Introduction to Smoking Accessories 101

February 04 2026, by Nick Kim, 7 min reading time

Cannabis Smoking 101: A Complete Guide on Smoking Accessories

Whether you’re new to smoking herbs or looking to upgrade your setup, understanding the different ways to enjoy your herbs — and the accessories that make each method shine — can elevate your experience. This guide breaks down all the accessories related to smoking your favourite herb.

Joints / Blunts

Joints or blunts are one of the most iconic and accessible ways to smoke. They’re simple, portable, and require minimal equipment. Other than stinking up your hands heavily, it is quite a discreet way to smoke as there is no tools to carry around and the joint can be thrown away once finished. Blunts are often rolled in a bigger size, with paper made from hemp, tobacco or other leaves that burn with a bit more harshness.

What You Need

Rolling Papers or Blunt Wraps: Available in a variety of materials like hemp, rice, and unbleached paper. Each type burns differently and can subtly affect flavor.
Filter Tips: These give your joint structure, prevent herb from pulling through, allow you to smoke all the way to the end, and keep your fingers cool.
Lighter: Any lighter works, to start the burn on the joint

Pros and Cons of Joints

➕ Easy to carry out and about
➕ No extra hardware required
➕ Great for sharing in a group (puff puff, pass)

➖Heavy smell in general, especially your fingers
➖"Wastes" more herb because it is constantly burning while you are indulging in it
➖ If the joint is not rolled well, it may not burn correctly and waste a lot of herb.

Pipes

Pipes are one of the most widely used tool for smoking. Since their sizes are smaller than bongs, it is easy to carry around outside, and simple to use. Pipes come in a variety of sizes and it is mostly user preference. Functionality wise, a longer pipe is best as it gives time for the smoke to cool, giving a smoother hit. Some users prefer to put screens in their pipes when the herb is very finely ground, to prevent herbs from falling thru the hole.

What You Need

Pipe Available in a variety of materials like silicone, metal, or glass.
Lighter: Any lighter works to start the burn on the pipe. Pipes will require re-igniting if resting between hits.
Pipe Screens (Optional): Pipe screens help prevent finely ground herbs to not fall thru as you are smoking. They are required if smoking hash. Screens come in a variety of materials that are safe to heat, such as ceramic, glass, brass or metal.

Pros and Cons of Pipes

➕ Easy to carry out and about
➕ Minimal setup, just load the bowl and go

➖Heavy smell in general, especially your fingers where you hold the choke
➖Pipes are harsher than water filtered bongs

Bongs

Bongs use water filtration to cool and filter smoke, making hits smoother. They come in countless shapes and sizes, from simple glass tubes to intricate percolator designs. A lot of the choices come down to user preference and design. A bigger bong will give smoother hits as it allows the smoke to further cool down. A bong with percolators inside will diffuse the smoke and provide a smoother hit. Some bongs have little pinches inside the neck, which allows you to put ice cubes in the bong for an extremely cool, smooth hit like nothing else.

Bongs are usually used with dry herb, but can be customized to be used for smoking concentrates like dabs and waxes by simply switching out the bowl with a banger.

Core Bong Components

Downstem The tube that carries smoke from the bowl into the water. Downstems come in different lengths, and attachment sizes (14 or 18mm).
Bowl The piece that holds your herb. Bowls come in 14 or 18mm size. The 14mm size is much more common. Bowls can have a built in screen inside, which makes it convenient, but gets clogged easier and will need more frequent cleaning.

Optional Upgrades For an Elevated Experience

Ashcatchers These add an extra layer of filtration and keep your bong cleaner by trapping ash and debris before it reaches the main chamber. Due to its size and weight, it is only recommended for medium to large size bongs. Because ashcatchers are smaller than bongs, it is easier to submerge and soak in a cleaning solution for a deep clean.

Pros and Cons of Bongs

➕ Smoothest way to smoke with water filtration
➕ No getting ash or pieces of herbs in your mouth accidentally
➕ Allows for large, strong satisfying hits

➖ Big and bulky, not so portable depending on size
➖ Requires water to be added, and changed out after a few sessions once it gets dirty.
➖ Cleaning is harder due to size and many crevices

Dab Rigs

Dab rigs are designed for concentrates rather than smoking dry herb. Essentially, dab rigs are just smaller sized bongs, meant for small, potent hits. Just swap out the bowl of the bong for a banger, and you are almost ready to smoke concentrates.

They deliver strong, flavorful hits and have become a favorite among high tolerance users.

Core Dab Rig Components

Banger (or Nail): The heated surface where concentrates vaporize.
Quartz glass bangers are the most popular for their heat retention and clean flavor. Titanium bangers are another great choice as they heat quickly and won't break
Dab Tool A small metal or glass tool used to handle concentrates safely and precisely. It is used to drop the concentrates into the hot bucket of the banger.
Carb Cap Placed over the banger after applying your dab, it helps regulate airflow and maintain heat, allowing concentrates to vaporize efficiently. Some carb caps are "spinning" carb caps which direct airflow to move around terp pearls.
Torch / Jet Flame Lighter: Required to heat up the banger to the correct temperature, between 450°F - 550°F

Optional Upgrades For an Elevated Experience

Concentrate Reclaimer These add an optional piece under the banger, to catch any residual material that seeps down the banger. These residue material can be reclaimed, allowing you to smoke it again once you have enough. It also helps to keep your dab rig clean, as much of the residue will be caught by the reclaimer.
Terp Pearls These are small quartz balls that you add inside the bucket of the banger. They are meant to be spun around inside the banger, using a spinning carb cap. They distribute heat evenly around your bucket, and reduces pooling.

Pros and Cons of Dab Rigs

➕ Smooth way to smoke with water filtration
➕ Concentrates provide potent, flavourful hits without smoking a lot
➕ Cleaner smoke as it vaporizes, not burn (Make sure to keep temps below 600F)

➖ Bulky, not as easy to carry around as a dab pen or nectar collectors
➖ Requires water to be added, and changed out after a few sessions once it gets dirty.
➖ Cleaning is required more often due to the nature of concentrates clogging up faster

Other Ways to Smoke

Bubblers: These are essentially a hybrid between a bong and a pipe, adding water filtration in a small sized pipe. It gives you a smoother hit and filters out ash and debris for a better experience, but the way to fill and drain the water is often difficult.
Nectar Collectors: You can think of nectar collectors as a portable dab rig. It is used to smoke concentrates right out of the container it is in. With no other accessories required other than a torch lighter and a proper heat resistant container.