Holy smokes, I’m thrilled with this thing! The f-Bomb is a small “hydratube” designed by PlanetVape to work with the Arizer Solo and the herbalAire. So far I have managed to use the f-Bomb with the following vaporizers:

• Underdog (using a 14mm GonG WPA)
• Vaporbrothers (using a 14mm GonG WPA at the end of the hose)
• Dabbler (take the mouthpiece off and stick the pen right in the 14mm opening of the f-Bomb)
• Solo (using PlanetVape’s 14mm PVHEGonG)

In the near future I have plans to use the f-Bomb with my Volcano using PlanetVape’s 14mm Volcano Easy Valve GonG.

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In short, the f-Bomb is a highly versatile water filtration options for a large variety of vaporizers. While you can use the GonG adapters to attach any of the above listed vaporizers to a water pipe, the f-Bomb brings a level of convenience to the table that is unrivaled by most tabletop water pipes and most smaller water pipes as well. I would go as far as calling the f-Bomb a water diffusion stem rather than a small scale water pipe. When paired with the Solo or Underdog, the f-Bomb replaces the regular draw stem entirely.

It seems as if you like the f-Bomb, can you confirm?

Yes! What pleases me most about the f-Bomb is its versatility. I’ve taken the f-Bomb on hikes and carried it in my back pocket while filled with water. The unit is designed to make spilling water much more difficult than most water pipes I’ve used. I’ve had no issues placing the f-Bomb down on a table sideways while filled with water, and yet the cleverly designed splash guard keeps the water from spilling or leaking out. It works with almost every vaporizer I own thanks to its standard 14mm female GonG connector on the bottom.

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My initial impressions upon opening the box was awe. PlanetVape understands their customers and proactively addresses their needs by including a bag of Doritos in the box as padding material. Once I’ve made my way past the Doritos and down to the f-Bomb I was very happy with how well it was padded and wrapped. I’ve had mishaps receiving glass via post from other vendors in the past, but nothing short of destroying the entire box would damage the f-Bomb in transit. Once I’ve liberated the f-Bomb from its bubble wrap packaging, I was impressed by its size, but also concerned about its capacity. Having never used a jet diffused water filter before, I didn’t realize that I’d only need to fill it just past the jet openings for it to work. Adding more water after that point suffers from diminishing returns due to the higher probability of the water making it up past the splash guard. When filled to the correct water level the splash guard will prevent 99% of the water from ever reaching your lips. If the f-Bomb is over-filled, the splash guard acts as a handy way to catch the extra water and hold it above the main chamber (which makes it easy to pour out the correct amount of excess water).

Hard Facts

• Shape: Cylinder
• Length: 5.68 inches
• Diameter of tube (outside to outside): 1.1 inches
• Diameter of mouth rim (outside to outside): 1.2 inches
• Diameter of tube (inside to inside):  0.9 inches
• Splash guard slits: 4
• Diffusion Jets: 7
• Chips included in shipment: Doritos (see pictured French/Canadian Fromage Nacho chips on right)

Does it diffuse?

I’ve wrestled with the proper way to rate and describe different diffusion styles and don’t have a magic bullet solution yet. I would say that the f-Bomb’s size and water capacity does not reflect on its ability to provide a smooth, diffused and well hydrated draw. While a larger water pipe may be able to cool vapor down due to the distance the vapor needs to travel from its source to you, the f-Bomb relies on its jet diffusion design exclusively. When I have a vaporizer (Solo for example) set to a higher than average temperature (to finish off a session) the f-Bomb doesn’t quite fit the bill to keep me from coughing. That being said, I’ve yet to find a water pipe that makes every draw cool and smooth from start to finish across the entire range of temperatures.

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Verdict

I harbor a strong philosophical stance that I will not tell people what to buy in these reviews. I’ll provide high quality photos, I’ll write about the facts of the item reviewed, and pepper in my experience and opinions on the item being reviewed. The f-Bomb really tested that philosophy. Due to its small size, ease of use, and near limitless ability to pair with a large variety of vaporizers, I’d liken the f-Bomb to the Swiss Army Knife of water filters/water pipes/water stems. A Swiss Army Knife won’t compete with a machete when you’re trailblazing through the jungle, but it’ll sure as hell get the job done as a small on-hand utility tool. Ask yourself, has there ever been a time you wanted to bring a water pipe along but couldn’t due to size constraints? Was it too fragile? The f-Bomb has filled that need in my life, and has become a daily at-home driver as well.

Finally, what would a review be without a bit of constructive criticism?

Positives:

• Portable and pocketable (even when filled with water).
• Extremely versatile.
• The manufacturer made sure to obtain permission from the “hydratube” design patent holder VapeXhale.

Neutral:

• The f-Bomb in its current form is designed with function in mind over aesthetics, the jet diffusers aren’t equally spaced.
• I’d like the option of having a male/female 14mm connection at the top to attach the f-Bomb inline with other water pipes or to add a mouthpiece.

Negatives:

• None, I really like this thing.
• If I was forced to put a negative, I could live without the “f-Bomb” logo etched on the side.

The f-Bomb can be purchased directly from PlanetVape for 109.99

I’d like to extend a big Thank You! to Robert at PlanetVape for being so willing to take the time to talk to me about the f-Bomb and the direction of the vaporizer industry as a whole.

PS. I have a lot of fun shooting outdoor photos for my reviews, as winter approaches I have less and less sunlight to work with so I try to take every opportunity to grab a good photo. This includes chasing the last remaining light of the day for half a mile to finish a photo shoot. I had a lot of fun with this shoot and tried my hand at making a stereoscope.