The Deco is Art

Although I use vaporization as my primary form of cannabis consumption, with flower through an Herbalizer desktop unit and rosin in an Omegatron. I find the benefits of vaping to be multifold: richer taste, reduced respiratory irritation, activating and utilizing a wider range of cannabinoids, using precise temperatures to obtain specific effects, extended sessions with less cannabis, and, of course, no spilled bong water.

Ah yes, bongs. While I’m not such a fussy little prince that I will turn down a well rolled joint or pipe load, when I’m combusting, I prefer a bong, preferably chilled with ice. Bong hits are clean, as evidenced by the black, gummy tar that remains in the water. By design, they give the user a larger hit, which gets you higher, which is good.

The options for bongs greatly range in price, quality, materials and special features and add ons. I’ve tried and reviewed ones from all categories, and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. They include the risks of handling a three figure piece of glass while high, cleaning it, and the aforementioned spillage issue.

Frequently, my friend and co-worker Ashleigh asked if I had a gravity bong, as they wanted to gift me one they had recently seen online.

I had not heard the term “Gravity Bong” in some time, and my experiences with them in the past had been effective albeit crude in design, build and execution. No great shock, as they are frequently made using empty plastic soda bottles. And although the word “bong” is used, it’s a misnomer, as the smoke never actually travels through water.

Novel-tree.com has a great piece on building your own Gravity Bong (a.k.a GB, bucket bong, grav, geeb, gibby, yoin, or ghetto bong, which they explains is ”a…smoking device that uses water and air pressure to force a large volume of smoke into your lungs all at once. The basic principle: a bottle is suspended in water, smoke fills the bottle as it’s raised, and then the smoke is pushed into your lungs as the bottle is pressed back down.”

I have seen some greatly improved GBs since then, including some German models starting at $300. But Ashleigh found a model that she thought was a great fit for me for under $9. And she was right, and it’s joined my rotation of devices offered with my Backstage Budtending services, as well as having a session with friends. It’s a beautiful, fun, and effective piece of art.

It’s the “Deco” from NWTN Home, a company producing beautifully crafted smokeware and accessories. It’s inspired by vintage glassware, with refreshing styles and colors that distinguish immediately. It’s made from hand-blown borosciliate glass, and the weight and size make it perfect as a desk/table top smoking device. It fits in beautifully with my MCM-leaning favored style, and garners as many comments about the look as the effects.

It’s just four pieces that are quick and simple to clean (a glass shell, core, and bowl, and silicone ring), and slides together. Fill the shell (base) 3/4ths full with water, insert the “core” as you light the bowl that sits in the top, while you slowly pull the core up from the shell. The pressure keeps the bowl lit, and when the core is about halfway up, remove the bowl, and push slowly back down. The smoke that has collected is now shooting up through the opening where the bowl was. You simply put your mouth above the stream of smoke, and breathe in, with far less effort required to generate the smoke through other means.

There is a slight learning curve, as patience is key in filling both the shell, and your lungs with the smoke. Eye watering coughing fits resulted when I didn’t take my time, but once I got it down? Maaaaaaaaan, listen…I was high for 45 minutes after just two smaller bowls, the type of high where stress and pain equally melt away and you just feel good.

It’s a huge step up from homemade GBs, and made the session feel more sophisticated, adult, and dare I say, classy. Getting high with stylish gear is what’s up.

This article appears in the Source June 4, 2026.