Best Selling Shishas

Narrowing down your shortlist

Popular shishas run from compact table models to tall statement pieces, and from a hookah on its own to a full kit for a first session. Two questions sort them quickly: do you want a starter kit, and how tall a shisha suits your space?

Kit or shisha only?

A starter kit pairs a shisha with the extras for your first session. The Fusion and Hexium starter kits, for example, add coconut charcoal, an AMY Hot Pan heat management device, pre-poked foil, a 200g flavour and an X1 coal burner, while the Starbuzz Carbine 2.0 Starter Kit has its own mix. If you already own a burner and coals, the shisha alone is enough. More kits are under starter kits.

Height and features

• Compact: around 40 to 45cm, such as the El-Badia C5 V2 or Tsar H-One Evolution. Easy to store and to move between rooms.
• Mid-height: roughly 50 to 57cm, for example the El-Badia C7 V2 or MS Magma Giga. A good middle ground for most homes.
• Tall: 60cm and up, such as the El-Badia Octagon or MS Magma Titan. More room for the smoke to cool on its way up.
• For a group: look at the number of hose ports. The Steamulation Ultimate Gen. III, for instance, has four hose ports and a cooling purge at the push of a button.
• Something different: stemless designs like the PurjFam, or a wooden body like the Wookah.

Check whether a bowl comes in the box before you order. Some, such as the MG Hookah Chrome Edition, come with a silicone bowl, while others, like the MS Magma Giga, have none, so pick one from hookah bowls.

Questions

What is the difference between a shisha and its starter kit?

A starter kit is the same shisha with the extras for a first session, such as coals, foil and a flavour. Some kits also add a coal burner, so read the contents list on each one.

How do I pick a shisha for several people?

Look for a model with more than one hose port, such as the four-port Steamulation Ultimate Gen. III. Many shishas have one hose port, which suits smoking alone or passing the hose round.