Best Humidifiers for Cigar Cabinet

Updated on

If you are a cigar lover and have a collection of cigars then keeping them safe from drying out is important. It needs a proper place and environment to stay fresh and taste better. Even if you have the best humidor for keeping your cigars, without proper humidification, these are just boxes that cannot save your precious cigars from drying out. A cigar humidifier creates the conditions that keep your cigars fresh. This article is a complete guide to what are the cigar humidifiers? Why is it important? What types of cigar humidifiers are available? And also we will be sharing some of the best humidifiers for cigar cabinet.

What is a cigar humidifier?

Cigar humidifiers are used to monitor the humidity level of a humidor and maintain the required humidity level for keeping the cigars fresh and storing their exact taste. To those who are new to cigar smoking understanding the difference between a humidor and humidifier is important.

What is a humidor?

In simple words, a humidor is a container, typically built in the form of a box, to store the cigars. Mostly wooden humidors are used for storing the cigars. But without a proper humidifier, your humidifier is just a wooden box that cannot save your cigars from drying out.
Cigar humidifier is a key component in a humidor that keeps the optimal humidity level inside a humidor for preserving your cigars.

Why is a cigar humidifier important?

Cigars need a specific humidity level to be stored and for staying ready to smoke. For keeping your cigars in tip-top shape, they need to be fresh all the time and to do that you need a proper storage unit for your cigars. Without a proper humidifier your cigar will dry out, or give a bitter taste, making a decent draw from your cigar will be difficult, and the build-up of heat inside may even burst the wrapper ruining your stack of cigars.
Cigar tobacco is humidity sensitive, it not only absorbs humidity from the environment but also releases the moisture to the surrounding air. A cigar may also lose its flavor and essential oils inside. Most of the cigar need a 70-degree temperature and also 70% relative humidity.
Cigar humidifiers are inevitable for storing the cigars. Without them, there is no way a humidity level is maintained inside a humidor. Without a humidifier, a cigar will dry out, loses its flavor and aroma, and burn with its heat.

Types of cigar humidifiers

There are five types of cigar humidifiers.

Floral Foam Cigar Humidifier

Floral foam is the oldest and most common humidifier for cigars. Floral foam is a phenolic foam that once soaked in water, uses capillary action to bring water up to the surface and release it over the time. Floral foam comes encased in a plastic container with holes or slots on the top to let the moisture escape.
Floral foam needs to be refilled with water once every 1-2 weeks. For floral foam, you need to keep an eye on the humidity level and conditions. If it gets below 70%, you need to refill the water, and it needs to be replaced after 6-12 months.
Some cigar collectors use propylene Glycol instead of water to recharge their humidifier. Propylene Glycol is a chemical that is hygroscopic to 70% relative humidity.
If you are using water to recharge your humidifier, use distilled water as tap water may contain impurities that may clog your humidifier and prevent it from releasing moisture.

Crystal Gel Cigar Humidifiers

Crystal gels are super absorbent polymers that absorb up to 500 times their weight in water. When you soak them with water, they start as irregularly shaped crystals that expand and becomes rubbery. It is charged like floral foam with distilled water. Crystal gel is highly effective when the humidity level is very low in your humidor. They release the moisture very quickly and save the cigars from drying out. Crystal gel humidifiers need to be charged once 2-4 weeks when the crystal balls start to shrink down to their original size.

Silica Bead Cigar Humidifier

Silica beads are made from silica gel. It is a granular, vitreous, and porous form of silicon dioxide that is synthetically made from sodium silicate. It is charged like floral gel and crystal gel. Soak them in water and when the beads are expanded drain out the excess liquid. Silica beads are very durable. They need to be charged every 2-4 weeks but last 3-6 weeks.

Humidipak Cigar Humidifiers

When salt and water are mixed, it releases water vapor. Humidipak exploits this principle to create humidity for the cigars. The ingredients are stored in the semi-preamble membrane that allows Humidpaks to absorb and release water.

Electronic Cigar Humidifiers

Electronic cigar humidifiers are active humidifiers that sense and monitor the humidity level and use electronic sensors to release the moisture whenever the humidity level drops below the required level. If you have a particularly large collection of cigars and keep your cigars in a cabinet like a humidor, then an electronic humidifier is more suitable for you. The electronic humidifiers come with many bells and whistles. They have inbuilt hygrometer and temperature that sense and monitor the temperature and humidity level for your cigars. Electronic humidifier stores water in a refillable cartridge. It needs to be filled with distilled water every month. The cartridge needs to be replaced about once a year.

Things to consider while choosing a Humidifier for cigar cabinet

Certain things should be considered before buying a humidifier for cigars.

How many cigars you are planning to store?

Choosing the right size for your collection is important. You can choose the floral cases, or silica beads if you want to store a few cigars that are kept in a small humidor. But if you have a big collection of cigars that need to be stored then certainly an electronic humidifier is more suitable.

Space you are willing to reserve for your humidor

Some electronic humidifiers are generally like a cabinet and need more space. You need to decide where you are planning to keep it and choose the humidifier accordingly.

Cost you are willing to pay

Electronic humidifiers are more expensive than the other wick type humidor humidifiers. But smoking cigars is an expensive activity, and for storing those expensive and premium cigars you need to spend some money, or they can go to waste.

Best humidifiers for cigar cabinet

Are you looking for a humidifier for storing the freshness, flavor, and aroma of your expensive cigars? We have covered the topic well and chosen some of the best available humidifiers for your cigar cabinet. Take a look and choose the one that looks more appealing.

Cigar Oasis Excel 3.0 Electronic Humidifier

Excel 3.0 is an electronic humidifier that always keeps your cigars fresh. It is automatic and has the capacity of storing 100-300 cigars at a time. The humidifier comes with the factory setting of 70% humidity, but you can change the setting according to your preference. The humidifier displays the current humidity level and temperature of the humidor. It constantly monitors the humidity level of the humidor and uses a quiet fan for circulating the air in humidor eliminating the musty odor, so common in sealed humidors. The humidifier uses the cartridge that needs to be filled with distilled water after 2-4 months. The smart humidor has built-in WiFi technology for adjusting the humidity level remotely through a smartphone.

Pros

  1. Smart humidor and humidifier that can be operated remotely through your Android or iOS sets.
  2. Keep monitoring the humidity level of the humidor.
  3. A quiet fan which eliminates the musty smell inside the humidor.
  4. Large LCD that displays the temperature and humidity level.

Cons

  1. Needs to be filled with distilled water.
  2.  
  3. Suitable for a large collection of cigars.

Le Veil iCigar Pro Digital Humidifier DCH-60B For Cabinet Humidors 

This one is perfect for cigar cabinets, towers and display cases. It uses the dual calibrating technology for accuracy, unlike common humidifiers. The humidifier uses AC electric power that gives maximum consistency. The humidifier is capable of humidifying 55 CB-FT humidors. The humidifier is equipped with two heavy-duty brushless fans which work quietly. It is equipped with high absorbed crystal Gel. A liquid crystal display shows RH maximum and minimum relative humidity, the average temperature of three days and low water and current humidity settings. An automatic alarm will sound in case of low water and the humidifier will automatically shut-off after that.

Pros

  1. Can humidify up to 55 humidors.
  2. It displays the current temperature, humidity and humidity settings.
  3. Alarm for low water warning.
  4. Automatically shuts off in case of low water.

Cons

  1. Suitable for a large collection of cigars.

MEGACRA CB-2 Cigar Humidor 

This humidor by Megacra is a humidor that comes with a hygrometer and Humidifier. It is spacious enough to hold 25-50 cigars at a time. It is lined with the premium Kiln-dried authentic Spanish cedar for excellent aroma and moisture retention perfect for those who want their cigars fresh. The humidor has a Vegan leather surface that gives an elegant look and convenient size to be carried along. The humidor comes with a hygrometer to monitor the humidity level of humidors and a humidifier for keeping your cigars at a favorite 70% of humidity level.

Pros

  1. Made with cedar wood that keeps your cigars fresh and aromatic.
  2. Comes with humidors and humidifier for keeping the cigars fresh and monitoring the humidity level.
  3. Cost effective.
  4. Suitable to be carried along.

Cons

  1. Suitable for a small

zorvo Black Cabinet Cigar Humidor Case

This one is also a humidor that is made from cedar wood. It has a smooth surface and low key luxury design. It comes with a three-layer drawer, that makes the classification easy. It has the capacity of storing 75-100 cigars at a time. The humidor comes with an accurate hygrometer to monitor the humidity level and a humidifier for keeping the cigars fresh and aromatic.

Pros

  1. Spacious enough to store 100 cigars.
  2. Comes with an accurate hygrometer and humidifier.
  3. Elegant design that fits in your interior and enhances its beauty.

Cons

  1. Bit pricey.
  2. Can store only 100 cigars and for a larger collection, you need a bigger one.

Handmade Cigar Humidor, Cedar Cigar Desktop Box with Humidifier and Hygrometer

This one is another cigar humidor that is handmade and built with the finest genuine Spanish cedar wood. It can store 20-25 cigars that are perfect to be carried around. It has a rich walnut finish and a glass top that displays your cigars luxuriantly. The box has a scratch resistant velvet pad in the bottom that protects the humidor box from friction damage. It comes with an accurate hygrometer and humidifier that keeps your cigars fresh and aromatic.

Pros

  1. Easy to carry.
  2. Comes with an accurate hygrometer and humidifier.
  3. Handmade and built with Spanish cedars that gives an elegant look.

Cons

  1. Suitable for carrying along. Not fit for a large