SpaceX Starship Torch

Beyond the core products produced, Elon Musk’s companies have released some fairly notable swag over the years; highlights include the Cyberhammer that is tied into Tesla’s Cybertruck and The Boring Co.’s Not-A-Flamethrower.

Musk’s SpaceX—a company that launches reusable rockets, satellites and people into space—is no exception. In April 2023, the company announced that it was creating the Starship Torch, a lighter designed to look like the SpaceX Starship rocket.

It’s not marketed as a cigar lighter; rather, the company called it “the soon-to-be most awesome device in your kitchen” in some of its marketing and sales materials, illustrated by the Starship Torch being used to toast marshmallows and make s’mores. It offers a large, single-flame torch, a flame style that has become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to multi-flame torch lighters.

WHAT IS IT?

The SpaceX Starship is a large single-flame lighter that is a 1:200 scale replica of the rocket, which is 390 feet tall, making it the largest and most powerful super heavy-lift launch vehicle, a category that includes the Saturn V and SpaceX’s own Falcon Heavy. Notably, the Starship is designed as a reusable rocket.

While the lighter offers a flame adjuster, it does not come with a fuel window, punch cutter or any other cigar-specific features.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

$175.

As of the publishing of this review, the lighter is not available for purchase via SpaceX’s website, the only official retailer of the product. The first presale happened in April 2023 and the lighters delivered in December. A second batch was put on sale in November 2023 and was scheduled to ship in Q2 2024. It’s unclear if that second batch has shipped.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Assuming that the top is the same as the cone of the rocket: it works upside down. Then again, isn’t the bottom where the flame is supposed to come out? Unlike the vast majority of lighters, where the flame comes out around the top of the lighter, the flame comes out of the bottom of the SpaceX Starship as it mimics the six engines of the SpaceX Starship.

To ignite the lighter, you’ll want to pick it up and turn it roughly 180 degrees. You also will want to initially proceed with caution as the lighter oftentimes will have a butane build-up that will lead to a massive flame initially shooting out of the lighter. This goes away after a few seconds and isn’t likely to happen if the lighter has been recently used—as in, the last 15 minutes—but if you aren’t careful, you could be in for an unexpected amount of initial butane thrust.

The ignition mechanism is slid down towards the base of the lighter, a process that starts the flow of butane and ignites it to provide the flame.

Adjusting the size of the flame is done via a lever on the front of the lighter, just above the ignition, while an ignition lock switch below the ignition prevents ignition. The lighter is refilled by twisting off the nose cone of the Starship Torch and refilling it as with any other lighter.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?

Everything that makes the SpaceX Starship special stems from the fact that it looks like a rocket. This is a lighter that will inevitably spark conversation and get some attention from those who have not yet seen it.

PROS

• It Offers A Lot of Flame, But Not Too Much Flame — I have come to like the larger single-flame torch, as it offers a solid compromise between a traditional single-flame and the larger triple or quadruple flame options that I find overpowering for daily use. The SpaceX Starship Torch is no exception, as long as the adjuster is set properly, which I found to be right below the midpoint of its range.
• It’s Beautiful and Distinctive — While I’m not one to generally prioritize form over function, nor am I a fan of rocket ships and space, I do really like the design of the SpaceX Starship Torch. It is impressive how much it looks like the real thing and how it commands attention when on a table. It also has a nice weight and feels solid.
• It Doesn’t Get Too Hot — This lighter can put out a lot of flame, but I never found it to get too hot while using it. It seems that between where my hand is when using the lighter and some decent insulating materials, heat never becomes a factor.
• The Fuel Tank is Huge — Once filled up, the SpaceX Starship Torch won’t require another top-up for some time.
• The Packaging is Beautiful — It’s a black box with a magnetic flap and a line drawing of the lighter on the front, while the back has a more detailed drawing and schematic of the internals of the lighter.

CONS

• The Ergonomics Leave Something to be Desired — Between the size of the Starship Torch and the fact that the flame comes out of the bottom of the lighter, it changes the ergonomics a bit. When first lighting a cigar and holding the lighter in one hand and the cigar in the other, it’s just fine. Unfortunately, trying to take a puff on a cigar while giving it a bit of flame does require some funky bending of my wrist or finding a way to hold the lighter that supports its weight while keeping the ignition pressed in. It’s not terrible, but it’s notably different from the experience of using a handheld pocket torch.
• Butane Backup Produces a Big Flame After Not Using the Lighter — If the lighter hasn’t been used in an hour, let alone days, the first few seconds of use will shoot way more flame and butane than what you’ve set the lighter to do. I’m not exactly sure why this happens other than possibly the fact that the lighter’s default resting position means the flame is stored pointing downwards.
• There’s No Fuel Window or Punch Cutter — While I would have liked one, I can understand and forgive the omission of a fuel window so as to preserve the look of the rocket. While I don’t think this was designed to be a cigar lighter, or maybe even with cigar smokers in mind, I was curious if a punch cutter could have been added under the nose cone cap.
• It Loves Fingerprints — This wouldn’t stop me from purchasing or recommending the SpaceX Starship Torch, but this is as much of a fingerprint magnet as any lighter you’ll ever own.
• It’s Sold Out — A second batch was put on sale in November 2023 and is scheduled to ship in Q2 of 2024, but as of the moment, it apperars the only way to get one is via eBay or other places on the secondary market.

THE COMPETITION

The SpaceX Starship Torch is pretty much a one-of-one item, and I’m inclined to think that if you like it enough to buy it, you’re not really going to be doing a head-to-head comparison of products similar to it. But if you look at the SpaceX Starship Torch simply as a distinctive tabletop lighter with a large single jet torch, there are some other options that I’ve reviewed:

• THiCket Raygun Torch ($45) — If you’re looking primarily to have a unique-looking lighter that happens to be a single-flame torch, this is an option. It’s mainly plastic, it feels a bit gimmicky and it has a lot of the same ergonomic issues as the Starship Torch, but it gets the job done about as well as the SpaceX Starship Torch. I’d take the Starship Torch between the two.
• Alec Bradley Mega Burner ($84.95) — It doesn’t have the form factor of the Starship Torch, but it is a large format, tabletop lighter with a distinctive style. Instead of a jet torch, it has a softer, cone-shaped flame, or what the company calls a mushroom flame. That flame struggles a bit in windy conditions, but otherwise is a solid and distinctive flame. There is also a smaller version called The Burner for $54.95.
• Vector Sonicpump ($200) — The Sonicpump was updated in 2023, giving this tabletop single-flame torch some new internals to produce a more even flame. It also comes with a removable punch cutter with three sizes of punch as well as a draw poker. It’s a spendier option, but in terms of form and function, the Sonicpump is a solid choice, but based on form I’d still take the Starship Torch.
• Rocket-Themed Lighers on eBay and Elsewhere (Varies) — If having a rocket-themed lighter is what you’re after, there are a handful of options on eBay, none of which I have used, but some of which are less expensive than the SpaceX Starship. It also shows that SpaceX wasn’t the first to think of this kind of design, as this lighter released by Jedco in 1960 shows.
• The Boring Co. (Not) A Flamethrower ($500) — If this SpaceX Starship isn’t bold enough for lighting your cigars, a different Elon Musk’s company produced something that might be excessive enough for you. In 2018, The Boring Co.—a tunnel boring company—produced this flamethrower. It’s probably not the best tool for lighting your cigar, but it could do it. The (Not) A Flamethrower is no longer available for sale, so you’ll have to look to the secondary market. Expect to pay around $1,000.

Note: the prices listed above are the prices when these reviews were published, they may have since changed.

A FUN FACT

SpaceX sells a chrome model version of the Starship, though it is not a lighter. It looks somewhat similar, but I found it interesting to note that the model version shows the six engines on the base of the lighters, as opposed to the single torch on the lighter. I’d be interested to know just how practical it would be to create a lighter that reflected that engine configuration and how absolutely obscene a lighter with that kind of flame configuration would be.

With a price tag of $300, the model version also costs $125 more than the lighter. There is also a Super Heavy version priced at $499.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

Yes.

If a distinctive lighter is something you’re considering, the SpaceX Starship Torch is certainly worth a look. As a lighter, it does its job well, offering a solid ignition, adjustable flame and a sizable fuel tank. As a distinctive accessory, it also does its job well. The price may present an issue, and it’s certainly not the most affordable option for a torch lighter with a large single jet. But if you’re on the fence about buying one of these, you can rest assured that it is more than capable of doing its job.

The lighter used for this review was purchased by halfwheel