How Long Does It Take For A Cigar To Go Out?

Short, simple answer: depending on the cigar, between 2 and 6 minutes.

The question of how long a cigar will stay lit is an important one for a few reasons.

The first is safety. If you are reading this post to try to determine how long to leave a cigar sitting before throwing it in the trash or outside, here’s the key point: do not throw a cigar away without pouring some water from a glass or the sink over the ember, even if you think the cigar is out. There are too many stories online of those who have died in house fires because they “thought the cigar was out” when they threw it away.  Of course, if your cigar has sit in an ash tray for an hour or overnight on the deck, it’s ok to throw away. But don’t play a guessing game between five minutes after you’ve decided to stop smoking your cigar.

The second reason this is an important question is for the smoker who wants to pace himself and not smoke through the cigar too quickly.  Many new smokers will puff their cigars much too quickly, thinking that their cigar will behave like a cigarette and go out immediately. You don’t need to puff your cigar every 10 seconds. Cigars are a leisure activity, so pace yourself to actually enjoy the smoking experience.