catcher, keeping hits clean. A silicone cap at the end covers the bowl, so you can pre-pack with dry herb. With over 400 5-star reviews, this is a major people-pleaser.
12mm Taster with Silicone Skin
Smaller than the Octo-Taster, the 12mm Taster dials up the discretion. A restriction at the bowl-end keeps herb in place, while a pinch in the silicone mouthpiece acts as an ash catcher.
Pack it and cap it before you pop it in your pocket, and you'll be ready to light up anytime the mood strikes.
Deco Beaker in Silicone
If you're looking for something a little bigger, the Deco Beaker is the winner. This borosilicate and silicone bong upgrades a classic beaker shape with that crucial protection at common breakpoints, like the base and downstem joint.
Six silicone accessories come with the beaker, including two cleaning caps and cushioning pieces at the base, mouthpiece, downstem, and perc tip.
Use the caps to seal the mouthpiece and downstem opening, making it easy to swish your cleaning solution inside the beaker. And since the glass downstem is removable, this just may be the simplest bong to clean in our entire catalog.
You can also get replacement silicone accessories for the Deco Beaker, giving you more color options or backups in case any get lost.
Silicone Dugout
We love a dugout for its compact design and travel-readiness.
The Silicone Dugout has a borosilicate glass herb chamber and taster all in one package. Pre-grind your weed, fill up the storage side, and you're ready for an adventure.
A viewing window lets you keep an eye on your stash, while the silicone exterior protects it from anything else in your bag or pocket. Keys. Phone. Pocket sand. Whatever.
Glass Joints and Glass Blunts
Silicone can do more than protect. It can also connect. Silicone grommets are the linchpin of two of our top products: Glass Joints and Glass Blunts.
Both of these pieces include a glass mouthpiece and a glass chamber for herb, connected with a silicone grommet. This airtight seal keeps your smoke from escaping as it travels from the bowl end. As you smoke, you can push the mouthpiece gently back toward the chamber to ash.
Glass joints come with seven cartridges, so you can pre-pack for a party, a weekend, or a road trip. And glass blunts come with a single larger chamber, plus six different silicone grommet colors.
You can also upgrade your rolled joint game with a Silicone-Capped Glass Crutch. Tuck your joint or blunt into this affordable little add-on so you can smoke all the way down to the end without burning your fingers. Plus the silicone mouthpiece has a restriction to catch ash.
The Silicone Bong & Pipe Revolution
Glass bongs and pipes are still where it's at. But when you wrap your clean-smoking glass in unbreakable silicone, you end up with something designed for free-range smoking.
It's the smart way to make herb part of your ritual, once you pass outside your front door.
