The leather hose - arguably the most recognizable (to non-hookah smokers, anyway) hose around. While I can't say for certain, I believe these were the first "true" form of hose as we know them today. Prior to these, there are images of smokers simply using a wooden tube connected to the hose port to smoke out of. Leather hoses have a few major downsides to them. First, since they are leather, they have a higher cost associated with them. This was later solved by cloth versions being made (which many still use today). Second, since again, they were leather, and leather isn't exactly a super washable material, they became ghosted very easily. This was fine for many of older generations, as their tobacco wasn't truly flavored as we know it today. Rather, they had tombac, which is just slightly sweetened tobacco (over-simplification, but you get the point). These reasons were the main concept behind what came next - the standard KM hose. 
The KM Hose Everyone has had one at some point, especially if they've had a Khalil Mamoon. It's something I see posted a lot - "just got this new hookah, is there anything I should upgrade?" And nine times out of ten, someone always says, "swap the hose out for something washable." Which is also my personal recommendation for this hose. The KM hose, or the rainbow hose, as they're commonly known, are made of a vinyl-esque material, with a metal coil wrapped through them. The metal coil is the main issue here - if that coil gets wet at all, it's rust city. These hoses aren't a viable option for any smoker, and it still blows me away that KM is still giving these with hookahs, in this day and age. Part of me thinks that we've moved past that, as a community, but I'm constantly reminded that our community is so much bigger than what we see online. That said, it still frustrates me that KM, still the largest hookah manufacturer in the world, is giving their customers unwashable hoses. But, if it wasn't for them doing that, we wouldn't have our next category. The "Classic" Washable Hose
This category of hose is arguably one of the most popular hoses in the world, still, however I think that they're starting to fade away as time goes on. The "classic" washable hose, such as the Nammor, Narbish, or Nagoom, is very similar to the KM hose, in both aesthetics and design. They're a soft material wrapped tubing, with a long and "classic" handle. The major difference is what's inside. These hoses have a flexible rubber interior, which makes them fully washable. So, if you love the classic look, but you want the modern function, these are the hoses to go-to. And I think that's part of why they've stuck around so long. They're just good hoses - they're nothing insanely special, but they're good, and they're completely workable. They're the perfect work horse hose, if you like that classic aesthetic. But, that aesthetic is dying, and that's what leads us into silicone hoses, our next category. 
b2 Hose Silicone Hoses A few years ago, we saw a huge explosion in the market. The D-hose - the first silicone hookah hose to blow up and reach major popularity. While I don't think that it was the first silicone hose to hit the market, I do believe that it's what we have what we have today. The D-hose completely reworked hoses - both in aesthetics, and function. They've got a silicone tubing for the hose, and a simple handle, of either aluminum, glass, or a aluminum silicone hybrid, depending on which model hose you pick up. Even though they weren't the first, they blew up due to their aesthetic design, and the nice and wide draw that they offered along with that. Silicone tubing is also extremely easy to clean, and will provide you with even less ghosting than any other hose. This helped make them a success with lounges, as it helped lounges provide with even better quality than before. When lounges start to carry a product, it's generally a good sign that you're doing something right. Along with the D-hose, we've seen many other silicone hoses hit the market, such as the hoses that Shishabucks uses for their hookahs, the B2 Hose, and even the Aviator hose (although that one almost falls into the next category). Silicone hoses are arguably the most popular hoses around right now, especially with the online hookah communities. With their ever growing popularity, a new market has started to bloom - artisan hoses. Artisan Hoses
A trend that's recently evolved - artisan hoses. Hoses that take the normal hose, and go a step further. I'm talking about hoses like the Tymber hose, by Mason Shishaware. Artisan hoses are hoses that take a basic hose, and make everything of the utmost quality, and make it as perfect as possible. So with the Tymber hose, for example, we see that it has a high quality soft touch tubing, a coil at the hose port, to prevent kinking, and a beautiful hand carved wooden handle, with a copper hand piece. This kind of hose goes the extra step, and while the price certainly is reflective of that, the quality is too. It's interesting, because in the past we've seen things like Crown hookah tips - custom made glass mouth pieces - blow up in popularity, but those simply went into "classic" washable hoses - they didn't alter any part of the hose, just the tip. These kinds of tips have kinda been pushed to the wayside, with the emerging popularity of silicone hoses. But, Mason has found the way, in my opinion, to capture the best of both worlds. I'm sure the Tymber hose won't be the last artisan style hose we see, and I'm excited to see where this new category of hose takes us, as we're just on the cusp of it starting to blow up, in my opinion.
Tell me about your ho'
Hoses are a very important part of the hookah, and while not the most important part, a bad hose can make a session awful, very quickly. It's interesting to see how hoses have changed over time, and it'll be even more interesting to see where we end up going next. If you had asked me a year ago what kind of hose that I thought we'd see next, I probably couldn't have told you. If you ask me now where we'll be going next, I still couldn't tell you. But I want to know your thoughts - what do you think will be the next big hose trend? What other kinds of hoses do you think we'll see in the artisan category? What's your favorite type of hose, and why? Let me know in the comments down below! As always, thank you so much for reading, and happy smokes!
