Cigar Size Chart: Every Vitola by Length, Ring Gauge, and Smoke Time
Cigar basics · Sizes & vitolas · Updated 2026-07-22
A cigar's size is two numbers: length in inches and ring gauge, which is the diameter measured in 64ths of an inch. A 50 ring gauge cigar is 50/64 of an inch across, about 19.8 mm, and the name on the box - Robusto, Toro, Churchill - is just shorthand for a length and ring gauge pair that the trade calls a vitola.
The chart below gives every common vitola in inches and millimetres, its ring gauge and true diameter, whether it is a straight parejo or a tapered figurado, and a realistic smoke-time range. Then it explains what the ring number actually changes about the smoke.
Cigar size chart: every common vitola
| Vitola | Length (in) | Length (mm) | Ring gauge | Diameter (mm) | Shape family | Smoke time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Corona | 4.5 | 114 | 40-42 | 15.9-16.7 | Parejo | 30-45 min |
| Robusto | 4.75-5 | 121-127 | 48-52 | 19.1-20.6 | Parejo | 45-60 min |
| Corona | 5.5 | 140 | 42-44 | 16.7-17.5 | Parejo | 45-60 min |
| Corona Gorda | 5.6 | 143 | 46 | 18.3 | Parejo | 50-70 min |
| Toro | 6 | 152 | 50-54 | 19.8-21.4 | Parejo | 60-90 min |
| Lonsdale | 6.5 | 165 | 42-44 | 16.7-17.5 | Parejo | 60-75 min |
| Churchill | 7 | 178 | 47-48 | 18.7-19.1 | Parejo | 60-90 min |
| Double Corona | 7.6 | 194 | 49-52 | 19.4-20.6 | Parejo | 90-120 min |
| Lancero | 7.5 | 191-192 | 38 | 15.1 | Parejo (panetela) | 60-75 min |
| Gordo | 6 | 152 | 60 | 23.8 | Parejo | 90+ min |
| Torpedo | 6-6.1 | 152-156 | 52-54 | 20.6-21.4 | Figurado | 60-90 min |
| Belicoso | 5-5.5 | 127-140 | 50-52 | 19.8-20.6 | Figurado | 50-75 min |
| Perfecto | 4.5-6 | 114-152 | 48-60 at the belly | 19.1-23.8 | Figurado | 45-90 min |
The Cuban system is the strictest version of this. Habanos assigns each size a vitola de galera, a factory size with fixed dimensions regardless of brand: Prominente is 194 mm x 49, Julieta No. 2 (the Churchill) is 178 mm x 47, Robusto is 124 mm x 50, Corona Gorda is 143 mm x 46, and Laguito No. 1 (the Lancero) is 192 mm x 38. Non-Cuban makers borrow the names freely, which is why two Toros from two brands can differ by half an inch.
How to read a ring gauge, with the arithmetic
Ring gauge is a fraction, not a unit. Divide by 64 to get inches, then multiply by 25.4 to get millimetres. A 50 ring gauge works out to 50 ÷ 64 = 0.781 in, and 0.781 × 25.4 = 19.8 mm. A 60 is 60 ÷ 64 = 0.938 in, or 23.8 mm. A 38 Lancero is 15.1 mm, barely wider than a pencil. Anything under about 40 is a panetela; anything at 60 and up is sold as a Gordo or Gigante.
Shape family is the other half of the label. Parejo means straight-sided with a rounded head - most of the chart. Figurado means shaped: a torpedo tapers to a sharp point, a belicoso is a shorter taper with a rounded tip, a perfecto is closed and tapered at both ends with a bulge in the middle, a diadema is an oversized figurado usually 8 inches or more, and a culebra is three thin panetelas braided together and sold as one unit. On a figurado the ring gauge quoted is the widest point, so your draw and your ring gauge change as the cigar burns down.
What the ring gauge actually changes
- Burn temperature. More tobacco in cross-section means more thermal mass and a slower, cooler burn. Thin sticks run hotter and get bitter faster if you push the pace.
- Blend balance. A fat ring gauge is mostly filler. A thin one puts proportionally far more wrapper leaf on every puff, which is why Lanceros taste wrapper-forward and why blenders often reserve their best wrapper for them.
- Draw. Wider cigars generally draw easier at the same bunch density, which is part of why 54 to 60 took over the US market.
- Time. Length sets the floor on duration; ring gauge sets how much tobacco is behind each inch. A 6 x 60 holds far more leaf than a 7 x 38 despite being shorter.
Estimating smoke time honestly
Smoke times are ranges because they depend almost entirely on your pace. The conventional guidance is one puff every 30 to 60 seconds, slow enough that the cigar never gets hot. Work an example: a Toro at 6 inches, smoked down to a two-inch nub, gives you about four inches of burn. At a comfortable pace that is roughly 75 to 90 puffs, and at 45 seconds a puff that lands near 60 minutes plus relight and rest gaps - hence the 60 to 90 minute band. A Petit Corona at the same pace runs out of tobacco in half that. Humidity, draw, and how far you nub it all move the number, so use the chart to choose between a coffee break and an evening, not to set a timer.
Learn what each vitola actually lasts for you. Cigar Humidor & Journal keeps every stick in the Vault with its details and value, and Smart Views sort the collection so you can see what is resting and what is ready to smoke. The tasting journal runs a smoke timer with per-third draw, burn, strength, and flavour notes, so after a handful of sessions you have your own smoke times instead of a published estimate. No account, and every feature runs offline. Download Cigar Humidor & Journal on the App Store.
Buying by size in a shop
Read the box label as length x ring gauge and ignore the name if the numbers disagree with what you expected. If you have 40 minutes, buy a Petit Corona or a Robusto rather than committing to a Churchill you will abandon halfway. If you want to taste the wrapper, go thin. If you want a long, cool, filler-driven sit, go 54 and up. Then record what you bought: in Cigar Humidor & Journal each cigar sits in the Vault with its humidor, photos, and aging status, the Monitor tracks humidity against your target band, and the palate view shows your wrapper mix, strength trend, and the cigars you liked but never rebought - which is usually how you discover that your favourite size is not the one you assumed.
Frequently asked questions
What is ring gauge on a cigar?
Ring gauge is the cigar's diameter expressed in 64ths of an inch. A 42 ring gauge is 42/64 of an inch (16.7 mm) and a 50 is 50/64 of an inch (19.8 mm). Divide by 64 for inches, then multiply by 25.4 for millimetres.
How long does it take to smoke a cigar?
Roughly 30 to 45 minutes for a Petit Corona, 45 to 60 for a Robusto, 60 to 90 for a Toro or Churchill, and 90 minutes or more for a Double Corona or a 60 ring gauge Gordo. Pace drives it: the usual guidance is one puff every 30 to 60 seconds.
What is the difference between a Robusto and a Toro?
Length, mostly. A Robusto is about 5 inches by a 48 to 52 ring gauge; a Toro is about 6 inches at a 50 to 54. Same rough thickness, an extra inch of tobacco, and usually 20 to 30 more minutes of smoking.
Does a bigger ring gauge mean a stronger cigar?
Usually the opposite. A thicker cigar is proportionally more filler and less wrapper, and it burns cooler, so it often reads smoother. Thin sizes like a Lancero concentrate wrapper flavour and burn hotter, which can read as stronger.