Cigars vs Cigarillos: The Difference

Same Counter, Two Different Products

Walk into any real cigar shop and you'll see two worlds side by side: a humidified case of handmade premium cigars, and a wall of machine-made cigarillos in bright packs. They're both tobacco, but that's where the similarity ends — and knowing which one fits the moment saves you money in both directions.

Premium Cigars: Handmade, Long-Filler, Unhurried

A premium cigar is rolled by hand from whole tobacco leaves — wrapper, binder, and long-filler — and needs humidity control from the factory to your fingers. It's a 45-minute-to-2-hour experience meant to be savored, not rushed. Singles typically run from several dollars into the tens of dollars depending on the brand. This is the world of Arturo Fuente, Padrón, Davidoff and the legal non-Cuban Cohiba and Montecristo editions.

Cigarillos: Machine-Made, Quick, Everywhere

Cigarillos are small, machine-made smokes built from cut tobacco — a 5-to-15-minute smoke sold in 2-packs, 3-packs, and pouches for pocket change. No humidor required, no ritual, no learning curve. The big names are the ones you already know: Swisher Sweets, Backwoods, Black & Mild, Dutch Masters, White Owl, Game, Garcia y Vega and more — the full lineup is on our cigar & cigarillo brands page, and the cigarillo shop Orlando page covers what's always in stock.

Which One Fits the Moment?

• Celebration, golf round, after-dinner hour: premium cigar. The occasion deserves the time.
• Quick smoke on the balcony: cigarillo. Done in ten minutes, costs a couple of dollars.
• Handing them out to a group: either — budget crowd-pleaser cigarillos, or a fistful of mild premiums like Macanudo if it's a big moment.
• First cigar ever: a mild premium robusto, honestly — our beginner's guide explains why size and wrapper matter more than price.

Buy Both in Orlando, Any Hour

535 Smoke Shop stocks the humidor case and the cigarillo wall at our 535 flagship on World Center Drive near Disney World — open 24/7, every day, at (407) 778-1326. No car? Add either to a local delivery order when the exact address is within 15 miles.

Must be 21+. Tobacco products are for adults 21 and over. Cigars and all tobacco items are available for in-store purchase and local Orlando-area delivery only — never shipped. Underage sale is prohibited.