Silicone downstems are becoming increasingly popular as an attachment to any type of bong. This is because silicone is able to deliver a clean, relatively flavorless experience without being as fragile as glass. For anyone that has ever pulled out the bowl head on a bong and had the glass downstem come out with it, there is nothing more infuriating than having to wait to obtain a replacement. That alone can be a motivation for a silicone downstem. Otherwise, they are cost effective and provide a nice alternative to more expensive glass varieties.
How To Choose a Silicone Downstem?
Picking a silicone downstem is relatively straightforward. In other words, what are the primary motivations for getting a downstem? Is it because a new one is warranted, it’s a replacement or just a matter of course? Either way, a silicone downstem can fulfill whatever specific preferences someone might have for either situation.
Durability of Downstem
Often, when a glass downstem breaks, people ask themselves if there is a true alternative that will maintain performance and flavor without having to go through that particular nightmare again. More importantly, silicone-like glass – will last longer than plenty of other materials. However, silicone’s indestructibility is a major plus.
Mobility
While some might argue that the weight of a downstem is not critical to the overall weight of a bong, every ounce counts. Especially when thinking about making a bong more mobile, silicone becomes a more important material to use for the various parts of a bong. Silicone won’t break in transit nor will it weigh you down. The lack of worry alone makes travel that much easier.
Downstem Designs
For some, the most important aspect of picking an attachment to a bong are the looks. Silicone downstems come in a wide variety of colors and styles and can add a little flair to any bong. If someone prefers to add color or unique patterning to a downstem, often a silicone downstem is the best option.
What is a Silicone Downstem?
A downstem is one of the most important aspects of a bong. While a bong bowl head will hold onto the flower, the downstem is where the magic truly happens. When inhaled, the smoke leaves the bowl head and enters the downstem. When properly placed within the main chamber, the downstem will release (percolating and infusing) the smoke into the water of the main chamber at the opposite end of the bowl head. Without this process, there would be no real benefit to a bong – the smoke would not be properly cooled off. A silicone downstem does this without having to have all the worry of a glass product or other type of material. Silicone downstems are nearly indestructible and are the least flavor influencing material except for glass.
Why Buy a Silicone Downstem?
Silicone downstems, as noted earlier, are much more lightweight than glass or other materials, significantly more durable, and have a bit of flair to them that other downstems might find difficult to match. However, other tremendous benefits lend themselves to a silicone downstem – namely that they are extremely cost-effective, easy to maintain, and worry-free.
Silicone Downstem Cost
Silicone downstems will not cost you an arm or a leg. In fact, they can be significantly more affordable than glass downstems. This is especially useful if someone is considering a silicone downstem as a cost-effective replacement for a broken glass one. As long as the sizing is correct, silicone downstems can fit into any water pipe with ease.
Maintaining a Silicone Downstem
The maintenance of a silicone downstem is extremely simple. For the most part, maintaining a silicone downstem is as simple as removing it and running rubbing alcohol or whatever someone’s preferred cleaner is. Due to the nature of silicone, the resin will not cling to the walls or side of the downstem nearly as much as some other materials. While silicone is not translucent, resin will show up shaded on the silicone and is rather simple to remove making maintenance almost as much of a non-issue as glass.
Silicone Downstems Are Indestructible
Silicone downstems are not completely indestructible, however, they are almost invincible. Dropping silicone won’t cause it to crack or shatter and it can withstand high temperatures and pressure well as well. Throwing a silicone downstem into a bag will not leave someone with anxiety that when they arrive at their destination they need to find the nearest smoke shop for a replacement.
Safety
In line with the remarks on invincibility, silicone downstems are simply safer than glass. There is no worry about a cut finger or having to worry about something shattering near your face or eyes. Overall, the peace of mind and lack of cleaning up any unsafe messes can more than make up for any cost or flavor differences someone might believe silicone to have.
