Any tips on what to look for when buying a hookah?

Hookah’s are cool. They are for socializing. So you need more then one hose.

@ChazMaz Not necessarily. Traditionally, waiting your turn is half the fun.

I see your point.
For me, a hookah is like having your friends over for dinner. A plate of food in the middle and it is a help yourself thing. I understand that what you put in it could curb that help yourself philosophy. :-)

Smoke apple

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Double Apple

Don’t put it in a carpeted area… When the coal drops, which will inevitably happen (especially if you have friends over to use it, and even more especially if anyone is drinking), it burns right through the carpet.

Don’t jam the hoses into the chamber part, just press them in gently.

A what? :) What’s a hookah?

Hookahs are awesome. I have smoked both one hose and multiple hose ones. The problem with the multi-hoses is that everyone has to haul at the same pressure and at the same time… which gets harder as the night goes on. I find the one hose ones to be more elegant and sturdy, but that’s just my personal experience/opinion. If I were to buy one, I would buy a one-hose because those are much more prevalent in my area, thus I have more opportunities to get one whose motif I enjoy.

@dynamicduo It’s usually customary for the participants with hoses to take turns, furthermore for one person to smoke while the others cover the hole in their hoses with their finger/thumb…

I smoked hookah for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It made me incredibly giggly and then incredibly nauseated. I’d recommend the one-hose hookah; it’s fun to pass around and take turns.

Two hoses is nice for a circle of people, one hose per 2–4 people…

sounds like Peyton greened out :P

I don’t really enjoy the incense park of it. I smoked out of an 8 hose hookah with 7 friends, its was alot of fun to chill and become relaxed with everyone at the sametime.

they are really awesome my boyfriend and i have one !
actually, you should try using flavored water, or a juice with ice in the “water jar” or “vase”, it makes for an even more flavorful smoke. my favorite is blueberry shisha so far ! :)

good luck and have fun !

@jfos – i couldn’t have said it better !

I second @dynamicduo‘s concern with multi-hose hookahs that all hoses must have suction or be blocked at the same time. So, if you don’t have two people inhaling at the exact same time, you must use your thumb to block the tip of the other hose or you won’t get any suction. It’s been frustrating for me to use multi-hose hookahs because I repeatedly have to ask the person holding the other hose to block the tip with their thumb when I want to inhale. I recommend a single hose hookah; two hoses are more hassle than benefit.

Another thing to look for is quality metalwork. Some less expensive hookahs are just pressed tin that’s been soldered together. They feel light and look cheap. Quality metalwork and nicely cut glass are things I look for when adding to my collection.

I second the advice to watch out for your carpet. Coals are hot and will burn holes in carpet, linoleum or wood floors. A baking sheet or metal tray to put your hookah on is a great investment.

And yeah, Double Apple is the best flavor.

@MattyG and all those who commented on the multi hose hookahs:
What if they have auto seal?
And so far, Rammon’s Good Times is my favorite flavor..yum.

Compression! The single most important factor when buying a hookah. You want to plug up each hole, and then test each one out for air compression. Make sure there is no air coming in from anywhere but the stem holes. A lot of hookahs fail at this, and that makes them worthless.