Curated

What is the best way to smoke weed?

January 9, 2026

Darren Tarbat

One great aspect of cannabis is that there are many different ways of consuming it. That said, you might be looking for the best way to smoke weed.

Different people have different goals or intentions. Some people might be looking for the most efficient way to smoke weed, some people might be looking for the most cost-efficient way to consume, and some people may be looking for the healthiest ways to imbibe.

However, the best way to smoke weed is a fairly subjective topic because it depends on what you are aiming for. Today, we are going to attempt to figure out what the best way to smoke pot for you is, and we’ll base this on a variety of factors.

Our goal is to provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision about the best way to smoke weed, whether that be a joint, bong, pipe, or anything in between.

By the end of today, you’ll know what all of the most popular methods of consumption are, their advantages and disadvantages, and more. Ready to find out the best way to smoke weed for you? Let’s go!

Key Takeaways

The different ways of smoking weed include joints, blunts, pipes, bongs, bubblers, dry herb vaporizers, dabbing, and more.
Each method of smoking or inhaling cannabis has advantages and disadvantages worth considering.
Which method is the best way to smoke weed for you depends on the goals you have in mind, as each method has aspects that you might or might not like.

What Are the Different Ways to Smoke Weed?

There are many different ways to smoke weed, each with its own pros and cons.

Joint

best way to smoke weed: joint

First, we have the joint, which is one of the oldest and most popular ways of smoking weed. Joints are rolled using a variety of rolling papers, which may be made from paper, rice, hemp, or other materials. You can create simple joints or next-level trick joints, sure to impress your friends. Doobies stand the test of time and are a long-time favorite of consumers, considered one of the very best ways to smoke weed.

Yes, these are special rolling papers, not just any kind of paper. Rolling papers can be small and only fit 0.5 grams of ground herb, or you can get some much larger papers that can fit several grams of herb at once. Many rolling papers contain chemicals and pollutants, so always go for rolling papers that are unrefined, unflavored, and unbleached.

Keep in mind that if you mix your cannabis with other herbs or materials, such as tobacco, then it is no longer called a joint. To smoke a joint, you first have to be able to roll one, which can be a challenge in itself. If you want to try smoking a joint but you can’t roll, pre-shaped cones are a great option, as you can fill them with weed and smoke—no rolling required.

Pros

Portable
Easy to smoke
Fast and fairly effective
Can be very small or very large
Can be rolled with any strain
Plenty of rolling paper options to choose from

Cons

A lot of wasted cannabis and smoke
Requires you to be able to roll unless using cones

Bong & Bubblers

bongs are one of the best ways to smoke weed

We then have bongs and bubblers, otherwise known as water pipes. Bongs and bubblers consist of chambers that hold water, with that water being intended to filter out some harmful chemicals from the smoke. These are some of the best ways to smoke weed because they offer a cool, smooth hit.

There is an extended chamber above the water, where smoke can accumulate, with a mouthpiece at the top for inhaling.

To smoke a bong, pack your favorite herbs into the bowl, light the material with a flame, and inhale through the mouthpiece. Many people prefer smoking bongs over something like a joint because there is no rolling involved.

That said, bongs are not particularly portable because they are often fragile and require water. However, many people prefer bongs because water is considered an ideal filtration medium, making the process slightly healthier. Bongs can be made from various materials, including glass, silicone, plastic, metal, and more.

In terms of size, bongs range greatly, with some being just a few inches tall and others being several feet tall. Many people also like water bongs because they generally allow for really big hits that get you high and very fast. If you want to get high, this Standard Beaker Bong could be ideal.

Pros

Ideal for at-home use
Does not require rolling
Only needs a little weed to produce a potent high
Cleaner than joints due to water filtration
Generally cost-effective (besides the upfront cost of the bong)

Cons

Not very portable
Quite harsh and often induces coughing fits

Pipe

pipes are one of the most common and best ways to smoke weed

There is then the pipe, which, beside the joint, is likely one of the oldest smoking methods in the world. Although pipes may come in a variety of shapes and designs, they all function in the same way. From glass and ceramic spoons to futuristic self-igniting devices, there are thousands of options.

They feature a bowl at the end that faces upwards, into which you pack the herb or plant matter. There is then a stem or body, which may be anywhere from a couple of inches to a couple of feet in length, complete with a mouthpiece at the end where you put your mouth and draw through.

The biggest difference between a bong and a pipe is that pipes do not have any kind of water to filter the smoke, whereas bongs do. This has its advantages and disadvantages, of course. Pipes are much more portable than bongs, but they don’t filter the smoke as well.

The fact that the pipes are very portable is perhaps their biggest benefit. Keep in mind that pipes can also be made out of a wide variety of materials, with wood being one of the original ones. Nowadays, pipes can also be made out of metal, glass, and other materials.

Smoking a pipe can be somewhat harsh because there is nothing to filter the smoke, and often not much space between the bowl and your lungs, so the smoke tends to be fairly hot. That said, if you are looking for convenience and portability, a pipe is definitely at the top of the list of best ways to smoke weed.

Pros

Fast and easy
Portable and convenient
Cheap and effective
Many styles and designs to choose from

Cons

Bowls are a limited size
Pipes require regular cleaning

Blunt

marijuana blunt

Another popular way of smoking cannabis is with a blunt. A blunt is somewhat similar to a joint in the sense that it needs to be rolled, although blunts tend to be a lot harder to roll than joints, both because of the material that the blunt is made out of and due to the size.

Your average joint holds anywhere between 0.4 and 0.8 grams of cannabis, whereas a blunt can hold anywhere between 1 gram and 3 grams, if not more. Blunts are generally designed for people who want to consume a lot of cannabis at once or for larger groups of people who want to share. Blunts are not easy to roll and are often reserved for more experienced smokers.

Due to the materials that blunts are made out of, they tend to be much harsher on the lungs and make you cough harder, which is also true because they hold a lot more weed and provide bigger hits.

For this reason, blunts also get you much higher than joints because each drag contains a lot more smoke. Blunt wraps can be made out of a variety of materials, including hemp leaves and tobacco leaves, among other things. Those looking for a more natural approach should go with hemp leaves as opposed to tobacco leaves. There are also glass blunts for those who want to avoid traditional wraps.

King Palm Blunt Wraps are a high-quality example of a hemp-based blunt wrap. If you’re going to consume blunts, it’s recommended to use products like this to reduce health risks.

Pros

Somewhat portable
Ideal for sharing and group settings
Can be cost-effective – if being shared by multiple people
Lots of flavors and blunt wrap sizes

Cons

Generally expensive
Harsh on the throat

Dabbing

wax going into dab rig banger

We then have dabbing, which could also include vaporizing. Dabbing and vaporizing are generally considered to be healthier than smoking. This is because the plant matter is heated to a temperature that releases cannabinoids into the air as vapor, rather than through combustion.

That said, our article today refers to the best ways to smoke weed, and vaporizing or dabbing technically is not smoking. However, these methods are becoming very popular, mainly due to their supposed health benefits when compared to smoking.

If we are talking about dabbing, this is done through something that looks like a bong but is referred to as a dab rig. It is virtually just a water bong designed to vaporize cannabis concentrates, as opposed to combusting raw cannabis flowers.

In this way, in terms of functionality, portability, and ease of use, dab rigs are much the same as bongs. Regular dab rigs have to be heated up with a butane torch, whereas newer electronic dab rigs use batteries and heating coils, or atomizers, just like handheld vaporizers.

Keep in mind, however, that cannabis concentrates that are vaporized in either a dab rig or a handheld vaporizer are extremely potent. As a reference point, regular cannabis generally contains anywhere between 10 and 30 percent THC, whereas cannabis extracts designed for vaporizing and dabbing can contain up to 90 percent THC content.

If you are looking to get very high very quickly, dabbing and vaporizing concentrates are efficient ways of doing so. The extreme potency of these concentrates hits you hard and fast and generally lasts for a long time, too. Although concentrates themselves tend to be fairly expensive, they can be harsh on the throat and lungs as well. If you’d like to try dabbing, this Dr. Dabber Switch 2 Electronic Rig might be a good option.

Pros

Offers maximum potency
Quite cost-effective in general
Ideal for at-home use
Not overly harmful if you get the right type of concentrate

Cons

Some concentrates and dab rigs can be very expensive
Makes you cough very hard
Overconsumption is more likely

One Hitter

pipes and dugouts with one hitters

The one-hitter is just an extremely small pipe designed to hold a small amount of cannabis to provide you with one hit or drag. If you are looking for the ultimate portability, this is it. These one-hitter pipes generally come with carrying cases, too, and often come with what is known as a dugout, which is a small container that holds both the one-hitter pipe and ground cannabis.

These are also extremely affordable. Their portability, affordability, and discretion are the key selling points here. These one-hitter pipes can be made from various materials, including glass, metal, wood, and more, each with its own pros and cons.

The downside of one-hitter pipes is that they are very small and only provide you with miniature hits. If you are a seasoned smoker and want to get really high, you’ll probably have to take a few dozen hits with one of these miniature pipes.

Pros

Cheap
Easy
Portable
Discreet

Cons

Not good for sharing
Have to constantly refill the bowl

Dry Herb Vaporizer

dry herb vaporizer

Just like dabbing and handheld vaporizers, dry herb vaporizers don’t combust the material; instead, they heat the plant matter to a temperature that releases its cannabinoids as vapor.

Once again, this is generally considered a healthier alternative to smoking. The difference here is that with a dry herb vaporizer, you still put cannabis flower into it, whereas with dabbing and handheld vaporizers, they use cannabis concentrates, such as oils, wax, shatter, and other such concentrates.

A dry herb vaporizer, because it uses actual cannabis flower, is generally no more potent than a joint or bong. Cannabis flower contains up to 30 percent THC, or slightly more depending on the strain, and this all gets released in the form of vapor.

People who prefer dry herb vaporizers over various forms of smoking usually prefer them due to the supposed health benefits. The Pax FLOW is one great option if you’re interested in a device like this.

Pros

One of the best ways to smoke weed in terms of experience
Decently portable
Preserves the natural flavor of the strain
Allows you to vaporize dried cannabis flower

Cons

Not very cost-effective
Not the best for getting you high quickly

So, What is the Best Way to Smoke Weed?

The best way to smoke your weed is what you prefer. If you are looking for ultimate convenience, a one-hitter might be best. If you want to smoke cannabis and get really high at home, a bong might work best for you.

If you want to get even higher and you don’t mind the harshness of concentrates, then dabbing might be up your alley. If you want to share an experience with some fellow cannabis smokers and you want to be able to roll a lot of weed at once, then a blunt might be best.

However, if you want something highly portable that works well for on-the-go use, you might consider a pipe, a joint, or a dry-herb vaporizer. As you can see, which method of smoking and cannabis product you pick really depends on what goals you have in mind.

Best Way to Smoke Weed: Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that there is no number one best way to smoke weed. Each method of consuming cannabis we’ve discussed today has its advantages and disadvantages worth considering. Therefore, you need to weigh these pros and cons and make a decision accordingly.

Darren Tarbat