3 Best Cigar Humidors Under $200

What To Look For When Choosing a Humidor

1. Choose the Right Size

If you’ve been in the market for a new cigar humidor, you’ve probably noticed that they come in various shapes and sizes. If you want to pick the best cigar humidor, you’ll need to find one that’s large enough to fit your entire collection.

Moreover, you’ll need to account for future cigars you’ll be adding to your humidor as time goes on.

For regular cigar smokers, a desktop humidor is usually sufficient. Desktop cigar humidors can typically fit anywhere from 50 to 100 cigars comfortably. What’s more, these cigar humidors are usually made from stylish exotic wood, such as Spanish cedar.

If you’re just starting out or don’t carry many cigars at once, you can opt for a small humidor or even a travel humidor. While these may not be as stylish or large as a desktop humidor, they do an excellent job of keeping your cigars fresh.

The reason size is important for choosing a humidor box is because it can dictate the quality and effectiveness of your container. A cigar humidor that’s too compact will cause your cigars to be squished together, which can have a negative impact on their taste.

If the cigar humidor is too big, then your cigars could absorb excess moisture.

2. Know Your Wood

Cigar humidors are there to ensure your premium cigars can remain fresh for as long as you need them. Wood humidors are the most popular option because the wood does a fantastic job of retaining moisture and regulating temperature.

However, there are a few different woods to choose from:

• Spanish Cedar. Spanish cedar lined wood humidors are perhaps the most prevalent. That’s because Spanish cedar is incredibly reliable and looks amazing with virtually all types of decor. A quality humidor that has Spanish cedar lining will keep your stogies fresh and smelling amazing all year round. Furthermore, it will also protect your cigars from pesky tobacco beetles.

• American Cedar. American cedar is next in line in terms of quality and aesthetics. The only reason some occasional cigar smokers don’t like using American cedar lining for cigar storage because the wood gives off a strong aroma.

• Honduran Mahogany. Honduran mahogany is another fine choice of wood used to make some of the best humidors worldwide. Not only is it affordable, but it also has an excellent way of retaining moisture.

Besides wood, humidors can contain a few other materials. You’ll find that the best humidors have beveled glass, tempered glass, digital hygrometer, analog hygrometer, removable shelves, or an accessory storage drawer.

3. Focus on Quality

Although the main purpose of this article is to find humidors under $200, you don’t always want to go with the cheapest option possible. That’s because cheap humidors generally don’t offer the kind of protection you need to maintain a cigars in the long-term.

Instead, look for a humidor that’s high-quality and still within your budget. The good news is, there are plenty of best cigar humidors that tick all the cigar boxes in terms of quality that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

If a humidor is so cheap that it seems too good to be true, it’s best to avoid it. Meanwhile, make sure you’re always buying from a reliable seller. The last thing you want is to ruin your cigar stash because you wanted to save a few bucks.

4. Make Sure the Seal Is Tight

The job of your humidor is to maintain the right relative humidity level so your cigars don’t dry out. However, it won’t matter how good the wood is if the solid tempered glass seems if the lid doesn’t seal shut.

If your humidor doesn’t seal, the humidity level will eventually be off and your cigars will get affected. Listen to see if there’s a ‘whoosh’ noise when you close the lid. That’s usually a good indicator that the humidor uses a proper seal.

For those shopping online, don’t hesitate to message the shop owners and ask what kind of seal the humidor uses.

Quick Guide on Setting Up and Maintaining Your Humidor

Once you’ve chosen a humidor, it’s crucial that you set it up properly before placing your cigars inside. To ensure you don’t damage your stogie stash, here’s a quick guide on setting up and maintaining your new cigar humidor.

1. Use a cloth dampened with distilled water to gently rub all the surfaces of the humidor.
   This will clean out any dust or debris that could affect the conditions inside. It’s vital you used distilled water, as it doesn’t contain any minerals or compounds that promote mold growth or tobacco beetle infestations.
2. Insert your humidification unit.
   Many cigar humidors come with a humidifier of some sort. You’ll need to either charge it or fill it with a PG solution before placing it inside your container. Refrain from using distilled water to fill your humidifier, as it might humidify too quickly.
3. Calibrate and add your hygrometer inside your humidor.
   For your humidor, you’ll need either an analog or digital hygrometer. These help measure the humidity level inside to ensure your cigars are in optimal conditions. You might need to obtain an external digital hygrometer if yours doesn’t come with one. Calibrate the device and place it inside the humidor so you can start measuring the humidity level.
4. Place your cigars inside.
   Once your humidor reaches the right humidity level (about 75%), you’re ready to put your stogies inside. Note that it can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours for your humidor to reach an appropriate temperature and humidity level.
5. Monitor your humidor every 4-8 weeks.
   Humidors don’t stay perfect right when you set them up. You need to monitor the conditions inside about every month or so. If you notice that there’s not enough humidity inside, you may need to add Boveda packs or other humidification devices to increase the moisture content.

FAQs

What Is a Good Starter Humidor?

If you’re just starting out with cigars, you don’t need an incredibly fancy humidor for your first few stogies. You can opt for a mid-sized humidor and fill it with Boveda packs to keep your separate cigars fresh.

The Capri 25-50 Glass Top humidor mentioned above is an excellent beginner humidor. It’s large enough to fit your cigar stash, and does an outstanding job of maintaining the right humidity level. Furthermore, the maintenance on this humidor is relatively light.

Are Acrylic Humidors Any Good?

Humidors made from acrylic have taken the cigar world by storm recently, and the community seems to have mixed feelings.

From the surface, an acrylic humidor can be beneficial since it’s made from a non-porous material. In other words, the container is air-sealed tight, keeping the relative humidity levels in order.

However, some people don’t like the transparency factor. You don’t get the same aesthetic appeal as you would with wooden humidors.

How Long Can Cigars Last Inside a Humidor?

Reliable wood construction humidors can keep your cigars moist and fresh for several years.

Seasoned aficionados will tell you to smoke your stogies within 3 months of storing them in your humidor, but that’s not always the case. That said, cigars get better with age. The longer they are kept inside a humidor, the more flavors and aromas they’ll produce.

A well-maintained humidor retains enough moisture and the right temperature to ensure your stogies never dry out or get eaten by tobacco beetles. However, it’s vital that you get the right kind of humidor for your collection.

Is It OK To Mix Cigars Inside a Humidor?

Some stubborn cigar afficionados might tell you to never mix your stogies inside a humidor because it will ruin the flavor. However, that’s not necessarily true.

In short, it’s fine to mix your cigars in your humidor. This is especially true if you’re using a travel humidor and won’t be storing them for long.

With that in mind, you try to separate your strong cigars from your mild ones. Cigars with strong flavors and smells might affect your mild cigars if kept stored close together for an extended period.

Verdict

It goes without saying that you’ll need a reliable humidor if you want to keep your stogies in good condition. Luckily, there are several containers out there you can get your hands on for less than $200.

The best humidor in this price range would have to be the Capri 25-50 Humidor.

It’s aesthetically pleasing and offers enough space to keep your cigar stash. 

That said, there are various other humidors cigar smokers can get their hands on without breaking the bank.

Make sure to review the factors above on how to choose the right humidor for your needs.