What is the difference between cheap and expensive hookahs ?
The abundance of various hookah designs, from various manufacturers and at different prices is truly amazing. It's time to find out how cheap hookahs differ from expensive ones. And why are those hookahs at every corner store not ok?
First of all, we do not recommend taking hookahs with two or more pipes. Most often these hookahs are bad and have no possibility of simultaneous smoking by several people. Interestingly, hookahs with several pipes are an American way to have fun with hookahs. Usually the shiha has a hose connector on one side, and a valve on the other.
We also don’t recommend buying hookahs with a copper or threaded vase, they are less convenient than glass ones. Besides, it is easy to check on the water level when using transparent vase. Plastic vases strongly absorb the smell and color.
Top-5 differences
1. The shaft material for a cheap hookah is aluminum at best, at worst it isn’t food grade or even an alloy of cheap metals. If aluminum retains its original appearance for at least some time after constant contact with water, an unknown alloy meanwhile bears the risk of completely failing after a couple of rounds. Therefore, in this case the low price absolutely doesn't justify itself. It is definitely better to buy a more durable model.
2. The hose material is leather with an internal spring inside. Let's explain why this is bad. The leather absorbs odors from previous hookah sessions quite strongly and all would be nothing, because the hose can be washed. However, not in the case with an internal spring. From frequent washing it’ll rust and result in a very bad taste. Therefore, it’s recommended to wash the cheap hookah leather hose as rarely as possible. Can you already imagine this fragrance? All modern hookahs are equipped with a silicone hose, often with Soft Touch coating. Silicone is absolutely great in water, it can be washed at least every day.
3. The height of cheap Chinese hookahs, as a rule, is 25-30 cm. It means that the smoke cannot cool down properly, so you get warm and not particularly pleasant smoke. The height of the hookah should be from 50 to 70 cm. A high hookah will not be cheap either.
4. The complete bowl on a cheap hookah is made of ceramic and it is usually too small, which doesn’t allow you to get enough smoke. In addition, ceramic bowls don’t distribute heat well, which means that tobacco will burn faster than in a clay bowl.
5. Heavy flow. Of course, expensive hookahs are also guilty of this, but it is especially noticeable on cheap Chinese hookahs. This is due to the excessively narrow diameter of the hose and shaft, which is why each puff has to be done with an effort, which can be especially difficult for hookah beginners. Discomfort while smoking won’t be noticeable only if a person doesn’t know what a good hookah is.
Despite the fact that these inexpensive hookahs can be purchased for about $70, we want to warn you – it's not worth it. For $70 you get a kind of hookah made of metal alloy, which is likely to rust in the first two months. Therefore, we have prepared for you a list of more expensive, but high-quality devices that will definitely pay for themselves.
Be careful when buying, do not buy goods from unknown stores or at obscure points.
We recommend choosing a stainless steel shaft, as it’s the least whimsical in care and will last a long time. This material doesn’t cause rust formation, rotting and won’t harm the body due to the reliability of the material.