10 Benefits of Using a Clear Lighter

How many times has your lighter run out at the worst possible moment?

A person's lighter can tell you a lot about them. The more stylized, the more serious the smoker. When it comes to cigars, everything is about style and quality.

The same can be said for lighters. Clear lighters come with a wealth of benefits in both utility and style.

Sure, you might love the cool aesthetic of your graphic lighter, but if you're a consistent cigar smoker, you'll know what we're talking about. When you're finally ready to sit down and smoke up, only to find your lighter is dead, it's infuriating.

Having one, consistent, reusable lighter is the ultimate solution for keep the accessory hoarding down, and always knowing when you’re getting low on fuel. In this article, we'll explore the 10 benefits to clear lighters. You won't be able to use anything else once you're done reading.

What is a Clear Lighter?

A clear lighter is not a specific brand. There are countless types of clear lighters. Most people will resort to the multipack traditional butane lighters you see at gas stations and big-box stores.

What defines a clear lighter is being able to see the fuel inside. Unlike the solid lighters, clear lighters can look pretty basic. In terms of usability, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Cigar smoking is an international hobby and pastime. As many travelers know, one of the easiest ways to make friends is by sharing a cigar.

Having a clear lighter will take your cigar smoking to a new level. Not only will it make your life easier, but it will make you stand out from the crowd. Let's explore the main benefits to clear lighters.

1. Know Where You Stand

The biggest problem with opaque lighters is never knowing quite how much fuel you have left. Imagine yourself sitting down this evening to smoke your favorite pipe or cigar.

You're finally relaxed for the evening, and ready to top it off by lighting up. There's just one problem.

Your lighter is out of fuel. With a clear lighter, you can avoid this unwelcome surprise.

No lighter offers infinite fuel, but it’s nice to know how much juice you have left. Imagine if our phones didn’t have a graphic displaying the battery life, and you just had to judge for yourself if it’s low; you’d probably end up frequently losing power mid-conversation. Or if we didn’t have fuel gauges on our cars—I’d be getting the most out of my AAA subscription, that’s for sure. We expect such a gauge in one way or another in so many aspects of our lives, but not so much with our lighters. The exception being clear lighters.

With clear lighters, you know exactly where you stand before you start trying to light up. If there's no fuel in the chamber, then you can fill it up ahead of time and get going without any fuss.

2. Inexpensive Option

Buying lighters might not feel expensive, but it can soon add up. With cheap purchases, you're less likely to pay attention to where your lighter is. They’re one of those things that you always seem to find in jacket pockets, find banging around in the drier, or just see laying around—that is until you actually need one. All of a sudden, they’re nowhere to be found.

Multipacks of cheap lighters might only be a few bucks. Those bucks add up overtime. Why not invest in something that will last longer, and cost you less overtime? Not to mention, lighters you can refill with premium butane generally have softer flames, much more apposite to lighting a cigar or pipe without scorching the thing.

There's a psychological quirk in all humans that we care more about expensive items. Seems logical, right? You've spent good money on an item, of course, you want to take care of it.

Even though the top range of clear lighters exceeds the cost of their cheaper counterparts, you will take better care of it. Plus, the only additional cost is buying the fluid to refill the chamber.

3. Variety Galore

Just because you're not going for a fancy colorful lighter doesn't mean you can't show off your style. Most clear lighters come in a range of options.

The flames of clear lighters are perfect for customizing. For example, you could choose a torch lighter. Torch lighters typically produce a blue flame.

And of course, with many refillable lighters, you have the ability to adjust the flame size. That can be very convenient for adapting to the purpose at hand.

4. Better Materials

Clear lighters tend to be easier to use as they're of higher quality. Cigar lighters are particularly top-quality.

Our favorites are made with metal and take premium butane fuel.

Treat your lighters as you treat your cigar: with respect.

5. Much Better Than Plasma

Plasma lighters might look cool, but they come with many downsides. Just like with non-clear lighters, you never know when your plasma lighter is going to give up on you.

You'll pay a lot more for a plasma lighter than a clear lighter. The battery life on your plasma lighter will eventually give up on you. Over-charging will destroy the battery life.

Plasma lighters might be all the rage, but they're just a fashion trend. Ask any regular smoker and they'll agree. Plasma lighters do not make good cigar lighters.

The plasma is inconsistent. You'll spend twice as long lighting your cigar with a plasma lighter than with a regular flame-based alternative.

6. Refillable

The refillable aspect of top-of-the-range clear lighters has many positives. For starters, it’s much less wasteful than buying packs and packs of disposable lighters.

Next, the time saved with refillable clear lighters is incalculable. Having lighter fluid at home stops you from having to go to the store every time your lighter dies.

Of course, the cost is also a major factor. Once you've purchased your clear lighter, the lighter fluid is a small post-investment.

How often you use your lighter determines the frequency of refilling. Most users can have the same bottle of lighter fluid for upwards of a year until having to buy another.

If you're spending $5-$10 every month on lighters, you could save at least $30 every year. A good clear lighter can cost anywhere from $10-$40. Lighter fluid costs around $10-$15 for a potentially annual supply.

Those savings equate to at least a nice meal out for you and your significant other. Or you could use the savings for an exquisite set of cigars.

Refillable cigar lighters turn a casual user into an aficionado. Refilling a lighter is a lot easier than you might presume. Refillable lighters have a valve, usually on the handle or hilt.

Your refillable clear lighter will come with instructions. What it might not mention is the importance of letting the lighter rest for at least two minutes after refilling.

7. Better Than E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes were all the rage. However, nothing beats the taste and flavor of a great cigar.

Similarly, with the cost of buying lighters all the time, e-cigarettes can become expensive. They also run out at the worst possible moment.

Cigar smoking is a lower-chemical option than e-cigarettes. The biggest downside to e-cigarettes is the plastic particles that can leach from the materials.

8. Benefits of Butane

Butane in cigar lighters has a wealth of benefits. Firstly, the main benefit is the low price of butane-based lighter fluid.

Butane quality can differ. If you're new to cigar smoking, you probably won't notice the taste difference.

Higher quality butane will also last longer in your clear lighter. No matter what, butane will always outlast matches!

9. Portable

Admittedly, pretty much all lighters are portable. However, a good cigar lighter's portability is key. If you're used to smoking at your local country club or with friends, everyone loves the guy with a good lighter.

The most important thing is to not lose your lighter! If you've invested in a great clear lighter for cigar smoking, someone might pinch it. Be sure to leave every social event with your lighter.

Just like you wouldn't leave without your phone, wallet, or purse, and your keys, make sure you have your lighter. High-quality clear lighters sell out fast, so you might not be able to replace them quickly should you lose them.

10. Never Runout Without Warning

You might have noticed this list has come full circle. The ultimate benefit to a clear lighter is that it will never run out without warning. Now that you've invested in a refillable option, that's even more true.

A clear lighter for cigar smoking is the best of all lighter options. Most cigar smokers keep all of their equipment in one place. Your clear lighter is part of the cigar-smoking process.

Keep your cigar lighter close to your cigars. We don't recommend storing them directly next to each other. However, maybe try investing in a stylish storage box.

Being on top of your cigar game is a relaxing hobby. Your clear lighter is part of that investment.

The Best Clear Lighter Brand

The downside to the run-of-the-mill clear lighters is that they can become damaged with ease.

One of our favorite brands for clear lighters is Xikar. The company launched in 1998 and has been making premium products ever since.

Inventor Kurt Van Kepple and designer Scott Almberger are godfathers in the cigar and tobacco industry. Their passion for their work is obvious in their fantastic designs.

Along with the best clear lighters on the market, Xikar offers a range of cigar cutters. We highly recommend adding a good cigar cutter to your cigar collection.

Some of the Xikar clear lighters come with a rope attached. You can attach this to your wallet, so you'll never lose it. Clear lighters like this are designed with true innovation.

Where Can You Find One?

If you're looking for a top-quality clear lighter, check out our selection in our online store or get in touch with us today to find out more. Here at TobaccoPipes.com, we're dedicated to creating satisfying smoking experiences.

Our team of customer representatives can answer all of your cigar smoking questions. We can also help navigate any challenges you may encounter.