Water pipes & bongs
by Black Leaf
The Glass Rainbow Ice Bong is a borosilicate glass water pipe that combines an ice catcher, slit diffuser chillum, and kickhole into one eye-catching package. Standing between 30 and 39cm tall, it filters and cools your smoke through water and ice before it reaches your lungs — meaning less throat burn and more flavour from your herb. The rainbow colour accent running down the tube isn't just decorative; it makes this one easy to spot on any shelf. Built by Black Leaf, a brand we've stocked for years because their glass holds up to daily use without the price tag of boutique pieces.
Three features set this bong apart from the basic straight tubes you'll find at the same price point. First, the ice catcher — three pinched glass notches inside the tube that hold ice cubes above the water line. Smoke passes through the ice on its way up, dropping the temperature noticeably. If you've ever coughed your way through a dry pipe hit, you'll feel the difference immediately. Second, the slit diffuser chillum (downstem) breaks your smoke into smaller bubbles before it hits the water, which increases the surface area for filtration. More bubbles, smoother pull. Third, the kickhole on the side of the chamber lets you clear stale smoke in one sharp inhale — no lifting the bowl mid-hit.
The borosilicate glass itself deserves a mention. It's the same type of glass used in laboratory equipment: resistant to thermal shock, so dropping ice cubes into a tube that's been sitting in a warm room won't crack it. Pick this piece up and you can feel the weight — it's solid, not flimsy. The walls are thick enough that a minor bump on the coffee table won't end its life. That said, it's still glass. Don't test gravity with it. We've seen plenty of customers come back for a replacement after a late-night fumble. A silicone sleeve or padded bag is worth considering if you move it around.
Compared to an acrylic bong at a similar price, the taste difference is night and day. Acrylic can impart a faint plastic note, especially when warm. Glass is flavour-neutral — you taste your herb, nothing else. And compared to something like a beaker-base bong with a removable downstem, this one's simpler: fewer parts to lose, fewer seals to worry about. The fixed chillum with slit diffusion does the job without fuss.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | Borosilicate glass |
| Height | 30–39 cm |
| Bong Joint Size | 18.8mm (18mm) Female |
| Bowl Size | 14.5mm (14mm) Male |
| Downstem Joint Size | 14.5mm (14mm) Female |
| Downstem Length | 135mm |
| Recommended Screen Size | 10mm |
| Diffuser Type | Slit diffuser chillum (fixed) |
| Ice Catcher | Yes — triple pinch |
| Kickhole (Carb) | Yes |
| SKU | HS1682 |
Complete your setup: Drop a few 10mm brass pipe screens into the bowl to stop small bits of herb pulling through into the water. A set of bong cleaning brushes and some isopropyl alcohol will keep the glass clear and the diffuser slits unclogged — dirty slits mean restricted airflow, and that defeats the whole point. If you want to swap the standard bowl for something with a built-in screen or a different size, look for any 14.5mm male herb bowl in our smokeshop.
Here's the thing about smoking through a basic pipe or a joint: the smoke hits your throat at whatever temperature it pleases. On a dry day with sticky, resinous herb, that can mean a scratchy, cough-inducing pull that makes you regret packing the bowl so full. Water filtration solves part of that problem — it traps heavier particulates and cools the smoke a few degrees. But adding ice to the equation takes it further. The smoke travels through chilled air between the ice cubes, arriving at your lips noticeably cooler. Your throat thanks you, and you can actually taste the terpene profile of what you're smoking instead of just tasting heat.
We've had this model on the shop floor for a while now, and the feedback is consistent: people like that it does three things (water filtration, ice cooling, carb hole clearance) without looking like a chemistry experiment. It's a single-chamber straight tube — no percolator towers, no recycler loops, no parts that are impossible to clean. For a daily driver, that simplicity is a genuine advantage. The fewer internal chambers and connections, the easier it is to keep clean, and clean glass means better-tasting smoke every single session.
The one honest limitation: because the chillum is fixed (not a removable downstem), you can't swap it for an aftermarket diffuser with more slits or a different diffusion style. What you get is what you get. For most people, the slit diffuser does the job well. But if you're the type who likes to tinker and upgrade, a bong with a removable 18.8mm downstem gives you more flexibility down the line.
Borosilicate glass is easy to maintain if you stay on top of it. After each session, pour out the water and give the chamber a rinse with warm water. Once a week — or whenever you notice residue building up on the inner walls or around the diffuser slits — do a proper clean. Pour coarse salt and isopropyl alcohol (90%+ concentration) into the chamber, cover the openings, and shake vigorously for 30–60 seconds. The salt acts as an abrasive, the alcohol dissolves the resin. Rinse thoroughly with warm water afterwards. For the bowl piece, soak it in isopropyl for 15–20 minutes, then scrub with a pipe cleaner or small brush.
The slit diffuser is the part that clogs first. If you notice reduced bubbling or you're having to pull harder than usual, that's resin blocking the slits. A thin pipe cleaner or a soak in isopropyl usually clears it. Don't use boiling water — even borosilicate has limits, and a sudden temperature swing from cold glass to boiling water can cause stress fractures over time. Warm is fine. Boiling is not.
The three pinched glass notches inside the tube hold ice cubes above the water line. Smoke passes through the ice on its way to your mouth, cooling it significantly. The result is a smoother, less irritating hit compared to room-temperature smoke. You can use it without ice too — it still functions as a normal water pipe.
Absolutely. The ice catcher is optional — without ice cubes, smoke simply passes through the pinch points and you still get full water filtration from the slit diffuser. The ice is a bonus for extra cooling, not a requirement for the bong to work.
The bong uses a 14.5mm (commonly labelled 14mm) male herb bowl. Any standard 14.5mm male bowl will fit the female joint on the chillum. The bong's main joint is 18.8mm female, but you don't need to worry about that unless you're replacing the entire downstem assembly.
After every session. Stale bong water develops bacteria within hours and starts to smell. Fresh water also tastes better and filters more effectively. It takes ten seconds — there's no good reason to skip it.
Borosilicate glass is more resistant to thermal shock (sudden temperature changes) and has better structural integrity than soda-lime glass. It won't shatter from adding ice to a warm tube. That said, it's not indestructible — a hard drop onto tile or concrete will still break it. Treat it with basic care and it'll last years.
The kickhole (also called a carb hole) is a small opening on the side of the chamber. Cover it while you inhale to fill the chamber with smoke, then release it to rush fresh air in and clear the chamber completely. It gives you control over hit size and intensity without removing the bowl.
Strongly recommended. A 10mm brass or stainless steel screen in the bowl stops ground herb from pulling through the hole and clogging the slit diffuser. Without one, you'll be cleaning the downstem far more often and wasting herb in the process.
Last updated: April 2026
