Finding The Best Electronic Hookah & E-Shisha Pen Guide for USA
What is Hookah?
Hookah, or shisha, has been around for hundreds of years,
beginning sometime during the mid-1000s in the Middle East. Since then, the
elaborate and beautiful water pipes have found a place in many cultures and
social circles.
Recently, hookah has become a popular smoking method, especially
for young people. This is for a couple of reasons. The first is that hookah
tobacco is generally flavored with honey, molasses, or fruits to make it
sweeter than cigarettes. Second, and probably most important to many, is that
water pipes make for a very social activity. Hookah lounges have become
increasingly popular for groups of friends to enjoy sweet tobacco and good
company. The very design of hookahs lends itself to being social. Many water
pipes are fitted with multiple stems, or mouth pieces, so the tobacco can be
shared with many people at one time without having to pass around a single
mouth piece. Hookah lounges are now places to gather where friends can
socialize and choose from a menu—yes, a menu—of shisha flavors prepared by
people who are treated almost like chefs.
It is an easy thing to understand why many people are drawn to
shisha. Just walking into any smoke shop, you’ll most likely be greeted by a
variety of water pipes on display. They are often beautiful pieces of
equipment, made of glass and metal, and adorned with pops of color and silver
or gold decoration. But beauty is not all hookah has to offer—they also offer
tantalizing flavor and a unique smoking experience.
You will hear many people refer to hookahs as “water pipes.”
This is because the smoke you inhale is filtered through a vase, which contains
water. In this chamber, the smoke you inhale is cooled slightly before you take
it into your lungs. The water and cooling creates a dense and flavorful cloud
of smoke, which simply cannot be recreated by cigarettes. Again, hookah is
known for its delicious flavors. Cigarette smoke can have an acrid aftertaste,
which can become unappealing after a while. Hookah, on the other hand, enhances
tobacco flavorings by adding a hint of fresh sweetness in the form of fruits
(such as coconut or apple), herbs such as mint, or natural sweeteners like
honey.
Hookah is an alluring form of smoking because it requires time and
patience. It is more than lighting up a cigarette on the go to get a quick fix
of nicotine. Hookah is designed to be a hobby, to encourage the smoker to stop
and enjoy. There is pleasure in choosing the tobacco, lighting coals, sitting
around the pipe with a group, and savoring unique flavors.
When smoking hookah, some people mistakenly believe that by
filtering the smoke through water, they are somehow filtering out some of the
negative chemicals and substances found in combusted tobacco. This is a
complete misconception. Smoking hookah still exposes the smoker to just as many
chemicals as cigarettes—if not more. Further, hookah tobacco contains nicotine.
Nicotine, of course, is an addictive substance with health risks of its own.
Finally, since hookah is made to be enjoyed over a long period
of time in a single sitting, people who indulge in hookah will take an average
of 200 puffs. The average cigarette smoker takes 20 puffs out of a cigarette at
a time, so hookah users are exposed to higher levels of the harmful chemicals
in combusted tobacco smoke as well as more nicotine.
The volume of hookah tobacco smoked in a single sitting causes
its own issues, as smokers are automatically more susceptible to health
problems associated with smoking tobacco. For example, the average smoke
inhalation from a cigarette session is 500-600 mL of smoke—in a hookah session,
that number soars to 90,000 mL according to the official CDC website.
With gaining popularity, it’s understandable that more and more
people are concerned over the possible health risks of indulging in shisha. If
you’re planning on making hookah a hobby for you and your friends, you might
want to consider them yourself.
For all of these reasons, and more,
shisha enthusiasts are turning to e-hookah, just as former smokers have turned
to e-cigarettes and vaporizers. Because e-hookahs don’t combust
anything, unlike traditional shisha, many people have high hopes that e-hookah
means less health risks combined with all the enjoyment of traditional shisha.
It is important to note, however, that e-hookah is still an incredibly
niche submarket of the vaping industry. Where few conclusive studies have been
done concerning e-cigarettes, even fewer have been done concerning e-shisha.
In traditional hookah, there is a bowl at the top of the hookah
pipe. In this bowl, you will place your chosen tobacco and flavorings. On top
of your tobacco, you place a hot coal, separated from the tobacco usually by a
perforated piece of aluminum foil. Beneath the bowl is a plate used to collect
ashes and dead coals from previous uses.
The longest part of the water pipe is the body, gasket, and
valve. These pieces connect the bowl and plate to the base of the pipe. The
base of the hookah, also called a vase or water jar, is a basin which contains
a certain amount of water.
Finally, the last piece of your hookah is a hose and a
mouthpiece. Each pipe is different. Some have a single hose and mouth piece,
while others are designed to be used social and can have upwards of four hoses
and mouthpieces for ease of sharing.
A traditional hookah works like this: First, you light the coal
and place it on top of a piece of aluminum foil to suspend it over the tobacco
in the bowl. Once you inhale through the mouthpiece, air is pulled through the
coal into the tobacco, which produces smoke. This smoke passes through the body
of the pipe and into the vase. The smoke passes through the water and cools and
condenses; finally, you inhale the flavorful smoke into your lungs. Having
taken one long drag from the pipe, pressure changes in the body and continually
pulls air through the coal so the process continues.
An electronic hookah works slightly
differently. Essentially, if you are not using a shisha pen, you will attach an
e-shisha head to your already set up water pipe. This way, you can still enjoy
the artistry of a hookah of your choice, since you’ll be using the body and
stems to smoke your e-shisha.
When you are using e-hookah, there is no need to use coals to heat up your
tobacco and no smoke will be given off. Instead, the head you attach to
your Hookah Mouth Tips is powered by a substantial
battery. This battery will heat coils inside and vaporize the e-liquid of your
choice. This vapor will then follow the same path as traditional shisha and
come out through the mouth piece after it travels through the water base.
Since the beginning of the vaping market with e-cigarettes,
companies have been attempting to replicate smoking. E-cigarettes are fitted
with LEDs, soft faux filters, white paper bodies, et cetera. By using the same
hardware as traditional hookah, e-hookah allows for an authentic smoking
experience.
E-hookah pens work differently, of course. If you’re familiar
with the anatomy of an e-cigarette, you’re already ahead of the game.
E-hookah pens are generally disposable pieces, so you’ll only have them a short
while before switching to another flavor. They are fitted with a flavor
cartridge—take your pick, there are tons out there!—a battery and an atomizer.
Once you turn your device on, your atomizer heats the e-liquid in the cartridge
and creates a vapor, which you inhale.
For those looking to enjoy e-shisha, there are a few models on
the market. Again, it is a new frontier for the vaping market, so as it gains
popularity, more products will be available for purchase. Currently, the first
decision you’ll have to make it either a stationary hookah head or a shisha
pen.
For portable hookah flavor, there are electronic hookah pens,
also called hookah sticks, shisha pens, or e-hookahs. These pens include a
cartridge, atomizer, and a battery—very much like a traditional vape pen. Since
shisha is a social smoking activity, many pens will be packaged with multiple
mouthpieces so you can pass the pen between friends without having to worry
about passing saliva between the users.
Looking at e-shisha pens and e-cigarettes, you might wonder what
the difference is. They’re essentially the same design, the same parts, what
makes them different? The main difference between e-cigarettes and e-shisha
pens is this: e-shisha pens are meant to savor flavor, e-cigarettes are for a nicotine
fix. Hookah pens are not meant to be used constantly like an e-cigarette. More
often than not, they are purchased without nicotine and in certain flavors that
translate well into a vapor.
Because of this, an e-shisha pen will produce plumes more vapor
than an e-cigarette to mimic the smoke given off by a water pipe. This is the
main difference, along with a lack of nicotine, which sets e-hookah pens apart
from e-cigarettes.
Aside from this, you’ll find that most e-shisha pens—labeled as
such—are disposable models. They are meant to be used only once before you
throw them away and try a new flavor. This is perhaps the most common complaint
among e-hookah pen users: they simply don’t last very long. Because they
produce such a thick vapor, they consequently use more battery power than a
disposable e-cigarette. Out of an e-shisha pen, you might expect 500 puffs
before having to switch to a new one. Since hookah is meant to be savored over
a long period of time, this can be frustrating for many users.
As mentioned earlier, hookah sticks come with designated
flavors, all ready to go. Mostly, you will find fruit flavorings, since these
are the most common in traditional hookah. The pens are decorated with a
variety of unique designs, some even equipped with an LED light, much like
their e-cigarette counterparts.
Given the nature of hookah, you might wonder why someone would
want to take it “on-the-go.” Isn’t the whole point of shisha to savor the
experience? The fruit flavors? The sweetness of honey or molasses and the
freshness of coconut, mingled with a strong tobacco? As we’ve mentioned,
smoking shisha is often a social experience. Even if you’re just smoking by
yourself, there is a pleasure in the ritual of smoking from a water pipe: the
mixing of flavors, lighting the coal, taking the first drags from your stem.
Shisha simply was not meant to be an activity of convenience, and e-hookah
customers know this. Thus, the e-shisha heads were created.
E-hookah heads are, as we talked about earlier, attached
directly onto your already existing water pipe. They sit in the bowl where your
tobacco and coal would be traditionally. You can therefore have the experience
of smoking through authentic stems and a water vase, while also ridding
yourself of the harmful smoke or chemicals in traditional combusted hookah
tobacco.
As the e-hookah market has grown, more people are opting for
e-shisha bowls or heads because they allow the user to purchase and use the
artistic and elegant water pipe as well as savor the experience of smoking
shisha in their own home.
E-hookah heads are not meant to be portable, so they allow for a
much larger and more powerful battery. Ultimately, this translates to a better
vapor, a better flavor, and a better overall experience smoking e-hookah.
If you’ve gotten this far in our guide, chances are you’re
seriously considering purchasing some e-hookah device of your own…but maybe
you’re not sure what you should be looking for. When we say the e-shisha market
is small, we mean it is small when it comes to quality products. There are
plenty of knock-offs and cheap devices out there, which have been produced
quickly to fill the demand in the market. But these devices won’t deliver on
the lofty promises they print on their boxes. So, in order to find a quality
e-shisha vaporizer, what should you be looking for?
The first, always, is battery power. The battery is the engine
of your device and it is absolutely critical that it performs well. This is
especially true of e-hookah because a main component of e-hookah is plumes of
white, dense vapor. This can only be achieved is a powerful battery is working
in tandem with a quality atomizer. You’re looking for something with a high
mAh, to ensure a long battery life for long smoking sessions and a high
wattage.
Second, decide if you’d like a disposable or desktop model and
how each works for you. If you’re not planning on taking your device out and
simply enjoy smoking shisha at home, definitely invest in an eye-catching water
pipe and an e-hookah head. If you’ve never tried e-shisha before or only want
to sample new flavors from a particular company, try a disposable model with a
fitted flavor cartridge instead. Disposable models can be a fantastic
inexpensive way to test the quality of a new brand, while e-hookah heads are
likely designed for intense usage and a quality experience.
Third, you’ll get to look into the fun aspects of making an e-shisha
purchase. This is the look and feel of your device. If you’ve gone with a
disposable model, does the mouthpiece remind you of a hookah stem? Is it metal
and shaped to fit in your mouth? Is the pen body easy to hold and will it fit
in your purse or pocket for portability? Is it attractive? That is, do you like
the outward design and color or would you prefer something more minimalistic?
If you’re going with a desktop
e-hookah set-up, your options are entirely open. The e-hookah head is
relatively small and will make little impact on your hookah aesthetic. Here,
you are free to choose any water pipe you find particularly beautiful and use
it as often as you’d like.
Finally, as always, we recommend quality. Quality generally means you’ll be
paying a higher price for your products, but it cannot be stressed enough how
important it is that your device performs well or that your Best quality E-liquid is flavor-saturated. Next, we’ll
recommend some places we think you’ll be able to find the perfect e-shisha for
you.
If you’re looking for a place to get started on your e-hookah
search, it might be difficult to find the right product for you. The vaping
industry is still very young and there has been little product creation in the
way of e-shisha; however, we are happy to say that one brand comes highly
recommended already: ePuffer.
Quality e-hookah is difficult to find, period. But, it is
especially difficult to purchase anywhere but online, not to mention that
e-commerce can generally guarantee you are getting the lowest price out there.
This is certainly true in ePuffer’s case. They do not have a brick and mortar
presence, but they are available online—which means savings for the customer.
Luckily, ePuffer has become a little famous for offering
vaporizers that are off the beaten track. Along with their e-cigars and
e-pipes, they’re now offering an e-hookah unlike others on the market: a
quality e-hookah head that you are free to fill with any of ePuffer’s e-shisha
flavors.
Like other ePuffer products, the e-hookah head is a sleek design
that won’t detract from any water pipe you choose to use. It is easy to use:
simply take off the magnetic cap and fill with e-liquid, let it simmer for five
minutes, and then start vaping.
We mentioned battery power as one of
the most important aspects of an e-hookah and delivers not once but twice. The Square Hookah Head is equipped with two 2600 mAh batteries for a combined 5200 mAh, so you
can use your e-hookah for hours at a time without having to worry about
recharging.
If that wasn’t enough, we were very pleased to find that the
ePuffer e-hookah head sports a 0.2 Ohm coil for insane vapor production and
temperature control—up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit—so you can get the absolute
best flavor out of any e-shisha liquid you choose.
Also on their website, you’ll find tons of e-shisha flavors for
the e-hookah head, so you’ll always have something new to try. Although, as one
caveat, this e-hookah head has not been on the market long and we are unsure
how long it will last before the atomizer needs replacement. However, if
ePuffer’s other products are any indication, this e-hookah head should last for
many uses.
Overall, we’re pleased to see that ePuffer has taken the
initiative to begin producing quality e-hookah in an otherwise barren e-hookah
market and we are very excited to see where this product leads in the future!
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