Top 10 Best Smoking Accessories Everyone Should Have

Smoking accessories are the cornerstone of the smoking world. Not only do they aid in creating a more refined flavor, but they are also necessary to prep, smoke, and clean up your setup. While bongs and hand pipes receive all the glory for being your most iconic companions, the unsung heroes like the humble grinder, the pipe cleaner, and the reliable lighter are the true backbone of a stress-free session.

But in order for any of these components to work, flower is the first essential element you need, and arguably the most important 'accessory' of all.

Flower refers to the dry herb cannabis that is used to smoke. There are three different strains typically sold at dispensaries: indica, sativa, and hybrid. Choosing the right flower comes down to what type of smoke session you want. If you want to mad chill and maybe even go to sleep, an Indica strain is the perfect bud type. 

However, if you’re looking for an uplifting and energetic session, the sativa strain is the way to go. And if you want a mixture of both of these effects a hybrid strain will produce a balanced body and cerebral high. 

The budtenders at dispensaries are usually very knowledgeable about the product and can help you choose the specific type that will suit your needs best. It’s helpful to know which strain you want going in, but feel free to talk to a budtender about the session you want to have.

Always remember to tip your budtender if they were especially helpful in your search. Unlike the restaurant industry, tipping at a dispensary is not mandatory or expected. But if you’re new to the whole experience and need some extra assistance, 10-20% is always appreciated. If you know the flower you want and are doing a quick pickup, tipping isn't necessary.

If buying flower in bulk and prepping it isn't your thing, you can also purchase prerolls and joints for easy light-and-go sessions. Sometimes convenience is your top priority, and that's okay. Some viable options for prerolls and joints include: Cheddr THCA Prerolls 75G, Flying Horse Extreme THCP Infused Prerolls 6G, and Revelry Premium Indoor THCA Pre Rolls 7G.

But if you're buying loose flower instead of prerolls, then knowing your flower also means knowing your grinder. A fine, even grind of your buds makes all the difference, which brings us to the second most important smoking accessory in your collection.

This is where preference comes into play. If you want a fine grind with kief collection, opt for a four-piece grinder. The bottom chamber of a four-piece grinder collects kief which are potent pollen crystals, called trichromes, you can sprinkle on top of a bowl for an extra kick.

As such, these are the most common grinders on the market. Popular four-piece options include: Dogg Lbs Slice Ceramic Coated 4-Part Grinder, MJ Arsenal 4-Piece Grinder, Tsunami 3.9" 4-Piece Sunken Top Grinder, and Santa Cruz Shredder 1.6" Small 4-Piece Grinder.

Three-piece and two-piece grinders are better for creating a coarser grind. This is ideal if you want to maximize airflow. While they may not be as popular as the four-piece grinder, there are still great options available, including the Santa Cruz Shredder 1.6" Small 3-Piece Grinder and Vessel Mill 3-Piece Grinder.

What makes a grinder so special is how it simplifies the refining process. Without one, you'd be stuck using a cheese grater and knife/cutting board combo, which are methods that can't deliver the even consistency, fine refinement, or balanced texture that a proper grinder provides.

After the flower is ground up, it’s packed into a bowl and lit. In order to do this you’ll need a lighter, which brings us to the third most important accessory on the list. 

You can technically get a lighter anywhere. Your local gas station probably has one, and for most casual smokers, a standard Bic lighter works just fine. But if you dabble in concentrates and dry herb, it may be time to invest in a torch or hemp wick. The exciting thing about torches is that they are super customizable, and you can get some really cool designs, like the Yocan Red Hero Torch and Smyle Labs Pixel Torch.

If you’re going to use a torch to light up dry herb in a bong, make sure to hold it far away from the bowl, and just direct the flame at the herb, without touching it. Slowly move closer until the herb lights from the residual heat. If you hold it close and light up, you can easily burn yourself, spray herb everywhere from the pressure of the butane, or even crack your glass, especially in colder environments.

And if you’re not into the taste of butane gas that traditional lighters and torches elicit, then hemp wicks could be a viable alternative to lighting up. Hemp wicks work by providing a consistent, low-temperature flame for lighting dry herb.

Some affordable options on the market for hemp wicks are Bee Line Hemp Wick - 9 Feet and Randy's Hemp Wick - 100 Feet.

And if lighting up your bong isn't your cup of tea and you prefer a more traditional way of smoking, you'll absolutely need a rolling tray and rolling paper, which brings us to the next essential on the list.

One of the messiest parts of being a dry herb connoisseur is the rolling process. The dry herb will get all over your work area, and since the particles are so tiny, it can be difficult to collect all the miscellaneous pieces of flower. To remedy this issue, rolling trays are a must-have for any avid smoker. Some top-of-the-line products in this category include: RAW Classic Metal Rolling Trays, GRAV Metal Rolling Tray, and PAX Prep Tray.

Rolling trays are great for simplifying the rolling and packing process, and they add a bit of color to your equipment collection.

Rolling papers are another necessity if you like to roll spliffs or straight-up J's. They are sold in different sizes, so know what type of roll you want beforehand.

Some solid rolling papers for both first-timers and seasoned smokers include: Zig Zag French Orange Rolling Papers and HOUSEPLANT by OCB 1-1/4" Rolling Papers.

For all-in-ones, if you don't want to buy multiple different accessories to roll, there are rolling kits available, like the Blazy Susan 1-1/4" Deluxe Rolling Kit.

Expert tip: If you want a super clean roll, try the backroll technique where you do an inside-out roll to reduce the amount of paper you smoke. And if you don't want to buy a cone or other materials to get that perfect roll, you can always opt for a dollar bill to help shape the roll into a tight cylinder.

Either way, it's going to get ashy after you light up your spliff or J, which means you'll definitely need an ashtray.

Ashtrays have become everyday staples, even in non-smoker homes, thanks to their dual life as trinket dishes and fire preventers when you ash your stuff haphazardly. They're unique and customizable. Whether you're ashing a slide from a bong or the tip of a rolled J, an ashtray is where it all goes.

Some iconic ashtrays to add to your collection include: Drew Estate Melamine Ashtray, NWTN Home Symi Ashtray, and GRAV Ellipse Ashtray.

Look for ashtrays with deep grooves or a cigar rest notch and they'll hold your J or spliff in place while you're not actively smoking it. This helps you keep a more balanced pace and not rush through your joint with that mouth-to-hand fixation. It makes the ashtray a social piece, letting you focus on conversation instead of watching your joint burn down.

If you don't want smoking to be a social event, however, and want your experience to be discreet, then you'll definitely need a smell-proof pack to store all your goodies.

One of smokers' favorite catchphrases is, "It's loud in here, who's gonna share." Being "loud" often refers to the smell of dry herb. Like I said earlier, if you're not keen on sharing your stash or want to stay discreet about your goodies, a smell-proof stash pack is a necessity for keeping it under wraps.

Smell proof packs are one of those accessories that are easily missed, but can actually make all the difference when it comes to storing your stash. This is especially true if you have roommates who despise the smell of ganja.

Look into getting a pack like the Death Row Smell Proof Shoulder Bag or Doggs Lbs Snap Pack Stash Pack.

Smell proof packs are great for on-the-go, but they don't always regulate humidity. If you want a more reliable way of storing your flower while keeping it fresh and moist, you should think about investing in an airtight jar, which is the next product on the list.

Keeping dry herb fresh is an ongoing struggle for many smokers. What makes dry herb difficult is that the perfect environment for maintaining maximum freshness is between 55°F and 65°F, with a relative humidity between 58–62%.

Since these are such specific conditions, it's imperative to find the right place to store your flower. If the environment is too hot, the flower is at risk of developing mold, evaporating terpenes, and decomposing cannabinoids. In an extremely cold climate, the flower has reduced potency and creates brittle trichomes. If it's stored in the fridge and then taken out, the condensation on the flower may also cause it to mold.

Storing your flower correctly will ensure a longer lifespan and result in a more potent, better-tasting smoke session. Remember that smoking is supposed to ignite all of your senses; if the aroma is lacking, the color is lacking, it tastes off, feels brittle, or sounds like it's not burning right then chances are it’s not good flower.

To help maintain your flower's freshness, consider investing in airtight jars like PAX Stash Jar and White Rhino PRUF 2-in-1 Jar.

But even the freshest flower won't save your piece from getting dirty, which brings us to ash catchers.

If your primary smoking device is a bong then it may be time to invest in an ash catcher. While this isn’t necessarily a necessity like a grinder, it is a helpful tool for keeping your bong cleaner and preserving the flavor of the flower. It works by acting as a prefiltration chamber that sits between the bowl and the water chamber. 

There are two common ash catcher types on the market: wet and dry. A wet ash catcher is exactly what it sounds like, it cools the vapor with a tiny bit of water so it's less harsh on your lungs. A dry ash catcher just catches the ash particles for a less convoluted pull from your bong.

They look intimidating at first glance, but once you realize that you just connect it where the bong joint is and set your bowl on top of the catcher it becomes a lot easier to understand the mechanics of it.

Some traditional and straightforward pieces of glass ash catchers are reminiscent of the Pulsar Spiral Horn Ash Catcher and the Pulsar Basics Ash Catcher.

We're getting toward the end of the list, but that doesn't mean these accessories matter any less. Cleaning supplies, for example, are a key part of the smoking experience. We have a whole guide linked here for a deeper dive into cleaning techniques and alternatives to traditional supplies, but for now, here's a quick rundown on the basics to keep your setup fresh.

A clean bong is a clean mind, and a clean mind is a happy one. And isn't that the whole point of smoking, to feel elevated and lifted in the best way possible? It all starts with cleaning supplies and finding the right ones for your setup. If you have a bong, consider investing in the Formula 710 Cleaning Plug and Formula 420 A3 Daily Use Concentrated Cleaner.

Cleaning a hand pipe is pretty standard as well, no matter which one you're using. If you've got the budget for it, products like Randy's Black Label Cleaner and Randy's Soft Pipe Cleaner Bundle are great for getting into all those hard-to-reach spots.

The last items on the list are the ones that get all the hype: bongs and hand pipes. But I wanted to highlight the importance of all the other accessories by saving these for the end. So to finish off the 10 most important smoking accessories, the list wouldn't be complete without mentioning them.

Bongs and hand pipes are where it all started. They're cute, customizable, and very iconic. As we've learned from decades of smoking culture, these glass pieces reign supreme in the smoking world. They're on a pedestal for a reason, mainly because they're solid, reliable smoking devices that take little to no setup and are fairly easy to take on-the-go. If you want specific bong and hand pipe recommendations, check out Complete Guide to Hand Pipes and Best Aesthetic Bongs Under $100. 

But in general, look for hand pipes and bongs made of high-quality materials like borosilicate glass, and avoid any pieces with messy seams or cracked joints.

Before we wrap things up, I should mention that this list focused mainly on dry herb, because that's where most smokers start. But if you've ventured into the world of concentrates and dabbing, you already know that comes with its own set of essential tools like torches, dab rigs, nails, carb caps, dabbers, and terp pearls. We dive deep into all of that in our separate guide, The Essential Dab Tools and Accessories, so make sure to check that out if dabbing is your thing.