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From cigar manufacturers based in Cuba and the Dominican Republic to Jamaica and the good old USA, there are so many truly excellent cigars and tobacco blends to discover. For a small cost, you can receive several premium cigars every month that are selected by experts. But with all the subscription services to choose from, who delivers the best smokes at the best price?
- Why Sign Up For A Cigar Subscription?
- What We Look For In Best Cigar Clubs Of The Month
- Cigar Club Features Comparison & Top Rated Subscriptions
- Best Cigar Subscription Winners
- More Cigar Subscription Reviews
- How Do You Cut A Cigar?
- What’s The Best Humidor To Store My Cigars?
- Beer And Wine Subscriptions Reviewed
Why Sign Up For A Cigar Subscription?
- An excellent way to explore premium cigars that you may not find on your own.
- You end up paying much less for high-quality cigars than you would by going the retail route.
- It’s a surprising treat every month and a fun gifting option for the cigar lover in your life.
- You can learn about each cigar’s history which we find makes the smoke more enjoyable.
What We Look For In Best Cigar Clubs Of The Month
How did we select the best cigar subscription? We based our top picks on many factors including:
- Cigar quality
- Variety of subscriptions
- Delivery options
- Educational resources
- Pricing
- Whether clubs ship their cigars in humidified packaging. Humidification is important because cigars can dry out quickly, and they lose their flavor and bouquet.
Cigar Club Features Comparison & Top Rated Subscriptions
| 1st Place: The Premium Cigar Of The Month Club | 2nd Place: Cigars International Club | 3rd Place: Cigar.com | JR Cigar Club | Thompson Cigar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping Cost | $5 | $5 first shipment (free after that) | Varies | Free | Free |
| Price | $27.95 | $19.95 | $29.99 | $24.95 | $29.95 |
| # Of Cigars | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Humidified Shipping? |  | |
Best Cigar Subscription Winners
Without further ado, our winners for this year. In our reviews we include a description of the club, our personal experience (if available), pros and cons, subscription pricing and discounts (if available), and links to in-depth reviews of the club if we’ve covered that provider in more detail.
Winner: The Premium Cigar Of The Month Club Review
The Premium Cigar of the Month Club wins our top spot for the best cigar club of the month. Besides attractive monthly pricing, a lot of flexibility in subscription options, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, we love their selection process.
They have a panel of nine professional tobacconists, who smoke more than 200 cigars each month. And they choose less than 5% of these cigars for club selections. The result? You get five premium, flavorful, well-crafted cigars in every shipment.
They search the globe for top cigars—from limited production, boutique manufacturers to super-premium brands that you’d end up paying much more for on your own.
Personal Experience
To be able to fully conduct our review we obtained samples of the premium as well as rare cigar memberships. What was our experience like?
The shipment was quick, and each sample pack was carefully packaged in a sealed container containing a small portable version of this 69% Boveda humidification pack. A tasting guide was included that described the history and tasting profile of each cigar, which was fun to read while enjoying the smoke. Not to mention, the rare selection contained some epic, hard to find cigars.
Alex S., Exploring Life’s Mysteries
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitive pricing | $5 shipping fee |
| Good variety of subscription options | No member discounts for online purchases |
| Features award-winning, high-quality cigars | |
| 100% satisfaction guarantee | |
| Fun newsletter about each cigar’s origin, tobacco blend, recommended beverage pairing, etc. in each shipment | |
| Cigars shipped in portable humidification device | |
| No contract, cancel anytime | |
| Solid customer service via live chat |
Pricing
They have two types of clubs you can join: original or rare. You can choose from 2 to 12 months or an open-ended monthly account, which you can call and cancel anytime. Design your own “club” by selecting monthly, every other month or quarterly deliveries, or even choose specific months.
- Original: $27.95 per shipment (5 cigars)
- Rare: $43.95 per shipment (5 cigars)
- $5.00 shipping with each delivery
Discounts
Our link above applies discounts if available. In addition, there are occasionally seasonal discounts which we list below.
Holiday Flash Sale
Click here and apply the following codes to get your discount:
- SAVE10 = $10 off any 4-shipment order
- SAVE15 = $15 off any 6-shipment prepaid order
- SAVE30 = $30 off any 12-shipment prepaid order
Read Our Full Review of Cigar Of The Month Club
Runner-Up: Cigars International Club Review
Cigars International (CI) comes in second place in our best cigar monthly subscription reviews for their affordable pricing, a wide variety of international cigar selections, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
While they don’t offer as much flexibility in subscriptions and delivery options as our top pick, they do give you a choice of a month-to-month plan or prepaying for anywhere from two to twelve months. You can cancel anytime with all subscription plans before shipment.
What kept Cigars International from our top spot? They don’t ship in humidified packaging to preserve all the flavor and craftsmanship of the cigars. And they don’t list current or past cigar club selections. However, they claim that all club selection cigars are hand-rolled and premium to super-premium quality.
Cigars International gets high marks from consumers for the quality and reliability of their products and their large inventory. Like a cigar from the club? You can stock up with a separate order on their website.
Personal Experience
We have made multiple purchases from Cigars International over the years. Here’s what we like and dislike:
I love the huge selection, community and professional reviews, and the ability to track (using a wish list) my favorite smokes on the website. However – while CI offers great deals, the cigars do occasionally arrive dry, and I’ll need to re-humidify them in my humidor for several months before they’re ready to smoke.
Alex S., Exploring Life’s Mysteries
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Some of the best deals | No humidified shipping |
| Free shipping (after first order) | No live chat support |
| Good variety of subscription options | Not as many club resources as competitors |
| All cigars are hand-rolled, premium quality | |
| 100% satisfaction guarantee | |
| Informative newsletter with each shipment | |
| No contract, cancel anytime | |
| Good customer service reputation | |
| Site contains one of the largest selections of cigars, no membership required | |
| Site includes many professional and consumer reviews of cigars with detailed descriptions and pricing |
Pricing
There are two plans to choose from. With each pricing plan, you incur a $5.00 set-up/shipping fee, but shipping is free after the first month.
- Original Club: Starts at $19.95 per month (4 cigars)
- Double Decker Club: Starts at $29.95 per month (8 cigars; 2 each of 4 brands)
- Choose month-to-month or prepaid 2-12 month subscription
- See all options
3rd Place: Cigar.com Cigar Of The Month Club Review
Cigar.com rounds out our top three best monthly cigar club. Cigar.com knows their cigars. They’re a leading online cigar store, with thousands of cigars available for purchase from around the world. Their Cigar of the Month Club is a customer favorite for both gifting and personal pleasure.
Every month you’ll enjoy five selections, but they don’t just focus on hard-to-find premium cigars. Each shipment includes one “featured” cigar (a brand new blend of well-known super premium) and two cigars recommended by their experts.
They also include two “everyday smokes,” which are affordable but dependable cigars you can enjoy every day. If you’re looking for limited or rare blends, this probably isn’t the club for you. But Cigar.com is an excellent choice if you’re just beginning to dabble in cigars.
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Flexible subscription options | |
| Good variety of quality cigars | $3.95 shipping fee |
| Members receive 10% discount on purchases | No live chat support |
| Full refund for returns | |
| Newsletter detailing every cigar in your monthly shipment | |
| Humidified shipping | |
| No contract, cancel anytime | |
| Excellent website resources, including industry-leading online forum, videos, articles, and more | |
| Good customer service |
Pricing
They have two plans to choose from: single or double. Cigars.com Cigar of the Month Club offers an excellent “First Month Bonus”: three free cigars and a free cutter ($61 value). Club members also enjoy 10% discounts on most of their products.
- Club: $29.95 per month for 5 cigars (plus $3.95 shipping)
- Double Club: $53.95 per month for 10 cigars (plus $3.95 shipping)
- Choice of month-to-month plan or prepaid 2-12 months
- View all options
More Cigar Subscription Reviews
The following cigar clubs just missed our top three rankings, but we recommend you take a look at them if you’re considering a cigar subscription.
JR Cigar | Thompson Cigar Of The Month
JR Cigar Club Review
What is JR Cigar’s main selling point? It’s the world’s largest cigar store, carrying thousands of brands from cheaper machine pressed to premium hand-rolled cigars. JR Cigar is newer to the “club” model and launched a cigar of the month club that selects five premium cigars every month.
If you don’t know much about cigars, JR Cigar could be a great place to start. Their online resources alone are a fun and extremely informative way to discover the cigar world. They offer past club choices, a blog, and even JR University to help you grow your knowledge.
If you’re already a cigar aficionado, however, you probably won’t find the unique selections you can get with some other monthly cigar clubs.
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitive pricing | Not as many subscription and delivery options as other plans |
| Free shipping | No member discounts |
| Premium cigars are hand-selected for club members | No satisfaction guarantee and no return policy for monthly club sales |
| Excellent website learning tools, including blog, videos, articles | Doesn’t ship in humidified packaging |
| No contract, cancel anytime | Just the cigars – no informational newsletter included |
Pricing
- $24.95 per month for 5 cigars
- Free shipping
- Choice of ongoing monthly shipments or prepaid 6 or 12-month subscriptions
Thompson Cigar Of The Month Club Review
Thompson Cigar, founded in Key West, Florida in 1915, is the oldest mail-order cigar company in the country. Thompson’s private label cigars and monthly club selections offer some of the finest cigars at a fraction of what comparable national brand products would cost.
Thompson, like JR Cigar, is a large-scale online store that offers cigars for purchase in addition to their cigar of the month club. Thompson Cigar, unlike JR Cigar, offers more subscription options and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. But their slightly higher monthly pricing keeps them out of our top three picks.
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free shipping for club and non-club members | One of the more expensive clubs |
| Good variety of subscription choices | Cigar selections not as unique |
| 100% satisfaction guarantee | No humidified shipping |
| Informational newsletter included in every shipment | |
| No contract, cancel anytime | |
| Free cigar cutter with first shipment |
Pricing
You get a free cigar cutter with your first shipment and can cancel your subscription anytime before Thompson Cigar processes your next shipment.
- Starts at $29.99 per month for 5 cigars (month-to-month or prepaid 3, 6, 9 or 12 months)
- Starts at $49.99 per month for 10 cigars (only available as a month-to-month cigar subscription)
- View all options
How Do You Cut A Cigar?
In a recent online poll conducted by Cigar Aficionado, 81% of readers reported using a double blade guillotine. If you’re a cigar newbie, you may not know that there are several methods you can use to cut your cigars. But check out this video by the experts, that shows you the correct way to slice.
What’s The Best Humidor To Store My Cigars?
If you don’t plan to smoke your cigars right away, consider getting a humidor to store them properly. We review the best humidors for your cigars.
Beer And Wine Subscriptions Reviewed
Seeking for more fun in the mail on a regular basis or to give as a gift? Check out our beer and wine club reviews!
Tagged With: Cigars, Monthly Clubs
Would like to give an update on the Jr Cigars monthly subscription.
Just this month they have improved their services by having the cigars come in a nice decorative box and all the cigars are seal in an airtight bag (not the crappy ziplock), and the bag that seals them have a QR code that takes you to a website with information about each cigar you get.
Just thought I’d add that I tried your #1 pick “Cigar of the Month Club” and am satisfied so far. Their name confused me at first – I thought you were only reviewing their “Premium” membership, but turns out that’s the name of company? I splurged on the “Rare Club” and was blown away by the offerings that showed up. Super fast shipping, and the Boveda humidification packs that came in the bag are still good so I was able to transfer them to my humidor and continue humidifying all my cigars (especially important in the winter months).
I’m shocked that a company like Cigars International would get your #2 spot considering they don’t ship the cigars in humidified condition. I’ve heard that while they have great deals, many of the cigars dry out. That being said, I’ve made individual purchases from them and was able to “re-humidify” the cigars by leaving them in my humidor for several months, so I suppose the patient folks are able to save some $ that way.
Hi George, glad you’re enjoying the club! Company name – correct their name is “Premium Cigar of the Month Club” and they have membership plans entitled “premium” and “rare,” so I understand your confusion.
Cigars International – thanks for your feedback. We’ll take that into account when we audit this category next.
Great list of clubs! I’ve been shopping around for a good club to join. Trying to read as many reviews as possible before I take the plunge. Found another site with pretty in depth reviews & looks like your ratings are pretty close to theirs for the same clubs. I’ve been leaning towards the Premium Cigar of the Month Club. I think I’ll bite the bullet and join!
Great glad to hear we could help and let us know how it works out with the cigars!
Who knew there were so many cigar of the month clubs!? I am looking into client gifts and in the past these “club” type of gifts have been a great option in the past because it’s the gift that keeps on giving. One client in particular is a big cigar aficionado so am excited to check these out and give as a gift this year!