When you buy a humidor, you’re paying for a good seal, a suitable lining, and enough space for the cigars you plan to keep. This chapter explains what to look for. How to prepare new cedar is covered in how to season a humidor. Humidity ranges and mold are covered in Humidor (storage).
Smoke Rings sells humidors in the humidors section of the shop. Checkout for those items takes place on eBay. No tobacco is sold here; for the cigars themselves, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Seal first
An attractive lid does not guarantee a good seal. A humidor that cannot hold relative humidity will let your cigars dry out, no matter how nice the hardware looks. Home tests, such as closing the lid on a dollar bill to see if it holds, are better than nothing. Definitely try the so-called “Swoosh test”, where you allow the humidor lid to drop freely into the closed position, and as it closes the air inside being forced to escape as the lid closes should cause the lid to lower gently into the fully closed position. If you have a bad seal the lid will just ‘clunk’ down onto the base, whereas a good seal will cushion the lid down as the air struggles to escape the box due to the quality seal. Try that, but the real test is having a calibrated digital hygrometer left inside overnight, and taking readings before and after, say 12 hours. This is your true test. Some desktop boxes will look well-sealed but leak. Cabinet humidors with real gaskets and well-fitted lids or doors cost more for good reason.
If the seller does not show the seal or the lining, assume the humidor may not perform well.
Spanish cedar, and alternatives
Most wooden humidors are lined with Spanish cedar. It helps keep moisture steady and has the traditional cigar-box smell. Read more in Spanish cedar: why it matters. Some long-term collectors prefer other linings so the wood’s aroma does not affect the tobacco as much. For a first desktop humidor, cedar is still the standard choice.
Acrylic and plastic humidors with a gasket and a humidity pack are perfectly good tools, even though they are not wooden furniture. They still need an accurate RH reading. Some smokers even add a piece or two of Spanish cedar into a plastic travel humidor so as to add the aromatic element into their unit. See also travel humidors.
Choosing the size
If you can, buy more capacity than you need for the cigars you have now. A humidor that is packed full is hard to season evenly, has poor air circulation, and tempts you to open it more often. The capacity a maker lists is usually based on small cigars, so expect to fit fewer toros and Churchill sized cigars. Trays and dividers help if you want to keep different blends apart, but they are not necessary for good storage.
Empty cigar boxes do not replace a sealed humidor. They are collectible and can hold cigars for a short time if the room is already at the right humidity, but this is a condition seen in many areas, and not considered a long-term option; see shop empty boxes.
Humidifiers and Hygrometers
An analog hygrometer that has never been calibrated (for example, with a salt test) should not be trusted. Digital hygrometers are easier to read, but they still need calibration. Two-way humidity packs, humidity beads, and electronic humidifiers all work. Choose one system and learn how it works. Combining a soaked sponge, several brands of packs, and a lid that leaks makes it hard to tell what is actually working.
Season the humidor before you fill it: seasoning guide.
Claims to be wary of
- “Keeps a perfect 70/70 forever” — no humidor can do this on its own, because room conditions change.
- Wood type that is not named.
- Capacity counts based on very thin cigars when you smoke 52-ring cigars.
- Claims copied from other websites. Check the details in the humidors category and on the product page itself.
Other accessories
Cutters and lighters are the other basic accessories: See cutters, lighters, and the guides cutter types and torch vs soft flame to learn more.
Choose a humidor for its seal and its lining. For cigars to fill it, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Sources: Smoke Rings shop category practice; common trade criteria for humidor seals, cedar lining, and hygrometers; no inventory claims.