How do Diffuser Beads work?
For a quick way to upgrade your smoking experience, try adding some diffuser beads to your setup. These tiny smoking accessories, sometimes called bong beads or cannabeads, are not only available in tons of colors to personalize your piece, but designed to act as a percolator for an extra layer of diffusion. Functional and vibrant, these beads are an easy upgrade for any smoker level and you’ll immediately notice a difference in your hit. They’re like little inedible boba for your bong!
How Do They Work?
As previously mentioned, diffuser beads are designed to work as a percolator and make your hit less harsh on the throat. Simple to use, just fill the chamber of your bong with the beads so that they cover your downstem and then fill with water like normally. Now, when you hit the pipe, the beads will break up your smoke into smaller bubbles as it passes through them. This means your smoke will have more surface area to make contact with the water, cooling it for a smoother hit.
Many people prefer to use bong beads over ice cubes, claiming the beads remove the struggle of making ice and then having it melt and overfilling your bong. Some even chill their bong beads. The way we feel about it — Why not both?
What Are They Made Of?
This is a hard question because there are many different brands of specialized bong beads, all made of different materials, all claiming to offer maximum filtration. Some diffuser beads, like the ones 2k Industries sell, are made of reusable, non-toxic hard plastic. These plastic beads will sink to the bottom, but are light enough to move around the bong chamber when you pull. Bong beads like the ones made by JellyBeadz are a non-toxic, biodegradable sodium polyacrylate gel. These beads will absorb water and expand, also moving within the bong when pulled.
While there are several name brand options to choose from, there’s also the inexpensive alternatives that many smokers opt for. Though they aren’t meant for this purpose, they get the job done and cost a fraction of the price in some cases. Everything from air-soft BBs, aquarium marbles, to Orbeez - you name it, the smokers have tried it. There's so many options, but make sure to do your research when looking for alternatives.
Unintended Advantages
An additional reason to try out diffuser beads is that they help keep your pipe clean. After continued use, resin begins to find its way into your bong. It builds up and clings to the walls, degrading your flavor and the overall look of your piece. With diffuser beads, tar instead clings to their surface.
Nobody likes cleaning their bong, but it’s a necessary evil to enjoy the true flavor of your herbs. While this won’t remove the need to clean your bong, you won’t need to do it as often, and you don’t have to use anything extra! Most bong beads can be cleaned the same way as your piece - some good ol alcohol and salt.
Diffuser beads also add more weight to your bong, making it harder to tip over. No worries of accidentally knocking your bong over, the beads make a nice heavy base to help put your fears away.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think diffuser beads are a great addition to your setup. They’re a relatively cheap bong accessory and are available in countless colors to match your mood or your piece. With the combined benefits of keeping your piece clean and adding weight to keep it sturdy, this was an easy choice. Do be careful when using them - both name brand and alternatives! I’ve heard horror stories of them getting stuck inside percs and downstems.