A buddy of mine who is getting to cigars wants to get a good lighter. He asked me the other day, how long does a lighter last? I answered him with some general idea like a good lighter will last for years.
But, that got me thinking about many of my lighters. Some last for years and years and others last only a few weeks. I decided to put together a post about different lighters and how long a few types of lighter last.
How Long Does A BIC or Cheap Plastic Lighter Last?
When it comes to BIC lighters, they are the gold standard of disposable lighters. I have had BICs that lasted for years.
After looking at a couple of websites, I found that the average BIC lighter lasts for about 50 to 60 minutes of non-stop use. It may not sound like that long, but it is. The average time a lighter is lit up is around 2 seconds. That turns out to be a little less than 2,000 lights.
Because BIC makes quality disposable lighters, the chances of it failing is low. The biggest problem people have with BIC lighters is losing them. So if you can hang on to it, it’s going to last you a long time.
When it comes to “other” cheap disposable lighters it’s anybody’s guess. Some are going to be great and some are going to be awful. The biggest problem I find with cheap lighters is when the striker breaks or the flint pops out. When that happens the lighter is dead.
You never know when you’re going to get a good one or a bad one, but they are so cheap to me it doesn’t matter. Like most people I have a ton of old cheap lighters in a drawer that will only get used a couple of times a year…if at all.
How Long Does A Zippo Last?
When it is taken care of you can bet that a Zippo lighter is going to last 10 or more years without any problems. Replacing flints in a Zippo is easy. Filling them up is also super easy. Replacing the wick can be a little frustrating, but is not that hard.
In my opinion, Zippo is the best bet for a long-lasting lighter. A lot of their lighters are less than $25 and they have an insane number of awesome designs. On top of all that they do have a lifetime warranty.
As cool as Zippos are, my problem with them is the taste that comes from the lighter fluid. With that said, I have around 30 Zippo lighters. In my Zippos, I use a torch insert that Zippo sells. That way I don’t get the nasty taste from the lighter fluid.
How Long Does A Plasma/Arc Lighter Last?
When it comes to these types of lighters there are only a couple of brands that I actually trust. Tesla Coil Lighters and Zippo brands make quality lighters. I have had a Tesla Coil lighter since 2016 that still works great as long as the battery is full of power.
There are so many companies selling cheap and very low-quality Arc/Plasma lighters. The way I see it is these lighters are nothing more than cheap novelty lighter
I have heard a ton of stories about people buying a random arc lighter and it working only a couple of weeks. I am sure that many Arc/Plasma lighters will last quite a while. But to be honest I don’t have enough information to give a good opinion. What I can suggest is that you read plenty of reviews before buying one.
How Long Does A Torch Lighter Last?
Many of the torch lighters I have I’ve owned for more than 10 years. I am a huge fan of torch lighters especially when it comes to cigars.
I have read a bunch of complaints about torch lighters online. Some people seem to get a good one and many other people don’t. I used to be in the same situation. Sometimes I got one that was good and sometimes I got one that sucked.
What I found out was that torch lighters need a lot of care. I have written several posts on how to fix your torch fast that you can find here.
Once I learned a little about torches I found that many of the lighters I had already weren’t bad, but needed a little love. So please keep that in mind.
When you get a cheap plastic gas station torch lighter you are going to get a couple of weeks to a month’s worth of use. Many would last longer if they could be safely refilled, but many are not.
There are a lot of lighters for sale on Amazon that are low quality. I have bought a bunch of them that look cool, but didn’t last but a few months before they failed. I have also bought a bunch of amazing lighters from Amazon that have lasted more than ten years.
What to look for when shopping for a torch
If you are going to get a torch lighter you get one that has a warranty. Finding a torch lighter with a warranty is easy. Finding a torch lighter with a GOOD warranty is more difficult.
These are brands I trust; Xikar, ST Dupont, Colibri, Ronson Jetlite, Vector, Lotus, and Zippo as well as a few others. I have never had problems using a warranty with these torches lighter companies.
Again, when it comes to torch lighters you may have to make some adjustments and give them some love to get the most out of them.