A cigar’s humidity is its lifeblood. If they’re not stored at their optimum humidity level, your smoking experience will be wholly or partially compromised. This is why a cigar humidor will quickly become your best friend, keeping your smokes in perfect condition until you’re ready to light them up.
Given the many brands and humidor specifications, choosing the best cigar humidor for a beginner isn’t easy. We’ve compiled this guide so you know what characteristics to look for and how to keep your cigars at the correct humidity.
What is a cigar humidor?
A cigar humidor is a humidity-controlled storage box or container for storing cigars. Humidors are designed to maintain a particular relative humidity level to keep your cigars flavorful and fresh.
Think of humidors to cigars like bottles are to wine. And they aren’t just functional and practical either. They are usually made of Spanish cedar wood, which brings an aesthetic quality to your humidor. Its aromatic essence is also very similar to tobacco.
Do you need a humidor for cigars?
A quality humidor will maintain consistent conditions. Many cigar aficionados like to leave their stogies in a humidor to age. While this isn’t essential (given cigars are aged by the manufacturers), long-term aging can further improve the flavor. It’s a useful method once you’ve built up a collection of premium smokes you can’t smoke fast enough.
The time your cigars can last without a humidor depends on whether you use alternative preservation methods in the interim.
It’s important to note that other options for a humidor are only temporary. Depending on the environment and how they are stored, they can keep your cigars fresh between a couple of weeks and up to around 90 days.
Cigars stored outside of a humidor without any preservation methods will become dry and un-smokable in a matter of days. If your foray into the cigar world becomes a hobby, you can’t get by without a humidor.
To underline the importance of a cigar humidor, we’ve listed five of its main benefits below.
- Keep your cigars at the correct humidity and maintain the moisture levels.
- Helps your sticks retain their original flavor and aroma.
- Keeps your cigars out of direct sunlight and environments with sudden temperature changes.
- Prevents cigar beetles from destroying your smokes.
- Stops your cigars from moldiness by passing the right amount of air in the box.
How do cigar humidors work?
A quality cigar humidor features several components that mimic the ambient conditions needed to keep cigars at their best. Overly moist cigars won’t light easily, lose flavor, and become moldy. Too dry, and the cigar’s wrapper will crack and unravel. A dry cigar also tends to smell musty.
Let’s look at the different components and how they contribute to your cigar’s longevity.
Humidifier
The humidifier provides your cigars with the right amount of moisture. The moisture ensures they remain fresh and plump, enabling your cigars to slowly burn so you can enjoy all their flavors and subtleties. Most cigars also contain essential oils that help deliver the aroma and flavor you expect.
Depending on the humidifier's size, this vital part of the humidor can be simple or complex. Many cigar lovers swear by the 70/70 rule for storing their cigars in optimal storage conditions. This means your smokes need to sit at 70% RH (relative humidity). The temperature should also be kept at 70°F. However, as a beginner, allow yourself a little leeway when ensuring the longest shelf life for your sticks. Try to keep the humidor between 68-72% humidity.
The humidor relies on a source of water to achieve this. You can use the following:
- A sponge soaked in distilled water
- Crystal gel
- Electronic humidifier (typically found in high-end cigar humidors)
- Floral foam
- Humidipaks
- Silica beads
Hygrometer
A hygrometer measures the humidity levels and tells you whether they need to be increased or decreased. Hygrometers can be digital or analog — a humidor with electronic humidity control will be connected to the humidifier. You must check your hygrometer at least once every other week (ideally weekly) to ensure all is well in your cigar’s home.
Thermostat
Cigars must be kept at a steady temperature to maintain their freshness. If possible, they need to be kept around 70°F, but a safe range to target is 60°F-72°F. A quick glance at your thermostat will inform you of the temperature conditions inside your humidor. Not all humidors come with temperature controls — instead, you can use a thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.
For humidors equipped with a heat and cooler for regulating the temperature, the thermostat will directly control these for your convenience. Steady temperatures also help control humidity, resulting in stress-free cigar storage.
Spanish cedar
Spanish cedar is the popular and traditional choice for the interior of a humidor because of its excellent moisture-absorbing qualities. It also releases moisture back into the environment when dry. This helps maintain the moisture levels inside your humidor, keeping your cigars fresh for longer.
Cigar enthusiasts will also tell you this type of wood has a unique aroma that amplifies the notes of cedar, sweetness, and even woodiness that you might come across in a blend.
As it’s highly resistant to decay and fends off insects that can damage your collection, there’s every chance your Spanish cedar humidor will last for a long time.
How long do humidors last?
If you invest in a well-built humidor and give it proper care and maintenance, there’s no reason it can’t last a lifetime. Place your humidor where it has minimal chance of being knocked over. It also needs to be out of direct sunlight and away from water.
Don’t forget to season your humidor before use. This increases the wood’s moisture level so it’ll be in harmony with your cigars, so they have an ideal environment for aging.
What to look for when buying a humidor for the first time
Even though you’re just starting in the cigar world, you still want your humidor to have the basic properties of a good humidor. Check out these five tips on buying a beginner humidor.
- Size – You’ll be amazed at the array of humidor sizes available. They range from 2-stick travel humidors to walk-in humidors as big as your closet that hold thousands. Consider the space you have available and how often you plan to smoke. The trick is to buy a humidor slightly bigger than what you want to keep on hand. For example, if your collection will house around 10 cigars, look for a 25-count humidor.
- Lid – The lid needs to seal snugly, or humidity will escape through the gap, and your smokes will lose their essence. Test your humidor before buying so it’s air-tight and can keep a consistent temperature inside.
- Portability – If you plan to carry cigars while traveling, you’ll need a cigar humidor that’s small, compact, and lightweight. While travel humidors don’t enjoy the same longevity due to the inevitable wear and tear, they enable you to puff away anywhere.
- Construction – While Spanish cedar ticks all the boxes (quite literally) when storing your cigars, cherry wood, mahogany, maple, and oak are also good options for the inside lining.
- Compartments – It’s sensible for beginners to choose mellow, flavorful, and light smokes for the first time. However, for when you move on to other cigars, it’s worth having a humidor with multiple compartments to keep different flavor profiles separate. This helps keeps the aromas of your cigars intact. However, it’s worth noting some cigar aficionados practice cigar marriage, deliberately storing different lines of cigars together for several months to mix the flavors.
Another factor will, of course, be your budget, but don’t leave it too long before you treat yourself to a cigar humidor. Please take a look at our stylish and sophisticated cigar humidor collection, so you can age the flavor of your cigars and enjoy a perfect smoke every time.
