Size and shape
Ring gauge converter
Ring gauge is a cigar's diameter in 64ths of an inch, so a 64 ring is exactly one inch (25.4 mm) across. Type any one number below and get the other three.
19.8 mm across. A robusto width.
Drawn in proportion. Actual size on screen depends on your display.
What ring gauge actually measures
Ring gauge is the diameter, not the circumference. One ring is 1/64 of an inch. That's it. A 48 ring cigar is 48/64 of an inch thick, which is three quarters of an inch, about 19 mm.
The scale is old and it is imperial. It survived because cigar sizes were standardised in inches long before anyone wrote them in millimeters, and the 64ths give whole numbers for every width a roller actually makes.
How to convert ring gauge to mm
Multiply the ring by 25.4, then divide by 64. Or multiply by 0.397. Either way, a 52 ring comes out at 20.6 mm.
Going the other way, divide millimeters by 0.397. A 20 mm cigar is a 50 ring, near enough. Rollers don't work to a tenth of a ring, and neither should you.
Ring gauge chart, 26 to 70
| Ring | Diameter (mm) | Diameter (in) | Circumference (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 10.3 | 0.406 | 32.4 |
| 30 | 11.9 | 0.469 | 37.4 |
| 34 | 13.5 | 0.531 | 42.4 |
| 38 | 15.1 | 0.594 | 47.4 |
| 40 | 15.9 | 0.625 | 49.9 |
| 42 | 16.7 | 0.656 | 52.4 |
| 44 | 17.5 | 0.688 | 54.9 |
| 46 | 18.3 | 0.719 | 57.4 |
| 48 | 19.0 | 0.750 | 59.8 |
| 50 | 19.8 | 0.781 | 62.3 |
| 52 | 20.6 | 0.813 | 64.8 |
| 54 | 21.4 | 0.844 | 67.3 |
| 56 | 22.2 | 0.875 | 69.8 |
| 58 | 23.0 | 0.906 | 72.3 |
| 60 | 23.8 | 0.938 | 74.8 |
| 64 | 25.4 | 1.000 | 79.8 |
| 70 | 27.8 | 1.094 | 87.3 |
Does a fatter cigar smoke cooler?
Usually, yes. More tobacco around the burn line spreads the heat, and the smoke travels through more leaf before it reaches you. Thin cigars run hotter and lean harder on the wrapper's flavor, because the wrapper is a bigger share of what's burning.
That's a tendency, not a law. Draw, humidity and pace move it as much as width does.
Ring gauge questions people ask
How do you measure a cigar's ring gauge at home?
Wrap a thin strip of paper round the thickest part, mark where it overlaps, and measure that length in millimeters. Type it into the circumference box above and the converter returns the ring gauge.
Is a 50 ring gauge thick?
A 50 ring sits in the middle of today's range. It is the classic robusto width, about 19.8 mm. Under 40 reads as slim; 58 and up is a gordo.
Why do some brands list a different size for the same cigar?
Rollers work by hand, so a few rings either way is normal, and a box-pressed cigar has no single diameter. Treat a listed ring as nominal.
Where the numbers come from
- Cigar: sizes and shapes, Wikipedia
- Inch: definition (exactly 25.4 mm), Wikipedia
More size tools
Every common vitola in one sortable chart, with two cigars drawn in proportion to compare.
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.