BREAKING
CIGARS

Lesson 4 of 8 · 3 min

Read the size

Read a size like 6 × 50 and choose one that fits your time.

Four cigars from one line laid out above a ruler, with different lengths and thicknesses, one with a pointed head.
One brand, four sizes, measured against a ruler.Photo: Glacierman · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized.

The 30-second version

  • Sizes read length × ring gauge. A 6 × 50 is six inches long and 50/64 of an inch wide.
  • Names like Robusto vary by brand, so trust the numbers.

Common sizes

NameLength × ring gauge
Corona5⅝ × 42
Robusto5 × 50
Toro6 × 50
Churchill7 × 47

Typical dimensions. Each brand sets its own.

Shapes

Straight-sided cigars are called parejos. Figurados have a shaped or tapered body. A torpedo, for example, tapers to a point at the head.

A tray of cigars: long ones with pointed heads on the left, straight-sided ones on the right.
Pointed figurados (left) next to straight parejos (right).Photo: Anagoria · CC BY 3.0 · Resized.

Size and time

A bigger cigar usually takes longer to smoke. Your pace matters as much as the size. Tell the tobacconist how much time you have.

6 inches long×50 ring gauge
Corona5⅝ × 42
Robusto5 × 50
Toro6 × 50
Churchill7 × 47

Common reference dimensions. Brands vary. All four drawings use the same scale.

50 / 64 of an inch

The number measures width, not strength.

Sources: Habanos: principal shapes and sizes · Holt's: cigar ring gauge