Any cigar aficionado knows that enjoying cigars is about more than just choosing the right cigar. It’s about choosing the right time to enjoy that cigar. And that means you will need to store them in good condition inside a humidor at the right temperature and humidity levels.
Certain cigars need to age a period of time for them to achieve their best flavor. Sometimes this is several months and sometimes you may wait years. In order to allow this to happen, you need to ensure you have a humidor that can keep the internal temperature and humidity at the proper levels.
Buying an inferior humidor or just the improper humidor for your lifestyle can negatively impact the aging of your cigars. Even worse, if you don’t have the right humidor to store your cigars, you could ruin your cigars altogether.
In order to avoid spoiling your cigars and straight-up ruining an otherwise fine investment, you need to choose a humidor that’s right for you. Here’s what you need to consider.
Think About the Size of Humidor You Need
Secondly, size often refers to the capacity of the humidor. Capacity will usually be listed as a range. Why? Well, as you likely know, cigars come in various sizes. A 60G Toro cigar is going to take up far more space inside a humidor than a 38G Petite Corona. It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing a humidor.
If only one number is listed, make sure to inquire as to what size cigar the company used to get its capacity. You’ll notice many of Case Elegance’s humidors feature a cigar count right on the product page and the capacity is called out by gauge and cigar type. The Military Glass Top Humidor, for example, has a capacity of 240 38G Petite Coronas or a capacity of 60G Toro cigars. Other humidors offer different capacities, and you need to think about your own specific needs when it comes to capacity.
The Quality of the Materials Matter
Not all humidors utilize the same quality materials. The vast majority of humidors on the market are made with cedar. This is because of the wood’s unique ability to absorb moisture and help keep the environment inside the humidor at the optimal humidity level.
Spanish cedar does this best, and the vast majority of cigar humidors out there that are of high quality will feature Spanish cedar in their interior. This is what you want to look for, and don’t accept anything less.
Quality construction and materials go beyond just having cedar on the interior of the humidor, though. You need a humidor that features a tight seal so that the temperature and humidity are locked in, and—let’s face it—you want something looks good.
The exterior matters less from a functionality standpoint, but you don’t want something that has a poor fit-and-finish sitting in your office, do you? Get a humidor that has a fit-and-finish as put-together as you are. You can often tell this from images and video on a humidor seller’s website. Also, make sure to take a look at product reviews. The reviews from customers will give you an insight into the overall quality of the humidor and how well it will perform.
Separation of Cigars Matters, Too
If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to enjoy just one kind of cigar. The beauty of cigar smoking comes in the sheer variety of options. You may have everything from mild to medium to full-bodied cigars inside your humidor at any one point.
Separating these different cigars is going to help ensure that you get the best flavor every time you pull out a cigar to enjoy. If you do not properly separate cigars, they will influence the flavor profile of one another. Cigar makers have crafted your cigars with a certain flavor profile in mind. In order to stay true to that, you need to keep different cigars separated.
Look for different methods of separating cigars when you buy your humidor. Some will have shelves, others will have removable or adjustable separators. The ability to separate your cigars is what’s most important, but some separators simply work better than others, so keep that in mind when searching for the right humidor. I like the idea of having sections or dividers. It lets me keep different types of cigars separated and keeps your selection of cigars organized.
Your Location Is Important, Too
Where do you live? What are the temperature and humidity levels like? If you live in a place that experiences extreme fluctuations in weather, then you might need a higher quality humidor with a stronger ability to control the internal humidity level and temperature than someone who lives in an area with a moderate climate.
Most cigar smokers will have no issue making do with a simple humidor that’s essentially a small box. However, some people who live in extreme climates (either very humid or excessively dry) will require an electronic humidification system. While this won’t apply to the vast majority of people, it’s a point worth making, and something that anyone choosing a humidor should consider.
Choose a Humidor with a Built-In Hygrometer and Thermostat
If you want to be able to easily monitor your humidor, then you should choose a humidor with a built-in hygrometer and thermostat. For those who don’t know what those are, the hygrometer measures the humidity within the humidor, and the thermostat measures the temperature.
Having these built into the humidor will ensure it’s easy for you to see the status of your humidor’s interior at a glance. Ideally, the hygrometer and thermostat would be visible from the exterior of the humidor so you wouldn’t have to open it to see the temperature and humidity level.
Most Klaro Humidors—but not all—feature a clear digital display on the exterior of the humidor to quickly show you exactly the status of your humidor. If you are fine with a hygrometer and thermostat that are not visible from the outside, I would advise you to get a digital hygrometer and thermostat. The digital offerings tend to be more accurate than the analog options.
Think About Humidor Upkeep
You will need to season your humidor no matter what type of humidor you buy. However, once that is done, the hard work (not that it’s really that hard at all) will be done. That said, some humidors require more effort than others.
If you’re a set-it-and-forget-it kind of person, then you will likely want to buy a humidor that requires as little upkeep and attention as possible. This will often mean a higher-quality humidor, and possibly even a humidor with an electric humidification system.
Think about the kind of person you are. Are you going to want to monitor the hygrometer and thermostat on your humidor on a regular basis? Will you remember to check it every once in a while? Personally, I set reminders in my phone’s calendar. They are not frequent, but every couple of weeks I check my humidor to make sure it’s right where it needs to be.
If you don’t want to think about it, then you need to factor that into your humidor purchasing decision-making process.
Always Factor in Your Budget
Honestly, and I suspect this is true for most of us, the products I buy are completely dictated by my budget. I pick a number that I want to spend on a particular product, and then I look for products within that price range. I would advise you to do the same.
Luckily, there are humidors out there for every budget. Klaro Humidors are sold at a variety of price points, and Case Elegance prides itself on being able to provide its customers with humidors from as low as about $35 all the way up to a couple of hundred dollars.
As much as I’d love to say for you to buy the most expensive humidor on the market, I truly believe you don’t have to spend more than the prices discussed above.
If you buy the right humidor for your needs, you should still have plenty of dollars left over to buy the cigars you love or want to try. Keep in mind that the humidor is just a tool to enjoy your cigars. I’d say to not spend more on the humidor than you do on the cigars you plan to keep inside of it.
The number one thing you need to do is to think about how you enjoy your cigars, and then choose a humidor that’s right for you. View all of Case Elegance’s Klaro Humidors to find the perfect option.
