Big bongs are awesome for huge rips if you can’t clear a big bowl on a 12 incher like I can. On a side note, I’d recommend using hot tap water with bongs, hits are smoother and you don’t get as much resin on your lips.

As others have said, a larger tube means more cooling for the smoke. Honestly, a smaller bong with a nice perc and an ice catch would do the same, if not better, and be easier to clean.

I don’t smoke bongs anymore, but my workhorse back in the day was a cheap little 10 inch bong with an ice catch. I’d put crushed ice in, and use an ash catcher and it would hit better than my friends’ expensive rigs, with more portability. Plus, since it was like $50, I didn’t care if it got broken or lost.

I used to have a 1.5 foot bong. The hits from it were way smoother since the smoke has enough time to cool down. If it’s got a large reservoir even better because the volume of water helps cool/clean/filter.

Is there any real benefit? Probably not. Maybe a little more filtering, but for the most part it’s just the type of hit you get from it.

Someone with more data to back it up might be able to offer more.

The bigger it is the bulkier it will be (harder to move around and might get accidentally get knocked over) and harder to clean. Consider how hard it will be to get a pipe cleaner in its hard to reach spots or how much cleaner solution or regular water you need to appropriately fill it. I personally have gone with smaller and smaller bongs over the years due to these factors. If you want a cooler smoke invest in a dry herb vape with a bong adapter. A small bong with a simple perc and ice catcher will get you smoke as cool as a person really needs. I would pay no more than 100$ for a bong. The fancier it is and more parts/glass it is the harder to move and maintain, that’s my 2 cents.

So unless it’s an exotic one of a kind piece, it’s likely made in China and can be bought for less than $50 USD direct from China. There are sites online that sell thick glass (like ThickAssGlass). But most smoke shops are overpriced for what you’re getting.

PS - did you know that most clear glass you see in smoke shops is not even real boro laboratory grade glass? It’s actually a cheaper softer “soda-lime glass” which is not as durable.

I was wondering if there’s any benefits to such a HUGE bong besides liking it. Is it better than a regular/smaller bong, or one that’s more specialized like a recycler?

Depends entirely on your objectives. For smoking, a longer neck helps smooth out the vapor - although extra water chambers and ice picks to hold ice cubes is beneficial for smoking.

For vaporbonging you need a much smaller piece with less water to retain the flavor of the vapor.

I tend to go for around 1 foot or shorter with a wide base, mainly because I have two big dogs with crazy tails and the coffee table it lives on isn’t too tall.

Why buy a bong when the Volcano exists?