One hitters are a fun and versatile piece for any consumer’s collection, whether you prefer to use it for discretion in public while smoking or for small, controlled doses of your product. As the name suggests, they are designed to hold only a hit or two of weed, so they’re not quite as big as a bowl, but they are one of the simplest and most discreet ways to smoke and conserve your product. Most one hitters hold the product just inside the tip of the chamber, so it’s easier to travel with a hit of cannabis in your pocket with a one-hitter than it is with a glass bowl or other device.
Another great thing about one hitters is that they produce far less smoke and odor than a rolled joint, and all you need is a lighter – no water or additional accessories necessary. Needless to say, it’s a handy little piece to have around and every cannabis connoisseur likely has a one hitter or five in their stash drawer.
Best One Hitter Pipes
As with most products in the cannabis industry, one hitters come in a variety of styles, sizes, materials, and prices, from colorful elaborate glass to simple cigarette lookalikes. Here are a few of our favorite one hitters that we recommend for discreet smoking and small doses of your favorite cannabis product.
This 3-inch glass chillum by GRAV is made on 16mm tubing with a gorgeous marble blue glass color that’s as stylish as it is minimal and discreet. It’s the perfect piece for microdosing your cannabis or stowing away in your purse or pocket for quick hits no matter where you are.
This 3 inch Jane West one hitter taster pipe is made on 12mm tubing in her signature cobalt blue style. Featuring a tapered mouthpiece, glass roll stop to keep it from rolling off the table, and Jane’s popular minimalist aesthetic, this piece is perfect for both discreet smoking and for adding to your glass collection.
At 4 inches, this petite GRAV spoon is larger and not quite as portable as a one hitter that secures the weed inside its walls, as this keeps the herb exposed like a traditional bowl pipe. But still, if all you need is a one hitter at home and you’re not worried about travel, this piece is the perfect choice for microdosing a couple tiny hits throughout the day. There’s a carb cap on the left for controlled airflow and there are 15 vibrant colors to choose from, including cobalt blue and transparent pink, so you can pick one for every strain, or mood, or friend…
How To Use One Hitters For Microdosing Cannabis
Microdosing is a term that can apply to many different drugs and is commonly used in the world of psychedelics like mushrooms or LSD. Simply put, microdosing involves taking smaller doses of a psychoactive drug rather than the recommended dose to “get high” or experience a “full trip.” A microdose can still provide valuable medicinal or therapeutic benefits, just at a much smaller level.
People who are either sensitive to the effects of cannabis or who prefer to use it for purposes like relieving pain or nausea as opposed to getting stoned often opt for a microdose, which is easily done with a one hitter. The small chamber makes it easy to add a single hit or two to the pipe so you can light up and enjoy a small dose without accidentally chiefing a large bowl full of weed. If your tolerance is low, this is a nice way to enjoy the pleasant effects without too much of an impairment, so you can still feel in control and do what you need to get done for the day.
How To Make A One Hitter
Making your own one hitter takes a bit of creativity and ingenuity, but if you don’t have any smoking device on hand, you can easily do it with a couple household items (assuming you have a lighter, some matches, or some other type of safe access to a flame).
The easiest way to make one is with aluminum foil and a pen or pencil. Roll the foil around the pen until you’ve done enough layers to make it sturdy, remove the pen, then dip one end into your ground up herb and smoke it from the other end. It might take a little finagling to get it to smoke just right, but with some practice this is a skill you’ll be glad you picked up.
It’s also possible to make a pipe out of a toilet paper roll, but depending on how small you roll it up (if you roll it at all), the hits can be pretty big, especially if you keep it at its regular size. If you want it to be smaller, cut the roll lengthwise and tightly roll until it’s the size you desire. Then you’re going to want to cut a hole on the top side near one end. Add some tin foil to the hole, dip it inward like a bowl, and poke a couple small holes in it with a pin. When you smoke from it, you can either hold one hand over the other end to control the airflow, or you can put another piece of foil with some holes in it on the other end as well.
If you’re feeling extra creative (or you’ve got the munchies and you’re craving some fruit), you can even use an apple or strawberry. Poke a hole about halfway deep in the top of an apple or remove the greens off the strawberry to create a bowl. Then poke another hole in the side just until it meets the other hole. Make sure their connection has a small connecting hole for airflow but not so much that your bud will fall through. This will take some practice as well, but remember you can always make the bowl bigger but not smaller. You can even poke one hole all the way through, then do the tin foil bowl to keep your herb away from the fruit.
The point is that you can make a one hitter or small bowl out of just about anything if you’re crafty enough and want to test your MacGyver skills. What sets a one hitter apart from other smoking devices is really just the size of the bowl, which is small enough for a single hit or two.
How To Smoke It
Unlike many of the complexities that often come with a bong, dab rig, or other fancy smoking apparatus, using a one hitter is incredibly easy. In fact, it’s quite similar to smoking a joint or cigarette and it’s designed to be just as easy and convenient to do.
First, pack the end of your one hitter with fresh ground cannabis. Make sure it’s packed a bit tight to keep it from falling out, but not so tight that there is no airflow.
Place the mouthpiece end against your lips and gently draw the smoke into your mouth while passing a lighter over the herb side of the pipe. It’s ideal to pass the lighter over it rather than holding it there to prevent yourself from burning the small amount of flower up too quickly.
Inhale, hold for a couple seconds, and exhale.
No really, that’s all you have to do!
Emptying out a one hitter is as easy as gently dabbing the end against your ashtray or blowing from the other end. Once it’s completely cashed the ash will fall out with almost no effort, ready to be re-packed for its next use.
Best Way To Clean It
If the controllability and portability of one hitters and chillums is not enough to sell you on these great little devices, they also happen to be very easy to clean due to their small, compact size.
For glass or metal one hitters, the easiest and cheapest way to clean is to first use a pick to remove any excess flower and residue from the bowl, then put the piece in a small bag or container with some sea salt and 99% isopropyl alcohol. You don’t need a lot of alcohol, just enough to soak the glass and shake it around a little bit.
If your pipes are really dirty, let them soak for a few before scrubbing. Once you’re ready, give the bag or container a few good shakes to slosh around the alcohol and salt, then run the pieces under hot water while scrubbing any excess residue with a pipe cleaner. The alcohol will help break down the resin and the salt will scrub it off the glass more easily. This method works great on glass and metal pipes of all sizes and shapes, so there’s no need to buy a fancy cleaning product from the head shop every time you want to clean your pipes.
We hope this guide gives you a better understanding of the different kinds of one hitters, their uses, and why it’s so beneficial to have one in your collection. Browse through the many items at GRAV and you’re sure to find a glass piece for every smoking occasion.