Size and shape
Cigar size chart
A cigar's size is two numbers: length in inches and ring gauge in 64ths of an inch, so a robusto is 4 7/8 x 50 and a Churchill 7 x 47. Pick any vitola to see it drawn in proportion.
| Cuban factory name | Metric (mm) | Shape | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 4 1/2 | 24 | 114 x 9.5 | Parejo | ~26 min | |
| Perlas | 4 | 40 | 102 x 15.9 | Parejo | ~34 min | |
| Petit Robustos | 4 | 50 | 102 x 19.8 | Parejo | ~40 min | |
| – | 4 1/2 | 48 | 114 x 19.0 | Parejo | ~44 min | |
| – | 5 | 33 | 127 x 13.1 | Parejo | ~37 min | |
| Robustos | 4 7/8 | 50 | 124 x 19.8 | Parejo | ~49 min | |
| Hermosos No. 4 | 5 | 48 | 127 x 19.0 | Parejo | ~48 min | |
| Marevas | 5 1/8 | 42 | 130 x 16.7 | Parejo | ~45 min | |
| Edmundo | 5 3/8 | 52 | 137 x 20.6 | Parejo | ~55 min | |
| Coronas | 5 5/8 | 42 | 143 x 16.7 | Parejo | ~49 min | |
| – | 5 5/8 | 35 | 143 x 13.9 | Parejo | ~43 min | |
| Coronas Gordas | 5 5/8 | 46 | 143 x 18.3 | Parejo | ~53 min | |
| Laguito No. 2 | 6 | 38 | 152 x 15.1 | Parejo | ~49 min | |
| – | 6 | 50 | 152 x 19.8 | Parejo | ~60 min | |
| – | 6 | 60 | 152 x 23.8 | Parejo | ~69 min | |
| – | 6 1/8 | 42 | 156 x 16.7 | Parejo | ~54 min | |
| Cazadores | 6 3/8 | 43 | 162 x 17.1 | Parejo | ~57 min | |
| Cervantes | 6 1/2 | 42 | 165 x 16.7 | Parejo | ~57 min | |
| Dalias | 6 5/8 | 43 | 168 x 17.1 | Parejo | ~59 min | |
| Julieta No. 2 | 7 | 47 | 178 x 18.7 | Parejo | ~67 min | |
| Laguito No. 1 | 7 1/2 | 38 | 191 x 15.1 | Parejo | ~61 min | |
| Prominentes | 7 5/8 | 49 | 194 x 19.4 | Parejo | ~75 min | |
| – | 8 | 50 | 203 x 19.8 | Parejo | ~80 min | |
| Gran Corona | 9 1/4 | 47 | 235 x 18.7 | Parejo | ~88 min | |
| Campanas | 5 1/2 | 52 | 140 x 20.6 | Figurado, tapered head | ~57 min | |
| Piramides | 6 1/8 | 52 | 156 x 20.6 | Figurado, tapered head | ~63 min | |
| Perfectos | 5 | 44 | 127 x 17.5 | Figurado, perfecto | ~45 min | |
| Exquisitos | 5 3/4 | 46 | 146 x 18.3 | Figurado, perfecto | ~54 min | |
| Salomones | 7 1/4 | 57 | 184 x 22.6 | Figurado, perfecto | ~80 min |
*Smoke time is our estimate, not a measurement: about 10 minutes per inch for a 50 ring at a relaxed pace, scaled by width. Figurados burn less tobacco than a straight cigar of the same size, so read their times as an upper end. Sizes are nominal. Factory sizes vary by brand.
Parejo or figurado: straight sides or not
A parejo is a straight cylinder, open at the foot and closed at the head with a round cap. Most cigars are parejos. Robusto, toro, corona, Churchill: all parejos, just cut to different lengths and widths.
A figurado is everything else. Torpedoes and pirámides come to a point at the head. Perfectos swell in the middle and pinch at both ends. They take more skill to roll, which is why they often cost more than a parejo of similar size.
Shape changes how the cigar meets you. A pointed head gets cut smaller or larger depending on how far down the taper you clip. A perfecto's narrow foot means the first light catches less leaf. Want the names for each end? See the parts of a cigar.
Why doesn't a vitola name fix the size?
Because the name on the box is a marketing name, not a measurement. Only the Cuban factory names, the vitolas de galera, map to one standard size. Marevas is 5 1/8 x 42 in every Cuban factory, whatever brand name goes on the band.
Outside that system, the common names are loose. General size lists call their own figures idealized and say real cigars vary considerably. Even reference lists disagree: one gives a corona as 5 1/2 x 42, while the Cuban factory size Coronas is 5 5/8 x 42. A box marked robusto can run longer or fatter than 4 7/8 x 50.
So trust the numbers, not the name. Length and ring are printed on almost every box. Convert any ring to millimeters with the ring gauge converter.
How do you pick a cigar size for the time you have?
Match length and ring to the window you've got. Length drives time hardest. Ring adds to it, more slowly. These groups use our smoke-time estimate at a relaxed pace, straight parejos only.
| Time you have | Sizes that fit (our estimate) |
|---|---|
| Under 40 minutes | Ascot 4 1/2 x 24 (~26 min); Perla 4 x 40 (~34 min); Small panatela 5 x 33 (~37 min) |
| 40 to 55 minutes | Petit robusto 4 x 50 (~40 min); Rothschild 4 1/2 x 48 (~44 min); Robusto 4 7/8 x 50 (~49 min); Hermoso No. 4 5 x 48 (~48 min); Petit corona 5 1/8 x 42 (~45 min); Corona 5 5/8 x 42 (~49 min); Carlota 5 5/8 x 35 (~43 min); Corona gorda 5 5/8 x 46 (~53 min); Panatela 6 x 38 (~49 min); Corona grande 6 1/8 x 42 (~54 min) |
| 55 to 70 minutes | Edmundo 5 3/8 x 52 (~55 min); Toro 6 x 50 (~60 min); Gordo (double toro) 6 x 60 (~69 min); Cazador 6 3/8 x 43 (~57 min); Lonsdale 6 1/2 x 42 (~57 min); Dalia 6 5/8 x 43 (~59 min); Churchill 7 x 47 (~67 min); Lancero 7 1/2 x 38 (~61 min) |
| 70 minutes and up | Double corona 7 5/8 x 49 (~75 min); Presidente 8 x 50 (~80 min); Gran corona 9 1/4 x 47 (~88 min) |
Pace moves everything. Puff fast and a toro is gone in under an hour. Sit back and it stretches well past one. For your own numbers, run the smoke time estimator.
Thick cigars feel different, not just bigger
Ring gauge sets how much filler sits behind every puff. In a 38 ring lancero the wrapper is a big share of what burns, so the wrapper leaf tends to lead the flavor. A 60 ring gordo carries far more filler, which usually smokes cooler and blends the leaves together.
Neither one wins. They're different tools. Slim for a sharp, wrapper-forward smoke. Thick for a long, mellow one. Tendencies, not laws.
Cigar size chart questions
What size is a robusto cigar?
A robusto is nominally 4 7/8 inches long with a 50 ring gauge, which is the Cuban factory size called Robustos. Brands roll their own versions, so read the length and ring printed on the box.
What is the difference between a toro and a Churchill?
A toro is shorter and a touch thicker: about 6 x 50 against 7 x 47 for a Churchill. On our estimate the Churchill runs about 7 minutes longer at the same pace.
What does vitola mean?
Vitola is the Spanish word for a cigar's size and shape. In Cuban factories each standard size has a factory name, the vitola de galera, such as Marevas for the 5 1/8 x 42 petit corona.
What is a figurado cigar?
A figurado is any cigar that is not a straight cylinder. Torpedoes and pirámides taper to a point at the head, and perfectos swell in the middle and narrow at both ends.
Vitola dimension references
Tools that work with sizes
Ring gauge to millimeters and inches, both ways, with a chart from 26 to 70 ring.
Humidor Capacity CalculatorType the inside dimensions. Get a real count for robustos, toros or a mix.
Smoke Time EstimatorLength, ring and pace in. A realistic window out, so you pick a cigar that fits the evening.