A travel humidor is a sealed case that maintains and protects a few cigars, designed for temporary storage while you’re on the go. It doesn’t replace a seasoned wooden humidor. It usually consists of a gasket seal, a hard shell, a humidity pack, and often some sort of cradling foam inside designed to prevent cigars inside from bouncing around.
Home storage: Humidor (storage). Buying a humidor for home: humidor buying guide. Smoke Rings sells humidors, including travel cases, in the humidors section of the shop.
What a good travel case provides
- A real seal. Hard plastic clamshell cases and zippered cases with a lining to protect cigars.
- A dedicated space for a two-way humidity pack or a small humidifier.
- A shell rigid enough that a robusto does not get squashed in a suitcase.
What a travel case does not provide: a thick Spanish cedar lining to keep humidity steady, room for many cigars, or the long-term stable conditions of a humidor that stays closed at home. That’s fine, as this is for temporary storage.
Use humidity packs
When traveling, two-way humidity packs, like Boveda packs, are the usual and most reliable choice. Choose a pack rated for the range you use at home; most storage advice puts this between the mid-to-high 60s and the low 70s RH. See relative humidity and the section on humidity ranges in the humidor page.
Tubes and aluminum cases hold one or two cigars for a short trip. They are not suitable for a week of travel unless you add a humidity pack and keep them out of hot places such as a car dashboard.
Cedar travel boxes
Some travel humidors are small wooden boxes with a latch and a thin cedar lining. Treat them like small humidors: if the cedar is new and dry, it needs moisture before you put cigars in it, using the same method as seasoning a full-size humidor. If the box does not actually seal, it won’t protect your cigars.
Airports and heat
Heat is a hidden risk. A sealed case left in a hot car trunk can reach temperatures where tobacco beetles hatch and cigars are damaged. If possible keep cases with you rather than in the trunk.
Carrying cutters and lighters on a plane depends on airline and local rules, so check them before you fly. Accessories on this site: cutters, lighters.
Smoke Rings does not sell tobacco. For the cigars themselves, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Sources: Common travel-humidor practice (sealed case + humidity packs); distinction from desktop Spanish-cedar cabinets; Smoke Rings humidors shop category.