If you want to start drinking yerba mate, it’s good to know the different types of mate bombillas (pronounced bom-bee-ya or bom-bee-sha).

A bombilla is a metal straw used to filter out the yerba mate leaves.

They come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Some people prefer a specific shape over others. But I believe there’s only one that’s worth getting (you’ll find out in a minute).

Below, I’m going to show you the six most common types of bombillas and how they work.

But before we get into it, there’s one question you might have that needs to be answered…

Do You Need A Bombilla To Drink Yerba Mate?

When most people find out about yerba mate, they’re only exposed to the traditional way of drinking it – with a bombilla and gourd.

But this isn’t the only way.

Yerba mate can be prepared the same way as any other tea – by steeping it in water. It can also be prepared with a coffee maker, french press, or even a teapot.

The only time you need a bombilla is if you prepare it the traditional way with a gourd.

Now, onto the six types of mate bombillas…

Coil Mate Bombilla

Coil mate bombillas are very common.

It’s a simple, yet functional straw.

In between the coil are small openings to help prevent the leaves from getting through the straw.

This was the first bombilla I’ve ever used and they work fine, but they can’t be used with Brazilian mate – chimarrao.

Nowadays, you can find coil bombillas that also contain an extra mesh filter inside of it. Making it almost impossible for any leaves to go through the straw.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.

Spring Mate Bombilla

This bombilla is essentially a coil bombilla but with a spring effect.

Unlike the previous one, this coil is actually removable. All you have to do is unhinge the bottom part and move it up the bombilla. This allows for easy cleaning.

Watch this quick 44-second video to see how it works:

Here’s an example of one.

Ball Mate Bombilla

This is another mate bombilla you’ve certainly come across. They typically come with most silicone gourds.

The filter is shaped like a ball and contain small holes all around it.

However, they don’t do the best job at filtering the yerba.

When I’ve used them myself, I can get a few leaves here and there. I think this is because the holes can be a bit too big at times.

The filter itself also takes up space. So if you plan on using this bombilla, you might want to get a medium to large gourd.

Pick/Scraper Mate Bombilla

This bombilla is a great one and serves many purposes.

The bombilla contains very small horizontal slits on each side making filtering extremely easy.

But that’s not the only function of this straw.

Because of the thin curved end, it’s much easier to slide the bombilla under the mountain of leaves. And when you finish drinking, you can use the end to scrape everything out of your gourd. This isn’t possible with a coil or ball bombilla.

You can also use this mate bombilla for when you cure your gourd.

Spoon Mate Bombilla

This bombilla is similar to the pick bombilla, but better. And works great on any type of yerba mate.

The end is shaped like a spoon with perforations on the top and bottom. It’s super thin which makes it easy to slide onto the very bottom of your gourd. Allowing you to get every last sip of your mate.

Much like the pick bombilla, you can also use this one for scraping. But it works much better because of the space it covers.

Spoon bombillas are great for all types of yerba mate which is why we stock a bunch of them at our store.

Click here to check out our spoon bombillas.

Bamboo Mate Bombilla

Bamboo bombillas don’t work as well as the previous ones.

They’re hard to drink from and won’t strain all the liquid from your gourd. Bamboo bombillas also tend to clog up easily.

However, there’s one advantage it has over metal ones.

If you drunk from a metal straw before, chances are you burned your lips. But since this bombilla is made out of bamboo, that won’t happen. Bamboo does not conduct heat like metal does.

Here’s an example of one on Amazon.

Final Words

It doesn’t make a difference what bombilla you use if you don’t know how to prepare yerba mate correctly.

They’re all great.

Just keep in mind that the most versatile bombilla is the one with a spoon-shaped filter. This is simply the best bombilla you can use as it can filter any type of yerba mate no matter how dusty it is, as well as help you scoop out the yerba once you’re finished.

And another thing to note…

Your bombilla does not affect the nutrient or flavor content of your yerba. If anyone says this, they’re simply wrong. A straw does not extract nutrients from a plant – hot water does.

The only thing you should look for in a bombilla is if it’s high quality and functions well.

And if you want to find the best place for that, just visit our store.

We offer plenty of different spoon bombillas all made from durable stainless steel so they can last you a lifetime. I use them all myself and I can guarantee they offer pure filtration.

So if you want to get a good straw,

Click Here Now To Shop Our Bombillas!

P.S. If you’re going to get a bombilla, you might also want to check out the rest of our store where you can find exclusive yerba mate gourds and samplers.