Short answer: a humidor is a sealed, cedar-lined box that holds cigars at 65–70% relative humidity. Buy one sized well above what you own today, season it before use, and keep a humidity pack in it.
What makes a humidor work
- A tight seal. The lid should fall shut with a soft thud, not a clack.
- Spanish cedar lining. It holds moisture, adds aroma and deters tobacco beetles.
- A humidity source. A Boveda-style pack or a refillable humidifier.
- A way to check. A hygrometer, ideally digital.
Sizing
Buy at least double the capacity you think you need. Humidors hold humidity better when full, and collections grow faster than boxes do.
Seasoning, step by step
- Wipe nothing with water. New cedar does not need wetting.
- Boveda's method is to place its 84% seasoning packs inside the empty humidor and close the lid.
- Keep the lid closed for 14 days, whatever the hygrometer reads in the meantime.
- Load your cigars, then swap to a 69% pack for storage.
How to season a humidor, step by step
This is Boveda's seasoning method in full, for anyone who wants the detail behind the short version above. Boveda makes a dedicated 84% pack for the job and sets the time at 14 days.
- Count the capacity. Boveda's dose is one Size 60 seasoning pack for every 25 cigars the humidor can hold in total. A 50-count box takes two; a 100-count takes four.
- Move any cigars out. If the humidor is already in use, Boveda says to park the cigars in a sealed container or a humidor bag with a 69% pack while the box seasons.
- Load the seasoning packs. Place the 84% packs in the empty wooden humidor. Do not combine them with packs of another percentage.
- Close the lid for 14 days. Boveda's instruction is to leave it shut for the full two weeks, whatever the hygrometer reads. A hygrometer measures the air, and the moisture is going into the wood.
- Remove the packs. After 14 days, take the seasoning packs out and discard them. Boveda notes they are not reusable.
- Load cigars and storage packs. Return your cigars and add fresh packs at your storage level. Boveda names 69% or 72% as the usual choices.
- Calibrate the hygrometer. Boveda recommends calibrating once seasoning is done and again every six months, since a digital hygrometer straight from the box may not read true.
Why two weeks? Boveda explains that most of the water vapor leaves the packs in the first week, and the wood's cell structure takes up what it needs over the second. By its figures, a 100-count humidor needs roughly 100 grams of moisture to season fully, while wiping the interior with a wet cloth adds only two to three grams, puts it all on the surface, and can warp the wood. That is why the wipe-down method is one Boveda tells owners to skip.
In a dry climate, Boveda suggests re-seasoning a wooden humidor once or twice a year. In Yuma, we would plan on it.
Seasoning and storage packs are in the Boveda collection, and boxes in cigar humidors. Our Boveda guide covers which percentage to store at.
Living with it
- Keep it out of sun, away from vents and off exterior walls.
- Rotate cigars top to bottom every few months.
- Do not overpack — air needs to move between boxes.
- Check the hygrometer monthly, not daily.
Alternatives
An airtight container with humidity packs works as well as cedar for keeping cigars alive, though it does not add aroma. Travel humidors handle a few days out; several allocated sets we carry arrive in one, including the OpusX Story and the God of Fire KKP releases.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to season a humidor?
Fourteen days with Boveda's 84% seasoning packs, lid closed throughout. Boveda says lower humidity levels can stretch the process to about eight weeks, and that rushing it with higher humidity risks damaging the wood.
Should I wipe a new humidor with distilled water?
Boveda advises against it. By its figures a wet cloth adds only two to three grams of moisture, all at the surface, which can warp the wood and is far short of what the humidor needs.
How often should I re-season a humidor?
Boveda's guidance for dry climates is once or twice a year, with the humidor empty and the cigars held in a sealed container with a 69% pack in the meantime.
Humidors, hygrometers and humidity packs are in the accessories collection. Call 928-276-3500 if you want help sizing one.
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