Best and worst cigar bands

[CaptainQuintero]

Just been taking a look through my singles tray and realised how terrible some bands are. What are your favourite and most hated bands?

Cuaba are the most ugly for me, they just look naff and cheap. Piedra even look far more respectable than these things. Cohiba comes in second place for me too, too brash and over the top, they take the attention away from the cigar.

Best for me are RYJ and Punch with Diplomaticos bringing up the rear. I'd give an honourable mention to the RE Por Larranaga bands that H&F made, they are amazing, they did a great job on the Flor De Cano too as a matter of fact.

UK RE PL bands

[Wil]

I like the current Upmann bands, like on the Mag 46 (although the second band looks cheap and is totally uneccessary).

[KurtE]

When I have to de-band cigars I very much hate the El Rey Del Mundo, so hard to get off without harming the wrapper of the cigar

[riazp]

For me, the Diplomaticos band is fantastic, simple, nothing flashy. I also really like the partagas serie d and p bands, that red looks great

Edit : after thiking about it i went through the humi and I do dig the VR bands just because of the big golden R on the band lol. Erdm makes a nice band, so does SCDLH and Ramon Allones.

[tmac77]

My favorite Band is the Vegas Robaina. Simple and all class.

The Worst in my opinion is the Partagas Serie Bands. Just plain ugly and more like an NC band.

[Pilgrims]

The standard Partagas band for me...not borng but not OTT either

[Squarehead]

The Monte Cristo bands are nothing to write home about them either.

[Scdalak]

Hate the Bolivar Yellow looks cheap IMO...Dont know too many people who find Yellow an attractive color...

Love the R & J Red with the Gold Coins, Gold Embroidering and White Lettering. Coupled with the second Gold and Black Lettered band i.e "Short Churchill"... Very classy indeed... Now if they could just get thier act together!? Cant wait for that Petite Churchill next year...

[CBL]

Don't really like the Montecristo bands, although the new richer color is an improvement.

Favorites are El Rey Del Mundo and Robaina. I understand how Robaina and his son turned the band into rings (or maybe their family crest was turned into the band... who knows ) Diplomaticos isn't bad looking either.

[bassman]

Favorite is Bolivar. Love the color & detail. Don't like the Diplo band. Looks cheap.

[Puros Y Vino]

Faves:

Partagas (classic bands, not the Red/Gold "series".

Bolivar/LGC/Punch. I like these bands but I do knock them on being so damn similar! All they changed was the centre logo.

Trinidad (sharp, modern look)

ERDM.

Fonseca (stands out)

RyJ

Cohiba (a bit tired, but it has evolved over time to keep up with the times.)

Not so good.

Montecristo...bland.

Diplomaticos...cheap looking.

Sancho Panza

Vegueros

[77stoneblues]

I don't like double bands, or the Partagas Serie bands, and I tend to enjoy the simpler bands, like montecristo. I liked the older cohiba band better... Once we get into the holograms and shiny gold, i think the point gets lost.

[randomhero1090]

Like, in this order:

PL Edición Regional Reino Unido Magnificos/Regalias de Londres

Cohiba BHK

Cohiba Standard

RA

Partagas Serie

Juan Lopez

Indifferent:

Monte

H Up

Boli

Fonseca

Punch

HdM

RyJ

LGC

Trini

Dislike:

San Cris

Cuaba

Dip

RG

Vegas R

[docbp87]

Quintero's band looks like a holdover from 60's jetsetter design. Just not good.

I actually love simple bands though, like RG, JLP, Monte, and Sancho Panza.

[tmac77]

Favorite is Bolivar. Love the oclor & detail. Don't like the Diplo band. Looks cheap.

I would not mind the Boli band if they didn't have that picture of Pee Wee Herman on it.

[CaptainQuintero]

I like the current Upmann bands, like on the Mag 46 (although the second band looks cheap and is totally uneccessary).

I forgot about the second band on the mags, they look terrible!

Maybe they will change them up with the new mag 55

[bassman]

I would not mind the Boli band if they didn't have that picture of Pee Wee Herman on it.

Guess Pee Wee is related to Simon Bolivar, the liberator of much of South America.

[cigcars]

IMHO I think the Ramon Allones Phoenecian Anniversary bands are the most eye catchingly spectacular. On the other hand, although I do respect the brand, I think the Rafael Gonzales is the most plain, dull band they make.

[kevinfj]

When I have to de-band cigars I very much hate the El Rey Del Mundo, so hard to get off without harming the wrapper of the cigar

Agree 100%

I can tell you my least favorite:

ELDM. Ruinous.

Cohiba. Too many fakes.

FJ

[darinjanssen]

I like the simple, non-flashy bands. Monte is probably my favorite.

[noreaster]

I miss the old R J Churchill band. Enough with the double bands on everything! Cheap marketing ploy IMO.

[Lotusguy]

My favorite band would be the BHK bands. There is also just something about the old-school simple bands like the RG or QdO and Montes.

The ugliest one in my opinion is the Vegueros.

Double-banding with the exception of LEs or REs is just silly IMO.

[Cohiba Stevie]

Cohiba bands too flashy?! I know im a cohiba fanboy but c'mon! Cohiba bands are probably the most contemporary with very nice subtle highlights as mentioned in a previous post. The BHK bands look fantastic. Other bands i like are the classic partagas, romeo y julieta, bolivar. Por larranaga and trididad also look very classy.

Bands i hate: partagas serie bands- such good smokes deserve a better uniform, montecristo - never been a big monte fan but their bands lack uniqueness and character. Diplomaticos - look very cheap.

[Rushman]

Although not a CC, by far the ugliest band i have ever seen is Don Roger. We have three boxes on our shelves that are aged alot of years (so I am not sure if the bands are still this way) and the bands are blue with his likeness on the band. Not in a good way as on the VR boxes, in a very bad blue hazy way.

[tucomapache]

I like all the cuban bands and I love looking at the old stuff on Trevor's site...

The uglyest piece of crap is the diamond crown non cuban band...