Xikar Astral

Today, we review the Xikar Astral lighter from Quality Importers Trading Company. The Astral debuted at the 2021 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. It’s a single-jet pocket lighter with a contoured slim body design. The ignition trigger has a textured pattern designed to have a contoured grip. The Astral is designed to be wind resistant and perform at high altitudes up to 12,000 feet above sea level.

Quality offers six finishes for the Xikar Astral. These are the current base offerings:

  • Black
  • Black & Rose Gold
  • Gunmetal
  • Gunmetal & Blue
  • Gunmetal & Red
  • Brushed chrome

Xikar Astral – Accessory Review

SPECIFICATIONS

APPEARANCE

As mentioned, this is a slim lighter with a contoured finish. The large textured ignition switch highlights the front of the lighter.
Xikar Astral
The back of the lighter features a red fuel indicator. There are two vents on the back and one on the front, which facilitate the lighter’s working at high altitudes.

The bottom of the lighter has a wheel where you can adjust the height of the flame. The center of the wheel has a valve where you can refill the lighter with butane.

The top of the lighter has an aperture that opens when the flame is ignited.

OPERATION

Igniting the flame of the Astral is done by holding the lighter in your hand and using your thumb to slide the ignition switch at the front of the lighter down. There are two different ways to use the thumb to light up the Astral. The first way is to place your thumb on the ignition switch and use the weight of your thumb to slide down the ignition switch. The second way is to place your thumb on the top of the ignition switch and slide the ignition switch down from the top. I found the second way the easier way to go.

Xikar Astral

When the ignition switch slides down the front of the lighter, you will hear a click, and the aperture at the top of the lighter will open. The wheel can be used to adjust the flame as the flame is ignited. Moving the wheel in the direction of the arrow will increase the size of the flame.

Letting go of the switch returns it to its original position. The aperture closes, and the flame is extinguished.

EVALUATION

Igniting

First, the contoured feel makes this Astral easy to hold in the hand. The curved sides have a nice ergonomic feel. Additionally, it is an easy lighter to hold in your hand. Furthermore, it was not complicated to ignite the lighter using one hand. I used this lighter for about 45 days straight, and there were some occasional misfires (where the flame wasn’t ignited), but these were few and far between. I only think you need two hands with the Astral when you use the flame adjustment wheel.

I’m a fan of a closed aperture on a lighter and I like the one on the Astral. Yes, a closed aperture makes cleaning a little challenging if dirt gets under the opening, but generally, it has more positives than negatives.

Wind Resistance

Quality Importers has said the Astral is wind-resistant, I’m unsure how resistant it is. This lighter was tested in front of a room air conditioner at maximum fan speed, and the flame held up pretty well.

Refilling

Refilling the Astral is quite simple. The fuel valve is located at the bottom of the lighter. I refilled the lighter with multiple successive pressures of three seconds. I recommend Xikar’s High-Performance Butane, which minimizes misfires and produces a more robust flame.

As for the fuel indicator gauge, I really didn’t find it all that helpful. It was still a little too small to see without putting it under a lighter and moving the lighter to see the fuel line.

Finish

The black finish on the metal body is nice, but it can easily be scratched. My advice is to keep this lighter in a case when not in use.

Altitude

Since I do not live in a high-altitude area, this attribute of the Astral was not assessed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Astral lighter was tested for over a month straight, almost daily. The lighter performed quite well and was easy to use.  Some of the misfires were merely rounding errors, which I didn’t find problematic. The three areas I can see improvement for this lighter are: 1) The finish is prone to scratching; 2) The fuel indicator is hard to read; 3) I can see it being a little difficult to clean out the jets if they get clogged (which did not happen during the assessment period).

In terms of the price point, this lighter is $39.99. This is one of the less expensive Xikar lighters I have acquired, but it is also one that did its job well and performed consistently well. The Xikar Astral is an easy Buy recommendation.

Photo/Video Credits: Cigar Coop

Source: Purchased