A percolator bong, also known as a “percs”, is an upgraded type of bong, designed to enhance the filtration and cooling of smoke, provide an enjoyable smoking experience. The key feature that sets a perc bong apart from others is the percolator, a special filter within the bong that helps to diffuse the smoke through water more effectively.

In a normal bong, the water acts as a filter to help cool and clean the smoke, but the contact area between the smoke and water is limited, which can result in incomplete filtration.

On the other hand, a perc bong deal with this issue by using a percolator to disperse the smoke through the water in a more widespread manner. This increased contact allows the water to filter out more impurities, such as ash and other particles, from the smoke, leading to a cleaner and smoother inhaling experience.

The early filters with holes at the bottom were the original percolators, and since then, designs have kept improving. Tree percolators work like combining multiple downstem percolators into one - the more arms, the better the filtering. Showerhead percolators also come with multiple hole patterns. Other percolators, like honeycomb percolators, use small holes instead of gaps to filter smoke.

Even though percolators may seem complex, they are all designed to provide users with extra filtering. Some percolators have more parts than others, but choosing the best one depends entirely on the user's preferences.

Please remember, small holes will increase resistance, but having more holes can reduce resistance while increasing the filtering effect. You can also add filtering devices to your water pipe for maximum filtering effect, but adding more filtering devices can also increase resistance.

To find out which percolator bong is suitable for you, the best way is to try using different types of percs to experience varying levels of filtering and resistance.