In this guide
The short version
- A tabletop torch earns its place with a flat base, a much bigger tank and a flame that stays lit hands-free; a pocket torch earns its place by fitting in a jeans pocket.
- Most tabletop torches we stock are triple or quad flame cigar lighters; the single-flame ones with a lock switch are the utility and kitchen torches.
- Size is the real difference: the Vector Ironquad is 1.37 by 0.94 by 3.40in, the Lotus Brawn is 3.25 by 2 by 1.25in at 7.7oz, and the Vector Quadpump is 3.25 by 5 by 5.25in.
- Both kinds run on the same triple-refined butane, and both have a flame adjuster; the tabletop ones just give you a bigger wheel to turn.
A torch lighter is a torch lighter until you set it down. The one in your pocket has to be small enough to forget about; the one on the table can be as big and heavy as it likes, and it uses that freedom for a larger tank, more flames, a flat base and extras such as a punch plate or a cigar rest. This guide walks through what each kind does well, what we stock in each shape, and which one belongs on your desk, in your bag, or both.
What makes a torch a tabletop torch
Three things, and the first is the base. A tabletop torch stands on its own: a flat bottom on the Lotus Brawn, a broad base on the Vertigo Goliath, a pedestal on the Vector Quadpump. You light it with one hand and can set it down burning if it has a lock.
The second is the tank. Every tabletop card in our catalog says "extra large fuel tank" or "large fuel tank", and the Blazer Big Buddy puts numbers on it: a 30mL tank and up to 60 minutes of continuous burn. A pocket torch gives you a fuel window instead and asks you to top it up more often.
The third is weight. Lotus lists the Brawn at 7.7oz, Vector lists the Clash at 0.56 pounds and the Warrior at 0.40 pounds, and the Vector VT Burner is "under 1 pound". None of those is a pocket figure. The weight is what keeps the lighter still when you bring a cigar to it.
Where the pocket torch wins
Size, first and last. The Vector Ironquad is 1.37 by 0.94 by 3.40in, and it still manages four merging jets, a cigar rest cap, a large fuel window and a 12,000 foot altitude rating. Its bigger sibling, the Ironfist, is 2.32 by 1.61 by 3.70in with three jets and a flame lock button. Both carry Vector's lifetime warranty with no proof of purchase required.
A pocket torch also gets lit more often, because it is there. If you smoke on a walk, on a golf course or on someone else's patio, the tabletop torch is at home. Our torch lighter guide covers how to pick a pocket torch by flame count; the short version is that a single jet suits cigarettes and small cigars, and a triple or quad suits the fat ones.
Where the tabletop torch wins
It wins when the lighter stays in one room. A bigger tank means you fill it a few times a season rather than a few times a month. A bigger body means a bigger flame adjuster: Lotus calls the wheel on the Brawn, Emperor and Minister "oversized", and the Quadpump has two oversized wheels, one for flame and one for butane. That matters because a torch flame set too high scorches a wrapper, and a tiny adjuster under a pocket torch is fiddly to set.
It also wins on extras, because there is room for them. The Lotus Brawn's curved lid doubles as a cigar rest when the lighter is open and sitting flat. The Emperor's lid has a concave groove for the same job. The Minister and the Goliath carry a fold-out cigar punch in the base. The Quadpump goes further with a magnetic punch plate underneath that holds three punch sizes.
The Brawn is the one we point people to first: a quad flame in a 3.25 by 2 by 1.25in all-metal body, light enough to move from desk to patio table, with a 2-year warranty. Lotus says it fits a coat pocket but is built for the table, which is exactly right.
Three kinds of tabletop torch
The table lighters we stock sort into three groups, and knowing which group you are shopping in saves time.
Compact cigar desk lighters
These are a pocket torch's size and a half, with the flame count of a cigar lighter. The Lotus Brawn and Emperor are quads; the Emperor measures 9 by 5.5 by 3cm, adds single action ignition and a fuel level window, and Lotus says the quad suits 50 to 60 plus ring gauge cigars. The Lotus Minister is a quad with a large fold-out punch and a carbon fiber back, at 3.75 by 1.625 by 1.5in. The Vertigo Stealth is a triple with a lid that springs open as the thumb button sparks, rated to 11,000 feet and sized for Toro to Double Gordo cigars. The Vector Pyramid is a triple that stands 5.12in tall on a 1.93 by 2.80in footprint, with a cigar holder, a large fuel window and a 14,000 foot rating.
Utility and kitchen torches
Single flame, long burn, and a lock so the flame stays on without your finger. The Vertigo Predator is the plain example: one large torch flame, a slide switch that locks it on, a large adjuster and a large tank, in black only. Vertigo's own card lists kitchen tasks, campfire starters and hobby work alongside large cigars. The Blazer torches sit here too: the Firefox Mini is 4.5in tall and 7oz with a 2500°F flame, a trigger lock and a continuous flame lock, and the Big Buddy is 7in tall with a 30mL tank, a 2500° turbo flame and a stand-alone base. The Vector VT Burner comes with a cooking stand and burns for 60 to 90 minutes.
A locked-on torch is a lit torch. Stay with it, keep it upright on its base, and unlock it before you put it down anywhere soft.
The big pieces
The Vector Quadpump is 3.25 by 5 by 5.25in: an oversized quad torch whose four flames merge into one, a side handle, the two oversized adjustment wheels, and the magnetic three-size punch plate. The Vertigo Goliath is a free-standing quad with a fold-out punch, an extra large tank and a 10,000 foot rating.
The numbers side by side
Lighter | Flames | Size | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
Vector Ironquad (pocket) | 4, merging | 1.37 by 0.94 by 3.40in | Cigar rest cap, fuel window, 12,000ft |
Vector Ironfist (pocket) | 3, merging | 2.32 by 1.61 by 3.70in | Flame lock, 12,000ft |
Lotus Brawn | 4 | 3.25 by 2 by 1.25in, 7.7oz | Cigar rest lid, oversized adjuster |
Lotus Emperor | 4 | 9 by 5.5 by 3cm | Cigar rest lid, fuel window |
Lotus Minister | 4 | 3.75 by 1.625 by 1.5in | Fold-out punch, fuel window |
Vertigo Stealth | 3 | Not stated | Spring lid, 11,000ft |
Vertigo Predator | 1 | Not stated | Lock-on flame, large adjuster |
Blazer Big Buddy | 1 | 7in tall | Lock switch, 30mL tank, 60 minute burn |
Vector Quadpump | 4, merging | 3.25 by 5 by 5.25in | Three-size punch plate, two adjusters, handle |
Fuel and care are the same for both
Every lighter here is a refillable butane torch, and every brand says the same thing about what goes in it: triple-refined or better. Cheap butane leaves residue that clogs a jet, and a four-jet tabletop torch has four jets to clog. Our butane guide covers the grades and how to purge before a fill.
Fill a tabletop torch in the same way as a pocket one: turn it over, press the can straight onto the valve for a few seconds, wait a minute or two before lighting.
The flame adjuster is the other shared habit. Set a torch low to start, then raise it until the flame holds in the air you are smoking in.
Which one to buy
If you own one torch, make it a pocket torch and make it a good one; the Ironquad and Ironfist cover most cigars, and they come home with you. If your cigars are mostly smoked in one chair, add a compact desk lighter: the Brawn for the cigar rest lid and the small footprint, the Minister if you want the punch built in, the Emperor or Stealth if you prefer single action ignition. If the torch will do kitchen or workshop duty as often as cigar duty, the Predator or a Blazer with a lock-on flame is the right shape. And if the lighter is meant to be noticed on the desk, the Quadpump is the one people ask about.
For the lighters that pair with these, our cigar lighters and cutters guide covers punches and cutters, and the full range of handhelds is in the torch lighters collection.
Questions people ask
Can a tabletop torch lighter go in a pocket?
The compact ones can ride in a coat pocket. Lotus says that of the Brawn and the Emperor, and the Brawn weighs 7.7oz, just under half a pound. They are built to sit on a table, not to be carried all day, so for everyday carry a pocket torch such as the Vector Ironquad is the better buy.
Do tabletop torches use different fuel from pocket torches?
No. Every torch in this guide runs on butane, and every brand asks for triple-refined or better. The difference is tank size: a tabletop torch holds far more, so it goes longer between fills.
What is a lock-on flame for?
A lock switch keeps the torch burning after you let go of the trigger. On the Vertigo Predator and the Blazer torches it is there for hands-free jobs such as lighting kindling or kitchen work. Stay with the lighter while it is locked on.
Why do tabletop torches have three or four flames?
The ones built for cigars do, because a wider flame toasts a 50 to 60 ring gauge foot evenly. Single-flame tabletop torches exist too, and those are the utility torches with the long burn times.
Does altitude matter when choosing a torch?
Torch lighters can struggle to ignite high up, so some makers rate theirs. Vector rates the Ironquad, Ironfist, Clash and Warrior to 12,000 feet and the Pyramid to 14,000; Vertigo rates the Goliath to 10,000 and the Stealth to 11,000. Below a few thousand feet you will not notice a difference.
