Well for $25-30 you can get a really nice chillum, if thats something that would interest you, or a decent dry bowl. Maybe even a mini bubbler if you could increase that budget to $40.
Glass for sure, but you May have already knew that. Look for one with a small bowl hole so that it's not too easy to accidently suck through burning ash. Always inspect every inch if glass for scratches, cracks, air bubbles, thin areas/weakspots, etc
I second this, and would recommend buying a pack of metal screens with the bowl to use until the bowl gets a little resined up so the ash doesn't pull through. Some people don't care for metal screens and say that it affects the taste (I havent noticed it being too much of a difference) but this is why I only recommend using them until the bowl gets some resin up in there. Or, you can always just do the good ol' fashioned plug nug in the bottom, with more finely ground bud on top
Well i actually did pay 50 cents for 5 metal screens ...to me the things hits good...used same amount I used for my lil metal bowl and I still felt ripped...Did it at 4 this morning, its not 930am and still lil head buzz.
Just use a plug nug. Cut off a small piece of a nug that's just big enough to cover the hole, test it by sucking through it to make sure it's secure while still allowing airflow. Pack ground herb on top and enjoy