The right values at a glance
A cigar is dried, rolled tobacco leaf that takes moisture from the air and gives it back. To stay supple and burn evenly, it needs a climate that changes little. The values match our guide on humidity in a humidor.
An analog hygrometer may be off by a few percentage points. As long as the reading sits steadily between 65 and 72 percent, everything is fine.
Storing cigars without a humidor
A normal room is almost always too dry for cigars, especially during the heating season. How long things go well without a humidor therefore depends mostly on the container.
A two-way humidifier is a pouch that holds a set value: if the air is too dry it releases moisture, if it is too humid it absorbs it. For cigars, levels around 65 to 70 percent are common. In an airtight plastic or glass container that doesn't give off odors, it makes a small stand-in humidor. A hygrometer inside the container shows whether the humidifier is still working.
An empty wooden box without humidification, on the other hand, is not a humidor. The wood buffers for a while but dries out along with the cigars.
Storing cigars in the fridge?
No. A fridge is far colder than the 18 to 21 °C range, its humidity can't be set, and food gives off odors that the tobacco absorbs. When you take a cold cigar out, moisture from the warm room air also condenses on it.
A wine cooler is a different matter: it holds an adjustable temperature without food next to it. It doesn't regulate humidity for cigars, though. If you use one, you need your own humidification, such as two-way humidifiers, plus a hygrometer, and you set the temperature to 18 to 21 °C.
Some collectors use the freezer for one purpose only: a tobacco beetle infestation. The cigars are sealed airtight and, after freezing, brought back to room temperature slowly so that no water condenses on them. It is not meant for storage.
What temperature and which spot?
Temperature and humidity are linked. Warm air can hold more water, so with the same amount of water a hygrometer shows a lower reading in a warmer room. If the humidity drops suddenly, check the thermometer first before adding water.
A good spot is an interior wall in a room with an even temperature: not on the windowsill, not above the heater, not next to the fireplace. A basement is often cooler and more humid than the living space; there it pays to watch the hygrometer closely for the first few weeks.
How long do cigars last?
In a well-kept humidor, a very long time. Many aficionados deliberately store cigars for years because the flavor keeps developing. What matters is not the time but that the climate is right throughout. Without a humidor, every day a cigar sits too dry counts.
How to tell its condition: a well-stored cigar gives a little under light pressure and springs back. If the wrapper crackles or cracks, it is too dry. If it feels spongy and draws heavily, it is too moist. You can only bring a dried-out cigar back slowly: first in a somewhat drier environment, then in the humidor. Humidifying too fast makes the wrapper split.
Humidor humidity too high: how to lower it
The most common causes are a humidifier put in too wet, a freshly seasoned humidor whose wood is still saturated, and very humid room air. Before you act, check the hygrometer with the salt test: sometimes the air isn't too humid, the reading is just wrong.
- Take out the humidifier and wipe the outside dry.
- Leave the lid open for one to two hours, then read the value again.
- Replace the sponge with a two-way humidifier that absorbs excess moisture.
- Whitish, fuzzy spots that don't wipe off are mold. A fine film that wipes off is usually plume, a sign of aging.
Raising the humidity in a humidor
- Refill the humidifier with distilled water, never tap water.
- Check the lid seal: if a sheet of paper clamped in the lid slides out without resistance, moisture escapes there. More in the guide buying a humidor.
- Check the temperature, since a warmer room lowers the displayed humidity.
- Fill an almost empty humidor: a lot of air inside reacts more strongly to every opening.
- A new humidor has to be seasoned first. How that works is in the guide seasoning a humidor.
