Rolling Paper Sizes Explained

We stock more rolling papers than anything else in the shop — by a distance. Over two hundred separate RAW lines alone, plus Zig-Zag, Clipper and the rest. And the question we get most often is the simplest one: which size do I actually want?

Here is the whole thing explained, without the mystique that usually surrounds it.

The sizes, and what they are for

Paper sizing is a bit of a historical mess — the names are not consistent and nobody standardised them. In practice there are four you will meet.

Single wide is the original cigarette size, roughly 70mm long and about 35mm tall. Small. Mostly bought now by people who have always bought it.

1¼ is the default, and if you are unsure, this is the answer. About 78mm long, 45mm tall. It got the name because it is a quarter wider than single wide. It is the most-sold size on the planet, it suits one or two people, and almost every brand makes every one of its materials in 1¼.

1½ is the same length as 1¼ but noticeably taller — around 60mm. More paper, more capacity, without going to full length. A genuinely useful middle ground that gets overlooked.

King size is the big one — about 110mm long, 45mm tall, and designed to be shared. King size slim is the same length but narrower, which burns slower and is the most popular large format by some margin.

The practical rule: 1¼ for one or two people, king slim for a group. That covers nine out of ten purchases.

What the paper is made of

Material changes the burn and the taste more than most people expect.

Wood pulp is the classic white paper. Cheap, easy to roll, very forgiving if you are still learning. It burns quickest and it has the most noticeable paper taste — which is exactly why some people prefer it, because it is what they grew up with.

Hemp is the most common choice now. Light brown, unbleached, slightly textured, which actually makes it grip better and easier to handle. Burns slower than wood pulp and tastes neutral. If you are picking a material blind, pick hemp.

Rice is very thin and almost tasteless. The slowest burn of the three and the cleanest flavour — but it is also the least forgiving. Thin paper is slippery and tears if you are heavy-handed. Not the one to learn on.

Unbleached versus bleached is simply whether the paper has been chemically whitened. Unbleached is the brown one. Most people who try both stay on unbleached.

Tips, filters, crutches — same thing, three names

A tip is a rolled piece of card at the mouth end. It is not a filter in any meaningful sense and we would not describe it as one.

What it actually does is structural: it holds the end open so it does not collapse, keeps the shape consistent, and stops you burning your fingers at the end. It also makes the whole thing considerably easier to roll, because you have something firm to roll around.

Most RAW and Zig-Zag packs now come with tips included. Loose booklets of tips cost very little and we keep several on the shelf. If you have been struggling to roll, a tip solves more of the problem than more practice does.

Cones, if rolling is not your thing

Cones are pre-rolled papers with the tip already in — you fill them from the open end and twist. No rolling skill required at all.

They cost more per unit and there is no sense pretending otherwise. What you get is consistency and speed. People who roll badly, people with hand strength or dexterity issues, and people who just do not want the fuss all end up on cones, and plenty of experienced rollers use them when they are short on time.

Available in the same sizes — 1¼ and king are the two to know.

Storage, briefly

Papers are sensitive to humidity, and Florida is not kind to them.

Keep them in the booklet and keep the booklet closed. Loose papers in a bag or a pocket absorb moisture from the air, and damp paper burns unevenly and tears. A cheap rolling tray with a lid or a small tin solves it entirely.

If papers have gone soft and difficult, they are usually not recoverable — buy a fresh booklet, they cost very little.

Three things worth knowing

The gum line matters. It is the thin strip of adhesive — usually natural gum arabic — along one edge. Lick it lightly and evenly. Over-wetting is the single most common reason a seal fails, and it is easy to do.

Burn rate is mostly thickness, not brand. Thinner paper burns slower because there is less of it to burn. That is why rice has the reputation it does, and it is physics rather than marketing.

Buy a rolling tray. It is the least glamorous purchase in the shop and the one that improves the experience most. Everything stays in one place, nothing ends up on the carpet, and trays start at under ten dollars.

Come and see the wall

Two hundred-odd lines is genuinely difficult to convey in writing, and it is the kind of thing that is more fun to look at than to read about. Our papers, wraps and rolling page lists what we keep, and the accessories page covers trays, grinders and tips.

If you are standing in front of it undecided, the honest advice is: buy a booklet of 1¼ hemp and a booklet of king slim, and find out which one you reach for. Together they cost less than a sandwich and the question answers itself in a week.

Metro Smoke Shop 2724 W Old US Hwy 441, Mount Dora, FL 32757 — Mount Dora Plaza, parking out front. Open 7 days, 10 AM – 10 PM. Call (352) 735-8583 · Get directions

A few minutes from downtown Mount Dora, and an easy run from Eustis, Tavares, Sorrento and Leesburg.

21+ only. ID required, every visit.