Cigar Humidors – The Ultimate Guide

A well -made cigar humidor is important for preserving and protecting your cigars, maintaining flavor, and preventing dryness. Owning a good cigar humidor is essential for cigar enthusiasts, as it will keep your stogies in great smoking condition and perfectly humidified. When maintained properly, your smokes can safely last for years in perfect condition. Today, Swiss Cuban Cigars will walk you through the basics of humidors so you can buy one confidently.

Understanding How Cigar Humidors Work

Understanding how well-made humidors work is essential to the preservation of fine cigars. A humidor is a box or cabinet, typically constructed of Spanish cedar, with Spanish cedar lining inside.

Their capacity is tailored to hold a specific amount of cigars, so you should choose one made for the amount you own or wish to carry. You can find what you need whether you have 25 cigars to keep fresh, several hundred, or more beyond. If you’re not sure where to start, search online. You’ll find a large number of sites that either sell or rate different humidors, at all price points.

The Purpose of Owning a Well-Made Cigar Humidor

Cigar humidors hold moisture at the proper humidity levels to keep your smokes in perfect condition. They also keep your cigars safe from harm and can store them safely for months or even years.

It’s also essential that your humidor has a good seal when the top is opened and closed. When closing the lid, you should hear a slight thud as the air forces out of the box. That’s a sign that you have a well-made humidor with a strong seal. You can find out more about the best cigar humidors if you’re curious.

How to Keep the Right Levels of Humidity

You decide the humidity level in your humidor. Some like it drier at 65%, while others prefer a moister 72%. The average for the best cigar humidification falls between 68% and 70%.

To know the humidity level in your humidor, you need to have a hygrometer placed in your box. Most are round with a needle and a dial, but these aren’t always the most accurate. You can also choose a small, thin plastic box that displays a digital readout. There are also battery-operated and plug-in boxes with digital readouts for more extensive premium cigar collections.

Different Types of Humidification to Choose From

There are several ways to maintain the humidity levels in your cigar humidor. Many humidors come with small, plastic, flat humidifier boxes that adhere to the inside lid. Inside the humidifier, you will generally find green foam — the type that florists use in their shops for hydration. You can fill the foam with either distilled water or a propylene glycol solution.

Then, there are silica gel or crystal gel beads, often pre-treated with propylene glycol. These will be placed in a small container in the humidor. They absorb excess moisture from the air when humidity levels are too high and release moisture when it’s too low.
Boveda packs have made a big difference in the cigar world despite only being on the market for a few years. They use pure water and natural salts in a small leak-proof packet to help the humidor maintain the constant relative humidity printed on the outside of the packet. They need regular replacement but are very simple to use.

Selecting the Perfect Cigar Humidor

So, how do you find the perfect humidor for your cigar-smoking needs? 

Humidor Size

The first factor to consider is size. There’s no one right answer here. You should choose based on the number of cigars you own vs. what the humidor can store. Keeping the humidor 70% full allows humidity to flow through the box properly. Otherwise, an overfull humidor will have dried-out sticks at the bottom. Knowing how a humidor works is essential to getting the best from your own box.

Materials for Humidors

While cigar humidors crafted with Spanish Cedar are the most popular, other materials exist. In the past, many were made of metal, stone, and glass, though they typically had a cedar lining. Today, many boxes are made of clear acrylic, too. They house and protect your sticks nicely, but there’s no cedar inside to hold additional moisture.

Do You Need an Electronic Humidor?

Electronic humidors look like small refrigerators with glass doors and hold a minimum of 250 sticks. The humidification unit holds distilled water or propylene glycol in its tank and sprays the liquid whenever the humidor’s moisture level drops. These are convenient bulk options for safely storing extensive cigar collections.

Your Guide to Seasoning and Setting Up a New Humidor

Swiss Cuban Cigars has a detailed guide to setting up your humidor if this is your first time, but let’s walk through some of the basics below. The first step in seasoning and preparing a new cigar humidor is calibrating the hygrometer. We’ll get to that shortly, but keep it in mind.

Next, fill your humidifier with the propylene glycol solution (or distilled water). Make sure it is well-saturated. After a few minutes, shake the humidifier over a sink to drain the excess moisture, then place it back into the humidor.

Humidifying the inside of Your Box

Now, soak a clean sponge in cold distilled water (don’t saturate it) and wipe down the cedar inside the box. Close the lid of the box and leave it for a couple of days. Then, check the moisture level in the box. If it reads above 75% percent, let it sit for another day until it comes down. Once it hits around 74%, it’s time to place your cigars inside.

Rotate the Cigars Inside of Your Box

You need to rotate the cigars from top to bottom and from bottom to top every week or so. This makes sure that all the sticks are equally humidified for long-term storage.

Tips for Maintaining Consistent Humidity Levels

Your box’s humidity will vary depending on where you live and where you keep your humidor. In a scorching climate, you will need to constantly monitor your humidifiers, while a really cold climate can dry out your cigars and affect their burn and taste. Do your best to keep them in a suitable climate space and check on them regularly.

Boveda Packs Come in Handy

Keeping a Boveda pack or two in your humidor keeps the humidity level where you want it for several months. This is an easy option if you don’t want to monitor a humidifier regularly. They work well and come in handy, especially for travel humidors.

Cigar Humidor Maintenance and Care

Again, the conditions in which you keep your humidor are important. You want to keep it out of the sunlight or away from an open window so nothing in the ambient atmosphere impacts the humidor environment. This can be tricky for humidors you carry with you on the road, so if you’re in search of a portable humidor, you should check out our article on the best travel humidor for more specific advice. Here are a few other tips for humidors you should know.

1) Maintaining Consistent Humidity Levels

Maintaining the humidity levels in your humidor will keep your cigars fresh and ready to smoke. Check the humidity and temperature regularly. For Boveda packs, try to do a three-monthly check or monthly checks for other humidifier styles. Electronic units should be checked according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

2) Dealing With High Levels of Humidity

If your humidity won’t drop below 76%, you must manually lower the level. You can open the lid for a while and see if that’s enough to drop the excess humidity. You can also remove the humidifier for a day or so. You may not even need a humidifier if you live in a very humid climate. 

3) What Constant High Levels of Humidity Do

If the humidity is too high, your cigar stash will become too moist, and the cigars will not light or smoke correctly. The stick will keep going out, smoke will have trouble escaping the cigar, or it won’t burn properly. Also, high levels of humidity over time can cause mold to grow on your cigars, which is a huge no-no.

4) When to Replace Humidifying Units

A humidity unit with floral foam only needs to be replaced if the humidity level stays low over a long period, suggesting the foam is aged or faulty. Otherwise, when the humidity level temporarily drops, you can refill it with distilled water or polypropylene glycol.

When the level drops with crystal beads, you should resoak the unit in distilled water and shake it over the sink to ensure the water has been absorbed. Boveda Packs generally last about three months, and you can tell they’ve dried out when the packet is hard and flattened.

5) How to Recalibrate Your Hygrometer

Analog hygrometers may not read correctly after a while, which means they need to be recalibrated. Fill a small glass with salt and squirt in several drops of water. Then, place it into a small Tupperware-type box and put the lid on. After 8 hours, it should be at 75%, so take a screwdriver and adjust the dial to read 75%. You’ve now recalibrated your hygrometer. 

Popular Cigar Humidors on the Market

There are some great humidors on the market that look good, work well, and keep your cigars in excellent condition. Below are several cigar boxes we like, at different sizes and various price points. Take a look and see if your perfect match is waiting for you!

Quality Importers Solana Desktop Humidors

This is a gorgeous humidor that holds 100 cigars. It offers a high-gloss rosewood finish with maple-burled wood inlays. The design and colors are aesthetically pleasing. There’s an analog hygrometer built into the front, so you don’t have to open the lid to check the humidity. The lid seal is excellent.

TISFA Desktop Humidor

This small humidor holds 25 – 30 cigars. It has a Spanish cedar interior with acrylic glass in the lid. The hygrometer is built into the lid. It also includes a nice thin humidifier and a felt bottom for protecting your furniture. This box is perfect for your desk or a coffee table at home.

Woodronic Axinite A5045

This is a well-made humidor that holds 150 cigars. It has a built-in digital hygrometer and three drawers for holding your sticks. The door is glass, allowing you to see inside without letting the humidity escape. The humidifying system has two crystal gel humidifiers that give off very even humidity. It’s a beautifully crafted piece that could work as a larger desktop humidor—it’s that attractive!

Vanderbilt Ebony High Lacquer Finish Humidor

This is a beautiful box that holds 120 cigars. The hygrometer and humidifier attach magnetically. It’s lined with Spanish cedar, which gives off a gorgeous aroma. It has a high-gloss lacquer finish that will look great anywhere in your home or office.

San Marco 300 Count End Table Humidor

This stunning end table piece can hold up to 300 cigars. It has a walnut tone over maple and a Spanish cedar inside, with four dividers and two lift-out trays. It also holds two large humidifiers, an analog hygrometer, and hidden quadrant hinges. It’s an eye-catching piece styled like an elegant coffee table but designed with plenty of cigar storage.

Galicia Coffee Table Humidor Cabinet 400 Cigar Count

This humidor is beautifully made of dark mahogany lined with premium Spanish cedar and holds up to 400 cigars. It’s a little pricey, but beautifully made and a lovely piece of furniture. The top has four pieces of beveled tempered glass, and the drawers have secure locks and keys. Plus, there’s a glass hygrometer with a brass ring.

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Good Cigar Humidor

When you value your collection of handmade cigars, you need to keep them in great shape and excellent condition. The only way to do that is by making sure you store them in a highly-rated humidor. But as said earlier, there are several things to keep in mind. Let’s recap:

• Size Matters: The first thing is to have the correct size box to hold your collection with great airflow. 
• Humidity is the Key: It is essential to keep your box at the proper humidity level. The climate you live in will dictate how often you need to check the levels in your box. Too dry or too humid are both bad for your collection, so aim for 68% to 72% humidity.
• Proper Seasoning: Seasoning helps your humidor maintain humidity properly. We explained how to season your humidor above, but this video offers a helpful recap.

Hopefully, you now feel confident about choosing the best cigar humidor for your needs. Once you’ve found a great match, why not head over to Swiss Cuban Cigars? We’re sure your collection would benefit from fantastic smokes to try out that new humidor!