If you love cigars, you need a humidor
Even if you’ve just started enjoying fine cigars, you should purchase a quality humidor before your collection grows even larger. The cigar box that came with your cigars is fine for shipping, but it won’t keep them in tip-top condition long-term. As you well know, some cigars need to be kept for 6 or 7 years before they reach their best smoking condition. If you don’t have a good humidor, that cigar will go bad before you can smoke it.
Decide what type of humidor you need
The first step in buying a humidor is deciding where you will keep it and how big it should be. Want one for your home, office, country club, or for travel? If you have a small collection that you keep at the club, a humidor of 12 to 20 cigars should suffice. Twelve is probably the best to travel. A home or office humidor can hold 100 or more cigars. If you want to display it on your desk, a 100 cigar humidor is best to enhance your decor. If you have 300 cigars, a cabinet humidor might be a better place to store them. Cabinet humidors can be simple, designed to be stored in a closet, or large decorative boxes suitable for display.
Look for quality workmanship and materials
With those decisions made, start shopping. The best humidors are made from wood that is dried to a 6% moisture content. The wood should be solid hardwood, not plywood. The surface should be smooth, without cracks or lumps. Travel humidors can be made of metal to protect both the cigars and the box from damage. If possible, take your travel humidor on the plane, but it should also be safe in your suitcase.
Humidor lining should be Spanish cedar or Honduran mahogany. Spanish cedar is not the same as the cedar that lines your closet. The cedar in the closet is too strong for cigars.
A good humidor maintains ideal conditions
The humidor should be large enough to hold your cigars comfortably and loosely. If you enjoy more than one type of cigar, look for a humidor with dividers to prevent flavors from mixing. Check the closed lid to make sure the box seals tightly when full.
Most humidors come with a hygrometer and some type of humidifying device. The hygrometer will either be an analog dial or a digital readout that shows the humidity level of the box. Both work equally well, so it’s just a matter of personal preference. Humidifying devices come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and formats. You will often see tubes filled with distilled water or humidifying fluid and plastic rectangles containing humidifying crystals. A larger humidor may have an electronic humidifier to precisely maintain the humidity between 70 and 72%.
Proper humidor maintenance is key
Once you receive your humidor and have set up the hygrometer and humidifying device according to the instructions, you should allow the box to humidify for a few days before adding your cigars. Keep the humidor away from direct heat sources, air conditioning, direct sunlight and drafts. All four will dry out the box and could damage the cigars inside. You should open the humidor every few days to get fresh air into the box.
A humidor is the only way to store and keep your cigars in their proper condition. Quality humidors do not have to be expensive. You can find an attractive humidor at an affordable price and spend the rest of your money on amazing cigars and other necessary smoking accessories.
