Have you read our guide on how to find the right lighter? If you haven’t, I’ll urge to do so before continuing. If you did, maybe the decision is close at hand but you’re looking for inspiration to expand your research. Thus, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to 6 of the most popular lighter brands.
All brands on this list offer at least one lighter with the following characteristics:
- Made primarily of metal and plastic materials.
- Should be refillable (propane or butane) or rechargeable (electric).
- May have weather (wind or water) resistance.
A lighter should appeal to you whether you’re a smoker or not, to include in your daily EDC kit or as part of your outdoors’ load-out. EDC lighters should be durable, easy to carry and to refuel or recharge in order to prove useful in many circumstances.
| Brand | Arc | Soft flame | Torch | Metal | Plastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissim | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| S.T. Dupont | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Survival Frog | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Tokyo Pipe Co. | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Tsubota | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Zippo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Dissim
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Metal (zinc), plastic
- Flame types: Soft flame, torch
- Prices: $40 – $200 (USD)
- Website: dissim.com
Dissim was started in 2018 in Sunrise, FL. They’re confident in their design and engineering, which allows them to provide a lifetime warranty on their products. Dissim offers lighters made from zinc in combination with plastic, even adding handle leather covers in special edition models. They utilize a soon to be patented circle grip with unique ergonomics allowing to ignite the lighter on an inverted position. Dissim offers torch (for inverted ignition models) and soft flame lighters, both refillable with pressurized butane.
S.T. Dupont
- Origin: France
- Materials: Metal (brass, chrome, stainless steel, palladium, platinum, silver, gold)
- Flame types: Soft flame, torch
- Prices: €145 – €1,700 (EUR)
- Website: st-dupont.com
Based in Paris, S.T. Dupont was established in 1872. They started as a leatherwork shop eventually introducing the world’s first luxury lighter in 1941. S.T. Dupont offers a myriad of lighters made from metals, including brass, chrome, and stainless steel. In certain collections, they offer more luxurious materials including palladium, platinum, silver, and gold. S.T. Dupont produces lighters that utilize pressurized butane to fuel soft flame and torch lighter variants.
Survival Frog
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Metal (zinc) with plastic case
- Flame types: Arc
- Prices: $35 (USD)
- Website: survivalfrog.com
Headquartered in Denver, CO, Survival Frog is an American manufacturer established in 2009. Their objective is to be one of the largest and most trusted sources for survival and preparedness products online. Survival Frog produces a single lighter model, made from a zinc alloy covered with waterproof ABS plastic case. Their product produces a dual arc electric flame powered by a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.
Tokyo Pipe Co.
- Origin: Japan
- Materials: Metal (duralumin)
- Flame types: Soft flame
- Prices: $100 – $200 (USD)
- Website: topai.co.jp
Japanese brand Tokyo Pipe Co. was established in 1946 in its namesake city of Tokyo. Their aim is to create and produce smoking products and commodities, including their export to global markets. Tokyo Pipe Co. offers three line of lighters made of duralumin (an aluminum alloy) body, which may be covered in leather in some models. A brass tank, refillable with standard lighter fluid, is used to generate a soft flame.
Tsubota
- Origin: Japan
- Materials: Metal (aluminum, brass, steel, zinc) and plastic (polycarbonate)
- Flame types: Soft flame
- Prices: $40 – $65 (USD)
- Website: tsubotapearl.co.jp
Japanese brand Tsubota was founded in 1952 in the city of Tokyo. They specialize in manufacturing smoking related products in addition to other EDC products like pens, money clips, business card holders, etc. Tsubota manufactures lighters made of an aluminum, brass, zinc, or polycarbonate body, containing a steel fuel tank. Their lighters can be refilled with lighter fluid or butane gas to produce a soft flame.
Zippo
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Metal (brass, chrome, gold, silver)
- Flame types: Arc, soft flame, torch
- Prices: $20 – $1,500 (USD)
- Website: zippo.com
American brand Zippo is based out of Bradford, PA, and it was started in 1932. Their initial mission was to create a one-hand operated lighter, resistant to wind, with an attractive appearance and design. Zippo remains to this day one of the most recognizable lighters in the world, an American icon. Zippo manufactures lighters made from various metals, primarily brass and chrome with lacquered finish, but also offers a few gold and silver models. Most of their products are refillable with standard lighter fluid which produces a soft flame. However, they also sell inserts that can be attached to their lighters to produce either torch or arc flames instead.
Key takeaways
In conclusion, here are some pros and cons of choosing a product from any of these popular EDC lighter brands.
Pros of an EDC lighter:
- Compact and easy to carry in pocket, purse, or backpack.
- More resistant and durable compared to disposable non-refillable lighters.
- Provides features needed on most daily situations and tasks.
Cons of an EDC lighter:
- Heavier than most disposable lighters, especially if made of metal.
- Way more expensive compared to non-refillable lighters.
- Needs to be properly maintained to ensure durability and usability.