Free tool
Cigar Ring Gauge Converter
Ring gauge is a cigar’s diameter in 64ths of an inch, which is precise and completely unhelpful the moment you want millimeters. This converter does the arithmetic both ways and tells you which classic vitolas share the girth you typed.
Ring gauge to millimeters and inches
Type a number in any unit — ring gauge, millimeters, or inches — and the other two convert instantly. Ring gauge is measured in 64ths of an inch, so the math is exact.
How the conversion works
One ring gauge unit is 1/64 of an inch, a convention American cigar makers settled on in the 19th century. That gives you two exact formulas: millimeters = gauge × 25.4 ÷ 64, and inches = gauge ÷ 64. A 50 ring gauge Robusto is 19.8 mm across, a 52 ring gauge Toro is 20.6 mm, and a 60 ring gauge Gordo is 23.8 mm. There is no rounding convention to argue about because the definition itself is exact.
If you are converting from a caliper measurement in millimeters, multiply by 64 and divide by 25.4, then round to the nearest even number, since almost every commercial vitola uses an even gauge.
Ring gauge conversion chart
Every even gauge from 26 (a slim cigarillo) to 70 (the far edge of the super-gordo trend), with the classic vitolas that live at each girth.
| Ring gauge | Inches | Millimeters | Common vitolas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 0.406″ | 10.3 mm | — |
| 28 | 0.438″ | 11.1 mm | — |
| 30 | 0.469″ | 11.9 mm | — |
| 32 | 0.5″ | 12.7 mm | — |
| 34 | 0.531″ | 13.5 mm | — |
| 36 | 0.563″ | 14.3 mm | — |
| 38 | 0.594″ | 15.1 mm | Lancero |
| 40 | 0.625″ | 15.9 mm | — |
| 42 | 0.656″ | 16.7 mm | Petit Corona |
| 44 | 0.688″ | 17.5 mm | Corona, Lonsdale |
| 46 | 0.719″ | 18.3 mm | — |
| 48 | 0.75″ | 19.0 mm | Churchill |
| 50 | 0.781″ | 19.8 mm | Robusto, Rothschild |
| 52 | 0.813″ | 20.6 mm | Toro, Torpedo |
| 54 | 0.844″ | 21.4 mm | — |
| 56 | 0.875″ | 22.2 mm | — |
| 58 | 0.906″ | 23.0 mm | — |
| 60 | 0.938″ | 23.8 mm | Gordo |
| 62 | 0.969″ | 24.6 mm | — |
| 64 | 1″ | 25.4 mm | — |
| 66 | 1.031″ | 26.2 mm | — |
| 68 | 1.063″ | 27.0 mm | — |
| 70 | 1.094″ | 27.8 mm | — |
Common questions
How do I convert cigar ring gauge to millimeters?
Multiply the ring gauge by 25.4 and divide by 64. Ring gauge is the diameter in 64ths of an inch, so a 52 ring gauge cigar is 52 × 25.4 ÷ 64 = 20.6 mm across. To go the other way, multiply the millimeters by 64 and divide by 25.4.
What ring gauge is one inch thick?
A 64 ring gauge cigar is exactly one inch in diameter, because ring gauge counts 64ths of an inch. Very few cigars are that thick. Most sit between 38 and 60, and the modern sweet spot is 50 to 54.
Does a bigger ring gauge mean a stronger cigar?
No. Strength comes from the tobacco blend, not the girth. A fatter cigar holds more filler relative to its wrapper, which usually means a cooler draw and broader flavor, while a thin cigar concentrates the wrapper leaf in every puff. A 60 ring gauge Connecticut can be far milder than a 38 ring gauge full-bodied lancero.
What is the most common cigar ring gauge?
The 50 ring gauge is the modern standard, anchored by the Robusto and the 50 to 52 gauge Toro family. Classic Cuban-style sizes run thinner, mostly 40 to 46, and the market has drifted fatter over the last two decades.
Keep reading
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