GLOW IN THE DARK

There’s nothing like a glow-in-the-dark bong, pipe or carb cap to set the vibes right. Whether you are in your backyard admiring the stars or cozy in bed drifting off into a puffy cloud of smoke, glow-in-the-dark smoking accessories elevate the sesh. So what is behind this magical, luminescent effect

How do glow in the dark bongs work?

Glow-in-the-dark items use phosphors, a non-toxic substance engineered from natural rare earth compounds. Phosphors absorb light by way of photons from the sun or fluorescent lamps and release that stored energy in the dark.

How do you charge glow in the dark glass?

The glow is charged with sunlight or light from fluorescent lamps. However, if an item is UV reactive, it will need UV light in order to glow. Generally, the longer the glass is left under the light, the more energy it stores and the brighter it will glow.

How does UV reactive glass work?

Glass is considered UV reactive when it contains Uranium oxide. UV light excites electrons beyond their ground state, triggering the release of photons from the glass. That’s why the glass appears to glow but requires UV light to charge and become activated.

Are glow in the dark bongs safe?

Glow-in-the-dark bongs are non-toxic. The phosphors found in glowing water pipes are used in everything from glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars to paint and even toys. 

Types of glow in the dark bongs

Almost any style bong can glow-in-the-dark but generally it’s made from borosilicate glass or food-grade silicone. The most common styles with this feature include beakers, straight tubes and percolator bongs. 

How are glow in the dark bongs made?

Molten borosilicate glass is rolled into phosphor powder and placed into the furnace repeatedly. In the glassblowing process, phosphors must be handled with care. The average furnace temperature used in blowing glass can go beyond 2000 °F but many phosphors have melting points under this threshold. That means that an inexperienced glassblower using the wrong phosphor could lead to an explosion. So next time you pack a bowl, just remember the beauty, science and care that went into your beautifully blown glow-in-the-dark bong.