Shisha gift ideas by price, and what is in the box

Buying a shisha gift looks easy until you see how much there is. ShishaTabak has more than 240 hookahs online and even more hookah accessories. Most gifts do not go wrong because they look bad, but because they do not fit: an HMD that does not sit on the bowl, a bag that is too short for the hookah, or a set that comes without a bowl.

Below are the gifts by price range. For each one you read what is included, what is missing and what to check. Looking for something for a person who has no hookah yet? Go straight to the complete hookahs.

Does the person already own a hookah?

This is the question that decides the whole shisha gift. Someone without a hookah has no use for a separate HMD or an extra hose. Someone who already has two will not be thrilled by a third entry-level model.

Not sure? Next time you visit, take a quick look at their hookah. The brand is usually on the stem, the tray or the base. A photo is enough: it tells you later exactly which bowl, hose and connection belong to it.

A gift for someone who is just starting

Give a complete set. That is a hookah that comes with the base, the stem, a hose, a bowl and charcoal tongs, so the person can start right away. The one thing no set includes is shisha charcoal. Add it separately.

Unsure about the size? Pick a smaller model. A small hookah fits anywhere, travels well and is easier to clean. How to set up a first hookah is explained in our beginner guide.

A gift for someone who owns a hookah

Give an upgrade: something that makes the hookah better, easier or nicer. A heat management device (HMD) for the bowl, a shisha ice hose, an electric charcoal burner or a washable silicone hose. These are gifts almost every enthusiast uses but rarely buys for themselves. Do watch the size: further down you will find what each gift has to fit.

Shisha gifts under 10 euros: the stocking stuffer

For Sinterklaas you look for something small to put in a shoe. For a shisha enthusiast there is plenty of choice, and everything below works with almost any hookah.

Ice hose or ice bazooka

An ice bazooka is a mouthpiece with a gel core inside. You put it in the freezer for an hour and then connect it to the hose. The smoke cools down before it reaches your mouth, which feels softer on the throat. It is about 34 centimeters long and fits all standard silicone hookah hoses. After use the core simply goes back into the freezer.

Light and color in the hookah base

LED lighting for under the base is a round, waterproof disc 7 centimeters wide with a remote control. The light shines up through the bubbling water and you pick the color with the buttons. Want to color the water itself? There is coloring for the hookah base. With Tsar water coloring you need about 15 drops per liter, and a 50 ml bottle lasts a long time. It has no flavor, so it changes nothing about the smoke. How to combine color, light and ice in the base is explained in ice or milk in a hookah.

A nice extra are the reusable ice cubes from Amy Deluxe. They go into the freezer beforehand and then into the water in the base. No melt water on the table, and you can use them again and again.

A personal mouthpiece to carry along

Anyone who often smokes at friends' places is happy with their own mouthpiece. The KS Appolino mouthpiece is made of silicone, has a protective cap and comes with a lanyard, so it never lies loose on the table. It fits almost all standard hookah hoses. Other small gifts in this range are waterproof plastic playing cards and sturdy hookah charcoal tongs.

Shisha gifts between 10 and 25 euros: an upgrade that lasts

This range holds the gifts that really make a hookah better. They are pickier than a stocking stuffer, though: check for each gift whether it fits.

An HMD for the bowl

An HMD (heat management device) is a metal cap that sits on the bowl. The charcoal goes inside it instead of on aluminum foil, and with a rotating lid or open sides you control how much heat gets through. No more poking holes in foil, and the heat stays more even. The Dum Kaloud Magic Smoke HMD is made of aluminum and cast iron and has a diameter of 7.5 centimeters. The WD Hookah HMD is made of stainless steel and has an inner size of about 5.6 centimeters.

Both fit most standard bowls, but not every bowl. With a very wide or very narrow bowl, measure first. More models are in the HMDs and kaloud toppers.

A charcoal burner that runs on power

An electric charcoal burner makes lighting charcoal a lot easier: plug it in, put the charcoal on and after a few minutes it glows. Indoors that is safer than a gas burner. The Amy Deluxe Hot Turbo at 1000 watts has a 90 centimeter cable. The Dum Tosta at 800 watts has a stainless steel housing, side walls that keep the ash in and a removable handle. All you need is a power outlet nearby.

A bag that matches the height

A hookah carrying bag is often forgotten as a gift, but it gets used a lot. Do watch the height. The Dum bags come in three sizes: small for hookahs of 20 to 45 centimeters, medium for 45 to 65 centimeters and large for 65 to 120 centimeters. Inside are dividers, so the base and the stem do not knock into each other.

Other upgrades in this range: a washable silicone hose, a glass bowl, a charcoal carrier to move hot charcoal safely and a set of brushes to clean the hookah.

A complete hookah as a gift

A complete hookah is the shisha gift for someone who is just starting, or for someone who wants a second hookah for on the road. Below are a few models per price range, with what comes in the box.

Up to 40 euros: the H2 Mini is 25.5 centimeters tall including the bowl and has a glass base with an art deco pattern. The Aladin 2Go is 23 centimeters, made of aluminum and stainless steel, and comes in a carrying case with compartments. The DUM Accordion has a foldable silicone base, LED lighting with a remote control and its own bag.

Between 40 and 80 euros: the Dum Travel Box is a case-shaped hookah of 26 by 18 centimeters, with LED lighting, a silicone bowl and an HMD in the set. The Dum Magnum 2.0 Mini is 44.5 centimeters tall and has four hose connections, handy for anyone who often smokes with friends. The Amy Deluxe 450 4Star is 54 centimeters, has a stainless steel stem and a one-liter base, and comes with a hose, a bowl with a hot screen and charcoal tongs.

What is in the box, and what is not

Not every complete set is equally complete. The Oduman Micro at 18 centimeters has thick, hand-blown glass and a built-in diffuser, but it comes without a bowl. Giving that one? Add a hookah bowl. And no set includes charcoal. So always read the section on what is in the box on the product page, and add whatever is missing.

Small, medium or large

In the webshop the hookahs are sorted into three sizes: small (20 to 45 centimeters), medium (45 to 65 centimeters) and large (65 centimeters and up). A small hookah fits in an apartment and travels along. A large hookah looks great in a living room, but is heavier and harder to clean. Unsure? Go for medium.

The big shisha gift: from 150 euros

For a birthday that counts, an anniversary or a gift from a whole group together. In this class nearly all hookahs are made of stainless steel.

Why stainless steel is worth the money

Stainless steel does not rust, does not discolor and does not absorb smells. A cheap hookah made of thin aluminum or ordinary steel deteriorates after a few years, while a stainless steel hookah lasts for years. That difference is what you pay for at this price.

The Amy Deluxe SS22.02 is about 65 centimeters tall, made of stainless steel with a matte black coating, and the base clicks onto the stem. The WD Hookah F60 is made of V2A stainless steel with a blue glass base and has a Closed Chamber System: you blow old smoke out of the base through a ball valve. The El Nefes Apollo 11 Wood is 53 centimeters and has carved wooden sleeves around steel tubes. Note: it comes without a bowl and without tongs.

For something truly special, look at the Amir's INDI V3.0 by Amy Deluxe. Every piece is handmade, the outside is leather or Hawaiian mango wood and there is a molasses catcher in the stem. No two are exactly the same.

Gifts for a night with friends

Not every shisha gift has to attach to the hookah itself. A shisha night is also about the people around it. The glass Parchi board game of 44 centimeters is handmade and comes with 16 pieces, a die and a storage tube, for two to four players. Waterproof plastic playing cards can handle a wet table. And for gamers there is a hose holder for a PS5 or PS4 controller. That one and the other games are in games and entertainment.

If guests come over often, a box of hygienic mouthpieces is a practical gift: everyone gets their own tip for the mouthpiece of the hose. How to prepare such a night is explained in hosting a shisha night.

How to make sure the shisha gift fits

Five things to check before you order. It takes two minutes and prevents most disappointments.

• Brand and model: take a photo of the hookah, or check which brand is on the stem.
• The bowl: an HMD has to fit the bowl. Compare the diameter of the bowl with the size of the HMD.
• The hose connection: an ice bazooka and most mouthpieces fit standard silicone hoses. A new hose has to fit the hookah's connection; a universal adapter usually solves that.
• The height: pick a carrying bag by the height of the hookah.
• Power: an electric charcoal burner needs a power outlet. If the person mostly smokes outdoors, keep that in mind.

Exchanging is possible, but not after use

You can cancel an order without giving a reason up to 14 days after delivery, and after that you have another 14 days to send it back. You do need to register the return with us first. A product that has been used, hygiene products such as mouthpieces and products without their original packaging cannot be returned. So give a gift unopened and keep the box.

Mind the date: the 14 days start when the package arrives, not on the day the gift is unwrapped. Buy a Christmas gift in November and the period may be over before it is under the tree.

Delivered in time for Sinterklaas and Christmas

Order on a working day before 18:00 and your order ships the same day and arrives the next working day (NL). Shipping within the Netherlands costs 6.95 euros under 20 euros and 4.95 euros above that, and from 89.99 euros shipping is free (NL). Combining a few small shisha gifts in one order therefore saves on shipping.

Shipping to Belgium, Germany and France costs 9.99 euros, to other EU countries 12.99 euros. Around December 5 and the Christmas days the couriers are busy. So order a few working days earlier than you think you need to, and keep the return period from above in mind.

A hookah is a gift for adults. Only give a hookah or accessory to someone who is 18 or older.

Shisha gifts and hookah accessories at ShishaTabak

At ShishaTabak you find gifts for every shisha enthusiast: complete hookahs from small travel model to handmade showpiece, ice hoses and ice bazookas, electric charcoal burners, carrying bags for your hookah, LED lighting for the base and hygienic mouthpieces.

Ordered on a working day before 18:00, it arrives the next working day (NL), and from 89.99 euros shipping is free (NL). That way your hookah gift is ready in time, whether it is for Sinterklaas, Christmas or a birthday.