If your looking for the best place to buy cigars online, here's a breakdown of the top online cigar stores including Gotham Cigars, Famous Smoke Shop, Thompson Cigars, and more.
It’s hard to believe with over 17 million cigar smokers just in the US that there are little more than a dozen credible places to buy cigars online. Now of course there are small shops all over that sell online cigars, but just don’t come up on any broad google search. In this compilation we’ve combed through every reputable online cigar store to find which one has the best prices, best website/online experience, best selection, best accessories and best service.
Best Prices
Normally when I travel outside the US, I don’t take cigars with me. One of the added benefits of traveling abroad whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, is the ability to purchase and smoke all the real cuban cigars that I want.
So on a trip to Australia a few years back, upon arriving in Port Douglas, I immedietely set out to buy some cuban cigars, to no avail. Second day, I was sure to keep my eyes peeled for any place that looked suspectible to stocking cigars. Nothing. This endless pursuit went on for days, until I arrived in Sydney. At which point I happily paid a ridiculous premium for a handful of Montecristo #2’s, and a couple Rocky Patel’s in a top downtown hotel.
But when I buy cigars online, I want to pay a good price. Especially following a trip like that. Now, here’s where it can get tricky. Because I, like most people, don’t want the lowest price if it means giving up quality. There are online cigar stores where you can save a few cents or even a few dollars but when you get the cigars, they’re damp or damaged. Which is a real disappointment.
In comparing prices among reputable online cigar retailers, Famous Smokes was actually a surprise winner. I expected one of the two big powerhouses (Thompson Cigar or Cigars International) to come out on top. With that said, the fact is that when it comes to buying cigars, whether online or in a retail shop – individual cigar prices may differ from shop to shop. So Store A may have 5 cigars cheaper than Store B, but Store B may have 3 other cigars cheaper than Store A. And it’s no different with Famous Smokes. We found that overall they had the best prices. But that’s not to say they have the lowest prices on every cigar. The big takeaway here is if price is paramount, Buitrago is a great starting point.
Look past the kids drinks and filtered cigars, click the “handmade cigars” on the top right, and when you look inside you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find some really good deals on a lot of premium cigars.
Best Website / Online Experience
Online cigar stores websites tend to look outdated. I don’t know why, but the majority of them look too busy and in dire need of a site revamp. Hence the reason why Gotham Cigars was an easy decision. With updated graphics, user friendly layout, and an easy navigation menu Gotham allow you to get in, buy your choice cigars and get out without all the distractions.
We also love the informational chart they give on every cigar. Which can be useful if you’re looking to buy some cigars you’ve never tried before.
Also, check out their Specials. There are some really good buys on some Arturo Fuente’s, Montecristo’s, Padron’s, Oliva’s and Liga Privada’s. For example, right now you can buy a box of Oliva V’s for only $92. Which is less than $10/stick.
Runner-Up- Mike’s Cigars
Mike’s Cigars is not quite as sleek as Gotham Cigars, but if you want to search for cigars by wrapper, strength, price range, ratings or country – this is where you want to go. Matter of fact, this would be a good site to pull up when you’re inside a cigar shop searching for a stogie.
Best Selection To Buy Cigars Online
Thompson Cigar is the Amazon of cigar stores. They have pretty much every brand, type, and size of cigar possible.
Acquired in 2018 by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group for $62 million, Thompson’s has a deep inventory of cigars that is almost unmatched. Their biggest competitor is Cigar International which is owned by STG as well. Between the two, their selection is going to be hard to beat for the foreseeable future.
If you’re unable to find the cigar you want at Famous Smoke or another site, chances are they’ll have it at Thompson Cigars.
Runner-up: Cigars International
Best Accessories
Mike’s Cigars
Real cigar smokers know the value of having the appropriate accessories to enjoying a great smoke. But where do you buy a great lighter, or a nice cutter? How about a humidor?
In selecting the Best Accessories we took three things into consideration: selection, prices, and user-friendliness. With these factors in mind, Mike’s Cigars excelled in all three areas.
The thing I love about Mike’s Cigars is that they have some really unique high end cigar accessories. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, check out this ST Dupont Limited Edition New York Fifth Avenue Lighter. For the right buyer, it’ll set them back a mere $2,625!
You can find anything from lighters to ashtrays to cigar holders. And at great prices. Like this white Colibri cigar cutter and Lotus Cigar Lighter with a Punch cut, both for around $50.
For other cigar cutter options check out our “Best Cigar Cutter in Every Category” post.
But if you want something a little extra special, they have that too. Like this St Dupont Cigar lighter for $167. Or this stunning Fuente Fuente OpusX rare 20th Anniversary ashtray for $400.
Best Service
For this category, we took a little different approach than what you might expect. Instead of placing an order from each site which would leave us evaluating just one experience we analyzed reviews from various sources including social media.
With that said, people who buy cigars online from Gotham Cigars seem to be very impressed with their service. We found a customer who wrote this review on their Facebook page:
“I ordered my cigars Thursday, by that evening I received my tracking number. My order was slated to arrive Monday, but, I received them too! I’ve never seen a company have such fast and efficient service. Will be ordering from them from now on!”
As we all know when you live a busy life, speedy service is important. And Gotham seems to have it down. Congrats to Gotham Cigars and their team for being a two time winner on our Best Place To Buy Cigars Online list.
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