Buying Your First Humidor
What to look for, how big to go, and how to set it up so it doesn't eat your cigars.
5 min read
Once you own more cigars than you can smoke in a week or two, you need a place to keep them. A humidor holds them at steady humidity so they burn and taste the way they did in the shop. You don't need to spend much to get a good one. You do need to avoid a few common mistakes.
Buy bigger than you think
Almost everyone outgrows their first humidor. The count on the box, "holds 50 cigars," is usually measured with thin cigars. Today's popular robustos and toros take up more room, so expect to fit roughly two-thirds of the rated number. A humidor rated for 75 to 100 is a sensible first size. Empty space isn't a problem as long as you have humidification in there.
What to look for in a wooden humidor
Spanish cedar lining. It holds moisture well and adds a pleasant aroma. Other woods, or cedar that's been varnished on the inside, don't do the job.
A tight seal. Lift the lid an inch and let it drop. A good humidor closes with a soft cushion of air and the lid settles slowly. Another test is to close the lid on a dollar bill. If the bill slides out easily, the seal is loose.
A solid lid and hinges. Cheap hinges bend and break the seal over time. This is where the extra money in a better humidor goes.
Other options
A tupperdor. An airtight plastic food container with humidity packs inside. It's cheap and seals better than most wooden boxes. Plenty of serious smokers use one.
A cooler or cabinet. For bigger collections, a clean cooler or a large cabinet humidor holds whole boxes.
A thermoelectric cabinet. These control temperature as well as humidity, which is worth thinking about in an Oklahoma house that runs warm in July. Our article on storing cigars in Oklahoma weather explains why heat is the real danger.
Humidity and a hygrometer
The simplest way to keep humidity steady is with two-way humidity packs. Boveda is the best-known brand, and most shops carry them in 62, 65, 69, and 72 percent. Start with 65 or 69. If your cigars burn poorly or tunnel, go lower. If they feel dry and crack, go higher.
If your humidor came with a sponge or foam humidifier, fill it with distilled water or propylene glycol solution only, never tap water. Tap water leaves minerals behind and can grow mold.
Add a digital hygrometer so you can see what's happening, and check it against a calibration kit before you trust it. The little round dial hygrometers that come with many humidors are often off by several points.
Season it before you load it
A new wooden humidor is dry inside, and dry cedar will pull moisture right out of your cigars. Seasoning brings the wood up to humidity first.
- Wipe the inside lightly with a clean cloth dampened with distilled water. Damp, not wet.
- Put humidity packs inside, or a seasoning pack made for the job, and close the lid.
- Wait several days, and check the hygrometer. Most makers recommend somewhere between a few days and two weeks.
- When the reading holds steady at your target, load your cigars.
Where to put it
Keep it in an interior room, away from windows and outside walls. A closet shelf in a room you actually live in works well. A garage or a car trunk does not.
Several of Tulsa's cigar shops sell humidors and supplies, and they'll help you pick one and get it set up.