Soft Flame vs Torch Lighter for Cigars: Which Should You Use?

Butane is the rule — every cigar smoker learns that early. But once you've picked butane, you still have a choice: soft flame vs torch lighter. Both run on butane, both are popular among experienced smokers, and both have genuine strengths. What separates them is how they deliver the heat, and that changes how you light a cigar and what the experience feels like.

Here's how to think about the difference so you can pick the right tool for your smoke.

The fundamental difference

A soft flame lighter produces a large, relaxed, yellow flame — the kind you recognize from classic lighters and candles. The flame is low-pressure and relatively cool compared to a torch, which means it needs more contact time and closer technique to light a cigar properly. But it's also forgiving and pleasant: a soft flame is hard to overheat with.

A torch lighter (also called a jet flame lighter) pressurizes butane through a nozzle and ignites it as a tight, focused blue flame. It burns significantly hotter — well over 2,000°F — and is wind-resistant to the point of being nearly windproof. You can light a cigar faster with a torch, but the heat is unforgiving if you rush or hold the flame too close.

Neither is wrong. They're different tools for different preferences and conditions.

When a soft flame makes sense

• Indoors, no wind — soft flames have no windproofing and will flicker out in even a light breeze
• Relaxed lighting rituals — many smokers find the slower, tactile process of lighting with a soft flame more satisfying
• Beginners learning technique — a soft flame makes it harder to scorch the wrapper, giving you more margin for error
• Particularly delicate or thin wrappers — the gentler heat is kinder to fragile Connecticut shades or thin-skins

The limitation is practical: a soft flame in a mild wind will go out, forcing you to relight constantly. They're a pleasure at home or in a sheltered spot, but impractical in most outdoor conditions.

When a torch lighter makes more sense

• Outdoors or any wind — torch lighters are essentially windproof
• Faster lighting — the intense heat toasts the foot of the cigar in less time
• Thicker ring gauges — a wide cigar foot (60 ring gauge and above) benefits from the coverage of a double or triple flame
• Casual smoking where technique is more relaxed — torch lighters are less fussy about angle and distance

The tradeoff is that a torch will punish rushed technique. Hold it too close and you char the wrapper; rush the toast and you'll get a bitter, uneven light. Keep the flame an inch or so from the foot and rotate the cigar — the same approach you'd use with a soft flame, just quicker.

Browse our full types of cigar lighters guide for a broader breakdown of every lighter category.

Single, double, and triple flame torch

If you go torch, the flame count matters:

• Single flame — precise, easy to control, least heat per second; best for beginners and smaller ring gauges
• Double flame — faster, covers more surface; a versatile middle ground for most cigars
• Triple flame — very fast and powerful; suited for large ring gauges but easy to overdo

For most smokers starting out, a single-flame torch or a double-flame is the right pick. Triple-flame torches are impressive but generate so much heat that toasting a standard robusto requires real restraint.

What to look for in either type

Whether you go soft flame or torch, the same quality indicators apply:

• Butane-only fuel (never fluid or anything else)
• Refillable tank — disposable lighters waste money and lack reliability
• Adjustable flame height — lets you dial in the heat level
• Solid ignition mechanism — push-button piezo ignition is more reliable than flint wheel
• Comfortable weight and grip — you'll be holding it for 30 seconds while toasting; it should feel natural

For tabletop or at-home situations, a desk lighter eliminates the need to hold a lighter for an extended toast — see our guide on cigar table lighters for that category.

Does the lighter affect cigar flavor?

Clean-burning butane doesn't add flavor to the cigar — that's why it's the universal recommendation. The question of soft flame vs torch affecting flavor is mostly settled: technique matters more than flame type. A cigar properly toasted with a torch tastes the same as one lit with a soft flame, assuming neither was scorched or rushed.

Where flavor can be affected is when the lighter fluid isn't fully purged or the tank is dirty. Always bleed and refill your butane lighter with premium butane when it runs low rather than topping it off repeatedly.

The short answer

If you smoke mostly indoors and value the ritual, try a soft flame. If you smoke outdoors frequently or want reliability in all conditions, a torch lighter is the more practical choice. Many smokers end up owning both — a torch for travel and outdoor smoking, a soft flame for evenings at home.

See our full best cigar lighter breakdown for more guidance on what to look for when you're ready to buy. And once you've got your lighter sorted, your next investment is usually a quality desktop humidor to keep your cigars in the best possible condition between smokes.

Browse our cigars section if you're still building your palate and want guidance on what to smoke.