Premier Filtered Cigarette Tubes, RYO Magazine, The Magazine of Roll Your Own Cigarettes, Reviews, the Premier filter tube, filtered cigarettes

While I am not a big fan of Bugler tobacco as I find it harsh and a bit too strong. even when rolled in a light filtered cigarette tube, it is one of the most popular "brands" on the market. No doubt, the fact that it is widely available in markets and drug stores throughout the US explains this popularity. However, some people who like Bugler tobacco, buglerbtn.jpg (5081 bytes)

REALLY like Bugler tobacco. Because of the accessibility Bugler enjoys to the retail market place, we looked forward to the time when other Bugler RYO products would begin showing up in the same retail environments. To be able to go to Safeway and pick up tubes, and injectors, or rollers is a good thing for the RYO enthusiast. Unfortunately, these products have not shown up in those wider arenas yet. Both the Bugler tubes and the Bugler injector are worthy products. We have no idea who really manufactures these items but will review the tubes this time as we have seen them in some retail environments like Costco. buglerpic.jpg (6116 bytes)

The Bugler King-Size Regular filtered tube is one of nicest we have seen. It so happened that one day at a Costco in Anchorage, Alaska (a nation-wide chain of warehouse style, wholesale to the public stores), I happened to go into the tobacco department, mostly looking for any interesting packaged rolling tobaccos. Costco often has some great deals on unusual products that they find from time to time and make available to the public (if you are a member, of course). I had recently purchased a case of tubes (50 boxes of 200) for a little under $2.00 per box) so while I didn't really need any more at the time I was amazed to see crates of Bugler tubes just sitting there. And the price was incredible. Costco wanted only $.79 (that's right - 79 cents) for 5 boxes of 100 tubes each. I'll repeat that's 500 tubes for $.79. At first I thought it was some kind of mistake or that they were really $.79 per box which would still be a pretty good deal. I went to the checkstand to inquire and the clerk confirmed that yes, they were $.79 for all five boxes. Needless to say, I bought a bunch (that is only $.002 per tube or 5 tubes for 1 penny). Having shopped at Costco for years, I had found other great deals there only to return weeks later and never find the item again so I stocked up. The tubes were outstanding. They were brown-tipped filtered regulars, beautifully manufactured and had a totally neutral taste. A few weeks later (this was all over a year and a half ago), I returned to the Anchorage store and, as feared, found no more tubes there of any kind. I have yet to find them in any Costco anywhere else in this country although I found Players tubes in a Costco in Fort Nelson, BC during a trip through Canada last summer. I see Bugler tubes in boxes of 100 selling for as high as $3.00 on certain websites which translates to $6.00 for a typical box of 200 tubes.

So, the point of this review has rapidly become a warning. Buyer beware! Shop around. If you have a Costco or other discount warehouse-type store in your locale, check with them to see if they have or can get filtered cigarette tubes. If not, shop carefully online. You will be surprised at how much the price varies between retailers. There was a tobacco store in Anchorage that was selling Premier's for a whopping $7.00 for a box of 200. Here in Oregon, we have been unable to find any tubes for sale in any store other than tobacco shops.

If you live within reach of UPS ground service, the shipping cost for cases of tubes should not be too high. When we were in Alaska, that case of tubes I bought for a little under $2.00 per box had a shipping charge of over $50.00 because there was only 2nd day Air shipping available to Alaska. Here in Oregon, we routinely pay right at $2.00/box including shipping by buying a case of 50 boxes at a time. Check with our advertisers for some of the best deals on the web. Always ask for shipping prices. While cases of tubes are pretty large in size, they are very light, so avoid paying air freight charges whose rates depend on package volume rather than actual weight.

Next time we will look at some so-called premium filtered tubes from Europe to see if they are worth the premium price. - RYO

EDITOR'S NOTE: These reviews are solely for the convenience of people of legal age who already smoke, are trying to cut down on smoking, wish to spend less money on their smoking, want to roll their own cigarettes from high quality tobacco, and, in general, wish to have a far more satisfying, and economical smoking experience when compared with smoking pre-manufactured cigarettes. We, in no way, encourage people to smoke. Further, we prescribe to a sane, more logical approach to smoking that involves common sense as to quantity coupled with a strong desire to manage the habit until it becomes an occasional, freely chosen, diversion, that can be fully enjoyed with minimal health risks. Finally, we strongly encourage those who do smoke to take it outdoors, or to appropriate environments where tobacco can be enjoyed away from those who do not smoke, most especially children. We do not sell tobacco or related products from this site; We distribute information about our perceptions of the quality of what is available and where it can be obtained. If you are under 18, it is illegal to buy tobacco and you should immediately exit this site. If you do not smoke, it would seem illogical to start.