Best Ash Catchers for Optimal PH Balance (2023)

Best Ash Catchers for Optimal PH Balance (2023)

Ready to level up your bong game? An ash catcher prevents ash, keeps your bong crystal clear, and adds extra filtration – yes, please.

Fun fact, an ashcatcher actually helps maintain the perfect PH level in your bong. Nobody cares about PH, right?

Well did you know the optimal PH levels give you the smoothest toke possible, prevent dry mouth, and harmful bacteria and disease growth in your bong water?

Below are the best ash catchers of 2023 designed to not only keep your bong water crispy clean but to cool your bong for ultra smooth hits.

How an Ash Catcher Prevents Bacteria, Dry Mouth, and Harsh Hits

Double Showerhead

ash catcher

Best Overall
Filtration

Add ice or beads

14 mm ash catcher

Most Versatile
Ash Catcher

Ultra smooth

ash catcher bong

Turbine Spinning
Ash Catcher

Best ash catcher bongs of 2023

Ash catchers are an attachment piece that connects into the downstem of a bong. This adds extra filtration for cooling, but the primary purpose is for any plant particles and ash to fall into the ash catcher and not into your bong water. 

This keeps your bong water and bong extra clean, which keeps optimal PH to reduce cotton mouth and dry mouth. Below are the  best ash catchers of 2023:

Best All Around Ash Catcher

bong ash catcher

Showerhead Perc

4.5/5

Rebel Initiative’s ash catcher was engineered for the ultimate smoking experience. This 5.5-inch frosted borosilicate glass attachment comes equipped with a double shower head percolator. Not only does it keep your bong water sparkling clean and refreshingly crisp, but it can also take any subpar bong and add extra cooling and filtration to it.

You can add this ash catcher to any bong and you will get amazing filtration and cooling for smoother and tastier rips.

Skip below to see our research

Most versatile ash catcher

ashcatcher

Removable top

4.5/5

Grav Labs is an american glass blowing brand known for making the highest quality glass. All their glass is made from medical grade borosilicate so it’s built to last. The Phoenix ash catcher has a removable top which makes it the easiest to clean but also the most versatile.

You can drop in ice, snow, and diffuser beads, and customize your bong experience the way you like, all while keeping your bong water crispy and clean. Adding an ice cube inside this ash catcher can cool your smoke and reduce coughing similar to ice bongs and glycerin bongs.

Skip below to see our research

Turbine spinning ash catcher

ash catchers bongs

Smoothest smoke

5/5

Pulsar is an american bong company known for dishing out some the most innovative cannabis devices. Their Turbine ash catcher does exactly what it sounds like. Your hot combusted smoke will not only filter and cool, but the perc will spin to add additional water filtration all while enhancing terpenes.

Your bong stays clean but the smoke is exceptionally smoothed to reduce coughing or throat irritation.

Skip below to see our research on best Premium Ash Catcher.

How ash catchers effect PH Levels

glass ash catchers

If you smoke weed from a bong you know just how dirty it gets. The resin begins caking the surface of your bong and your bong water begins smelling and turning brown.

But what happens to your bong water if you let ash and residue build up over time?

We’re here to break down the importance of having an ash catcher and just how it gives you the cleanest cannabis smoking experience through optimal PH levels..

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Why PH matters in your bong water

Healthy, neutral PH levels in water land at 7 and tap water will generally be around 7-7.5 which is where you’ll want to keep your water levels at in your bong.

The easiest way to achieve optimal PH levels is by using an ash catcher bong.

A PH of 7 is also the ideal number for an optimal smoking experience (less harsh and smoother hits).

Cannibuns, a member of the Grasscity forum tested every stage of  PH levels and found that anything above an 8 caused a “horrible cotton mouth” and also left a bad taste. When PH levels got too low the hits were just too harsh.

Every hit you take, you are chemically changing the PH water levels, through ash, tar, resin, and debris. 

A bong ash catcher prevents all of the above, helping to keep your bong at optimal PH levels to avoid harsh hits and cotton mouth.

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Ash catchers prevents microbial bacteria growth

When it comes to the water in your bong anything above a PH of 7, immediately allows the chances of harmful toxins to grow.

There is a long list of serious and harmful bacteria types that will grow inside your bong in as little as 22-24 hours! 

Leaving ash inside your water, can increase your PH levels to as much as 9 to 11!

Imagine what those numbers increase to after just a couple days of smoking and not cleaning your water.

This is why we highly recommend an ash catcher for every smoke session, so that you can reap the best quality of smoke without inhaling any harmful toxins in the process.

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Benefits of an ash catcher

Ash catchers bongs, is literally one of the smartest and healthiest ways to smoke cannabis in an under-regulated industry.

See our 6 reasons why an ash collector is well worth the investment:

  1. You will eliminate all that buildup, residue, and debris from entering your bong.
  2. An ash catcher keeps your bong crystal clear.
  3. Helps add an extra layer of filtration and cooling.
  4. The best ash catcher will keep PH levels at an optimal 7, which helps give you the smoothest hit possible.
  5. Prevents cotton mouth and harsh after tastes.
  6. Keeps PH levels neutral to prevent harmful bacteria growth.

The truth is anyone smoking from a water pipe should invest in an ash catcher. 

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Best Double Percolator Ash Catcher

ash catchers

Testing glass ash catchers were certainly exciting for us, as we were able to narrow down only the best ones that fit our standards of what qualifies as a quality ash catcher. In order for us to get the most thorough results, we tested each style and design for functionality and durability as well as an in depth study of how debris and ash was able to be filtered out and how they affect smoking experience.

After testing so many different ash catchers, this showerhead perc ash catcher took the cake for best daily use, due to its simple yet functional design. Quality is amazing for the price you pay, and you can be rest assured all your unwanted ash will steer clear out of your bong or water pipe.

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No water leaks into your bong

Water levels must be controlled and maintained at an ideal place or else you will have water leaking into the water chamber of your glass bong. Because of this unique showerhead design, water levels will never reach past the opening point where most leaks occur from pulling too hard. If you keep balanced water levels, you won’t ever have to worry about water overflowing and getting your bong water dirty.

The percolator works wonderfully by maintaining water levels above the slits and holes where filtration takes place and since the percolator is designed to be at the base, it forces a higher pressure of filtration without any water spilling into your bong water.

The point of an ash catcher is to filter out all the tar, resin, and plant particles and to not pass any of that into the bong water, and that’s exactly what this ash catcher does. 

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Extremely powerful filtration

Most premium bongs don’t even have a shower head percolator. The glass disc has dozens of laser cut holes which pumps bubbles.

You can hear the bubbles pop and stack inside the glass, which helps to cool down the smoke for a super smooth bong rip. You can add this ash catcher to any bong and it will cool the smoke to the point the hits are much less harsh which will reduce coughing.

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Add ice, beads, or flavor into this ash catcher

ash catcher for bong

When it comes to engineering for cannabis smokers, Gravs goes above and beyond in craftsmanship and innovation. If you didnt’ know ash catchers are extremely difficult to clean. That’s because the smaller size water chamber gets dirty fairly quickly (after about two uses). The Phoenix ash catcher has a removable top which made cleaning this extremely easy. 

The removable top also introduces tons of amazing options.

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Zero drag on the inhale

There should be no reason why you are experiencing any drag time on your inhale. The point of a percolated ash catcher is to not only reduce the harshness of smoke but to also allow you to smoke without pulling too heavily. Heavy or strong pulls are one of the main reasons spilling or leakage occurs in an ash catcher. 

The unique engineering of the smoke pathway allows for the smoke to flow through seamlessly. That means when you inhale weed with this bong there isn’t a drag or delay which forces you to pull harder. Pulling harder can lead to bong water leaking or reduced lung capacity which can lead to coughing.

Pulling from this ash catcher was smooth and light, just the way it should be. If you struggle with coughing or love taking massive bong rips, this is the ash catcher for you.

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The removable top gives you options

The removable top not only lets you clean this ash catcher faster and easier than any other ash catcher on the market, but it also opens up tons of options.

Want to put flavored water in your ash catcher? Go ahead.

Struggling with coughing? You can put ice cubes into the ash catcher to reduce the heat for smoother hits. You can add diffuser beads for dabs and even add fruits to add a nice flavoring to your bong rips, all while keeping your actual bong water crispy clean.

While the removable top adds tons of options to your smoking routine, what makes this the best is it’s just easy to use. Most ash catchers are so hard to clean that you end up only using them for a month before giving up. The removable top makes it easy to clean and it’s made it where I have to clean this ash catcher about three times a month compared to cleaning my entire bong each month. 

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A spinning turbine for super smooth rips

If you struggle with coughing and are looking for a quick way to not only prevent ash, resin, and plant particles from entering your bong, but to get a much smoother hit the Turbine ash catcher is the best option.

Not only does it have a percolator that pumps bubbles for cooling, the perc actually spins creating a vortex of bubbles for powerful cooling.

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Spinning turbine percolator

What’s so special about a spinning percolator inside of an ash catcher?

When you ignite dry cannabis flowers, the smoke is hot. The turbine shower head percolator not only pumps bubbles that cool the smoke down but creates a mini vortex that keeps the smoke swirling longer inside the ash catcher.

So instead of the smoke just grazing the bubbles for moderate cooling, the smoke stays swirling longer for longer cooling.

The end result is a much smoother bong rip, with reduced coughing or full elimination of coughing depending on your sensitivity to bong rips.

Think of this not only as an ash catcher that keeps your bong water at perfect PH levels, but also an enhancement in cooling your bong rips significantly. 

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Optimal water pressure system

When water pressure is too high, it effects the efficiency of  the filtration and percolation. This boils down to the type of percolator you are using and how it is designed and where it is located. Percolators that sit at the bottom tend to work best, solely because it’s set at the furthest possible location from the opening where water spills out. Low water pressure allows for both smoke and water to filtered much faster without too much force being used. In turn, your hits are smoother, cleaner, and yes, even tastier. This design allows for water levels to stay balanced and stabilized.

This positioning of the spinning perc creates a vacuum pressure below the perc pulling the water down without spilling any dirty water into your bong water. If any water does leak it falls into a 90-degree joint arm as a fail-safe, but no matter how hard I pulled on this ash catcher I didn’t get leaks.

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Types of Ash Catchers

There are mass amounts of glass and bong ash catchers circulating online headshops these days, and it can make it confusing for those who don’t know what they’re looking for. As far as some are concerned, there was only one style ash catcher which is the standard non diffusing ash catcher. When in fact, there are a number of different materials and intricate style designs out there. Let’s take this time to go through and understand the different functions each one has to offer. 

Honeycomb Ash Catcher

A honeycomb ash catcher is one that contains a honeycomb shaped like disc that contains numerous holes where bubbles can easily form and stack on top of each other. It is worth noting that one should be cautious when picking a honeycomb ash catcher, as they tend to be too efficient when stacking bubbles, which are great for bongs and rigs, but can be terrible for ash catchers since it can cause water to rise and increase your chances of leakage.With that said, there are great ones out there if you do your research and shop smart.

Silicone Ash Catcher

A silicone ash catcher is typically made with the combination of glass, though you can find full silicone ones on the cannabis market. Silicone makes it easier to clean and build up is less likely to occur as compared to a full glass ash catcher. Because of the material, silicone also tends to reduce the amount of smell that occurs inside the ash catcher.

Tree Perc Ash Catcher

A tree pec ash catcher is great for durability and proper filtration. Smoke is carried into what is called the arms of the percolator where filtration happens. If you aren’t careful in your research, there are cheap and poorly made tree perc ash catchers that are not fixed at the bottom or base, which makes it extremely fragile and prone to breaking and shattering. 

Showerhead Ash Catcher

A showerhead ash catcher is amazing for holding water levels above the slits and holes where percolation and filtration takes place. Because of where the showerhead perc sits, water is less likely to ever overflow into your bong chamber. They can be a great option for those looking to amp up there smoking game without risking any water leakage from happening.

Non Diffusing Ash Catcher

A non diffusing ash catcher is the more standard or commonly known type of glass ash catcher. They are basic and simple in design, but still offer exceptional quality in terms of filtering out burnt ash and unwanted particles from entering your glass piece. All ash and residue is contained in the ash catcher bowl, allowing you to maintain a clean bong.

Final Thoughts

The best ash catchers not only keep your bong water free of resin, tar, ash, and plant particles it keeps your bong water at optimal PH levels. The perfect PH levels will prevent harshness, and cottonmouth, and keep the terpenes tasty and free of contaminants.

We found ash catchers that not only keep your bong water in pristine condition but also add enhancements such as percolation to add additional cooling for an ultra-smooth rip. Using an ash catcher makes it so it’s like smoking from a brand new bong, everytime.

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