Glass Ash Catcher

What Is an Glass Ash Catcher?

An ash catcher is an accessory designed to be easily added to (or removed from) your favorite flower tube. You may be asking yourself, “why purchase an ash catcher?” For starters, nobody likes to hit a dirty pipe. Ash catchers enable even the most relaxed smokers to keep their favorite water pipes and daily drivers significantly cleaner.

Ash catcher is a small glass chamber that gets attached to the joint of your bong, somewhere between the bowl slide and the bong itself.

The device is filled with water, and some models even include additional percolators. Its main purpose, however, is to catch loose ash before it makes it to the bottom of your bong.

The core idea behind ash catchers is simple. These attachments create an extra barrier and another layer of diffusion to your bong,

For example, when you take a hit from a 12” straight tube bong without a glass ash catcher, you’ll likely end up inhaling herb ash from your piece. But if you use one, your hits will suddenly become smooth and ash-free.

Ash catchers come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. As mentioned, they can feature different percolators to filter the smoke even more effectively before it makes it to the main percolator of your unit.

Because of that, you should always buy an ash catcher that’s appropriate for your bong model.

Why WouldYou Need an Ash Catcher ?

Ash catchers are excellent attachments that offer extra filtration and keep your water pipe clean from ash and other byproducts of smoking. Ash catchers are available in many different shapes, sizes, and styles with a huge variety of different percolators. An ash catcher’s potential doesn’t stop there— many smokers enjoy converting their ash catchers into a portable water pipe by attaching a j-hook to it!
If you’re a regular toker, a glass ash catcher offers plenty of perks.

Here’s why you need one:

It keeps your bong clean for longer
It makes maintenance easier
Every hit is clean and fresh — you never “eat” the ash
Ash catchers are easier to rinse and soak than a full-sized bong
Additional percolators lead to smoother rips
You can rejuvenate old sidekicks without having to buy a new bong
High-quality ash catchers are made from borosilicate glass. It’s thick, so it can last a while.
Ash catchers simply look amazing.

How to Choose a Suitable Glass Ash Catcher

Before you scoop a new ash catcher, make sure you know the exact joint size, gender, and angle that you need Depending on the joint of your favorite water pipe, some ash catchers may be incompatible with your favorite bong. Before you make your purchase, study the ash catcher sizes infographic on our Knowledge Base. We’d hate for you to purchase an ash catcher that doesn’t work with your daily driver.
We understand that you must be excited to get up from your chair and head to the nearest head shop to buy an ash catcher, but hold your horses for a second, please.

Before you choose a glass ash catcher for your bong, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the joint size of your bong?

Ash catchers enable even the most relaxed smokers to keep their favorite water pipes and daily drivers significantly cleaner. They work as a vessel to catch nasty residues and other debris, leading to bigger and better tasting rips from your trusty water bong.

They work as a vessel to catch nasty residues and other byproducts of smoking - leading to bigger and better tasting rips from your favorite bong. Ash catchers are often loaded up with scientific percs to filter your smoke before it hits the main chamber and percolator of your bong. More percs means smoother rips. We know you silly stoners are always searching for a smoother hit, so purchase an ash catcher through SmokeCartel to make your favorite glass bong stack even more bubbles!

At which angle does the joint stick out from the bong?
Is the joint male or female?
Are you looking for honeycomb or showerhead percolators?
If your ash catcher comes with a covetable interior coil, it’s all the better — it will deliver chilly and smooth inhales, making your toking session beyond exhilarating.

Below we explain how to choose a suitable glass ash catcher for your bong.

1. Joint Size

Glass-on-glass bong joint sizes have been standardized since their inception and can only be one of the following three sizes: 10mm, 14mm, 18mm. If you have a Illadelph water pipe with a 14mm joint, you can only purchase an Illadelph ash catcher of the same size, unless you plan to use adapters. We recommend against the use of adapters for ash catchers as they add weight (more info on that soon) and can complicate simple set-ups.

2. Joint Gender

Water pipe joints are either male or female, and need to be paired with their respective counterpart. Remember, opposites attract! So, to continue the example above, if you have a 14mm male joint on your Illadelph tube, you need a 14mm female joint on your Illadelph ash catcher. This allows the ash catcher joint to sit on the tube’s joint, allowing for a perfect and tight fit.

3. Joint Angle

Water pipe joints are set up on either a 90 degree or 45 degree angle. Like the joint sizes, these also need to match. So, if your favorite Illadelph tube has a 14mm male joint that sits at a 90 degree angle, you must purchase a 14mm Illadelph ash catcher with a 90 degree female joint. If you were to purchase a 45 degree ash catcher, it will not fit your tube.

1. Decide on the Style of the Stem
As mentioned, glass catchers are available in different styles, especially when it comes to the stem. The stem is an important area for percolation and diffusion, so you must make a well thought out decision.

The stem you buy should match the style of diffusion you opt for. Top-shelf glass companies offer high-quality ash catchers to fit various styles of diffusion and percolation, so you’ll definitely have some options.

2. Check the Weight of Your Glass Ash Catcher
This is the second-most important feature on our list because it determines the center of gravity and prevents the pipe from falling over once you attach the ash catcher.

If your piece is too heavy, you may end up breaking your pipe into pieces. Some people like to use more than one ash catcher for improved filtration, so if you’re one of them, just remember that the tip over scenario is much more likely to happen. If you want to stack your ash catchers, make sure you provide your bong with enough balance to withstand the extra weight.

3. Measure the Angle of the Joint
You can attach ash catchers to different styles of bongs, which is why you need to choose the one that’s designed to fit the angle of the joint. There are 45-degree angle ash catchers and 90-degree ash catchers.

4. Choose the Right Joint Size
Choosing the right joint size for your ash catcher depends on the size of the joint on the pipe you’ll be working with. If your water pipe comes with a 18mm slide, you’ll have to pick an ash catcher of the matching size.

Don’t panic if there’s a glass ash catcher you’ve fallen in love from the first sight but it doesn’t fit your bong. Today, glass companies have created adapters that can be used to combine pieces that have different joint sizes.

5. The Joint’s Gender Matters
As much as we’re against the war between the sexes, making this choice is inevitable if you want to find a suitable glass ash catcher. Joint gender is a crucial trate that buyers must consider when browsing through different products.

If your bong uses a male joint, you’ll need to pair it with a female ash catcher — and the other way round. Again, you can always use an adapter to get the two “unfitting” pieces working together.

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Suitable Glass Ash Catcher for Your Bong
Ash catchers are the perfect solution for regular bong users who want to draw the most out of their smoking sessions and always keep their glass pieces fresh and clean. Plus, they add extra percolation to your water pipe, and you don’t need to break the bank to buy one.