Ashcatcher Buying Guide 2024

What is an Ashcatcher?

Ever see a water pipe with some sort of octopus-like attachment hanging to the end? Well, ladies and gentleman we call that an ash catcher and it's one of the most functional and helpful accessories you can add to your water pipe in order to enhance the smoking experience. I was equally confused the first time I saw one in use, but when my homie broke it down for me I understood why it was there and what it was doing. Let me break you off some game: this extra percolation tool is great for keeping your water pipe clean and keeping debris from entering into the basin of your water pipe. Some are dry and those catch the ash, plain and simple, but the percolating variety is pretty much an extra water pipe on the end that filters the smoke. These make the smoke a little less potent so be careful not to filter your smoke too much unless that's how you prefer to smoke.

Design and function are both king here, as ash catchers can look incredible and perform an incredible job. This is just a beneficial part while you're smoking because you actually save time and effort cleaning your pipe afterwards. Do you ever notice how much ash and resin builds in the downstem of your water pipe? Compare that buildup with the minimal waste the builds within a water pipe when you actually have an ash catcher.

What is an Ash Catcher Used For?

As I previously mentioned, an ash catcher keeps the job of protecting your water from ash and debris during the smoking process, ultimately making the cleaning process easier and the act of smoking a little smoother. Something to remember is that with heady pieces involved these ash catchers can often be ornamental and serve minimal or passive function.

So to answer “what is an ash catcher used for” I again reiterate that it is used to stop resin and ash from getting into the basin of your water pipe. The percolating variety can be added filtration which can add a bit of protection to your lungs, but overall these are used to help keep your water pipe from getting as dirty as it normally would. In the time of COVID this is an added bonus because it prevents bacteria build up inside your water pipe which could ultimately weaken your immune system, causing you to contract COVID.

The Different Types of Ash Catchers

Non-Diffusing Ash Catchers: This is the most common variety of simple ash catchers. Its essentially just a dry ash catcher that impedes the flow of ash and debris from leaking into the basin of your water pipe. Other than that, though, it offers no other added benefits.

Showerhead Ash Catcher: This is simply a percolating and diffusing ash catcher that features a showerhead percolator. The showerhead is within the ash catcher so it adds a relatively significant level of filtration to the experience when compared to the other ash catchers.

Honeycomb Ash Catcher: In most examples of honeycomb percolators in ash catchers, they usually utilize a recycler. It features a honeycomb shaped pattern in the middle of the ash catcher that pulls smoke and water through to diffuse your smoke. This percolation tool also takes a lot away from the density of the smoke, especially if you've already got a few percs and diffusers within your water pipe.

Tree Ash Catchers: Tree ash catchers are Tre percs within the ash catcher itself, so again, this adds a significant layer of diffusion to the smoking experience, especially if your water pipe already has a couple diffusion chambers. Notice, though, when you buy a tree perc of any kind: are the trees limbs attached to each other or do they simply descend from the ash catcher? This is important because if they're not attached to each other they run a much higher possibility of breaking while you're using the ash catcher.

Do Ashcatchers Really Work?

Absolutely! Ash catchers definitely work and improve your smoking experience if they in fact provide what you're looking for. They may seem extra or like they're doing too much, but in terms of function they're doing a pretty hefty job of preventing buildup and allowing for an easier cleaning process at some point down the road. It's obvious after explaining their purpose why ash catchers are so important.

Let's get down to business, the reason you want an ash catcher is to spend more time smoking and less time changing water and cleaning your pipe. That can be achieved with any of the myriad of products we now offer in the MOB realm. Here at MOB we offer everything from dry ash catchers to percolating varieties that do everything from stopping the gunk and resin build up to filtering your smoke before it enters your lungs.

Do Ashcatchers Make Tokes Smoother?

A common question we run into a lot is concerning the function of the actual ash catcher itself. The percolators are of primary focus when smooth hits are concerned because without a percolator you're simply dealing with a non-diffusing ash catcher. The amount of percolators within a diffusing ash catcher can filter the water in your pipe much more, but as I previously mentioned, make sure you're not over percolating the smoke because you could be taking away from your smoking experience.

So this is a question we get a lot, but do ash catchers actually make tokes smoother? The answer to this is a resounding yes, but there are a few things you can add to your water pipe to make each rip smoother than the last. Ice is a key component to help smooth your tokes when you're smoking from a water pipe so make sure you're adding a couple cubes even when you've got an ash catcher, especially if your thing smoking water pipes is filtration.

The answer to this question is yes, ash catchers DO make your tokes smoother as long as they're of the diffusing variety. Either way, though, you're still going to stop the resin and ash from getting deep into the upper percolators or even simply dieting your water.

What Sizes of Ash Catcher Can I Choose From?

Usually, ash catchers' joint sizes are 14mm & 18mm, but it's always good to double check with your retailer just so you know exactly what you're getting. As well, there's always the tried and true finger test method wherein you place your middle finger into the joint of your water pipe for an 18mm and then if your ring finger fits that's a 14mm. As well, it's important to pay attention to the angle of your ash catcher here too because you're going to need to line up your ash catcher and your water pipe to find out what the best fit is.

What is the Best Ashcatcher?

Pulsar Bent Drop Down Ash Catcher, ONLY $29.99

Pulsar Simple Drop Ash Catcher, ONLY $17.99

Pulsar 5-Arm Tree Perc Ash Catcher, ONLY $25.99