What Is The Best Hookah?

There has been a long debate about what is the best brand of hookah.  It’s not going to be over any time soon and I think it’s about time I throw my hat into the ring.  I’m an honest person so I can only speak of the hookahs I have smoked with for a long time.  I own 1 Khalil Mamoon (KM), 1 Magdy Zidan (MZ) Pro, 2 MYA hookahs, 1 Nour and 1 generic Egyptian noname.

Nour: Nour is a Syrian hookah brand that has been a favorite of mine for a long time.  Syrian hookahs tend to be medium sized (around 27 inches) and have a good draw that many call restrictive.  The draw is great in my book.  Just a little resistance to let you feel the pull from the hookah but open enough to let you get a good puff without straining.  What makes Nour hookahs special is the design.  They are mostly cast brass rather than turned steel.  This means that the hookah is solid metal for the most part.

Egyptian style hookahs consist of a straight tube acting as the actual stem with a  shell around that designed for aesthetics.  Each of these has advantages but I like a medium sized hookah that draw heat from the smoke quickly and feels solid.  There is no chance of rust with a brass hookah.  Nour hookahs will last a lifetime and then some.

Khalil Mamoon: Known commonly as KM hookahs these Egyptian made rigs are considered to be the best hookahs on the market by many.  I have a KM double trimetal.  It’s my second tallest hookah and it smokes wonderfully.  Great construction and a beautiful design.  This hookah is well built and is sure to impress company.  Most KM hookahs I have ever had experience with are the same.  These hookahs are known for having very easy draws because the inner diameter of the down stem is more than some people are used to.

The smallest KMs, often called minis, have a more restricted pull but it’s nothing bad.  This line is known for having more extravagant designs like those including multiple kinds of metals and hand engraved accents.  You will pay for these extra touches and the popularity of Khalil Mamoon hookahs is what drives forward their ever expanding library of designs.  Recently this has included solid stem hookahs similar to the Syrian hookahs.  I have yet to use one of these but I have heard good things.

Magdy Zidan: Is another Egyptian company that has a great reputation and makes some very nice hookahs.  Known for their clean welds and simple yet elegant designs, MZ hookahs are favorites for many hookah smokers.  The draw is very open and similar to that of a KM.  Many of the designs are similar to those of a KM as well including such favorites as the double pear style.

Magdy Zidan is one of the most widely owned lines but many don’t even know they have them.  If you go to a traditional hookah lounge the chances are that you will smoke from MZ hookahs because they work well, look great and are cheaper than KMs by a good amount.  Sadly, because they don’t have the fan following that Km has they don’t change their line up much but you won’t be disappointed by their offerings.

Magdy Zidan Professional Series: I am separating these from the rest of the Magdy Zidan hookahs because they are quite different.  While they are still made by MZ and are Egyptian Hookahs they are more of a Syrian style and have very heavy brass stems cast in solid metal.  They have a very open draw like the rest of the MZ lines but have the solid construction of a Syrian rig.  I have only had my Pro Series Cairo for a few months but it is still smoking well and shows no signs of any problems.  There are only two models in this line so far but they are great hookahs that are solidly built, look great and come at a reasonable price.  I believe these hookahs were put out to compete with KM and I think they have a shot.

Mya Saray: Often just called Mya, this line is a Chinese company that makes a hookah for everyone.  They make everything from the tiny QT to the gigantic 40″ Colossus.  I own both of those and have worked with a couple rigs in between.  The variety of styles draws a lot of people in.  They are also no cheaply made.  These are not the handmade pipes you get from Egypt and Syria.  These are factory made, prefab hookahs which can be disassembled and repaired with replacement parts if necessary.  You might no get the handmade feel of other hookahs but you get consistency.  you don’t have to worry about drippy welds or shoddy work.  Each of them is pretty much identical and they offer everything from small budget hookahs to the ridiculously expensive “crystal” line.  These hookahs all have a common chamber heart unlike the rest on the list which makes their purge less than optimal.  That’s one major negative with this line.

I know it will seem like a soft ball answer but I truly believe that “the best hookah” is the one you like the most so long as it’s not a piece of junk.  These five lines are the top of the market and will be the names you see most often.  Of the five I really love my Nour.  For me, it has the best combination of size, style and functionality for the price.  They are a bit hard to find sometimes but they are my number one pick.  Other people really love tall and flashy hookahs with the most open draw you can imagine.  Those people often ten toward KMs.

Some people care entirely about function and cost with flashy looks being secondary.  Those people seem to like MZ hookahs.  Lastly, some people love the modern styling and unique function of the Mya hookahs.  My list goes Nour, MZ Pro, KM, MZ and finally Mya.  I like them all but the Nour and the MZ pro series are my top picks with Nour having a slight advantage because they are cheaper and look amazing.

Tagged as: best hookah, Kalutika, khalil mamoon, magdy zidan, mya, nour