The invention provides a device and a method for measuring hardness of cigarettes and filter sticks. The device comprises an air-floatation pressing mechanism, a laser displacement measuring head (1) and a control unit, wherein the laser displacement measuring head (1) is positioned above the air-floatation pressing mechanism and is used for measuring respective position values in a prepressing state and a total pressing state; the control unit controls the air-floatation pressing mechanism to execute prepressing or total pressing operation; and the air-floatation pressing mechanism comprises a pressing weight (2), an air-floatation shaft supporting plate (3) and a prepressing weight (5), wherein the center of the pressing weight (2) is provided with a first through hole for laser to pass; the center of the air-floatation shaft supporting plate (3) is provided with a second through hole used for accommodating the prepressing weight (5), and the air-floatation shaft supporting plate (3) is supported under the pressing weight (2) to make the pressing weight (2) keep a preset distance from the prepressing weight (5); and the prepressing weight (5) is separably arranged in the second through hole, and the top of the prepressing weight (5) is fixed with a plug (4) of the laser displacement measuring head (1). The device and the method adopt gravity supported by air floatation for vertical pressing, and the pressing speed, pressing force and pressing time can be accurately controlled according to user requirements in a national standard range.