Tested: The 5 Best Lighters For Everyday Carry

At its core, everyday carry gear is deeply personal. That means that what you might carry in your pockets is perhaps vastly different from that which is carried by anyone else. Having said that, there are a few staples that make their way into numerous loadouts — e.g. smartphones, wallets, watches, knives, and more. But those widespread staples are hardly the only options around, nor are they the only useful things you can incorporate into your daily haul.

It might seem a bit anachronistic at this point, with technology all but taking over, to suggest that anyone — save smokers and perhaps survivalists — should carry a lighter. However, that’s exactly what we’re suggesting. Once much more commonplace, lighters haven’t actually lost their utility and can prove remarkably valuable in the right circumstances. Of course, to really find out the value, you’d have to carry one. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of the best lighters for everyday carry.

Selection & How We Tested

When we set out to uncover the best everyday carry lighters on the market, we kicked off our search by first making a list of factors and characteristics that would be used to guide our search. These parameters included limiting our search to lighters that are both reliable, easy-to-refuel, and that are pocketable and reliable enough to lend themselves to everyday carry use. What’s more, we also factored each lighter’s design and material selection in account, along with overall design, flame type, and fuel type. Leaning on these areas to make our picks, we then proceeded to make a shortlist of lighters that we suspected may be some of the best for everyday carry.

Once we had our initial list, we proceeded to get our hands on each one of these lighters in order to test them in real life. This hands-on testing phase would provide additional information that we wouldn’t otherwise get, such as overall build quality, fit and finish, ease of maintenance and refueling, and overall ease of use. In order to get a better sense of how each lighter performs day-to-day and generally what they’re like to live with and carry on the daily, I spent several days with each lighter on our shortlist taking their turn in my daily carry rotation. During my time with the lighters I used them to perform tasks such as lighting stove burners and singeing paracord after braiding it, as well as testing out how well each lighter lent itself to lighting a camp fire — information gleaned through a horizontal-orientation lighting test fire-lighting test. 

Though I’m aware that it’s an unhealthy and somewhat gross — and as of late increasingly exorbitant — habit, I am a smoker that lights up several times daily. As a result, the main way I used these lighters was for lighting cigarettes, which allowed me to get hands-on experience with each lighter roughly half-a-dozen to a dozen times a day. Between sparking stoges, the battery of other tests we performed, and scrutinizing each lighter both individually and side-by-side, we then used our firsthand findings to narrow our initial shortlist down to a hard list of what we found to be the very best lighters for everyday carry. 

Zippo Classic

Best Overall Lighter: Originally introduced in its first-generation form in 1935, the Zippo Classic Lighter is an extremely tried-and-true EDC essential that offers a legitimate lifetime of use in a super affordable and decidedly rugged package — offering the same value and dependability for lighters as Timex does for watches. The lighter features a simple flip-top body design with a cam and spring mechanism that automatically activates when the top has been opened, turning on the lighter’s fuel and allowing its flint wheel to be sparked in order to create a flame. 

Measuring 2.25″ x 1.50″ x 0.50″ and tipping the scales at just 2.88oz, standard Zippo is extremely durable, and I love the unbeatable bang for your buck that it offers. In addition to the distinctive “clicking” sound that it makes when opened, I also thoroughly appreciate that the Zippo Classic is offered in a ridiculous number of colors, patterns, designs, and logoed versions, as well as numerous constructions ranging from steel to brass to even sterling silver and gold. The Zippo is also offered in a more compact and EDC-ready slim version — though the regular model that I prefer is plenty pocketable, plus doesn’t need to be re-fueled as often. 

The Zippo is incredibly easy to use, it provides a solid and consistent flame (unless very low on fuel), and its immensely durable. I’ve dropped mine onto concrete more times than I can count and none of the Zippos I own have so much as a dent in them. I also really like how Zippo now allows you to further personalize its standard lighter by adding on of several available inserts such as an arc lighter insert, a butane torch insert, or a butane soft-flame insert. And while it doesn’t produce a flame, there’s even an available EDC bit driver insert for the Zippo that can be carried and swapped into the lighter’s housing when needed. Though I’ve been carrying and using a Zippo as part of my EDC for years, it wasn’t until recently testing these lighters that I realized just how easy it is to feed new wick into the Zippo or replace its flint, at least compared to the Tsubota Hard Edge which was much more difficult — granted I do have years of practice with the Zippo so that may have played a role here too. Refueling a Zippo also couldn’t be easier. Though they are touted as “windproof,” I’d describe the standard Zippo as being wind-resistant at best, as a solid gust will no doubt extinguish this lighter’s flame. Sure, it stands up to the wind better than a Bic, but calling them “windproof” is a bit of an exaggeration.

While I didn’t run into this issue with the brand-new Zippo lighter that I tested, some of the Zippos that I’ve owned and used in my personal life have occasionally had issues with their flint wheel gunking up and jamming. Though it can be annoying, in my experience this can be remidied by just running the wheel towards the flint a few times (the opposite way you normally turn to light it) and then striking it normally. Due to carrying one of these for more than a decade, I really thought I’d have more gripes and complaints to shine a light on or provide insights about, but the reality is that the Zippo Classic is a damn-near perfect lighter, with a design that’s slowly been perfected over the better part of the last century. 

Verdict: If you’re looking for a dependable lighter to add to your everyday carry without breaking the bank, there really is no better option than the iconic Zippo Classic. Not only does it provide unparalleled value, but it’s unparalleled number of available colors, materials, and versions, coupled with its now-available inserts allows you to build out a lighter according to your own personal aesthetic tastes and needs. 

Survival Frog Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0

Best Plasma/Arc Lighter: With plasma arc flames being completely and totally wind proof and heavily resistant to splashes, this style of lighter is no doubt extremely conducive to outdoor use. These lighters also never have to be adjusted for altitude. The Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 capitalizes on the off-grid-friendly nature of arc lighters by combining this setup with a rugged shockproof watertight housing. Offered in black or orange color options, this EDC-ready survival lighter is powered by a USB-rechargeable 220-mAh Li-Polymer battery that can spark 300 fires before needing a recharge — plus it’s 3.7-volt battery can be fully replenished after just 2 hours of charting with a standard USB cable. 

Housing a zinc alloy interior mechanism, the body of the second-gen Tough Tesla Lighter is made from a rugged ABS plastic. I don’t love that the material has somewhat cheap feel to it and wished the team at Survival Frog opted for a more high-end polymer construction, though I will admit the ABS body is more than tough enough to make a hardwearing and dependable survival lighter. With its quad-electrode and dual-arc configuration, this sub-$40 lighter also offers pretty great value — an area furthered by the fact that it’s sold with an included USB recharging cable and a lanyard made from Paratinder (a 550 paracord infused with fire tinder). I was also able to confirm that, unlike the Zippo or Tsuubota, this Survival Frog lighter is legitimately windproof. Not only is it able to stand up to the strongest gusts of wind, but even when I tried to blow it out, the plasma beam was fine.

Another clever design element on the Survival Frog Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 is its integrated LED flashlight. Because the lighter already utilizes a battery to power its plasma beams, the company seemingly realized they could very easily add a mini light that could draw from the same 220-mAh Li-Po battery. It isn’t the most potent of LEDs — with a lumen count that I’d estimate between 40 and 80 — but it provides enough power to see in lowlight situations, and definitely comes in handy in outdoor and survival situations. Same goes for this plasma lighter’s 120-decibel “Scream Whistle.” I did also notice that even when armed with a fully-charged battery, this lighter is only able to maintain its dual-arc plasma beam for a few seconds at a time. This is long enough to light almost anything, but it can’t be kept on for an extended period like every other lighter on this list.

Though I ultimately found the Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 to be a great piece of kit, there were a few things that I didn’t love about the lighter. First off, arc lighters just aren’t a great choice for lighting cigarettes. Sure, they can get the job done, no problem, but they don’t lend themselves to lighting stoges as soft-flame lighters. Additionally, the shockproof and waterproof housing and suite of integrated features ultimately result in this survival lighter being quite a bit bulkier than the rest of the lighters that I tested — save for the DISSIM. I also noticed that anything you light with the Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 needs to get extremely close to the electrodes, which was pretty annoying in certain applications that called for a flame with a bit more reach. With that said, it’s hard to fault Survival Frog for this as they were clearly aiming to deliver a quality outdoor lighter and not a lighter purpose-built for EDC — however conducive to everyday carry it may be. And, as a survival-style arc lighter with a built-in LED flashlight, we’d also recommend checking out SOL’s Fire Lite Fuel-Free Lighter as it also makes for just as solid of an outdoor lighter as it does an EDC item.

Verdict: For anyone looking for an arc lighter that can tackle EDC use in the city just as well as it can survival applications in the great outdoor, the Survival Frog Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 is the way to go. 

Tsubota Pearl Hard Edge Petrol Lighter

Best Soft Flame Lighter: Based in Tokyo, Tsubota Pearl was first established by Hiroshi Tsubota in 1952, getting its start producing a myriad of different lighters.  lighters, including pocket lighters, pipe lighters, and candle lighters. After debuting the popular Bolbo gas lighter in 1964, Tsubota’s next major release would come in the 1990s. During this time, most lighters featured rounded corners and/or ornate body designs full of patterns and embossed and engraved elements. Deliberately going against the grain, Tsubota would opt to take a super spartan approach, pairing a flip-top Zippo-style housing with a polycarbonate construction, decidedly square edges, and an overall seamless and extremely minimalist form, ultimately resulting in the Tsubota Hard Edge lighter.

The Tsubota Hard Edge Petrol Lighter is, in a lot of ways, sort of like a more premium and fashion-forward Japanese-made take on a Zippo-style flip-top lighter. Like the Zippo, this design-conscious lighter has now been in production for decades and is currently offered in a pretty huge variety of different colors and finishes, including several noteworthy models done in celebration with other brands such as Houseplant, Supreme, FWRD, and Bodega, just to name a few. Internally, the Hard Edge lighter follows a very similar design and mechanism to the Zippo, though I did notice that I had a harder time inserting in new wick on the Tsubota than I did the Zippo — though replacing the Tsubota’s flint was a breeze. 

Despite its body not featuring an alloy construction, I still found the Tsubota Hard Edge lighter to have an almost unmistakably premium feel to it. What’s more, while very similar to a Zippo in many ways, the Tsubota’s form is just markedly sleeker, more minimalistic, and generally much more design conscious. It does typically cost around twice what a Zippo Classic does, however, it’s still pretty affordable as that only comes out to around $50 to $60 — not a huge investment for an item you’ll be carrying daily. As far as this lighter’s wind resistance goes, the thing is more or less on par with the Zippo, being more wind resistant than a Bic, but still not anywhere near what I’d classify as fully windproof.

And while it doesn’t impact the lighter’s performance, one minor downside to this lighter is that, unlike Zippos  which replacement wicks and flints can be found for just about anywhere, Tsubota’s lighter is more difficult to source replacements for — though all of these items can easily be ordered online, they just aren’t sold at practically every drugstore and smokeshops like Zippo’s are. With that said, Tsubota’s lighters can accept Zippo lighter fluid. 

Verdict: With its minimalist form, meticulous Japanese construction, and design-conscious appearance, the Tsubota Hard Edge Petrol Lighter makes for a sleek and high-end alternative to the iconic Zippo — though the Tsubota can still be had for a very reasonable price, making this another stellar lighter to consider adding to your EDC. 

DISSIM Inverted Lighter

Best Inverted Lighter: If you’ve ever tried to light a candle or campfire by holding a lighter at a horizontal angle or nearly upside-down, you’ll no doubt be familiar with how awkward and uncomfortable this can be — and how easily you can burn yourself when trying. The DISSIM Inverted Lighter brilliantly addresses this issue, and does so in a fun and idiosyncratic way. The entire lighter is constructed around a unique circular grip pattern — that reminded me of the grip on an FNH P90 — that also doubles as the lighter’s fuel reservoir. This circular grip setup is capped off with a push-to-spark ignition and an angled flame port that bolsters this lighter’s ability to be lit at any angle or orientation. 

Despite only being released a few years ago, the enormous success that DISSIM’s inverted lighter has garnered has ultimately prompted the company to debut an ever-increasing number of different models and variants, including a huge plethora of different finishes and colors, and with a myriad of different flame types ranging from soft-flames to single torches to dual-torch setups. The lighter is also sold in a non-inverted variant, as well — all of which are powered by butane, even the soft yellow-flame models. I like how this massive selection of available versions allows you to select a model that jives with your personal aesthetic tastes as well as allowing you to select what type of flame you’ll want.

Though the DISSIM Inverted Lighter undeniably sports a unique design, it wasn’t until actually using and testing the thing that I realized a decent amount of this lighter’s popularity almost certainly stems from its superb performance. The version that I tested is DISSIM’s tried-and-true original model, the standard inverted lighter with a soft-flame. This version emits a super consistent, adjustable butane-powered yellow flame via a unique angled port design. This clever setup allows the lighter to function and perform like any other soft-flame model, though it more importantly affords it the ability to effortlessly be used when held or oriented horizontally — or even completely upside-down. In addition to making it easily the most versatile lighter that I tested by a pretty huge margin, this also made it wildly easy to light candles, campfires, or anything else that calls for horizontal or upside-down lighting. This became even more apparent after testing the DISSIM side-by-side with other lighters on this list like the Zippo. What’s more, whether it stems from its angled flame port design, use of butane fuel, or rate at which its fuel is expelled, the DISSIM was markedly more resistant to strong gusts of wind than every other soft-flame lighter that I tested — and by a pretty decent margin. Is it 100% windproof? No. But it’s about as close as it can get, scoring around an 8 or 9 out of ten in terms of wind resistance.

Largely composed of cast metal and polycarbonate, the DISSIM Inverted lighter isn’t crafted from super premium materials per se, but it nonetheless possesses a solid feel that doesn’t feel cheap or plasticky. With that said, I do wish DISSIM offered this lighter in more high-end constructions like titanium. And, considering that the company makes both torch and soft-flame versions, I’d love to see an inverted DISSIM lighter that could switch between a torch and yellow flame. My biggest gripe with DISSIM’s inverted lighter is unquestionably its size. At  3.50” x 1.80” x 0.60”, it’s noticeably bulkier than every other lighter that I tested. I didn’t have any issue fitting it in my pocket — even when wearing skinny-cut stretch motorcycle jeans — though I still don’t love how much real estate it took in my pocket. 

Verdict: The DISSIM Inverted lighter is a stellar modern-day take on an everyday carry lighter, with a unique circular grip design and an angled flame port that together make for one of the most interesting and idiosyncratic EDC lighter options on the market. 

Tokyo Pipe Co. Douglass Field S

Best Vintage-Inspired Lighter: The Douglass lighter first debuted in 1926 in the United States. Made in America, these high-end oil lighters cost a while $5 upon their release (closer to $90 today when accounting for inflation), though despite their price were extremely popular. Eventually, the plug was pulled on production and the design sat dormant for decades until being revived by the Tokyo Pipe Co. in 1993. Over the last 30-or-so-years, the Tokyo Pipe Co. has found a modern audience for this lighter, leading to it now being offered in a myriad of different models, materials, and finishes — such as the more recent Tokyo Pipe Co. Douglass Field S Duralumin model that I tested. 

Sporting a body made from Duralumin — an age-harden-able aluminum–copper alloy that takes its name from combining “Dürener” and “aluminum” — the Douglass Field S consists of a cylindrical housing with a second smaller cylinder running vertically up the back of the lighter. The second cylinder features a knurled lock that can be unscrewed in order to flip its top open. As the top opens, it forces a mechanism to create a spark that then allows the lighter to produce a flame. In addition to simply boasting a unique, vintage-inspired mechanical design, there’s also something immensely satisfying about flipping open this lighter’s top with your thumb — making it surprisingly fidget-friendly. 

Made in Japan, the overall build quality and craftsmanship on this lighter is legitimately second to none. Featuring a fully waterproof, airtight construction, Tokyo Pipe Co’s Douglass Field S Duralumin lighter is made up of 45 components that have been meticulously hand-machined from solid duralumin stock, using insanely-precise construction that’s been calculated to within 1/100th of a millimeter. This results in an incredibly smooth operation, super smooth threading, and an overall level of attention to detail that’s typically reserved for lighters with four and five-figure price tags. The lighter’s next-level construction also allows makes it extremely durable – as well as watertight, as mentioned above. Additionally, thanks to a bottom that unscrews, it’s also super easy to replace this lighter’s liquid fuel. 

While I wholeheartedly believe the Douglass Field S is uneqvicoally one of the nicest — and quite frankly coolest — EDC lighters on the market, there were a few minor flaws that revealed themselves to me when. I tested the thing. For starters, as neat and fidget-friendly as it may be, I didn’t love how long it took me to unscrew the lighter’s vertically-rolling lock mechanism. It only takes a few seconds and it’s by no means a deal breaker, but I definitely prefer the instantly-accessible, quick-flickable nature of the Zippo or Tsubota. I also noticed that the flame would quickly get smaller only seconds after being struck. This makes it somewhat perfect for lighting cigarettes, though in instances where I needed a slightly larger flame for a prolonged period, the Douglas just didn’t really come through for me. Not sure why its flame acted this way, and it could be as simple as it needs to be broken in and used longer. With that said, I do wish I had a chance to test a second lighter in order to see if this is how this model always performs or if it’s rare/unique to  the unit I tested. Once the flame has gotten smaller, it is quickly extinguished by the wind, making this the least wind-resistant soft-flame lighter that I tested. Either way, I don’t think these minor downsides in any way outweigh everything else that this otherwise fantastic lighter has going for it — and as long as you don’t plan on using it for regularly lighting camp fires or other horizontal-lighting applications, you shoulda be just fine. 

Verdict: The Tokyo Pipe Co. Douglass Field S Duralumin combines a vintage-inspired design with premium materials and a ridiculously meticulous level of craftsmanship to create a true contender for one of the best everyday carry lighters that money can currently buy. It is a bit pricier than some of the other lighters on this list, though its build quality easily justify its MSRP — and then some. 

EDC Lighter Comparison Chart

Why Carry A Lighter?

As mentioned, lighters actually offer quite a lot of utility — so long as you actually know how to make use of them as a part of your EDC. It’s with that in mind that we’d like to outline some of the potential uses — both in the day-to-day and as a well-considered backup plan. If you’re interested but not quite sold, the following section might help sway you.

Smoking: Obviously, the most common use for lighters in this day and age is probably to light up a cigarette — or at least that’s the image that comes to most folk’s minds. Whether your smoke of choice is tobacco or otherwise, keeping a lighter handy will enable you to partake at the drop of a hat. And, if you don’t have one, you’ll potentially struggle to find someone that does, lending credence to the idea that you should always have one.

Sterilization: If you’re familiar with the basic tenets of modern medicine, you know the importance of sterilization. However, there are times when you perhaps don’t have access to, say, alcohol or other sterilizers. But, if you need to sterilize something in a pinch — like a needle to get a nasty splinter out from under your skin — applying a flame can help kill bacteria that could infect you otherwise. It’s perhaps not the best method, but it works when there aren’t other options within your grasp.

Illumination: Hands-down, a flashlight is something you should have in your everyday carry. However, flashlights rely on batteries and, of course, batteries sometimes die. Should that happen to you when you need light, a lighter can provide some temporary, albeit smaller-scale illumination in a pinch. That goes double if you use it to ignite a torch or lantern — which can offer even more light.

Camping & Emergency Use: Not everyone lives spitting distance from a good campsite or a large forested area. But, for those that do, a lighter could be an indispensable survival tool you’ll almost certainly want to keep on you. They can be used to ignite campfires, cook food, sterilize wounds (as mentioned above), and even serve to alert emergency response teams as to your whereabouts. Just make sure, if you’re using a lighter in the great outdoors, that you do so carefully and cautiously. Otherwise, the fire you light could have a devastating, irreversible effect on the surrounding environment.

Lighter Types

Lighters usually emit fire in one of three ways. Below, we’ll briefly touch on each of these three main varieties. 

Soft Flame: The most common type of lighter is the standard flame — known as a “soft flame” or ‘yellow” flame. This is the type of flame your average Zippo or Bic lighter emits. 

Torch: Then there are butane-powered lighters. These produce a torch-style flame that’s much more resistant to wind and burns at a much higher temperature. 

Arc: Also known as “plasma lighters,” this type of lighter makes a spark that generates a plasma conduit between two (or four) electrodes. Powered by a battery, these electricity-generated plasma beams are impervious to wind and markedly more water and splash-resistant than other lighters.  

What To Consider When Shopping

There are a handful of areas that should be taken into account when shopping for a new lighter. Directly below, we’ll break down the top ten most pivotal areas one should think about before pulling the trigger on their purchase. 

Design: One major area that distinguishes one lighter from another is the design and outward appearance. Lighters can massively vary from an aesthetic standpoint, and while some provide better grip or ergonomics, design selection primarily boils down to personal taste — assuming you don’t need a specific type of lighter such as an outdoor lighter or cigar lighter. 

Materials: It’s not just a lighter’s design that you’ll want to consider, but also the materials that were used to bring that design to life. Modern lighters are crafted from everything from brass to aluminum to steel to polymer to more premium constructions like titanium or silver or gold. Some of the more popular lighters on the market are also offered in multiple constructions. 

Finish: In addition to the material used to craft a lighter, it’s also worth focusing on the finish that the material has been bestowed with, as the same lighter in the same material is often produced with multiple finish options — ranging from stonewashed to brushed to polished to painted, powder-coated, or anodized color finishes. 

Flame: When buying a lighter you’ll want to consider whether a soft flame, torch, or plasma beam will best suit your needs. It’s also worth mentioning that some butane-powered lighters are able to produce a torch or a soft flame. 

Fuel: The vast majority of lighters on the market are fueled by either traditional liquid lighter fluid or pressurized butane. There are also (often USB-rechargeable) battery-powered arc lighters, though they’re a lot less common. Same goes for lighters that use naphtha or kerosene.

Weather-Resistance: Different lighters boast different levels of resis’tance to the elements. Often, more outdoor-focused lighters feature waterproof housings. There are also lighters that utilize a windproof flame. There elements seldom come at a very high financial premium either. 

Ease Of Maintenance & Refueling: Some lighters are extremely easy to maintain, only requiring occasional fueling through an easily accessible port. Others, unfortunately, sometimes take a bit more to keep burning, such as lighters that requires new wick or new flint to be run through them, or other models that need to largely be disassembled in order to refuel or service. Depending on how comfortable you are with doing these tasks yourself, you’ll probably want to factor this area into your purchase. 

Intended Use: How you plan on using your lighter should also play a major guiding role in your purchase, as intended use will dictate areas such as whether or not you’ll need a windproof flame, or if a butane torch or soft flame will be preferable. 

History: It admittedly has zero impact on a lighter’s functionality, performance, or user experience, though it’s hard to deny the fact that a lighter’s history or linage can often be one of its selling points. As much as we can appreciate a well-executed retro-inspired design, there’s just something inherently appealing about a lighter with an actual story or historical significance — some of which date back more than a century. 

Price: Though all lighter provide more or less some means of the same basic utility, one way in which they can massively differ is in terms of pricing. Classic Zippo lighters usually start at around $20 (or sometimes less in some cases) while premium lighters from brands like S.T. Dupont, Porsche Design, Dunhill, and Cartier can cost hundreds — or in some cases even thousands — of dollars. Because of the huge range, pricing is definitely a crucial area to consider. Typically speaking more money will either get you better materials and/or superior craftsmanship and build quality, though high-end lighters very seldom provide much bang for your buck

Bics & EDC

When discussing lighters for everyday carry, we’d be remised if we didn’t take a moment to shout out the crucial honorable mention that is the Bic lighter. Not only do they provide the same basic utility as any other soft-flame lighter, but they’re also tried-and-true, universally-available, and highly-affordable. As such, we recommend considering a Bic for your EDC. Plus, standard Bic lighters can easily be upgraded/paired with lighter cases and sleeves such as Taylor Stitch’s Brass Lighter Sleeve or any number of the lighter cases from Goodworth & Co.

Other Honorable Mentions

While this technically isn’t a lighter per se, the Morisk Permanent Match nonetheless serves the exact same function as any soft-flame lighter, plus does so in a pretty unique — and EDC-friendly — way. Simple unscrew the top, remove the stick, strike it against the side, and you’ve got a flame you can reuse over and over, thanks to both this item’s wick and fuel being replaceable.

From Seth Rogan’s home goods and smoking accessories brand, the Houseplant Fliptop Lighter is essentially a special edition version of the classic Tsubota Pearl lighter. Offered in HP’s signature colors of blue and pink, orange and red, or light and dark greens, this soft-flame table and EDC lighter comes decorated in a Houseplant logo and contains a stainless steel insert.

As you may guess from the name, the Zippo 1935 Replica Original is a modern-day recreation of the lighter that started it all for the Bradford, Pennsylvania brand way back in 1935. This more unique and characterful version of a standard Zippo features a boxier design with a slightly smaller height and a fully-exposed three-barrel hinge. Still equipped with the classic Zippo “click” sound, this all-metal lighter replica is also made in America and backed by a lifetime warranty.

Though they admittedly can be difficult to get your hands-on in between drops as their immense demands always results in them going quick, the Prometheus Design Werx Ti-Lighters are definitely worth a look when shopping for a flame to add to your everyday carry. Crafted from top-shelf titanium, PDW offers an extensive lineup of lighters that includes a range of more robust Zippo-style flip-top models as well as several waterproof outdoor and survival lighters. 

Offered in five color options as well as a carbon fiber variant, the Porsche-Design Lighter P´3632 is a thoroughly premium and modern interpretation of a daily-carry lighter that features a sleek, boxy exterior design and a mechanism that produces a broad yet super flat and nearly transparent flame — which is also adjustable. While it didn’t make the final cut for our best EDC lighters, it’s still a great pick for someone who loves carbon fiber EDC.

With its solid alloy construction and adjustable butane-powered flame, the Xikar Tactical 1 Single Jet Flame Lighter makes for a stellar choice of an EDC lighter for any cigar enthusiasts. This premium yet affordably-priced torch is also offered in a range of variants and color options. 

Another lighter that we’d have loved to include on our main list is the Sarome PSD36 Slim Lighter as its sleek design, compact size, and vertically-oriented striking wheel collectively make for a very attractive — and upscale — everyday carry lighter option. Unfortunately, it can be exceedingly difficult to get your hands on one of these Japanese-made lighters if you reside in the States — something we discovered when attempting to source an example for this article. 

Tested: The Best Fixed Blade Knives For EDC

Want to explore a few other possible additions to your everyday carry? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best fixed blade knives for today’s finest rigid-design cutting-tool options for EDC.