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The 7 best cigars $5 and under that I’ve tried and tested

Young man enjoying a cigar outside on a gloomy day.
Bailey Zindel / Unsplash

That old saying, “You get what you pay for,” doesn’t really apply to the world of cigars. Sure, there are some cheap cigars that are made poorly and taste like paper, but there are some seriously overpriced cigars that aren’t worth the squeeze, either. With the advent of sites like or Cigars International’s , you can get some fantastic deals, too. Not to mention all of the bundle cigars and branded labels that are available for a great price, like , CI Knock-Offs, , and beyond. But if you’re in the market for some good, cheap sticks that won’t break the bank, you’re in the right place. I’ve put together a list of the best cigars under $5 that I’ve tried and tested.

The best cigars $5 and under tried and tested

Full disclosure: I don’t usually dabble with much below $5. I would recommend the $8 to $10 range because you’ll find some incredibly flavorful smokes in there. However, if you want to go even cheaper, these are worth a try.

This list is arranged in order of price, not best to worst.

Drew Estate Factory Smokes ~ $2 – $3

Factory Smokes Maduro by Drew Estate in a bundle, part of best cigars $5 and under.
Drew Estate
  • Strength: Medium
  • Best Size: Toro or Churchill

Drew Estate’s Factory Smokes series is an affordable label available in various formats, including Connecticut, Maduro, and Sweets versions. They’re perfect for yardwork, any sort of busywork, or any time you’d want a value-added but reasonable smoke. You could even smoke them as a daily, they’re pretty darn good. My Factory label of choice is the Maduro, but they’re all tasty. Moreover, the normal price is already reasonable, but when there are deals and discounts, things get really spicy.

Famous 365 ~ $2 – $3

Famous 365 cigars in Toro size from best cigars $5 and under.
Famous Smoke Shop
  • Strength: Medium
  • Best Size: Toro or Churchill

These budget-friendly smokes from Famous Smoke Shop are way better than they have any right to be. They’re handcrafted in Honduras, using Nicaraguan Habano wrappers. Light one up, and you’re in for a surprise bomb of flavor. I came away impressed, if you couldn’t already tell, and I’m already planning to smoke more.

Odyssey Habano ~ $2 – $3

Odyssey Habano cigar in Robusto size from best cigars $5 and under.
General Cigar Co/Odyssey
  • Strength: Medium
  • Best Size: Robusto

All of are cheap, from the to the Maduro or labels. But in this case, cheap definitely does not mean “bad cigar;” quite the opposite. They’re well-constructed, flavorful and work perfectly as an everyday smoke. My recommendation is the Habano, a medium-bodied, flavor-packed Nicaraguan delight.

Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte (Legacy) ~$4 – $5

Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Legacy from best cigars $5 and under.
Rey del Mundo Cigar Company/ Sancho Panza
  • Strength: Full-bodied
  • Best Size: Robusto

It’s worth noting up front that there is a new blend of the that is a little more expensive than the normal price. The new version is good, but the legacy blend earned a 91 rating, which tells you it’s pretty tasty for a cheap cigar. Most retailers still have the legacy blend available, although I’m not sure for how long. If you can get some, it’s a good stick for the standard price, let alone the huge discount you can get these days.

Tatiana Classic (various flavors) ~ $5

Tatiana Sweet Euphoria from Classic Series and best cigars $5 and under.
Miami Cigar and Co/Tatiana
  • Strength: Mellow to mild
  • Best Size: Various

Tatiana Classic series cigars are flavored and come in a wide variety of options like Sweet Euphoria (chocolate), Fusion Frenzy (passion fruit), Caribbean Chill (Mojito), Cognac, and Rum. If you enjoy flavored cigars, you’ll like pretty much any one of the brand’s smokes. Most are blended in a particular flavor. For example, tastes remarkably like almonds. They’re priced well normally, but you can usually find a good deal available, meaning they’ll cost even less.

Chillin Moose ~ $5

Chillin Moose cigar in Gigante size from best cigars $5 and under.
Foundry/Chillin Moose
  • Strength: Mild to Medium
  • Best Size: Robusto

Featuring a multi-country blend with Dominican, Mexican, Nicaraguan and USA tobacco, this smoke offers some pretty unique flavors. To describe a few, cocoa, raisins, earth, spice, hay, citrus, and wet tree bark are fairly prominent throughout. The brand like Shady Moose, Bull Moose and Chillin Moose Too, which I have yet to try. The core line is a great start.

Arturo Fuente Especiales ~ $5

Arturo Fuente Especiales cigars in box
Arturo Fuente
  • Strength: Medium
  • Best Size: Cazadores (Toro)

I’m sure most of you aren’t expecting to see a Fuente on this list, but here it is. I would not put the Especiales down as one of the best cigars in the Arturo Fuente lineup, but it’s sweet, creamy, and worth the price. It’s a solid medium smoke that will deliver lots of nuttiness, leather, spice, cedar and wood. I paired it with some dark coffee in the afternoon, and it was a lovely experience.

More budget-friendly alternatives

If you’re willing to spend a little more, here are more recommendations to consider:

JR Alternatives (Various) ~ $3 – $5

JR Alternatives equal to Cohiba
JR Cigars

JR Alternatives are made in a variety of blends and available at a generous selection of budget-friendly price points. They’re designed to mimic some of the bigger, more expensive cigar options on the market, with matchups for Montecristo, Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo, Hoyo, and more. If you know what you like already, you can browse the entire Alternatives catalog using that brand or blend specifically. If you’re just perusing, they’re clearly labeled, so you can still find something you like quickly. They work best as alternatives to your everyday or regular smokes, especially if the originals are either out of stock or out of your price range.

JFR Connecticut or Corojo ~8

JFR Connecticut in Super Toro size
JFR | Aganorsa Leaf
  • Strength: Mellow to Medium (Corojo), Medium to Full-bodied (Connecticut and Maduro)
  • Best Size: Super Toro and Titan

The initial buy-in for JFR bundles seems high until you realize you get 50 cigars per bundle, nearly double the amount in a normal box of cigars. They come in three types: Connecticut, Corojo, and Maduro. The Connecticut is creamy and delicious, the Corojo is nutty and earthy, and the Maduro is packed with dark, chocolatey flavors. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but I would recommend the Connecticut or Corojo as mainstays in any humidor. In case you weren’t aware, JFR is an Aganorsa Leaf brand.

Get to know our expert

Close up of cigars in humidor at home - Briley Kenney from The Manual
Briley Kenney / The Manual

Why should you listen to me? It’s a valid question. I smoke cigars all the time, and I have many recommendations and plenty of advice to share with others. But none of those things qualify me as an expert. Instead, it’s the years of experience, the time I’ve invested in the world of cigars, the excellent connections I’ve made with cigar makers and sellers, and the vast wealth of knowledge I’ve gained during that time. I know what goes into an excellent cigar, and I’ve certainly earned the right to recommend some to others, whether you’re a beginner and this is your first time smoking or have your own cabinet humidor stocked and maintained. Instead of waxing poetic, I’d rather let my recommendations speak for me.

Briley Kenney

Briley has been writing about consumer electronics, technology, and many lifestyle topics for nearly two decades. When he's not writing about deals for Digital Trends or The Manual, he's writing how-to content and guides about cigars and more for online publications. He's also a ghostwriter for various publications. In his downtime, he's either spending time with his family, playing games, or enjoying a good ol' stogie.

Send all editorial inquiries HERE.

The 10 best mild cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
AVO Synchro cigar resting on top of filled whiskey glass.

While I do prefer stronger medium-bodied to full-bodied cigars, I'll be the first to admit that mild cigars can be just as good and just as flavorful. If you're a beginner to smoking cigars, or you just want something more mellow, with less heat and pepper, the mild category is the place to be. But if you just grab something randomly off the shelf in your local cigar lounge, chances are, you won't find some of the best sticks on your first try. I love sharing the art of cigars with others, including making sure they have a great experience. To do that, I've tested a bunch of mild cigars to find the most flavorful, and I'm sharing my experiences with you. Here are my favorite smokes from the bunch.
The best mild cigars I've tried and tested

Right off the bat, you may notice that some refer to mild cigars as "mellow" and may also use the phrases "mild to medium" or "mellow to medium." Believe it or not, these are varying classifications. While mellow and mild are often interchangeable, I have heard some cigar enthusiasts refer to "mellow" as more of a smooth, less-peppery smoke, sometimes even with lots of cream notes. In that case, mild would be slightly stronger, but not by much. The terms "mild to medium" and "mellow to medium" are used to place the cigar between those two categories. To describe it better, they're slightly stronger than mild or mellow but not quite as strong as a medium cigar. This could mean they have more intense flavors, more pepper, or a combination of stronger changes in the later thirds. If you're looking for a strictly mellow cigar, stick with the respective classification. For the list, I chose a range of options, but all of them are definitely mild, relaxing smokes.
AVO Classic

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The 10 best vanilla cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
Vanilla sticks and cigars on stylish background.

Cigars fall into two major categories: naturally flavored and infused. Like many that come from Acid, infused cigars are soaked in essential oils, sugars, botanicals, or beverages like cognac to make them fruitier, sweeter, and wholly unique. Natural cigars, on the other hand, get their flavors from the blend of tobacco leaves they're made from. Some cigar enthusiasts like both kinds, while some like one or the other. It's mainly up to your preferences and tastes. But if you're looking for a much broader range of flavors, infused cigars are the way to go. Some other popular brands that make infused cigars are Dutch Master, Rocky Patel, Drew Estate, and Baccarat. Here are a few of the best vanilla cigars I've tried and tested in 2024.
Acid Blondie Blue Natural

Strength: Mild to Medium
Infused: Yes

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The 12 best Connecticut cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
Best Connecticut cigars up close and personal

Connecticut cigars are the clear winner for smoking on a hot summer day, in the morning with some coffee, or when you just don't want a swift kick in the teeth (of pepper). There's no shortage of options, either. Connecticut shade wrappers are one of the most prevalent in the world of cigars, and it's certainly the most common natural shade. Maduro is also popular, but the two wrapper types couldn't be any more different. Connecticut wrappers, and by proxy Connecticut cigars, are typically mild to medium in strength and brimming with creamy, smooth flavors. They're composed of tobacco leaves grown in the Connecticut River Valley in the United States -- which is where the name Connecticut comes from. Consistent and flavorful, some of the best beginner-friendly cigars are Connecticut-wrapped, but you should never sell them short. A Connecticut shade cigar can be just as refined, elegant, and premium as any other. If you know where to look, you may even find some of your favorite blends in the category across a wide range of brands and cigar makers.

I'm about to take you on a magical, doughy, and delicious trek through the broad range of Connecticut cigars. In short, here are the best Connecticut cigars tried and tested by a genuine enthusiast of the craft: yours truly.
The best Connecticut cigars I've tried and tested
While the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is considered a Connecticut shade, I did my best to steer clear of recommending them for this list. They're better classified as a Maduro shade or darker cigar. That doesn't mean you should avoid them, quite the contrary. But for this list, I wanted to stick to smooth, relaxing smokes that are strong on flavor but not quite so strong on pepper and spice. I also tried not to choose a lot of repeats. If you see your favorite cigar missing, that might be because it was recommended on another list or it just didn't make the cut. If you have any recommendations of your own, I'm always available through social media or email. Without further ado, let's get this thing started.
Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut

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