What to Look for When Shopping Online for Smoke Accessories

There’s nothing quite like stepping inside a smoke shop and taking a first-hand look at all the merch. Too bad we can’t do it all the time. For those moments when you can’t go into the store, shopping online for smoke accessories is your next best bet. 

But hold up… we’re going to be real real with you right now. Don’t expect to Google smoke accessories for sale online and find the best stuff at first click—it ain’t gonna happen. It’s crazy how many online head shops are on the web right now, and there’s no way they’re all legit. 

Not to brag or anything, but 7th Heaven in Kansas City has been in the smoke biz way before the internet even became a thing. Throughout the years, we’ve seen the crazy BS people have thrown up on websites claiming to be “credible” places. 

Especially in the smoke accessories, adult, and music & vinyl industries, we’ve heard about countless scams and fishy websites from our countless customers over the years. So we’re here to help you be especially careful when shopping online for any or all of these types of items. 

Instead of falling for a trap, keep reading to learn more about what you should look for when shopping online for smoke accessories. 

How to know if a website is legit

Being a victim of fraud because you didn’t check whether a website was legit would suck. So first thing’s first—dig deep into the site’s credibility. Seriously, you’ve got to do it. Sometimes you can spot a bogus website right away, and other times it’s a little harder. To help you out, here are a few key things you should look at while you’re browsing sites. 

The name of the game: URLs

The URL is your first glimpse into the website. Short and sweet is the key, short and sweet. If there’s a bunch of nonsense in the URL that makes no sense whatsoever, let it go. We don’t care how cheap the water pipe is. Let. It. Go. 

Plus, you want to make sure the page starts with https://. This tells you the site is SSL encrypted, meaning when you put in your private information, everything is secure. If you don’t see the https://, check for a little lock icon on the left side of the URL. Without that security measure, don’t put any of your business out there. 

Content reigns king

Credible online head shops are careful with the words they put on a page. They understand the importance of clear, concise content that guides folks through the website. If you’re scrolling through a particular online smoke shop and the words literally make zero sense or you’re noticing a lot of grammatical errors, click that little X on the tab and get out. 

Remain skeptical at all times

It’s not uncommon for an e-commerce website to ask for your name, address, email, and card info—basically the stuff they need to charge you for your items and ship them. As long as it’s a secure site, that’s no biggie. Now there’s a problem when a site is asking for too much information. If it starts asking for social security numbers, past addresses, more than one email account, etc, then that’s definitely sketchy. 

Read between the lines

We’re not saying that a smoke shop can only sell things like concentrate rigs and hand pipes. Even we go beyond that. But you want to make sure there is a clear vibe to the products and a store brand. For us, smoking, music, and sex kinda go hand-in-hand, and we cater to an audience that believes the same thing. 

But the kicker is when nothing seems to relate on the website. For instance, if an online “smoke” shop also sells baby clothes and everything else under the sun. What? Why? In that case, they’re probably just trying to lure in a bunch of people regardless of their interest in smoke accessories, and that’s not normal. You want your go-to smoke accessory website to really know its stuff. That means less product diversity and more product specialization. This isn’t freaking Walmart. 

Are you even local, bro?

One of the best ways to tell whether an online smoke shop is legit is whether or not you actually know them IRL. Crazy, right? There’s nothing more reassuring when shopping for smoke accessories on the web than when you bump into a shop you’ve already been to—or have at least heard of.

7th Heaven in Kansas City has celebrated over 50 years of offering premium smoke accessories to the KC community. We’ve been around for it all, and now we’re taking our store to the 21st century, just in time for you to be able to shop online for all of your at-home essentials

Smoke accessories and other products you should watch for (and avoid) online

Okay, so you’ve found a legit smoke shop online, like 7th Heaven, and now you’re reading to get things rolling—literally. When shopping online for smoke accessories, there are a few key things you should look for. 

First you want to watch out for familiar brands. For instance, PAX is a very well-known brand that designs phenomenal dry herb and concentrate vaporizers. Because of the industry, these well-established brands are all-too-familiar with various scams across the web and work very very hard to make sure their product does not appear on any of them. So you’re not going to see PAX on a scam website, and if an online shop offers brands you’ve heard of, it’s more likely that you can trust them.

Plus, known brands tend to have online reviews all over the place. That way you know if a smoke product works or not. The last thing you want to do is buy something you’ve never heard of (with zero online presence) just to find out it’s 100% garbage. Talk about a waste of money

Next you’ll want to do some market research. If a store has known brands, then you’ll be able to see what that product usually runs for. There’s going to be some leeway, especially depending on location and other factors. Still, if most websites list a particular glass rig for $150 but the site you’re looking at is selling it for $300… they’re playing you. 

On the other hand, if the website is selling that same glass rig for $30, then you’ve got another problem. You should think, “why in the world is this so cheap?” Usually, the answer isn’t because they want to give you a good deal. More than likely it’s a cheap knockoff that’s nothing like the original. Don’t fall for it.  

Myths about shopping online for smoke accessories

Odds are, if you’re reading this blog, you might have some hesitation when it comes to buying your smoke accessories online. It’s completely understandable since there are a ton of myths out there that convince a lot of people not to. Here are just a few of the ones we’ve heard in the past—and why they’re BS. 

Myth: An online smoke shop doesn’t have a physical store. 

Not quite. While there are smoke shops that operate solely online, there are plenty of options that have physical locations you can walk into. If you’re in the Kansas City area, 7th Heaven has all of your smoke needs in one spot. So you can shop online with us or you can drop in, and we’ll be happy to help. 

Myth: Online shops are more expensive. 

It may seem like shopping online for smoke accessories is more expensive than just going to a head shop, but that’s usually not the case. The products are often the same price, but sometimes you will have to worry about shipping and handling that could raise the price. Obviously, that’s something you should expect with any online store, not just smoke shops. 

Myth: All online smoke shops are scams.

If you’ve done your due diligence (meaning you made sure the site is legit), you don’t have to worry about an online smoke shop being a scam. The truth is, not all smoke shops that sell products online are fake or frauds. The idea of buying your water pipe online might sound weird, especially if you’re a little old school (no problem with that). But that shouldn’t deter you from all online stores.

When shopping in person may be better than online

We personally think online shopping is a quick way to get what you need without having to leave your house. However, we’re not going to lie and say there aren’t times when shopping in person is better. 

First, newbies tend to do better with the help of someone who works at a shop. Trying to find the right smoke accessory online can be really difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for or don’t have any experience with a particular piece or style. Reviews and such are great, but there’s nothing quite like having an in-person conversation with someone who knows what they’re talking about. 

Second, if you’re into the whole locally made thing, you might want to shop in person for a larger variety. Since we’re in Kansas City, 7th Heaven carries loads of locally blown glass pipes that are one-of-a-kind. Plus, we have exclusives like ROOR glass that you literally won’t find anywhere else. 

Jumpstart your summer with 7th Heaven’s Online Store

We aren’t like other online smoke shops that are popping out of the blue. We’ve been Kansas City’s #1 smoke shop for over 45 years (yeah, we were definitely vibin’ out in the 70s). Our shop is located right off of Troost Avenue, but if you can’t make it in, you can always shop online. 

We have a variety of e-rigs, glass rigs, vaporizers, and more for you to peruse. Our online store only showcases the best of the best, because we believe the highest quality brings the highest highs. 

Don’t settle for normal when you can unleash your wild side. Contact us for more information or start browsing our inventory online right now.

Start Shopping