What am I looking for in a hookah?

 Many hookah shops carries small and compact hookahs, and even hand held hookah pipes for people who want to take shisha smoking experience with them.But for the more health conscious, did you know that a larger hookah renders less Carbon Monoxide and therefore a potentially safer smoke? At any rate, here's what you're generally looking for:


1. NO ALUMINUM! Some hookah shops have been selling 'modern' hookahs that have mostly- or all-aluminum parts. Although, not all 'modern style' hookahs have these parts, one should keep a good eye out Aluminum is not generally considered safe to smoke through, and build-up of aluminum in the body has been blamed for early onset of Alzheimer's's. A good hookah shaft is made of Stainless Steel.

2. Portability vs. Quality. Some aspects of the hookah can be customized for durability, but this often has an effect on the overall look and quality of your pipe. For instance, I recommend a glass base, it can be easily and safely cleaned, it's sturdy and keeps the hookah upright even when empty and it looks better over time, however, they are now making hookah bases out of Acrylic. What are the advantages of acrylic? It's practically unbreakable. What's the downside? It collects residue and is difficult to wash, the plastic can also trap nasty odors in your pipe and effect the flavor of your shisha.

3. How many are you serving? Do you party a lot? So you host a smoke session? Hookahs are available in as many as four hoses. Often times a two-hose hookah is a good buy for anyone, because if your friend wants to come over and join you in a session, you can offer them their own hose, and most two-hose hookahs can be converted easily back to one when smoking in private. Also, look to see if it has a check-valve. This could go by many different names, but the function is the same, it allows stale smoke to be exhaled from the chamber, but keeps it air-tight when inhaling, it also lets two people smoke the same hookah without the inconvenience of having to cover their hose between puffs.

4. Make sure it had rubber gaskets on everything to keep it air-tight. A hookah that won't hold a seal is useless.