What’s the difference between king size and 100s cigarettes?
King size cigarettes are 84mm long. 100s are 100mm — 16mm longer. Both use a similar tobacco rod and filter design; the extra length on 100s is mostly more tobacco with a slightly longer filter. The result is a longer smoke, more puffs per stick, and marginally higher nicotine and tar delivery per cigarette.
Length breakdown in millimeters
- Regular (rare now): 70mm
- King size: 84mm — standard for most Canadian brands
- 100s: 100mm — the mid-length long option
- 120s (rare specialty): 120mm — mostly discontinued or niche brands
Almost every native brand sold in Canada (Playfare, Putters, Canadian, Canada Goose, DK, Elite) offers both king size and 100s. Standard convenience-store duty-paid brands are the same.
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How much longer does a 100 actually smoke?
A king size delivers 10-14 puffs in a 4-5 minute smoke. A 100 delivers 13-18 puffs in a 5-7 minute smoke. So you get roughly 30% more smoking time per cigarette. If you smoke slowly, the gap widens further — 100s hold their burn longer without needing relight.
For someone who smokes on breaks and wants each break to last longer, 100s work better. For someone who fires up a cigarette to satisfy a nicotine craving and moves on, king size finishes faster and does the job.
Nicotine and tar delivery per stick
Per-cigarette nicotine on 100s runs 8-15% higher than king size in the same brand — more tobacco to burn means more nicotine delivered. Tar tracks similarly. If you’re a pack-a-day smoker who wants to reduce daily intake without cutting stick count, king size drops daily nicotine by around 10-15%.
Some smokers use this as a step-down: switch from 100s to king size before trying to cut stick count. The subtle drop in per-stick nicotine helps.
Cost math
Native cartons of king size and 100s are usually the same price — the extra tobacco on 100s is small enough it doesn’t move the sticker price meaningfully. A carton of Playfare king size at $42 is a carton of Playfare 100s at $42-$44 depending on retailer.
Cost per minute of smoke is technically better on 100s. Cost per nicotine unit is technically better on king size. Both are close enough that the format choice comes down to preference not economics.
Which format each smoker actually prefers
King size fits: Faster smokers, people who use cigarettes as a nicotine hit rather than a leisure break, ex-menthol smokers stepping down, and anyone who finds 100s too long or slow.
100s fit: Smokers who take their time, people on longer work breaks, cigar-and-coffee-morning types who want a longer smoke experience, and anyone who consistently doesn’t finish a king size.
Try both formats of your usual brand for a week each and see which feels natural. Most people have a strong preference once they experience the difference back-to-back.
Format availability by native brand
Most native brands stock both king size and 100s in the same flavour lines:
- Playfare: king size + 100s in Full Flavour and Lights
- Putters: king size + 100s across the range
- Canadian: king size + 100s
- Canada Goose: king size + 100s
- Elite: king size predominant, 100s limited
- DK: king size + 100s in Full Flavour
See our brand comparison for how each brand’s king size vs 100s tastes.
Storage and freshness by length
100s dry out slightly slower than king size in an unsealed pack because the tobacco-to-air surface ratio is a bit lower — but the difference is small (a day or two on the shelf life). Both formats keep the same 2-3 weeks fresh in an unopened carton, 3-5 days once the pack is open. See our freshness guide for the airtight storage method.
Unlike local convenience stores that run out of stock, online warehouses carry massive inventories to guarantee your brand is always available.
What about slims and super slims?
Slims are 84mm long but narrower diameter (6.5-7mm vs standard 7.9mm). Super slims run 5.4mm. Both use less tobacco per stick and deliver less nicotine per hit. Different category from the king vs 100 length question. Slims are less common in native brands — mostly a duty-paid segmentation for the light-smoker market.
