What an Ice Bong Is

There are two ways people may incorporate ice into their smoking experience. The first way is a bong that has ice notches that can hold ice cubes in a designated chamber. These bongs are often referred to as ice catcher bongs. Typically, the ice notches are found in the upper tube of the bong above the beaker. The ice notches will hold your ice cubes just until they slowly melt, so most people will just use what they have in their ice maker or ice trays. An ice catcher in a bong may seem like a small addition, but it’ll allow your ice to be held just above the water level for an optimal cooling experience that avoids splashes.

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The other way is by using a bong that’s designed with a freezable coil system. Typically, these types of bongs are owned by advanced glass collectors or by those looking to optimize their cooling experience to a maximum. The freezable coil system is removed from the tube of these bongs and contains glycerin to prevent the coil system from freezing entirely. Since it’s not recommended to put glass bongs in the freezer as you could risk damaging the glass, that’s why many will opt for bamboo bongs that can be kept anywhere and/or bongs that have an ice catcher incorporated.

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How to Use Ice Bong

Learning how to use an ice bong is relatively easy if you’re familiar with other types of bongs. If you’re using a bong with an ice catcher meant for ice cubes, your base smoke setup will be the same as when you’re not using ice. As with filling your bong with water, you’ll want to ensure that the ice is made with clean water that you would drink.

1. Fill your bong with fresh water until the downstem is submerged and the bottom slits are covered
2. Add ice cubes into your ice catcher, typically through the top of your bong
3. Pack and load your bowl as you typically would 
4. Enjoy! The smoking experience will as you know it, except it’ll be much cooler and smoothe.!

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Why Use An Ice Bong?

So, why use an ice bong? For those looking for smoother rips that are as cool as possible, an ice bong is essential. Ice bongs have gained popularity as they provide refreshingly chilled hits that save your throat. As smoke travels from your bong into your lungs, it carries a great deal of heat with it that most find to be intense and even uncomfortable when inhaling. 

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Essentially, by adding ice to the ice catcher in your bong the heat energy from the smoke will be absorbed by the ice which will cool your smoke much faster than just cold water alone. For most, adding ice to their bong allows for a cooler and easier rip. Some smokers prefer the vapor that using lukewarm or room-temperature water creates, so they opt to not use ice or even cold water at all in their bongs. 

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Ultimately, the less irritating and “spicy” a bong rip is the more you’ll be able to taste the flavors and sensations of the flower you’re smoking. So, since ice helps significantly cool down your smoke, using ice in your bong will allow you to have a cooler and less irritating rip.