Hemper is a Las Vegas-based online headshop and direct-to-consumer brand that sells novelty-shaped glass, and it is best known for a $39.99 monthly subscription box. The pieces make sense if you want borosilicate glass with a 14mm joint; the box makes sense only if you want a steady supply of themed accessories.
The company started in June 2015 shipping a curated monthly box of accessories sourced from other companies to about 30 subscribers, and founder Bryan Gerber pitched the idea as Birchbox for stoners. [4]
Hemper’s own about page is blunt about what the business has become: it says the subscription box has not been the core of its business for many years, and that it now designs many products in-house and has them manufactured exclusively for Hemper. Bongs are described as its best-selling category. [1] [5]
On the glass side, the Hemper pieces we carry are listed as borosilicate with 14mm female joints and perforated downstems, running from compact pieces around 4.25 inches up through XL models. [10] This guide works through the brand’s history, the box terms, the glass specification, joint and size matching, and the trade-offs to weigh before you order.
What is Hemper, and what does the brand actually sell?
Start with what Hemper says about itself, because its own copy is more specific than most brand blurbs. Its about page describes an online headshop and direct-to-consumer product brand selling glass bongs, hand pipes, dab rigs, vaporizers, grinders and cleaning gear, states that many products are designed in-house and manufactured exclusively for Hemper, and says it ships discreetly across the United States and internationally. [1]
Press coverage fills in what actually sells. Bongs are described as Hemper’s best-selling product category, with top sellers clustered around food themes, and the wider range covers cones, grinders, dab tools, vaporizers and cleaning supplies, plus a value line of items retailing at $10 and under. [5]
The branding is a deliberate choice rather than an accident. Retail Brew reports the brand avoids familiar cannabis cues, with no Rasta colors, no cannabis-leaf imagery and no drip logos, with the stated aim that its pieces would be unremarkable on a bookshelf or coffee table. [4]
For a shopper, that adds up to a novelty-forward, direct-to-consumer glass brand built around water pipes. Our Bongs, Dab Rigs and Hand Pipes collections are the three catalog doors most Hemper pieces sit behind, and the range is not limited to glass: pieces such as the SILICONE BEAKER BONG WITH REMOVABLE GLASS BOWL sit alongside the themed water pipes. [1]
- What the brand states about itself: an online headshop and direct-to-consumer product brand selling glass bongs, hand pipes, dab rigs, vaporizers, grinders and cleaning gear, with many products designed in-house and manufactured exclusively for Hemper. [1]
- What the same page states about the box: the subscription box has not been the core of the business for many years. [1]
- What the press reports sells: bongs are the best-selling product category, with top sellers clustered around food themes. [5]
- What else is in the range: cones, grinders, dab tools, vaporizers and cleaning supplies, plus a value line of items retailing at $10 and under. [5]
- What the branding deliberately avoids: Rasta colors, cannabis-leaf imagery and drip logos, with the aim that pieces look unremarkable on a shelf or table. [4]
- What the brand says about shipping: discreet shipping across the United States and internationally. [1]
How did Hemper grow from a subscription box into a full headshop?
The growth story runs in a clear sequence, and it is worth telling with the figures attached to the sources that reported them rather than as a general impression. Retail Brew reports that Hemper began in June 2015 shipping a curated monthly box of accessories sourced from other companies to about 30 subscribers, with founder Bryan Gerber describing the concept as Birchbox for stoners. [4]
Gerber brought on college roommates Ravjot RJ Bhasin and Henry Kochhar as business partners, which is the founding team the same reporting names. [4]
Both sources agree the brand then moved from shipping other companies’ goods to making its own. amNewYork reports the shift from celebrity-curated boxes toward proprietary theme-based products spanning food, video game and pop-culture designs. [5]
Retail Brew reports that Hemper began manufacturing its own accessories about two years after launching subscription boxes, focused on whimsical shapes that have included a blue whale, a balloon dog, a dreidel, a Chinese takeout carton, a rocket and a lava lamp. [4]
By February 2025 the business had grown a long way from those first 30 subscribers, and the reported revenue mix explains why the box is no longer the headline act. [4]
If you are placing a brand like this into the wider category, start with What Are the Different Types of Bongs? and then How Do I Choose the Right Glass Bong for My Needs?. Those two pieces cover the shape question and the buying question in the right order, and they pair well with the accessorizing side of the catalog, which runs from everyday items such as the Thicket Starlight Torch up to the themed glass the brand is known for.
- June 2015: Hemper starts as a curated monthly box of accessories sourced from other companies, shipping to about 30 subscribers, pitched by founder Bryan Gerber as Birchbox for stoners. [4]
- The founding team: Gerber brings on college roommates Ravjot RJ Bhasin and Henry Kochhar as business partners. [4]
- Roughly two years after launch: the brand begins manufacturing its own accessories, built around whimsical shapes including a blue whale, a balloon dog, a dreidel, a Chinese takeout carton, a rocket and a lava lamp. [4]
- The product shift: coverage describes a move from celebrity-curated boxes toward proprietary theme-based products in food, video game and pop-culture designs. [5]
- February 2025 scale: more than 30,000 monthly subscribers, headquarters in Las Vegas, nearly 60 employees and a 40,000-square-foot warehouse, with revenue split 60% ecommerce, 25% wholesale and 15% subscriptions, alongside ownership of manufacturing company Hara Supply. [4]
- Today, by the brand’s own account: the subscription box has not been the core of the business for many years. [1]
What comes in a Hemper Box, and how much does it cost?
The published figures answer the value question better than any impression. The HEMPER Box product page lists the box at $39.99 per month, with prepaid plans of 3 orders at $37.31 a month, 6 orders at $35.99 a month and 12 orders at $34.63 a month, and a larger HEMPER XL Box is also offered. [2]
The described monthly contents pair a themed glass piece with accessories. The same page shows a 4.8 of 5 rating across 17,405 reviews, which is the brand’s own product listing rather than an independent test. [2]
The terms come from the company’s subscription agreement, which covers HEMPER CO, The Hemper Core Box and The Hemper Pack. Subscribers may cancel at any time, change shipment frequency to every two or three months, or pause shipments. A cancellation requested after billing still receives that month’s box and takes effect the following billing cycle, and no prorated refunds are given for the current period. [3]
One timing rule is easy to miss. Subscriptions started between the 16th and the end of a month have their renewal date moved to the 15th of the following period, which matters if you are trying to line a subscription up with a payday. [3]
Every figure above is a price and a contents list published on the brand’s own pages at the time of research, so re-check the live listing before you order. If you would rather buy one piece you chose yourself, the box is not the only route, and a single piece such as the GUITAR HAND PIPE usually costs less than a few months of subscription.
- Monthly price: $39.99 per month for the HEMPER Box. [2]
- Prepaid plans: 3 orders at $37.31 a month, 6 orders at $35.99 a month and 12 orders at $34.63 a month. [2]
- Described contents: a themed glass piece plus accessories such as a rolling tray, a 45-degree banger, a lighter, dab sticks and pipe cleaning bristles. [2]
- Larger option: a HEMPER XL Box is also offered. [2]
- Cancellation and frequency: cancel at any time, change frequency to every two or three months, or pause shipments; a cancellation requested after billing still receives that month’s box and takes effect the next billing cycle, and prepaid periods are not prorated. [3]
- Renewal timing: subscriptions started between the 16th and the end of a month have their renewal date moved to the 15th of the following period. [3]
- Rating context: the product page shows a 4.8 of 5 rating across 17,405 reviews, a brand-listing figure rather than independent testing. [2]
What kinds of Hemper pieces can you buy beyond the box?
Since the brand’s own page says the box is no longer the centre of the business, the catalog is where most of the story now lives. Coverage reports that bongs are Hemper’s best-selling product category, with top sellers clustered around food themes and designs such as Chinese takeout cartons, balloon dogs and ramen cups. [5]
The rest of the range follows the same themed logic. Alongside water pipes, the catalog covers cones, grinders, dab tools, vaporizers and cleaning supplies, plus a value line of items retailing at $10 and under. [5]
What you can actually open on our storefront is a narrower slice of that range, and the specification fields are the part worth reading. Our Hemper listings publish brand, joint size and connection, material, height and percolation type. On the compact example those fields read 14mm female, borosilicate glass, 4.25 inches tall and a perforated downstem, and the catalog runs from compact pieces around 4.25 inches through XL models. [10]
One brand name covers a wide spread of sizes and shapes, so the listing’s own specification fields tell you what you are buying, not the brand name alone. [10]
If you want the fuller walkthrough of choosing a water pipe rather than choosing a brand, our glass bong buying guide covers material, size and percolation in order.
- Best-selling category: water pipes, with top sellers clustered around food themes and designs such as Chinese takeout cartons, balloon dogs and ramen cups. [5]
- Accessory categories: cones, grinders, dab tools, vaporizers and cleaning supplies. [5]
- Value line: items retailing at $10 and under. [5]
- What our Hemper listings specify: brand Hemper, a 14mm female joint, borosilicate glass, height of 4.25 inches on the compact example, and a perforated downstem. [10]
- Size spread in our catalog: compact pieces around 4.25 inches through XL models. [10]
- Design intent: products are designed in-house and manufactured exclusively for Hemper, so the same brand name does not mean the same specification on every listing. [1]
Is Hemper glass really borosilicate, and why does that matter?
The listings answer the material question directly, so start there. The Treehouse Lifestyle product detail fields for Hemper pieces specify the material as borosilicate glass, alongside a 14mm female joint, a 4.25-inch height and a perforated downstem on the compact example. [10]
What the material actually is matters more than the label. Borosilicate glass has silica and boron trioxide as its main glass-forming constituents, and compared with regular soda-lime glass it is harder to break when dropped, more resistant to cracking from significant changes in temperature, and maintains higher clarity over a longer period. It is generally slightly more expensive. [6]
Those are properties of the material rather than a test result for any one piece. No source here states a specific borosilicate grade or a wall thickness for a Hemper piece, so read borosilicate as the listing’s claim and the material’s general properties as background. [10] [6]
The shopping consequence is structural, and you can check it on a listing in seconds. Read whether the material field says borosilicate, what the joint connection is, and whether the downstem is described as perforated, then read those fields on the exact listing rather than assuming every piece from one brand uses the same material. [10]
- What the listings specify: borosilicate glass, a 14mm female joint, a 4.25-inch height on the compact example, and a perforated downstem. [10]
- What borosilicate glass is made of: silica and boron trioxide as its main glass-forming constituents. [6]
- Its three stated advantages over soda-lime glass: harder to break when dropped, more resistant to cracking from significant temperature changes, and higher clarity maintained over a longer period. [6]
- Its price relationship: borosilicate is generally slightly more expensive than soda-lime glass. [6]
- What is not stated anywhere in these sources: a specific borosilicate grade or wall thickness for a Hemper piece, so read the material field as the claim and the general properties as background. [10] [6]
How do you match joint size and piece size when you pick a Hemper piece?
A water pipe only works with parts that fit, so joint size is the first thing to read. The brand’s own joint size guide says the three commonly used glass-on-glass sizes are 10mm, 14mm and 18mm. Roughly, that means 10mm on small pipes and rigs, 14mm on small-to-medium water pipes, and 18mm on large water pipes. [9]
Two details in that guide catch people out. Some manufacturers offer rare custom sizes such as 19.2mm, which require sourcing a replacement from the maker, and joint size only applies to glass-on-glass pieces rather than rubber-grommet styles. Matching joint size and gender is what creates the airtight seal. [9]
Height tiers are the second half of the matching job, and here the terminology deserves a caution. Hemper’s own sizing guide groups heights as small (under 6 inches), medium (7-10 inches) and large (over 11 inches), but the same guide frames the best size as depending on the buyer’s preferences and lifestyle, and those tiers are not a universal industry standard. [7]
The shortcut that ties the two together for this brand is simple: the Hemper pieces we list are specified with a 14mm female joint, which sits in the small-to-medium water pipe tier on the brand’s own joint guide. [10] [9]
- Read the joint size on the listing first, since 10mm, 14mm and 18mm are the common glass-on-glass sizes. [9]
- Read the connection gender, because matching joint size and gender is what creates the airtight seal. [9]
- Read the published height and place it against the size tiers: small under 6 inches, medium 7-10 inches, large over 11 inches. [7]
- Match any replacement part to the same joint size and gender, since the common tiers are not interchangeable and rare custom sizes such as 19.2mm have to come from the maker. [9]
- Confirm the piece is glass-on-glass before assuming a joint size applies, because joint size does not apply to rubber-grommet styles. [9]
- For the Hemper pieces we carry, start from the published 14mm female joint and the listed height, then choose accessories that match those two fields. [10]
How does a Hemper piece compare with a standard glass bong?
The brand difference is smaller than the marketing suggests and larger than a spec sheet alone shows. Hemper designs in-house and has many products manufactured exclusively for it, and it deliberately avoids familiar cannabis cues, so its pieces are built as novelty objects that the brand says would look unremarkable on a bookshelf. [4]
On the specifications, a Hemper water pipe and a standard glass bong are often the same purchase decision: borosilicate material, a glass-on-glass joint in one of the common 10mm, 14mm or 18mm sizes, and some form of percolation. [6] [9]
Percolation is where the comparison is most concrete. The brand’s own guide explains that a percolator works by diffusing smoke, because breaking smoke into many bubbles increases surface area and heat transfers from the smoke to the water. Common types include diffused downstem, circ, showerhead, tree, matrix, honeycomb, inline and ratchet, and diffusion from a simple downstem is the most common stock configuration. [8]
A perforated downstem, which is what our Hemper listings specify, is the same basic configuration many standard glass bongs ship with, so additional percolator styles are a design difference rather than a brand difference. [10] [8]
The real dividing lines sit elsewhere: themed novelty shapes and a $10-and-under entry line on one side, the shape and price spread of the wider glass market on the other, and the fact that Hemper also sells through a subscription while most glass brands sell piece by piece. [5] [4]
- Material: borosilicate glass on our Hemper listings, and a common specification across the wider glass market. [10] [6]
- Joint size: 14mm female on our Hemper listings, against the standard glass options of 10mm, 14mm and 18mm. [9]
- Percolation: a perforated downstem on our Hemper listings, which is the most common stock configuration, versus optional added percolator styles such as circ, showerhead, tree, matrix and honeycomb. [8]
- Size tiers: Hemper’s own guide groups heights as small under 6 inches, medium 7-10 inches and large over 11 inches, and notes those tiers are not a universal standard. [7]
- Shape and theme: novelty and pop-culture shapes on one side, conventional tube and beaker shapes on the other. [5]
- Branding cues: deliberately plain, with no Rasta colors, cannabis-leaf imagery or drip logos. [4]
- Price entry point: a value line of items retailing at $10 and under, against the wider spread of the glass market. [5]
- How you buy it: a subscription box alongside one-off pieces, rather than piece-by-piece only. [2]
| Feature | Hemper piece we carry | Standard glass bong |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Borosilicate glass on our listings | Borosilicate on many pieces, varies by maker |
| Joint size | 14mm female on our listings | 10mm, 14mm or 18mm, by piece size |
| Percolation | Perforated downstem | Downstem by default, extra percs optional |
| Shape | Novelty and pop-culture shapes | Conventional tube, beaker and straight shapes |
| Branding cues | Deliberately plain, no leaf imagery | Varies by brand |
| Price entry point | A value line at $10 and under | A broad spread across the market |
| How you buy it | One-off pieces or a themed monthly box | Piece by piece |
What should you check before buying a Hemper piece or a Hemper Box?
The two products carry different terms, and the details that matter are usually the ones people skip. The checklist below runs in order, and it works for a single piece from our catalog or for a monthly box. [2] [3]
Nothing on it requires special knowledge. It is a matter of reading the fields already published on the listing in front of you. [10]
- Decide which thing you are buying first, a single piece from our catalog or the monthly box, because the terms and the price structure are different. [2] [3]
- For a piece, read the specification fields on the exact listing: brand, 14mm female joint, borosilicate glass, height and percolation type, with the catalog running from compact pieces around 4.25 inches through XL models. [10]
- Confirm any replacement part matches the same joint size and gender, since matching size and gender is what creates the airtight seal and the 10mm, 14mm and 18mm tiers are not interchangeable. [9]
- For the box, check the published price and contents on the live listing: $39.99 per month with prepaid 3-, 6- and 12-order plans, a themed glass piece, and accessories such as a rolling tray, banger, lighter, dab sticks and cleaning bristles. [2]
- Decide whether you would rather have the larger XL Box before you commit to a prepaid plan. [2]
- Read the subscription terms before you pay: you can cancel at any time, change frequency to every two or three months, or pause; a cancellation requested after billing still receives that month’s box and takes effect the next billing cycle, and prepaid periods are not prorated. [3]
- Note the renewal timing rule, since subscriptions started between the 16th and the end of a month have their renewal date moved to the 15th of the following period. [3]
- Check stock and the current listing rather than a cached page, because prices and availability move. [2]
- Check your own state, city and county rules before ordering, rather than assuming one nationwide standard applies. [3]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hemper?
Hemper is a Las Vegas-based online headshop and direct-to-consumer product brand. Its own about page says it sells glass bongs, hand pipes, dab rigs, vaporizers, grinders and cleaning gear, that many products are designed in-house and manufactured exclusively for Hemper, and that the subscription box has not been the core of the business for many years. [1] Press coverage reports bongs are its best-selling category, and that the brand avoids Rasta colors, cannabis-leaf imagery and drip logos on purpose so its pieces blend into a room. [5]
How much does a Hemper Box cost?
The HEMPER Box is listed at $39.99 per month, with prepaid plans lowering the effective monthly price to $37.31 for 3 orders, $35.99 for 6 orders and $34.63 for 12 orders, and a larger HEMPER XL Box is also offered. The described monthly box pairs a themed glass piece with accessories such as a rolling tray, a 45-degree banger, a lighter, dab sticks and pipe cleaning bristles. These are the figures on the brand’s own listing, so re-check the live page before ordering. [2]
Can you cancel a Hemper subscription?
Yes. The subscription agreement says subscribers may cancel at any time, change shipment frequency to every two or three months, or pause shipments. A cancellation requested after billing still receives that month’s box and takes effect the following billing cycle, and no prorated refunds are given for the current period. One timing rule to know: subscriptions started between the 16th and the end of a month have their renewal date moved to the 15th of the following period. [3]
Is Hemper glass borosilicate?
The Hemper pieces we list specify borosilicate glass in the product detail fields, along with a 14mm female joint, a 4.25-inch height on the compact example, and a perforated downstem. [10] Borosilicate glass, which has silica and boron trioxide as its main glass-forming constituents, is harder to break when dropped, more resistant to cracking from significant temperature changes, and maintains higher clarity over a longer period than regular soda-lime glass, and it is generally slightly more expensive. [6]
What joint size do Hemper pieces use?
The Hemper pieces we carry are specified with a 14mm female joint. [10] In the brand’s own joint guide, 14mm is the size used on small-to-medium water pipes and bongs, alongside 10mm on small pipes and rigs and 18mm on large water pipes. Matching joint size and gender is what creates the airtight seal, and joint size only applies to glass-on-glass pieces rather than rubber-grommet styles. [9]
Where can you buy Hemper pieces?
Hemper sells direct through its own online headshop and states that it ships discreetly across the United States and internationally. [1] Press coverage also reports that 25% of its revenue comes from wholesale. [4] We carry Hemper pieces across our bongs, dab rigs and hand pipes categories, with each listing publishing its own joint size, material, height and percolation type. [10] We offer free shipping on orders $150+. Because cannabis rules vary by state, city and county, check your local rules before ordering.
Is Hemper worth buying?
For the right buyer, yes, with conditions attached. The pieces make sense if you want a novelty-shaped water pipe built from borosilicate glass with a 14mm female joint at a compact size, and our Hemper listings give you a spread from roughly 4.25 inches through XL models, each publishing its own joint size, material, height and percolation type. [10]
The conditions are where the sources stop short. The brand publishes no borosilicate grade and no wall thickness, the novelty direction is a deliberate design position rather than an incidental one, and the box carries subscription terms that reward reading before you pay, including no prorated refunds for the current period and a renewal date that shifts to the 15th for subscriptions started late in a month. [3] [6]
The practical path is the checklist above: decide between a piece and the box, read the specification fields on the exact listing, match the joint size and gender on anything you add, and read the subscription terms before you commit. We carry Hemper pieces across our bongs, dab rigs and hand pipes categories, and we offer free shipping on orders $150+. Because cannabis rules work at the state, city and county level and vary by location, check your own local rules before ordering rather than assuming one nationwide standard applies. [2]
Sources
- HEMPER: About HEMPER | Online Headshop for Bongs, Pipes & Smoking Accessories
- HEMPER: Subscribe to The HEMPER Box
- HEMPER: Subscription Agreement – HEMPER
- Retail Brew: How Hemper went from ‘Birchbox for stoners’ to a retail juggernaut
- amNewYork (Schneps Media): Online brand Hemper elevates cannabis experience with specialty bongs and smoking accessories
- Wikipedia: Borosilicate glass – Wikipedia summary API
- HEMPER: A Visual Guide to Bong Sizes: Yes Size Matters!
- HEMPER: Understanding Different Types of Bong Percs
- HEMPER: Genders & Joint Sizes For Your Replacement Bong Bowl
- Treehouse Lifestyle: Hemper Bubbles Glass Water Pipe – 4.25" / 14mm F