A hookah, also known as a shisha, narghile or waterpipe, is used to vaporize and smoke sweetened tobacco. The smoke travels through water before being inhaled. The water filtration and cooling system gives hookah its renowned smoothness and also helps to differentiate it from other forms of smoking, such as cigarettes, cigars or pipes.

The etymology of the word hookah comes from the Hindustani word ‘huqqa’ and is also Arabic for a jar or pot. Different regions also refer to a hookah by its own name.

Region	Name
Middle East	Narghile / Argileh
India / Pakistan	Huqqa
Egypt	Shisha
Turkey	Nargile
Southeast Asia	Waterpipe

Regardless of the name by which people address it, the main operation is the same. Using charhookah coals, the tobacco is heated and the smoke that is generated is drawn, passing through water before it is inhaled through a Wasserpfeifenschläuche.

As a B2B buyer, it is essential to understand how the device works before making a purchase. This lack of understanding makes it impossible for you to determine a hookah’s quality, set a reasonable price or answer consumers’ questions regarding the product.

How a Hookah Works: The Filtration and Cooling Process

Now, that you understand the components of a hookah, let’s discuss the mechanics of what occurs once charcoal is lit and what the smoker experiences.

Step 1: Heating the Tobacco

We start with the hookah bowls. The user puts tasty tobacco (shisha or molasses tobacco) in the bowl, covers it with foil (or a heat management device), and places lit charcoal on top.

The charcoal does not come in contact with the tobacco. It stays above, separated by foil or an HMD. As the charcoal absorbs heat, it warms the tobacco to around 150–200 °C (300–400 °F). At this temperature, the tobacco’s glycerin and the flavor compounds in the tobacco begin to vaporize. The tobacco does not burn. It bakes. This is the biggest difference between smoking hookah and a cigarette. We all know how harsh cigarette smoke is. This is due to combustion. What’s great about hookah, is that we vaporize the tobacco, producing smooth, flavored vapor.

Step 2: Smoke Travels Down the Stem

Once the user inhales through the hose, the pressure in the hookah system drops to a negative pressure. With this, air enters through the top of the bowl, passes through the hot tobacco, vaporizes the flavor and shisha nicotine content, and the smoke travels down the stem.

The stem’s only job is to be a conduit. The inner diameter of the tube determines draw resistance. If the diameter is greater, the draw is lighter. If the diameter is smaller, the draw is more difficult. The most modern hookahs use a stem diameter of 10–14 mm. This serves a good range between airflow and smoke density.

Step 3: Water Filtration the Core Process

Once the smoke reaches the end of the stem, it enters the water. This is the most important step in the entire process.

Once it reaches the hookah base, the smoke gets cooled, filtered, and humidified. We call this process the bubble phase for the following reasons.

First, the smoke enters a water chamber where the bottom of the hookah stem is submerged. The stem’s submerged bottom forces smoke to pass through the water in the chamber, breaking the smoke into smaller bubbles.

When smoke enters water, a couple of things occur. First, the smoke cools. The smoke passes through a hot charcoal bowl and can enter the water at temperatures of 50–70 °C. Room temperature water absorbs this heat. Smoke passing through water gets cooled to room temperature and therefore, smoke from a hookah seems cool after it gets water cooled.

Second, the water acts as a physical filter, capturing larger pieces of particulate matter in the water. While some of the particulate matter gets absorbed into water, harmful smoke compounds still exist. The user experiences a less irritating smoke, meaning the water again acts as a filter.

Finally, smoke that bubbles through water carries vapor. This water vapor adds to the smoke, making the draw less dry. Ultimately, the whole process leads to a smoother and less irritating smoke draw, hence a “creamy” draw.

Step 4: Smoke Rises Into the Airspace

After undergoing the bubble phase, filtered, cooled, and water vapor laden smoke ascends to the top of the hookah base where the collection chamber of the hookah is situated. The hookah draws more smoke into the base as the user drags on the hookah.

A smoke chamber is where the smoke from several draws is kept until the user draws again. Once the chamber smoke is let out, the user is pulled in the freshly produced smoke (which once again passes through the water).

Step 5: Smoke Inhalation Through the Tube

Each draw pulls the smoke from the airspace, through the tube port, through the tube, into the mouth, and finally, into the lungs. The tube does not filter or cool smoke. The tube is simply a passage. However, a good quality silicone tube provides a smooth passage.

The entire process of taking a draw and inhaling the smoke usually lasts about 1–2 seconds from the initial activation (the charcoals) to the inhalation. However, the engineering of this process has been perfected over the years.

Do you have any questions related to this B2B Purchase?

Are hookah and vape the same?

No, and they are different in the experience, the equipment, and the entire supply chain. Hookah uses charcoals to heat tobacco whereas vape uses an electronic coil to heat liquid.

Does the water remove all the harmful elements?

No, the water only cools the smoke and creates humidity in the smoke. It also collects some of the large particles, but other substances remain in the smoke. It serves recreational purposes, not as health device.

How long do you smoke hookah?

Depending on the tobacco quality and how you manage heat, a session that contains about 15 grams of tobacco and about 2–3 coconut charcoals lasts between about 45 minutes to about 90 minutes.

What size hookah should I get for my lounge?

For the majority of lounges, hookah sizes of 50cm to 80cm are the most suitable. Taller hookahs (90cm+) are more of a display piece (which are cool), but can be difficult to clean and have a higher chance of tipping over. Shorter hookahs (under 40cm) smoke with less stability and can have a higher draw temperature since the smoke doesn’t have as much distance to travel and cool. The 65cm stainless steel hookah set is a great starter option for lounge owners and provides a good balance of cooling distance without being too tall.