What is a bubbler?

Most people reading this will no doubt be familiar with the concept of a water pipe (commonly referred to as a bong). In a bong, tobacco (or more “tropical herbs”) are burnt and the resulting hot smoke is cooled through the water within the pipe. They work the same way as hookahs which originated from India and the Middle East. Trouble is, the smoke is still harmful to your health despite it being water cooled.

A bubbler uses the same concept but it is designed to be small enough to fit onto a portable vaporizer. As there are many forms of portable vaporizers on the market - each with different shaped mouthpieces - brands are starting to produce bubblers that specifically fit their products. Some, such as the PuffCo Peak, are even integrating a bubbler into the design.

Bubblers tend to be made from glass and hold a small amount of water that helps to cool and hydrate the vapour passing through. This means you can take bigger draws without irritating your throat.

Who would want one?

Even though vaporizing is a much safer way to consume your favourite herb you cannot escape the fact that the resulting vapour can sometimes be hot and often dry. If you are not used to it - this hot dry vapour can be irritating to the throat. Smokers especially tend to cough when they take a reasonable sized draw from a vaporizer.

 As a bubbler cools and hydrates the vapour passing through it people who are put off vaping - due to the fact it makes them cough - are able to vape in comfort.

 A good example would be a medicinal user who has to stop smoking but they still need the relief the therapeutic herb of their choice gives them - bubblers make vaping more comfortable thus giving them a healthy avenue to explore.

 I vape everyday and when it’s possible to do so I tend to add a bubbler to the vaporizer. I find that I can take bigger draws with no discomfort whatsoever. Even as a seasoned vape enthusiast - from time to time - I have the need to stifle a cough. Adding a bubbler just makes vaping more pleasant.

Which brands offer bubblers?

At time of writing there are around 15 bubblers available in our shop. These include:

• Linx bubbler: a high quality glass bubbler which fits their classy Gaia and Hypnos Zero models.
• XMAX bubbler: an affordable bubbler which fits their Starry and Fog portable vapes. It’s adaptable design can also fit other brands too.
• FlowerMate bubbler: an ingeniously designed bubbler for the FlowerMate portable vaporiser.
• Magic-Flight UFO: as expected, Magic-Flight’s take on a water pipe attachment is not your typical bubbler. See it to believe it.

Adapters: some brands don’t offer actual bubblers yet. All is not lost, you can maybe pick up a water pipe adaptor. You can get one for the Pax 2/3, the Mighty/Crafty and even for - everyone’s favourite modular-wooden-flame-powered-vape - the Sticky Brick Junior.

Bubbler disadvantages

To show we’re impartial and have our customers best interest at heart over profits we thought we should point out some of the down sides to bubblers.

 Let’s get the most obvious out of the way first - they are usually made from glass and they need water inside them to function. It doesn’t take Einstein to see issues could arise here - particularly when it comes to portability. Being glass they can break if not well protected and having water inside means that they can leak whilst in you pocket or bag.

You can probably get away using a bubbler for a walk in the park but should probably not pack it on your next snowboarding trip.

Finally, be aware that most bubblers will only fit the specific brand you purchase it for. If you have a few portable vapes this may mean you could end up buying more than one bubbler.