Hemper Balloon Dog XL Bong – 7.6" Gold Electroplated Borosilicate Water Pipe

The Hemper Balloon Dog XL Bong is a 7.6" gold electroplated borosilicate water pipe — the oversized, luxury-finish version of Hemper's balloon dog. You hit from the ear, pack the bowl in the tail, and the diffused downstem perc sits in the back legs. 5mm glass, 45° recessed 14mm joint. Priced at Hemper's own $119.99, down from their $149.99 list. Angies Boutique stocks it as authentic Hemper glass from our Los Angeles warehouse.

⚡ At-a-Glance Decision Summary

• What it is: A 7.6" gold electroplated borosilicate bong sculpted as a balloon dog, with the percolator built into the back legs.
• Why choose it: It's a genuine centrepiece — the sculptural ambition and the gold finish put it in a different bracket from ordinary novelty glass.
• Standout differentiator: The diffused downstem perc runs through the dog's back legs. The anatomy is the engineering.
• Confidence signal: Authentic Hemper glass at the brand's current price, 14-day returns from Angies Boutique.

🧠 Our Verdict

This is the one to buy if the balloon dog is going to be the thing people notice in the room. At 7.6" with a gold electroplated body it's a display object that happens to work properly — bigger chamber, longer path and more presence than the 5.5" Sitting Balloon Dog, whose owners consistently describe it as a one-hitter. The gold finish does need respecting when you clean it. Everything else about this piece is straightforward.

Quick Summary

The Hemper Balloon Dog XL Bong is a borosilicate glass water pipe measuring 7.6" tall, 2.6" wide and 8" long, finished in gold electroplate over 5mm glass. The ear serves as the mouthpiece and the tail houses the bowl via a 45-degree recessed 14mm joint. A diffused downstem percolator is built into the back legs.

Hemper Balloon Dog XL Bong – 7.6" Gold Electroplated Borosilicate Water Pipe

The percolator is in the back legs. That's the detail worth pausing on — Hemper didn't bolt a downstem onto a dog shape, they routed the diffuser through the animal's own anatomy. Smoke comes off the bowl in the tail, filters through the hind legs, and travels the length of the body to the ear.

It's 7.6" tall and 8" long in 5mm borosilicate, with a 45° recessed 14mm tail joint. The recessed joint matters on a piece this sculptural — it sits protected rather than sticking out where it can catch.

The finish is gold electroplate, not paint and not a coating sprayed on top. It's the same process behind our iridescent BigFun! Bubble Bongs — durable in normal use, but not something to attack with solvent. The care section below tells you exactly how to keep it looking like this.

This is the big one. Hemper makes the balloon dog in two sizes, and the difference is real: our 5.5" Sitting Balloon Dog is a charming single-hit piece that reviewers openly call a one-hitter. The XL is two inches taller with a correspondingly larger chamber and a longer path to the mouthpiece.

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Summary: A 7.6" gold electroplated balloon-dog bong with the diffused perc built into the back legs — the larger, more serious version of the design.

⭐ Who This Product Is For / Not For

Ideal For:

• Anyone who wants a centrepiece. This is the piece guests pick up.
• Collectors of pop-art and sculptural glass — the Koons lineage is unmistakable and deliberate.
• Anyone who liked the idea of the smaller Balloon Dog but wanted a real chamber rather than a single hit.
• Gift buyers with a proper budget. It arrives in Hemper retail packaging.
• Anyone assembling a Hemper set alongside the Ducky Hand Pipe or the UFO Vortex Peak Top.

Not Recommended For:

• Anyone who cleans by soaking everything in isopropyl. Electroplate does not tolerate that. See care.
• Anyone who wants something discreet or portable. It's 8" long, gold, and shaped like a dog.
• Anyone on a tight budget — the 5.5" Sitting Balloon Dog carries the same design language for less.
• Anyone wanting maximum smoke volume for the money. A plain 13" Bubble Bong gives you far more height per dollar. You're paying for sculpture here, and that's a legitimate thing to pay for.
• Concentrate users. Flower bong with a 14mm joint, not a rig.

⚠️ Known Limitations

• The gold is an electroplated finish. More durable than a sprayed coating, but still an exterior treatment — isopropyl soaking will dull or strip it. Clean the inside, not the outside. Details below.
• Hemper doesn't confirm whether a bowl is included. Their spec sheet lists the 14mm joint but not the box contents, and we haven't found a retailer that states it either way. The smaller Balloon Dog ships with a 14mm male slide, so it's likely — but we won't claim it. Ask us and we'll open the box in the warehouse and tell you.
• No customer reviews exist yet for the XL specifically. The 5.5" version rates 4.7/5 from 9 reviews and shares the design, but that's a related product, not this one.
• It's a sculpted piece with protrusions. Ear, nose, tail and four legs all stick out. Give it a stable, uncluttered surface.
• One unit in stock.

Summary: Electroplate needs gentle cleaning, box contents unconfirmed by the brand, and no XL-specific reviews yet.

🔹 Features & Benefits

• Diffused downstem perc in the back legs: Genuine percolation routed through the sculpt rather than bolted alongside it.
• 7.6" × 8": Substantially larger than the 5.5" model, with the chamber volume to match.
• Gold electroplated finish: A luxury treatment that reads as metal, not paint.
• 5mm borosilicate: Thick lab-grade glass, the same wall thickness as the smaller model despite the extra size.
• 45° recessed 14mm joint: Standard size, and recessed so it's less exposed to knocks.
• Ear mouthpiece, tail bowl: The airway runs through the animal — the design is structural, not decorative.
• At the brand's own price: $119.99 here, matching Hemper, against their $149.99 list price.

🔧 Compatibility

• Joint size: 14mm, 45° recessed — the most common size in glass.
• Bowls: Any standard 14mm male bowl fits. Whether one ships in the box is unconfirmed by Hemper — ask us.
• Downstem: Fixed diffused downstem through the back legs. Built in, not removable.
• Ash catchers: Physically 14mm-compatible, but we'd advise against it. Hanging weight off a sculpted piece with protruding legs is asking for trouble.
• Not compatible with: 10mm or 18mm accessories, bangers, or any Puffco attachment.

📋 How to Use

1. Fill with water through the ear until the diffuser slits in the back legs are submerged by roughly half an inch. Pour slowly and watch the legs rather than the body — that's where the level matters.
2. Seat a 14mm bowl in the tail joint.
3. Pack lightly to start. Find how the piece draws before filling the bowl properly.
4. Draw from the ear.
5. Lift the bowl to clear.
6. Empty the water after each session and set it somewhere with clearance on all sides.

🧼 Care & Maintenance

Read this properly — the electroplated finish changes the usual advice.

• Do not soak the piece in isopropyl. That's the standard method for plain glass and it's the wrong method here. Extended solvent contact dulls and lifts electroplate.
• Clean the interior with targeted swabs instead. Dr. Dabber Iso-Snaps reach the chamber and the leg diffusers without bathing the exterior.
• Wipe the outside with a damp cloth only. Warm water, no solvent, light pressure. Dry it rather than letting it air-dry, so you don't get water marks on the gold.
• Change the water every session. With diffuser slits down in the legs, dried residue is genuinely awkward to reach — prevention is far cheaper than cure.
• The bowl is plain glass and can be soaked normally, separately from the body.
• Store it upright with clearance. Ear, nose, tail and legs all protrude.

📊 How It Compares

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Where's the mouthpiece?
The ear. The bowl goes in the tail, and the diffused downstem runs through the back legs.

Does it come with a bowl?
We can't confirm it from Hemper's specs, and we'd rather say so than guess. The 5.5" model includes a 14mm male slide, so it's likely this one does too — but the XL's box contents aren't published. Message us and we'll check the physical box before you order.

How is this different from the smaller Balloon Dog?
Two inches taller, a bigger chamber, and a gold electroplated finish instead of iridescent blue. The 5.5" model's own reviewers describe it as best for single hits; the XL is the version to buy if you want it to function as a proper bong as well as an object.

Will the gold wear off?
Not with normal handling — electroplate is a bonded metal layer, considerably tougher than a sprayed finish. What will damage it is solvent. Don't soak it in isopropyl, wipe the exterior with a damp cloth, and clean the inside with targeted swabs.

Is it worth it over a plain bong?
Only if you want the sculpture. A 13" Bubble Bong at $69.99 gives you far more smoke path per dollar. You're paying here for a gold-plated art object that also works — which is a perfectly good reason, as long as it's the reason.

Are there reviews?
Not for the XL yet. The 5.5" version holds 4.7/5 from 9 reviews on Hemper's site and shares the design, but we're not going to present that as though it's feedback on this piece.

🛒 Order from Angies Boutique

The Hemper Balloon Dog XL Bong is $119.99 — Hemper's own current price, against their $149.99 list. We have one unit.

Order online for fast shipping, or pick it up the same day at 838 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Every piece of glass we sell is authentic and inspected before it goes out.

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✅ Authentic & Ready to Ship

Angies Boutique is a Los Angeles smoke shop stocking authentic glass and vaporizers. This is genuine Hemper product, held in our own warehouse and ready to ship or collect today. Want us to confirm what's in the box before you order? Ask — we'd rather you bought the right piece.