How to choose a hookah

1. Height. The most obvious criterion by which most people choose a hookah. Attention, the height of the hookah does not influence the smoking! It is not necessary to focus on it at all. The height is purely an aesthetic value, which means that a good low hookah and a good high hookah, all other things being equal, will be smoked the same. Another thing is that good hookahs rarely make very small hookahs, more often they are cheap Chinese items which are poorly smoked not only because of their small size but also because of low quality of all elements.

It is believed that the high hookahs cool the smoke better, but to notice this difference without accurate devices is impossible. In addition, it is believed that high hookahs purify the smoke better, but studies have shown that at the walls of the shaft is deposited only about 10% of harmful substances (the main part is filtered by water), so the height of the shaft, again, will affect very little. As for the draught, it is the diameter of the waterpipe shaft, not its height that affects it.

2. The country of manufacturer. Strangely enough, it also does not make any difference. It is possible to buy both good Chinese hookah, and bad Egyptian one, and vice versa. The distinctive feature of hookahs made in Arab countries is that they almost always have small defects in aesthetics, such as a little smudged painting in places, traces of soldering, etc. Also, they never have the same packaging as Chinese hookahs (no cardboard box, no suitcase). But Arab waterpipes usually have a more durable metal.

3. material of the shaft. One of the most important parameters! On the material of the shaft depends directly on the life of your hookah, which can vary from a couple of months to 10 years, as well as how good you will feel the taste of tobacco. The best variant is stainless steel. It does not matter what the external part of the shaft is made of - decorative elements can be of any metal. Hookahs made of stainless steel have the longest life span. Most often it is used for making Egyptian hookahs, in particular such hookahs as Khalil Mamoon (Khalil Mamoon), AWS, Nammor and others. Since stainless steel does not oxidize, nothing will spoil the taste of the tobacco.

One often hears the opinion that the best mines are made of copper, that copper cools the smoke better. But it is almost impossible to notice this difference in temperature. There are no obvious advantages of copper mines, but there is a significant and very tangible disadvantage - copper turns green over time, the life of copper waterpipe will be much shorter than that of stainless steel.

As for Chinese hookahs, they are never made of steel, it is always a variety of alloys, the exact composition of which is known only authentically to the owners of the factory where they are produced. Hookahs from Mya, Ager have more or less quality alloys which will last much longer than cheaper Chinese hookahs. The same refers to ELG and Pharaoh hookahs.

Separately, we can single out Syrian waterpipes which are generally made from brass and by the quality of the material are at about the same level as Mya and Ager waterpipes.

Briefly on the life expectancy of a hookah with moderate use (3-4 times a week):

Stainless steel - 10 years

Copper - 2-3 years

More expensive Chinese alloys and brass - 1-2 years

Cheap Chinese alloys - less than 1 year.