Amazon is quickly becoming the Wal-Mart of the internet… your one stop shop that is becoming notorious for its less than ethical practices behind their incredible convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I am not at a point in my life where I can choose to shun Amazon completely, but I will say from experience that I will be much more careful when purchasing smoking and cannabis accessories. Seeing all of your options laid out in front of you at a totally affordable price means you’ll probably bend to some less than great purchases that definitely are too good to be true.
These are the worst I’ve experienced:
PUFF LABS Coil Bubbler Made in the USA 6.5 Inch
This bubbler is terrible. It became clogged after perhaps one week of use, due to what you think is a cute, handy feature in the coil tubing within the water chamber. It appears that it will create more smoke within this small pool of water, but all it really does it make trying to hit this thing impossible. Even with pipe cleaners, the opening simply isn’t big enough to keep the airflow going. Thankfully, this link appears to be dead and I hope Puff Labs never restocks it… but here’s an image to know what style to avoid.
Zen Bundles Zen Pipe Cleaners Hard Bristle, 132 Count
In a related purchase, these pipe cleaners are useless. By adding some “heavy duty” textural brush to the wire, they look like they can get any cleaning job done. They only reach so far down a clogged passage before bunching up because the wire isn’t firm enough to hold. I have yet to come across a pipe cleaner that beats an old fashioned large paperclip. To properly get hard, dry resin out of a piece, your wire needs not only flexibility, but strength. Don’t waste the extra money on these for the actual purpose of cleaning pipes, when chances are there’s a decent paperclip within your reach.
Tesla Coil Lighters™ USB Rechargeable Windproof Arc Lighter (1. Gun Metal)
I purchased one of these as a fun novelty lighter for my joint-preferring, chain smoking ex boyfriend. Beyond regretting that whole relationship, this was just a bad gift. Yes, the idea of a rechargeable lighter is eco-friendly and hip, but the execution sucks. Even though the electric arch LOOKS kind of cool, it makes this grating squeal noise as it lights, and requires effort to get the cigarette or joint totally lit, without the ease of putting the tip of your smoke to a flame. Getting a fun pack of BICs with a handy swiss-army lighter cover is a far better smoking buy.
In my experience, the only cannabis smoking accessories I can stand by in good conscience from Amazon would be the easiest to not screw up, where you know what you’re getting: The aforementioned swiss army lighter cover, rolling papers in bulk, simple pipes, and grinders. Other than those, try and support your local smoke shop- they need your business more than Amazon, and you’ll likely be happier with the purchase.
