Abstract Sugarcane bagasse is a promising renewable lignocellulosic feedstock. Hence, proper characterization of bagasse powders is important for the development of novel technologies based on this resource. In this work, bagasse powders are prepared by sieve fractionation followed by cutting milling and rotor milling (which acts by impact, shear, and friction). The generated powders are characterized by techniques commonly applied to other particulate systems, namely scanning electron microscopy, light scattering particle sizing, and nitrogen adsorption. Particle size distribution, envelope density, specific surface areas, and effective cell wall thickness are determined. Results obtained from different techniques are compared. Finally, the applicability of the analytical techniques to sugarcane bagasse powders is discussed.