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A cigar ashtray isn’t optional — it’s the difference between a clean smoke and ash on your floor, a dropped cigar, and a ruined finish on your furniture. Once you have the right setup, pairing it with a quality lighter and knowing how to smoke a cigar properly makes every session count. The right ashtray fits your setting: a desktop piece for the home office, a freestanding unit for the patio, a portable option for the car. Get the wrong one and you’re either emptying it every 20 minutes or it’s too bulky to actually use.
We’ve put together five picks that cover every situation — from a budget burl-finish desktop to an indestructible all-metal group ashtray to a cup holder-ready portable. All five are available at Cigars International.
What to Look for in a Cigar Ashtray
Finger count. Cigar ashtrays use grooved or notched “fingers” to rest cigars above the bowl. Solo smokers can get by with 2 fingers; group smoking needs 4 or more. Most of the picks here are 4-finger, which is the versatile standard.
Bowl depth. Shallow bowls fill up fast and create blowback in any breeze. Deep bowls hold more ash and keep it contained. If you’re smoking outdoors or in any airflow, bowl depth matters more than it seems.
Material. Stainless steel is the most durable and easiest to clean — a quick rinse and it’s ready to go. Wood and burl finish ashtrays look better on a coffee table but need to stay indoors. Ceramic works but cracks. For outdoor use, metal is the only real answer.
Stability. An ashtray that tips is a problem. Rubber feet on the bottom and adequate weight are the two things that keep it in place. Lightweight ashtrays without rubber feet slide on any smooth surface.
| Ashtray | Type | Fingers | Price | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biarritz 4-Finger | Desktop | 4 | Budget | Home office, everyday use | Check Price |
| Stinky Tall | Tabletop | 3 | ~$40.50 | Daily driver, home lounge | Check Price |
| HERF Signature | Tabletop | 4 | ~$50 | Group smokes, outdoor | Check Price |
| Stinky Car | Portable | 2 | $26.50 | Travel, cup holder | Check Price |
| Stinky Floor | Freestanding | 4 | $118.25 | Patio, permanent setup | Check Price |
The 5 Best Cigar Ashtrays
1. Biarritz 4-Finger Cigar Ashtray — Best Budget Desktop
Best Budget Desktop
The Biarritz is the go-to recommendation when someone wants a proper-looking desktop ashtray without spending much. Burl wood finish with a gold-plated center bowl, 4-finger capacity, 7″ diameter — it looks like it costs three times what it does. Reviewers consistently describe it as a great gift piece (see our full cigar gift sets guide for more ideas); it pairs well with a humidor on a nightstand or desk and reads as a serious accessory without the serious price tag.
The one caveat: keep it indoors. The pressed wood construction doesn’t hold up to moisture. For outdoor use, look at the Stinky or HERF options below.
Fingers: 4 | Diameter: 7″ | Material: Burl wood, gold-plated bowl | Best for: Desktop, coffee table, gifting
Check Price at Cigars International →
2. Stinky Tall Ashtray — Best Everyday Tabletop (~$40.50, 4.86★)
Best Everyday Tabletop
The Stinky is the most recommended cigar ashtray in the hobby for good reason — polished stainless steel construction, 4-finger design, deep bowl that doesn’t need emptying after every cigar, and heat resistance that handles any size ring gauge. It cleans with a quick rinse. It works indoors or outdoors. It doesn’t tip. With 125+ reviews at 4.86 stars at CI, the feedback is about as consistent as it gets.
At around $40.50 it’s the sweet spot pick — enough quality to last years, not expensive enough to stress about. If you only buy one ashtray, this is the one.
Fingers: 4 | Material: Polished stainless steel | Rating: 4.86/5 (125+ reviews) | Best for: Home, office, everyday use
Check Price at Cigars International →
3. HERF Signature Ashtray — Best for Group Smokes (~$50)
Best for Group Smokes
The HERF Signature is the ashtray that CI’s own staff reviews as the best they’ve ever owned — and the story backs it up. Left outside through a rainstorm for a week: cleaned up with a power washer, good as new. Dropped on a tile floor: the tile chipped, not the ashtray. Buried under snow for two weeks: worked fine when it came back inside.
All-metal construction, 4 grooved cigar rests that keep cigars from sliding, a deep bowl, built-in ash knocker in the center, and rubber feet on the bottom. It’s the ashtray you use when you have people over and need something that handles four cigars, outdoor conditions, and doesn’t require babysitting. At around $50, it’s the last ashtray you’ll buy.
Fingers: 4 | Material: All-metal | Features: Grooved rests, ash knocker, rubber feet, weatherproof | Best for: Group smokes, outdoor use, durability
Check Price at Cigars International →
4. Stinky Car Ashtray — Best Portable ($26.50, 4.54★)
Best Portable
The Stinky Car solves a specific problem: where do you ash when you’re not at your designated spot? It fits in virtually any cup holder, holds cigars up to a 60-ring gauge with 2 flexible clips, has a hinged lid that keeps ash and odor contained when closed, and is made from the same stainless steel as the rest of the Stinky line. Use it in the car, at a cookout, on the boat, or anywhere you don’t have a full ashtray setup.
At $26.50 it’s the most affordable Stinky product and one of the best-reviewed portable cigar ashtrays on the market. Reviewers who smoke in their car call it essential; reviewers who use it outdoors without a cup holder note it can be tipsy without support — worth knowing before you buy.
Dimensions: 3.8″x3.6″x3.2″ | Material: Stainless steel | Rating: 4.54/5 (122 reviews) | Best for: Car, travel, outdoor portability
Check Price at Cigars International →
5. Stinky Floor Ashtray — Best for the Patio ($118.25, 4.84★)
Best for the Patio
The Stinky Floor is the upgrade pick for anyone with a dedicated smoking spot — a patio chair, a lounge area, a garage setup. Standing 2 feet tall with a handle for repositioning, it needs no table. The polished stainless steel 4-finger bowl on top has a deep ash capacity that eliminates constant emptying, and the lower shelf doubles as storage for your cutter, lighter, and a drink. Assembly takes about 3 minutes.
It’s the most expensive pick on this list at $118.25, but it’s also solving a fundamentally different problem than a tabletop ashtray. If you have a chair where you regularly smoke, this eliminates the awkward table-reach and frees up your surface entirely. Reviewers who buy it consistently say they wish it were slightly taller — something to factor in if you’re tall.
Height: 2 feet | Fingers: 4 | Material: Polished stainless steel | Rating: 4.84/5 (85 reviews) | Best for: Patio, lounge, dedicated smoking spot
Check Price at Cigars International →
Complete Your Smoking Setup
Frequently Asked Questions
What size ashtray do I need for cigars?
Cigars need wider, deeper rests than cigarette ashtrays. Look for ashtrays specifically marketed as cigar ashtrays with grooved or notched finger rests wide enough to hold a 50–60 ring gauge cigar without it rolling. The bowl needs to be deep enough to hold the longer ash that cigars produce without spilling. All five picks on this list are sized for cigars specifically.
How do I clean a stainless steel cigar ashtray?
Empty the ash, rinse with warm water, and wipe dry. For stubborn residue, a small amount of dish soap and a soft brush handles it. The Stinky and HERF ashtrays are designed to be rinsed or even hosed down — no special cleaning products needed. Dry thoroughly before storing to prevent any water spots on the finish.
Can I use a cigar ashtray outdoors?
Stainless steel ashtrays (Stinky, HERF) handle outdoor use without issue — they’re weather-resistant and clean up easily. Wood and burl finish ashtrays (Biarritz) should stay indoors; moisture will damage the pressed wood construction over time. If outdoor use is your primary case, go with the HERF Signature or Stinky Floor.
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