Gifts for cigar lovers: a holiday guide for people who don’t smoke them

If you’re buying for someone who enjoys cigars and you don’t smoke them yourself, the accessories are the easier place to start. They’re less personal than cigars, which come down to taste, and you can compare them by what they do.

I’m new to cigars myself, so this isn’t an expert’s shortlist. I own one thing on this page, the COOL KNIGHT humidor. Everything else is described from its listing, and I haven’t used it. It all comes from Refined Traditions, 1st Class Humidors, Gotham Cigars and Amazon, which all pay this site a commission when you buy through these links.

Three things to find out first

A little quiet research helps, because a duplicate of something they already use is the easiest way to get this wrong:

• Do they have a humidor? If they don’t, a starter set could be a good first step. If they do, ask or peek at how full it is.
• How do they cut their cigars? A guillotine makes a straight cut, a punch makes a small hole and a V-cutter makes a notch. People tend to have a preference, and my guide to cutting and lighting explains the differences.
• How thick are their cigars? Thickness is called ring gauge, and a cutter has a limit. Where the listings here state one, it’s mostly 60, but the Heavy Body cutter stops at 56 and the Eiger set’s cutter at 48. If you can, check a cigar box for a size like 7 x 54, where the second number is the ring gauge.

If you can’t find out, a set covers the most ground, though you may still duplicate something.

Under $25

These prices, like the ones in the next two headings, are what the stores listed on November 1, 2026, or November 2 for Gotham Cigars. Refined Traditions adds a flat $9.98 to orders under $75. 1st Class Humidors ships free on accessory and humidor orders of $75 or more within the lower 48 states, and below that you pick a shipping option at checkout. For Gotham Cigars, I’d check the shipping cost at checkout too.

The first four here come from 1st Class Humidors. The first three are a good place to use what you found out about how they cut: the Heavy Body makes a straight cut, the Vivid makes a notch and the Spartan has two punches.

The hygrometer is for someone who already has a humidor. The 1 percent accuracy is the seller’s own figure, and my piece on hygrometers explains how to check one.

The rest come from Gotham Cigars. The Chopper has two blades and the Single Blade has one. The sources in my cutting guide lean toward two, so I’d save the Single Blade, at about $5, for a spare.

The Spark Viking is a pocket torch. Butane is more of an add-on for someone whose lighter is refillable.

The crystal jar is for someone who already has a humidor, and the 70 percent is the seller’s figure. The acrylic jar is storage in itself, at about $20. It’s a different thing from a wooden box, and I can’t tell you how well it seals.

Under $50

The Scorpius has a punch and no blade, so it’s a better fit for someone who uses a punch or wants one as a backup.

My own lighter is a Vertigo Saber, which has a V-cutter built in, and I’ve been very happy with having both in one tool. The Lumina is the same idea. I haven’t used it, and I can’t tell you how the two compare.

The folding set closes up, and it has a cutter and a punch with it, so it may suit someone who smokes away from home.

The Hands of Time is a showier ashtray, with the Arturo Fuente name on it, so it makes more sense for someone who already smokes that brand.

The Aficionado kit covers storing, cutting and lighting in one box, with no cigars, which makes it the cheapest full set here. Its listing doesn’t mention a humidifier or a hygrometer, so check what’s included if they’re starting from nothing.

The last two are humidors. About $30 is low next to the other boxes in this guide, and I can’t tell you how well the Imperial Glasstop seals, so I’d check it as soon as it arrives. Its glass top means a second seal to watch.

The Novelist is more of a novelty. At 1.67 inches tall, it only has room for a single layer of cigars, so I wouldn’t give it as someone’s main humidor.

$50 to $100

The Boulder is another lighter with cutters built in, this time a guillotine and a punch. I haven’t used this one either.

The next three are for someone who doesn’t have a humidor yet. The Palió set’s humidor is a travel-style box, and one guide I read advises against using a travel case as your main storage. The Éclat is a desktop box without a cutter or lighter. The Eiger comes in a white gift box, and its listing describes it as designed for beginners.

1st Class Humidors has three more in this range. The Diplomat set is the closest to the Eiger, with a cutter, a cigar case and an ashtray in the box. Its listing says up to 50 cigars, though its web address says 40. The Sovereign pairs a box with a matching ashtray, and the Imperial Glass Drawer has two slide-out drawers for accessories. Those last two have glass tops, so the same second seal applies.

$100 and up

The XI1 is the kind of thing someone may not buy for themselves, since cheaper cutters also do the job. If they travel, the two sets below put a case, a cutter and a lighter together.

If you want to give cigars

Cigars are for adults 21 and over, so only give them to someone you know is of age and already smokes them. Taste is personal, which is why these are all samplers: several cigars rather than one guess. I haven’t tried them, and they’re described from their listings. If you want to understand what you’re buying, my guide to choosing a first cigar covers strength, size and wrapper.

All five come from Gotham Cigars, which files them under premium cigars. The first three were under $50 on November 2, and the last two were between $50 and $100.

The My Father box also includes a cutter and a lighter, so it works as a small set.

From Amazon

Amazon sets its own prices, so check the listings. The COOL KNIGHT is the box I own, a gift from my wife, and I think it’s a great one for a beginner. That’s one owner’s opinion, not a test. My comparison of small humidors sets it beside nine others.

The Boveda kit is a small add-on for someone who already has a humidor. It’s used to check whether a hygrometer is reading correctly, and each kit is good for one use.

Before you order

• Order early. Refined Traditions’ shipping policy estimates 7 to 10 business days in total. To have something by Christmas Eve, that points to about December 10, and I’d go earlier, since the estimate doesn’t mention holiday delays. 1st Class Humidors’ shipping page says most orders ship within 24 to 48 hours and UPS Ground generally takes 3 to 5 business days, though it doesn’t guarantee processing times and says to allow extra time during the holidays. Gotham Cigars’ FAQ says ground shipping typically arrives 2 to 7 business days after it ships, and its policies say it doesn’t ship on weekends or holidays.
• Check where it’s going. Refined Traditions’ standard checkout only covers the lower 48 states. For Alaska or Hawaii, it asks you to contact the store first. Gotham Cigars’ FAQ says it ships within the continental US except Utah and Hawaii, and that extra charges may apply to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands.
• Send a first Gotham order to yourself. Its FAQ says first orders need matching billing and shipping addresses, and that it won’t ship first orders over $250. You have to be 21 to buy, and its policies describe extra steps for California, including a phone confirmation and an adult signature.
• Keep it returnable. Refined Traditions’ refund policy gives you 30 days from delivery, and it says items must come back unused in their original packaging, with return shipping on you. 1st Class Humidors’ returns page counts its 30 days from purchase, so anything bought before about November 25 is past that window by Christmas Day. It also asks for a return authorization by phone and unused items in their original packaging, refunds the price less shipping both ways, and says a restocking fee may apply. If you order early, check that the 30 days still cover the time after they open it. I haven’t read Gotham Cigars’ return policy, so check its policies page before you buy, especially for cigars.
• Add butane to a lighter. The Boulder’s listing says it ships empty, and I’d assume the same for any refillable lighter unless its listing says otherwise.
• Don’t expect a new humidor to be ready on Christmas morning. A new box usually needs seasoning before it holds cigars, and that can take up to two weeks.

The samplers are the only tobacco on this page, and this site doesn’t sell anything itself. Cigars are for adults 21 and over, so that goes for the gifts too.