In order to investigate the influence of tow specifications and sectional pressure drop on cigarette physical indicators and routine cigarette smoke release, filter rods with different parameters were designed and cigarette tests were made. The tests results show that to achieve the same filter pressure drop, the low linear density of filament requires less tow filling, lower rod weight, and lower hardness. The segmented pressure drop design mainly affects the open draw resistance and ventilation rate of perforated cigarettes, and has little effect on the draw resistance of non-perforated cigarettes. Tow specifications have little effect on cigarette pressure drop and ventilation rate. With the close filter pressure drop, the release of TPM, nicotine and tar of the cigarette decreases with the decrease of linear density of filament. The filtration efficiency of the non-perforated cigarette filter increases with the increase of the sectional pressure drop, and the filtration efficiency of perforated cigarette filter increases with the increase of the pressure drop of the filter near the tobacco rod. The effects of different filter rod designs on the release of TPM, nicotine and tar of non-perforated cigarettes are 8.3%, 7.4% and 6.5%, and the effects on perforated cigarettes are 15.2%, 13.7% and 15.3%. When the filter rod pressure drop is fixed, through adjusting tow specifications and sectional pressure drop design can adjust the release of cigarette smoke.