My Bud Vase - Bongs for Stylish Taste

My Bud Vase Bongs In Depth Review

We've all seen them. Bongs and water pipes are one of the most common ways to consume cannabis. They are the pop-culture shorthand for stoners, and they populate the shelves of a thousand shady shops with an 'intended for use with tobacco' disclaimer perches unconvincingly alongside them. 

They're familiar, but they're also generally pretty ugly. No matter the brand, more often than not, all bong designs seem to converge on the same general laboratory aesthetic. This is perfectly functional, it's a design that's been around for as long as anyone can remember and they haven't been phased out in favor of something more efficient. 

We're not disputing their effects, but don't you wish that sometimes they just looked a bit more…. Classy?

Reinventing the Bong

The same thought occurred to Doreen Sullivan, the founder of My Bud Vase. She was struck by a bolt of inspiration one day when she had to hide her bong from a repairman. She stuck up among some vases on her shelf and noticed how similar they were. She rode this wave of inspiration to the top of the bong scene.

Today, My Bud Vase is a massive name in the dry herb world, enjoying coverage from Forbes, Newsweek, and Truly, Sullivan has revolutionized the luxury cannabis product scene. The brand is driven by her desire to elevate and normalize the cannabis consumption experience. She works with her team to build a dynamic range of surprising and effective bong designs. 

With more than 30 years of experience developing brands under her belt, it should be no surprise that the My Bud Vase name seems to be everywhere right now.

Check out How do bong works and tips on how to use one?

Classic Designs, Reimagined

This is a brand that's built around its incredible designs. The most striking feature of My Bud Vase is how it takes familiar designs and remixes them into something new and exciting. 

The Luck Water Pipe

Beaker bongs are one of the most common forms of water pipes out there and have remained relatively unchanged for decades. This makes sense, the wide base increases stability which makes it easier to handle while also increasing the size of the water reservoir, improving cooling.

Fine china is familiar to everyone, it is a wonderful material that is renowned for its beautiful translucent finish. The delicate blue patterns are applied with a technique called underglazing that gradually works pigments onto the pieces’ surface before they are set in place with a slick, glossy finish.

The Luck Water Pipe brings these two concepts together into a beautiful and unique ceramic bong that is a joy to behold and fantastic to use. On top of that, it takes cues from china tea sets and features a range of accessories including a small coaster and stunning stash container. 

The Rose Water Pipe

The Rosewater pipe takes cues from the European tradition, and at first glance looks like a beautifully flanged vase. On the face of the piece, there is a carefully crafted rose, each petal is individually sculpted and it has been carefully pigmented before finishing. 

For an added level of authenticity, or indeed, eccentricity, it even comes with a fake flower poker that adds a little bit of authenticity while increasing the general utility. 

The Stardust Water Pipe

The Stardust Water pipe is made out of immaculately sculpted crystal. This is a departure from the other two we have seen thus far, but it still sticks close to the striking, almost antique aesthetic of the My Bud Vase range. Standing at 12" tall, this is a truly imposing piece of glassware. It comes with a stopper that can be placed into the mouthpiece, making it indistinguishable from a fancy whiskey carafe. 

The Phoebe Water Pipe

This pipe breaks from the antique motif for something a bit more colorful. At the same time, it fits in with the rest of the range thanks to its resemblance to a vase. The Phoebe is a quirky yellow vase with a field of beautifully sculpted flowers on the side. It has a pinched handle for easy handling despite its broader base. 

Check out Type of Bongs - The Ultimate Guide

Not Just A Pretty Face

My bud vase has a truly striking range of 'hidden' bongs. However, looks will only get you so far, and it doesn't matter how fancy they are if they can't deliver great hits. 

As we said, regardless of the various designs, each of these pieces is a fully functional beaker bong, this means a wide base for great stability and LOTS of space for a cooling reservoir. 

Each My Bud Vase comes with a 45-degree female joint, a fixed downstem, and a herb bowl. 

If you pack the bowl carefully, with the coarsest material towards the bottom and the finest towards the top, you can expect a truly fantastic hit that is thoroughly cooled and smoothed out by the reservoir. 

At the end of the day, no matter how unusual these look, they are still bongs, first and foremost, and they work extremely well. 

Each piece comes bundled with a selection of accessories, the most common of which is a fake flower poker. This is a handy tool to have when you want to stir your bowl or clear your downstem, but it also works as a handy bit of camouflage. Simply slip it into the mouthpiece and the illusion of a vase is even more convincing. 

Some pieces, like the Joy and Luck Water Pipes, come with stash jars that are the perfect place to store your herb in preparation for a session. However, for longer term storage, you might prefer something airtight. 

The Downsides

Of course, while these are truly fantastic products, they do have some downsides. The first is that a lot of them are made out of porcelain. This is a very different material than the borosilicate glass that many bong art fans will be used to. It may be a bit more fragile so careful handling is a must. Thermal shock shouldn't be a big problem, but it's worth being careful so as to avoid any stress fractures. 

Another issue is that many of these pieces are opaque. This means that you'll need to be a lot more proactive in checking whether it's time to clean them out or not. Bad build-up isn't just ugly, it can also ruin your hits. 

Finally, the lack of any percolators or vented downstems could be a deal breaker for some more experienced bong fans.