What is a gravity bong?
Just like your typical glass bong, gravity bongs require water, a receptacle of some sort to hold smoke, and a bowl. Unlike a regular bong which relies on the force of a users inhale to generate smoke, the top portion of a gravity bong must be lifted out of the water by hand (using the gravity of the water) to fill with smoke, hence the bong’s name. Gravity bongs are low-quality substitutes and should never be used long term in place of a bong made from heat-safe materials. For safe and affordable alternatives, check out the bongs and bowls mentioned at the bottom of this article.
How to make a gravity bong
Materials
- Gatorade bottle or any 2-liter plastic bottle with a cap
- Larger bottle or container - Anything wide enough to fit the smaller bottle
- Screwdriver or knife
- Razor blade or scissors
- Foil
- Mechanical pencil or toothpick
- Permanent marker (optional)
Bowl
The most important part of any type of water pipe is the bowl. This small piece holds the herb and must withstand multiple rounds of heating, cooling, and reheating. Of course, it’s best if you have a glass bowl with a slide (the kind you use with a normal bong), but if you don’t have one on hand, there are a few crafty alternatives.
Option 1: Using your own bowl
If you’re fortunate enough to have your own bowl, congratulations! Your gravity bong will be much more effective. Start by taking off the bottle’s hard plastic cap and make a hole in the center using a screwdriver or knife. It may be easier to mark the diameter of the hole with a permanent marker before cutting since the hole must be just big enough to fit the slide of your bowl. Make sure the cap can still screw back onto the bottle.
Option 2: Creating a bowl
There are a few ways to do this, but we’re sharing one way that is easy and functions the best.
- Make a hole in the center of the bottle cap the width of a pencil or your pinky finger.
- Cut a piece of foil about 3 inches by 3 inches and create a bowl by molding the foil around your pinky or a pencil. You don’t want the bowl to be too big or the bong will use up too much weed.
- Push the foil bowl into the top of the bottle cap and wrap the remaining edges of foil around the cap to protect the plastic. Make sure the cap can still twist easily back onto the bottle.
- Poke roughly five small holes in the bottom of the foil bowl using a mechanical pencil or toothpick. The weed will fall through if the holes are too big.
Bong
Now it’s time to make the body of the bong. This is the easy part and takes just a minute, especially if you’re using a large container that doesn’t need to be modified.
- Using a knife or razor blade, cut the smaller 2-liter bottle in half and discard the bottom. You should be left with the top portion of the bottle that corresponds with the bottle cap (your bowl).
- Next, prepare the larger container by cutting it in half and saving the bottom. If you are using a pot, bucket, pitcher, or similar receptacle then it is already ready to go! If you don’t mind blazing in the kitchen, a stopped up sink works great and requires less clean up.
- Fill the large container with water between half and ¾ full. Make sure that the water level is well under the bottom of the bowl. The water level should never go past the point where the bottle begins to narrow.
- Start smoking!
How to use a gravity bong
Now that you made your very own smoking device, it’s time to try it out! Using a gravity bong is a very simple process:
- First, fill the bottom container with water and pack your bowl with the bottle cap unscrewed—this is key. If you pack the bowl while screwed on the bottle, the force of the water will throw your weed everywhere. Yes, beware.
- Submerge the smaller bottle in the water and hold it there with one hand while screwing on the packed bowl with the other.
- Light the herb and slowly pull the bottle upwards, but never let the open bottom fully leave the water. The bottle will fill with delicious smoke.
- Unscrew the cap with the bowl and inhale while pushing the bottle back down into the water. The smoke will be forced out, so be prepared for a huge hit.
Looking for a new cheap bong? We have all kinds of bongs, including silicone bongs, mini bongs, percolator bongs and beaker bongs that are all under $50, so you’re sure to find something you love. These are two great options:
Two Tone Mini Bong
This cute six-inch mini bong is the perfect size to take along with you wherever you go without having to cut back on functionality. It costs less than $15, making it a budget friendly addition to your collection. Choose between bright blue or jade green accents.
Portable Clear Glass Bong
At just $4.20, this fully transparent bong s as cheap as it gets. Bongs are often bulky and difficult to transport, but this four inch ultra light bong is extremely portable and easy to store. This bong uses a finger carb (no removable bowl) for the least number of parts and is handmade from heat-stable borosilicate glass.
