Cuban Cigar Sizes: Vitolas, Ring Gauge & Size Chart

A Robusto is short and broad; a Lancero is long and slender. Those familiar descriptions are useful, but they are only part of a Cuban cigar’s identity. The name on the box may be quite different from the name used in the factory, and neither should be mistaken for the measurements.

At James J. Fox, Dublin, our cigar trade dates back to 1881. This reference brings together Habanos’ published dimensions, the terminology behind them and examples from our own catalogue and Cuban cigar history. Start with the chart, then use the names and measurements together to make sense of a particular cigar.

Cuban Cigar Size Chart

A Cuban cigar’s vitola describes its size and shape. The chart below covers the thirteen examples in Habanos S.A.’s Principal Shapes and Sizes reference. Length is given in millimetres; ring gauge measures diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch.

On smaller screens, scroll sideways to see all five columns.

The time column summarises Habanos’ approximate descriptions, not timings measured by James J. Fox. These are reference formats, not a list of everything currently in production. “Siglo VI” is Cohiba’s commercial name associated with the Cañonazo format.

What Is a Cuban Cigar Vitola?

In Cuban cigar terminology, vitola de galera is the factory name. Vitola de salida is the commercial or market name. The factory name identifies the format used in production; the commercial name identifies the cigar as it appears in a brand’s range.

Romeo y Julieta Churchills is a clear example. Its factory format is Julieta No. 2, measuring 178 mm × 47 ring gauge. “Churchills” is the name on the box. The two names describe different aspects of the same cigar.

A popular size term adds another layer. “Churchill” is commonly used for the Julieta No. 2 proportions, while “Torpedo” is a popular description for a pointed format. These familiar terms help people recognise a cigar, but a full specification still needs the brand, factory vitola and dimensions.

Factory names follow the cited release records. Habanos uses “Robusto” in its general size guide and in the original Open Master announcement; “Robustos” also appears in factory nomenclature.

Why a Robusto listing can have different measurements

A shop’s browsing category is broader than a factory specification. Our H. Upmann Connoisseur No. 2 record lists it under Robusto, but also identifies the exact vitola: Bohemios, 134 mm × 51. It is 10 mm longer and one ring-gauge point wider than the 124 mm × 50 reference Robusto.

That is why comparing only the category name can mislead you. For a close comparison, use the named cigar’s factory format and measurements. The category is there to help you find it.

Two No. 50s, two different lengths

Quai d’Orsay No. 50 and Punch Néctares No. 50 share a 50 ring gauge, but not a length. The Quai d’Orsay is 110 mm; the Punch is 160 mm. The number alone leaves out a 50 mm difference.

The Punch gives this distinction a particular connection to Dublin. For Ireland’s first Habanos Regional Edition, the historic Néctares name was revived for a cigar in the Magnum 50 factory format. James J. Fox contributed to the choice of brand, format and presentation. The name tells part of that local history; Magnum 50 supplies the dimensional reference.

Our Punch Néctares No. 50 article records the development of the release and the return of the name.

How Is Cigar Ring Gauge Measured?

Ring gauge measures diameter, not circumference. A 50 ring gauge is 50/64 of an inch across the body, equivalent to approximately 19.84 mm. It does not mean 50 mm.

The two numbers in a cigar specification use different units. For 124 mm × 50 ring gauge, the first number is the length; the second is the diameter expressed in ring gauge. Writing “124 × 50 mm” would give the cigar an entirely different width.

Ring Gauge Conversion Table

Calculated from the exact conversion of one inch to 25.4 mm and rounded to two decimal places. The entries are unit conversions, not a list of manufactured cigar sizes.

Length in millimetres and inches

To convert length, divide millimetres by 25.4. A 124 mm Robusto is approximately 4.88 inches, often written as 4⅞ inches. A 178 mm Churchill is approximately 7.01 inches, conventionally described as 7 inches.

Those familiar inch descriptions are rounded. When checking whether two named cigars share a format, compare their published millimetre specifications rather than converting a rounded fraction back into an exact length.

Robusto, Corona, Churchill and Lancero Compared

Length and diameter explain the differences more clearly than “small” or “large”. These drawings use one scale for both measurements, so a longer cigar is not made to look wider by enlarging its image.

Robusto124 mm × 50

Petit Corona · Mareva129 mm × 42

Churchill · Julieta No. 2178 mm × 47

Lancero · Laguito No. 1192 mm × 38

Double Corona · Prominente194 mm × 49

Robusto and Corona

The Robusto is 124 mm × 50; the Corona is 142 mm × 42. The Corona is 18 mm longer, while the Robusto is about 3.18 mm wider. Their proportions are quite different even though neither is an especially long format.

Robusto124 mm × 50

Corona142 mm × 42

Petit Corona and Corona

The Mareva, commonly called Petit Corona, is 129 mm × 42. It has the same diameter as the Corona and is 13 mm shorter. The smaller Perla, or Tres Petit Corona, is 102 mm × 40; it is a separate format rather than another name for the Mareva.

Corona142 mm × 42

Petit Corona · Mareva129 mm × 42

Tres Petit Corona · Perla102 mm × 40

Robusto and Churchill

The traditional Churchill, or Julieta No. 2, is 178 mm × 47. Against the Robusto, it gains 54 mm in length but is about 1.19 mm narrower. Its long profile is the conspicuous difference, not a larger diameter.

Be careful with the full commercial name. Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills is 130 mm × 55, a different factory format called Montesco. “Churchills” in the name does not carry the traditional measurements into every cigar that uses it.

Robusto124 mm × 50

Churchill · Julieta No. 2178 mm × 47

Wide Churchills · Montesco130 mm × 55

Lancero and Double Corona

The Lancero, or Laguito No. 1, is 192 mm × 38. The Double Corona, or Prominente, is 194 mm × 49. Their lengths differ by just 2 mm, but the Double Corona is about 4.37 mm wider. This is one of the clearest examples of two long cigars with very different proportions.

Lancero · Laguito No. 1192 mm × 38

Double Corona · Prominente194 mm × 49

Petit Robusto and Petit Edmundo

“Petit” does not establish a common specification. Habanos documents the Petit Robusto at 102 mm × 50, while its Petit Edmundo is 110 mm × 52. The Petit Edmundo is 8 mm longer and about 0.79 mm wider. Keep the complete name when comparing these shorter, broader formats.

Petit Robusto102 mm × 50

Petit Edmundo110 mm × 52

Cuban Cigar Shapes: Parejo and Figurado

A parejo has straight, parallel sides. Robusto, Corona, Churchill and Lancero are familiar examples. A figurado has a shaped profile, pointed at one end or at both ends. These terms describe the outline of the cigar, rather than its strength or brand.

Pirámide and Torpedo

Habanos’ size reference lists Pirámide as the factory name and Torpedo as the popular name for its 156 mm × 52 example. It has a pointed head and a broad, open foot. In that reference, the two names identify the same format.

The pointed head is narrower than the body. The quoted ring gauge describes the main diameter, so the measurement at the tip would not identify the format. The taper also explains why a shape description belongs alongside the length and ring gauge.

Double figurados

A double figurado narrows at both the head and the foot. Habanos’ Exquisito example is 145 mm × 46. It differs from the Pirámide because the lighting end tapers too. Habanos identifies Cuaba as the brand particularly associated with this shape.

The headline dimensions describe length and main diameter; they do not describe the changing width along a tapered body. Two cigars can therefore have similar measurements and visibly different outlines.

Does Cigar Size Determine Strength?

A larger ring gauge does not automatically mean a stronger cigar. Ring gauge is a physical measurement. The character of the cigar also depends on its tobacco blend, and two brands can use the same factory vitola without sharing that blend.

Hunters & Frankau describes how master blenders specify the quantities and classifications of leaves for the cigars being made. It also notes that broad flavour classifications are subjective: they are not precise measurements equivalent to the alcohol percentage on a whiskey label. A size chart cannot replace that information.

Format can still affect how a blend presents itself. Habanos discusses differences between thinner and broader cigars and explains that blenders can adjust the leaf recipe to account for them. That is a more useful explanation than assigning a strength score to diameter, or assuming every size from one brand will taste identical.

The smoking times in the main chart are similarly approximate. They provide context for the formats, but smoking pace, condition and the point at which a cigar is finished affect duration. The calculator on this page converts ring gauge to diameter; it does not estimate smoking time.

For the wider terminology, including filler, binder and wrapper, our beginner’s cigar guide provides the next reference.

Sources and Measurement Notes