There are six common cigarette formats on the market. They differ in appearance, including diameter and length. This article will cover each format in more detail.
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A cigarette format is a specific combination of shape, length, and circumference. Cigarette lengths can vary from 83 to 99 mm, and circumferences from 16.96 to 24.3 mm, which meets tobacco industry standards.
Slim formats are more compact, so consumers may associate them with lower nicotine content, creating the illusion of a “lighter” cigarette. In reality, this is not the case: the amount of nicotine and other harmful substances is determined by the composition of the tobacco blend, not the geometric shape, so the harm to the smoker’s body remains the same regardless of the cigarette format.
However, the difference in format does affect the length of a smoking session. The thinner the cigarette, the faster it burns due to its design, which shortens the smoking session.
The King Size cigarette format emerged in the 1930s, when an American tobacco company repackaged its cigarettes. This was conceived as a marketing ploy to differentiate the product from competitors. The manufacturer increased the length of the cigarettes to 83 mm, instead of the then-common 70 mm. The new format was dubbed “King Size.”
By the 1950s, it had gained particular popularity among consumers and was recognized as the standard in the tobacco world. This is attributed to changing consumer habits in the post-war period, when longer cigarettes became associated with a certain status and income level. The harmful effects of nicotine and combustion products associated with the new type of cigarettes, of course, remained. Tobacco companies began to mass-produce the King Size format by the early 1960s.
Today, king size is the most common cigarette format, often referred to as regular. The cigarette is 83 mm long and 24.3 mm in circumference.
Other 83 mm long formats include:
- King Size Slim or Demi Slims, with a circumference of 21 mm. These are thinner cigarettes than king size. This is one of the most popular formats on the market.
- King Size Super Slim or Nano – circumference 16.96 mm.
These cigarettes have the same circumference as king size – 24.3 mm – but are longer – 99 mm instead of 83 mm for king size. Due to their larger format, king size long cigarettes contain more tobacco and allow for longer smoking sessions.
Another 99 mm long format:
100’s Super Slim – circumference: 16.96 mm. These are the thinnest and longest cigarettes of all existing formats.
Cigarettes in this format are 94 mm long, making them shorter than the 100’s version but longer than the classic King Size. The circumference of Longer (Slims) cigarettes is 23.4 mm – 0.9 mm shorter than the standard King Size (24.3 mm). This format is sometimes informally referred to as Queen Size, emphasizing its similarity to the King Size, but with a longer and thinner body.
It’s important to remember that smoking cigarettes of any type carries health risks and can lead to nicotine addiction.
However, understanding the classification and differences between formats will help you choose the most suitable product. For example, 100’s (Super King Size) cigarettes differ from other options by their longer smoking session length. And the thinnest and longest cigarettes on the market are 100’s Super Slim.