Co-founder of MOTA Glass, Susie Plascencia, with the company’s 18”x9mm SugarSkull Beaker Bong. Photo credit: MOTA Glass.
Mota Glass is a Latinx and veteran-owned brand, founded by Susie Plascencia and Bobby Lady.
Plascencia and Lady founded Mota Glass with the mission to support independent, American glass blowers and the Latinx workforce.
We were lucky enough to get our hands on the company’s Sugar Skull Beaker Bong. The piece’s artwork features sugar skulls or calaveras/calaveritas — one of the most iconic symbols of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday that hails back thousands of years.
Traditionally, sugar skulls represent deceased loved ones, and the sweetness of life. Sometimes made of sugar, they are often used as offerings in altars aka ofrendas, and are colorfully decorated.
This particular calaveritas-inspired creation also acts as a different sort of offering, honoring the collision of Mexican culture and cannabis.
Sugar Skull Beaker Bong
$200
Mota Glass’ 18 inch x 9 mm Sugar Skull Black Color Accent Beaker Bong is adorned with the company’s “Mota” logo/slab, and a black rim around the mouthpiece. The logo itself appears on all of Mota’s bongs, and comes in a variety of colors ranging from lavender to red.
However, this design includes sugar skulls, which — as the company states — “is inspired by the beauty of Mexican culture and the passion cannabis users have for the plant and its community. […] This piece celebrates both heritage and love for cannabis.”
Aside from traditional, colorful designs and smiling calaveritas, Mota Glass’ sugar skulls include cannabis leaves, which makes this piece even more special. Plus, the black ring around the mouthpiece makes the design pop.
This handcrafted beaker sits at 18 inches tall. It features 9 mm thick borosilicate glass, which means it’s super durable. Due to its size and thickness, it is a heavier piece.
It comes in three pieces: the bong, the downstem, and the bowl piece. However, the bowl piece did not come with a handle. So, we replaced it with another locally-made one with a handle so we didn’t burn our fingers when we removed it for a hit.
A piece this size can be intimidating. Though we’re experienced consumers, we typically smoke from shorter bongs. Consequently, we thought we’d have a coughing fit. But that didn’t happen. In fact, it delivered exactly what it promised — impressively smooth, super tasty hits with huge clouds of smoke. Despite the long chamber, we could really taste the flavor of the flower. We found it great for regular use — especially for after-work bong rips.
The longer chamber is helps sufficiently cool the smoke down before reaching our throats. The bong also comes with an ice catcher for cooler, smoother hits (and it also helps prevent additional splashing when ice is in the chamber). This is extra handy for warmer days, or for those whose throats get irritated easily.
Keep it Clean
Like all smokeware, it’s important to keep this bong clean. As such, we recommend that consumers empty the water in the bong frequently, and give it a good clean often to keep the clear glass pristine, and prevent stains. We use a simple 90% isopropyl alcohol/salt solution.
We felt that, for a bong of this size, it was fairly easy to clean. Overall it took about 5 minutes. Because the downstem is removable, consumers can soak it before cleaning it with a pipe cleaner, or micro tube brush/straw cleaner. Alternatively, put it in a zip lock with alcohol and salt, and shake it. It is a narrow downstem, so it’s too small for a toothbrush to fit.
Another benefit to this bong is its beaker shape. Compared to straight-tube bongs — it held more water, and had a wider surface area, which helps cool the smoke down quickly, and prevents any splashing (nobody likes bong water in their mouths — more of a reason to keep this beauty clean).
Its beaker shape also makes it more sturdy (it’s bottom heavy) compared to other designs, according to DankShop.
Worth it?
This bong serves both form and function. Overall, this bong is a real beauty; it’s a must have for bong-lovers, and for those who collect or just appreciate high-quality glassware that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the lungs. Though there are definitely “headier” or more decorative designs out there; we’re a fan of Mota’s sugar skull slab on the tall, sleek glass. When it is not in use, we’ll keep it on display.
Post from @mota_glass on Instagram.
Typical bongs of this height and thickness range anywhere from around $100 to upwards of $400. While $200 may seem steep, we found it entirely reasonable for a handcrafted, American-made piece.
This is not a typical, mass-produced imported piece. Furthermore, Mota Glass celebrates and uplift minority artists and veterans. For example, they offer a military discount at 25% off, according to the company. Therefore, purchases go to a great cause and support local glass blowers in L.A.
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