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Cone Sizes Explained: 1¼, 98 Special, King Size
Cone Sizes Explained: 1¼, 98 Special, King Size
Pick up a box of cones and the label gives you a number with no explanation.
1¼. 98 Special. King Size. They sound like paper grades or thread counts, and nothing on the box tells you what they actually mean.
They're just sizes. Once you know what each one holds and how long it burns, choosing becomes obvious — and so does knowing which tools you need to fill it.
01 — The Two Numbers That Define a Cone
Every cone is described by two measurements: total length and filter tip length. Length decides how much it holds and how long it burns. The tip decides how it draws and how much of that length is actually filled.
That's the whole system. A "King Size" isn't a different product category — it's the same cone, longer.
The one thing worth knowing up front: the filter tip is roughly the same across most formats. So going from 1¼ to King Size doesn't add a little capacity — it adds a lot, because all the extra length is fillable.
02 — The Four Sizes, In Order
Dogwalker / Mini — around 70 mm
The short one. Named for exactly what it sounds like: a walk around the block. Holds roughly a third of a gram. Good for solo, good for a quick break, and good when you'd rather not have half a cone sitting in an ashtray. The least common format — many shops don't stock it.
1¼ — around 84 mm
The default. If someone hands you a cone without saying what it is, it's probably this. Holds around half a gram. It's the size most rolling trays, loaders and accessory kits are designed around, and it's the size to buy if you're only going to buy one.
BlueBus tooling: the 1 1/4 Metal Cone — 3" × 0.39" stainless steel — and the small Metal Cone Funnel.
98 Special — around 98 mm
The in-between. Longer than a 1¼ but slimmer than a King Size, so it burns longer without burning wider. Popular with people who found the 1¼ too short and the King Size too much. It's a genuinely good middle option that's under-stocked almost everywhere.
King Size — around 109 mm
The long one. Roughly a gram, sometimes more. Built for sharing, for a longer sit, or for anyone who'd rather load once. It's also the format most likely to burn unevenly if you pack it badly — more length means more room for error.
BlueBus tooling: the King-Size Metal Cone — 3.7" × 0.39" stainless steel — and the large Metal Cone Funnel.
03 — Quick Reference
| Format | Length | Roughly holds | Best for | TIGER | ORION 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogwalker / Mini | ~70 mm | ~0.3 g | Short solo sessions | Yes | No |
| 1¼ | ~84 mm | ~0.5 g | Everyday default | Yes | Yes |
| 98 Special | ~98 mm | ~0.75 g | Longer solo, small group | Yes | No |
| King Size | ~109 mm | ~1 g | Sharing, one-and-done | Yes | Yes |
04 — Which Tools Fit Which Size
This is the part that trips people up. Cone format determines three things in your kit.
The metal filling cone. This is the reusable stainless funnel-cone you fill through. Ours come in two sizes and they're not interchangeable — a King-Size cone in a 1¼ paper is a mess, and the reverse doesn't seal.
The funnel. Same logic. The Metal Cone Funnel ships in Large (King Size) and Small (1¼). Both work with the ORION 2.0, the Discovery 2.0 and the BLAZE, and they work standalone by hand.
The loader. This is where the two are genuinely different, and it's worth understanding before you choose:
- The TIGER Cone Loader fits every cone size. Its integrated loader is built to accept any standard pre-rolled cone on the market: Dogwalker, 1¼, 98 Special, King Size. If you switch formats often, or you're not sure yet which format you'll settle on, the TIGER covers all of them with one tool.
- The ORION 2.0 is built around the 1¼ and King Size formats. It ships with both funnels and both metal filling cones in the box, so it's fully equipped for the two most common sizes out of the gate — but it does not accommodate the Dogwalker or 98 Special.
Put simply: the ORION 2.0 is the premium station for the two standard formats, and the TIGER is the universal one. A lot of people end up owning both.
TIGER Cone Loader
Fits every format
ORION 2.0
1¼ and King Size
The packing stick doesn't care. The Metal Packing Stick works with every size. One tool, all formats.
05 — Common Mistakes
Buying King Size because bigger sounds better. More length means more to pack evenly. If you're still learning the technique, 1¼ is the more forgiving format and you'll get better results faster.
Assuming one funnel does everything. It doesn't. The wrong-size funnel either won't seat or spills around the rim. Buy both and stop thinking about it.
Buying a loader without checking your format. If you use 98 Specials or Dogwalkers, the TIGER is the tool that fits. If you're on 1¼ and King Size, either works.
Losing track of your filter tips. Every BlueBus box is built with dedicated slots for filter tips and wrappers — the Golden Roller Box, the Genesis 3.0, the Discovery 2.0 and the BLAZE all have them. Tips are the easiest thing in a setup to lose and the most annoying to be without.
06 — So Which One?
Buy 1¼ if you're choosing your first format, mostly solo, or want the widest accessory compatibility. It's the correct default and there's no shame in it being the answer.
Buy King Size if you regularly share, prefer loading once for a longer sit, or already know your packing technique is solid.
Buy across formats if you like having the option — in which case the TIGER is the loader to own, because it takes all of them.
Buy the ORION 2.0 if you've settled on 1¼ or King Size and want the full station — both funnels, both metal cones, tool stand, packing stick, brush and metal plate, all included.
Whichever format you land on, packing it well is a separate skill — and it's the one that decides whether it burns evenly. Read How to Pack the Perfect Cone Every Time next.
Shop the tooling: TIGER Cone Loader · ORION 2.0
