Smoking Gears: 6 Types of Cigar Lighters at Smoker's Outlet Online

 A lighter is one of the most important gears to own as a smoker. Choosing a quality cigar lighter is essential for many reasons, including lighting your cigar to ensure an even burn.

A lighter with a desirable aesthetic and the right fuel can prevent the addition of unwanted tastes that impair the flavor and aroma of your cigar.

But before you select a lighter, the following are the available types of lighters:

Plastic Spark-wheel Lighters

These plastic lighters have a serrated wheel and a flint below the reel. When you spin the wheel with enough velocity, it rubs against the flint to produce a spark. 

After spinning the wheel, your thumb rests on the fork – a plastic lever that releases fuel. The spark ignites the fuel, hence a flame. 

Plastic spark-wheel lighters are refillable, and many smokers treat them as disposable because they’re cheap. Suppose you’re after something more reliable and sophisticated; consider Zippo torch lighters.

Features

●        Number of lights: 3,000

●        Fuel: Butane 

●        Casing: Plastic 

●        Windproof: No

●        Waterproof: To an extent

●        Refillable: Yes

Pros 

●        Cheap

●        Adjustable flame 

●        Often refillable

●        Available in small and large sizes

Cons 

●        Spark-wheel gets hot and can burn the thumb sometimes 

●        Difficult to use with wet hands or while wearing gloves 

Piezo Ignition Lighters

The piezo lighter uses a button in place of a spark wheel. Unlike the latter, you’ll have to depress a button that hits a quartz element, producing electric voltage.

The electric voltage produced by the quartz element ignites the lighter’s fuel to produce a flame.

Features 

●        Number of lights: 1,800

●        Fuel: Butane

●        Casing: Plastic

●        Windproof: No 

●        Waterproof: To an extent

●        Refillable: Yes

Pros

●        Affordable 

●        Easy to light

●        Adjustable flame size

●        Childproof models available

Cons 

●        Unreliable – ignition often fails

●        Disposable 

Zippo-Style Lighters

Zippo lighters have existed for almost a century. 

To operate this lighter type, you have to spin the spark wheel against the zippo’s flint to create a flame. 

Unlike spark-wheel lighters, a Zippo lighter stays lit until you cut off the oxygen supply by closing the lighter’s lid. Interestingly, a zippo lighter can burn like a candle, and that’s one significant difference between standard Zippo lighters and Zippo torch lighters.

Features 

●        Number of lights: 1000 to 3000

●        Fuel: Zippo fuel

●        Casing: Metal

●        Windproof: Yes

●        Waterproof: No

●        Refillable: Yes

Pros

●        Multiple fuel options 

●        Large spark wheel for easy striking 

●        Stays lit independently 

●        Stylish and refillable 

Cons 

●        Fuel evaporates quickly 

●        Fuel leak 

●        Flint wears out easily 

Butane Torch Lighters

Also known as cigar lighters, jet lighters, or turbo lighters, butane torch lighters contain butane stored in a pressurized chamber of the lighter’s makeup.

These lighters produce an intense flame, ensuring an even burn throughout your cigar. 

Butane torch lighters are like minute Bunsen burners, producing intense and strong flame by forcing butane through an air-filled nozzle.

What's better?

You can aim a torch lighter in any direction, making them the perfect choice for pipe tobacco smokers. 

If you want to purchase a torch lighter, the Zippo torch lighter is a reliable smoking gear to consider for lighting your cigar or pipe tobacco. 

Features

●        Number of lights: Multiple flames

●        Type of flame: Pressurized flame 

●        Fuel: Butane

●        Windproof: Yes 

●        Waterproof: Yes

●        Refillable: Yes 

Pros

●        Produces an intense flame 

●        Allows multiple directions of flame 

●        Work fine in windy environments

Cons

●        Exhausts fuel easily 

●        Ignition often fails 

Electric Coil Lighter 

These lighters are also called flameless lighters and are battery-operated.

The battery-generated electricity heats the internal coil. To light a cigar with the electric lighter, press the cigar against the heated coil. 

These lighters are easy to use and don’t require any fuel, making them safe, reliable, and sustainable.

However, electric coil lighters are only ideal for lighting cigars, cigarettes, and weed.

Features 

●        Fuel: Electricity charged 

●        Windproof: Yes

●        Waterproof: No

Pros

●        Safe 

●        Easy to use

●        Classy

●        USB charging, making it reusable  

Cons

●        Cheap brands fail quickly 

●        Quite expensive 

●        The thickness of the cigar might be an issue

Plasma Lighters

These lighters are also referred to as flameless lighters but are different from electric coil lighters. A plasma lighter uses high-voltage electricity to produce a plasma-charged arc between two electrodes. 

Plasma lighters are popular because they don’t require fuel, operate well in windy conditions, and are hotter than traditional flames. 

Features

●        Number of lights: About 100 per charge

●        Fuel: Lithium-ion battery 

●        Windproof: Yes

●        Waterproof: No

Pros

●        Reliable

●        No fuel required 

●        Overall sleek and classy design

●        Windproof 

Cons

●        Risk of short-circuiting when wet

●        Charges for at least 2 hours 

Parting Shot 

A lighter is a significant smoking gear you can’t do without as a smoker. But choosing the best lighter can be challenging. Here, you ask questions like "should I get a zippo lighter or go for something random?"

If you’re battling a similar question, consider this guide a blueprint to understand the basic lighter types and determine the best choice for you. After making a pick, visit reputable virtual stores like Smokers Outlet Online to effect a purchase.

Godspeed!