How to Choose the Right Cone Piece for Your Bong

A cheap cone piece can ruin an expensive bong. It's the part you handle every session, and the wrong size or material turns a smooth setup into a daily annoyance. This guide covers sizing, glass versus metal, bowl depth and the small details most buyers overlook. We've been selling bongs and bong accessories in Australia since 1980. With over 40 years in the industry, 7,000+ customer reviews and our own Australian warehouse, we've handled just about every cone ever made.

Start With Size: Match the Cone Piece to Your Stem

Size is where most people get it wrong. Australian bongs use one of two systems. The traditional Australian style bong comes with a rubber grommet, which holds the metal or glass stem in place. The glass-on-glass bong comes with a glass joint that is mostly 14mm or 18mm in size.

The cone of the grommet style bong can be screwed in or slid in through the stem. Most Australian metal stems take a standard small-thread cone, but check yours before ordering.

For glass-on-glass, measure the joint's inner diameter. A trick from our store counter: a 10 cent coin is about 23mm wide. If the opening looks roughly two-thirds of the coin, it's 14mm. Closer to three-quarters, it's 18mm.

If you're unsure, browse our replacement bong stems and sort by joint size.

Glass Cone Pieces vs Metal: The Honest Comparison

Glass cone pieces give you the cleanest flavour. Nothing leaches into the smoke, you can see when it needs cleaning, and a soak in isopropyl alcohol brings it back to new. Drop one on tiles, though, and it's gone.

Metal cones are close to indestructible, which makes them the smart pick for travel or a share house. Brass and stainless steel are the materials to look for. But metal holds heat longer than glass, so you'll burn fingers reloading too quickly. Some smokers can detect a slight metallic taste in their smoking.

What we've learned from decades behind the counter: always have a glass cone at home and a metal one kept in reserve for parties.

Bowl Depth: Bigger Isn't Always Better

Bowl depth decides how much you pack and how it burns. Shallow bowls suit solo sessions. The material burns through in one or two goes, so nothing sits there going stale.

Deep bowls suit groups, but they have a flaw few retailers mention. Material at the bottom gets scorched by repeated lighting before it's used. If you mostly smoke alone, a smaller bowl wastes less.

Handles, Screens and the Small Details

Some glass cones come with a handle, and it's not decoration. The handle stays cool while the bowl is hot, gives you a grip for lifting the cone to clear the chamber, and stops it rolling off the table.

Also check whether your cone has a built-in glass screen or needs a metal insert. If yours needs inserts, keep brass screens handy, they cost a few dollars and save your water from constant pull-through.

Find Your Perfect Cone Piece

The right cone comes down to three checks: the correct size for your stem, a material that fits your habits, and a bowl depth to match your sessions. Get those right and even a budget bong performs better. For specific picks, see our best cone pieces guide. Browse our full range of cone pieces, stocked in our Australian warehouse and shipped discreetly, with free delivery over $120.

FAQs

1. What size cone piece do I need?

Match the cone to your stem or joint, not the bong's size. Australian grommet-style bongs usually take a standard small-thread metal cone. Glass-on-glass bongs are nearly always 14mm or 18mm, measure the joint's inner diameter before ordering.

2. Which material is best: glass or metal?

Glass wins on flavour and is easy to clean, while metal wins on durability. For everyday home use we recommend glass. If you're clumsy, travelling or sharing your gear, brass or stainless steel is the safer buy.

3. Will a metal cone piece fit into a glass bong?

Only if the stem accepts it. A threaded metal cone fits a matching metal stem in a grommet-style glass bong. It won't seal in a 14mm or 18mm ground glass joint, so glass-on-glass bongs need a glass cone in the correct joint size.

4. Why do some glass cone pieces have a handle?

The handle stays cool so you can lift a hot cone safely. It also gives you control when clearing the chamber and stops the cone rolling off flat surfaces. On round-bottomed cones it's genuinely practical, not cosmetic.

5. How deep should the bowl of the cone piece be?

Shallow bowls suit solo smokers because everything burns fresh in one or two hits. Deeper bowls suit groups, but the bottom layer often scorches before it's used. Pick depth based on how many people usually share your sessions.