Cigarette Filter Sizes Explained: The Complete Guide

Walk into any tobacco shop and you'll find cigarettes in many shapes, lengths and diameters. If you want to use a disposable add-on filter like Tarmin Filters™, the first step is to know which size fits your cigarette. This guide explains the main cigarette formats and which Tarmin size is made for each.

The Three Main Cigarette Formats

For an add-on filter, what matters is the diameter of the cigarette's filter tip. Most cigarettes fall into one of three groups:

1. Regular / Standard Cigarettes

Most cigarettes — standard, king size and 100mm lengths — have a diameter of around 8mm. Brands such as Marlboro, Camel, Winston, Lucky Strike and HB sell their standard cigarettes in this format. These cigarettes need Tarmin Regular (8mm).

2. Slim and Slender Cigarettes

Slim and slender cigarettes are noticeably thinner than regular ones, with diameters between about 5 and 7mm. They are sold, for example, under names such as Vogue and Virginia Slims. These cigarettes need Tarmin Slender+Slim (5–7mm).

3. Very Thin or Unusual Formats

If your cigarette's filter tip is thinner than 5mm or thicker than 8mm — or if you smoke cigarillos or cigars — neither Tarmin size is made for it.

How to Measure Your Cigarette's Diameter

If you're unsure which group your cigarette belongs to, here are three ways to check:

1. Compare with a regular cigarette: if your cigarette is clearly thinner than a standard king size cigarette, it is a slim or slender format.
2. Measure the circumference: wrap a thin strip of paper around the filter tip, mark where it overlaps and measure the length. Divide by 3.14 to get the diameter — about 25mm of paper means about 8mm diameter.
3. Use a ruler or calliper: the most accurate method. Measure across the filter tip: about 8mm is Regular; 5–7mm is Slender+Slim.

Tarmin Regular vs. Tarmin Slender+Slim: A Comparison

Why Filter Sizing Matters

A filter that doesn't fit properly can leave gaps around the cigarette tip, so that smoke passes around the filter instead of through it — and the filter may come off. A filter that is too tight is hard to fit, can squeeze the cigarette tip and can make the draw uneven.

That is why Tarmin Filters™ come in two sizes. Choose the one that matches the diameter of your cigarette — not its length.

Filter Length and Cigarette Length

Cigarette length (the most common lengths are 70mm, 84mm/king size and 100mm) does not decide which Tarmin size you need — only the diameter does. A regular-diameter cigarette needs Tarmin Regular, whatever its length.

Selecting the Right Tarmin Filter: Quick Decision Guide

• Do you smoke standard or king size cigarettes such as Marlboro, Camel, Winston or HB? → Tarmin Regular (8mm)
• Do you smoke slim or slender cigarettes, noticeably thinner than average? → Tarmin Slender+Slim (5–7mm)
• Not sure? → Measure the diameter of your cigarette's filter tip: about 8mm = Regular; 5–7mm = Slender+Slim