Cigars are made from natural tobacco leaves, which means they continue to react to the surrounding air even after they have been rolled. If they are stored in an environment that is too dry, they lose moisture. If the environment is too humid, they can become difficult to smoke and may develop mold.
That is why cigars are kept in a humidor. A humidor creates a more stable environment for controlling humidity and, depending on the type of humidor, temperature as well. For anyone storing cigars for more than a few days, proper humidity control is one of the most important parts of protecting the collection.
What Happens If You Don't Keep Cigars in a Humidor?
Leaving cigars exposed to normal indoor air for an extended period can gradually dry the tobacco.
A dry cigar may:
Once a cigar becomes severely dried out, re-humidifying it does not necessarily restore it to its original condition. This is one reason prevention is preferable to trying to repair improperly stored cigars later.
Why Is Humidity So Important for Cigars?
Tobacco naturally absorbs and releases moisture according to its environment.
A humidor slows these changes by maintaining a controlled level of relative humidity (RH). Many cigar storage recommendations fall roughly within the 65% to 72% RH range, although the preferred setting can vary according to the cigar, storage period and personal preference.
When humidity becomes too low, cigars can dry out.
When humidity becomes too high, cigars can become overly moist, burn poorly and face an increased risk of mold. Maintaining consistency is therefore more important than simply adding as much humidity as possible.
Why Does Temperature Matter Too?
Humidity is only part of proper cigar storage.
Temperature also influences the storage environment. Excessive heat combined with high humidity can create unfavorable conditions for cigars. Cigar Aficionado, for example, recommends keeping the internal temperature of a humidor around 68–70°F while maintaining controlled humidity.
For this reason, cigar collectors living in areas with large seasonal temperature changes may prefer an electronic cigar humidor or cigar cabinet that can manage both temperature and humidity instead of relying only on a traditional wooden box.
Do Cigars in Cellophane Still Need a Humidor?
Yes.
Cellophane mainly helps protect cigars from handling and physical damage. It does not create a long-term humidity-controlled environment.
Cellophane is porous enough for moisture to move through it, so individually wrapped cigars can still gradually lose moisture when left outside a humidor. Holt's therefore recommends humidifying wrapped cigars as well unless they will be smoked within a short period.
You can keep cigars in their cellophane while placing them inside the humidor. Whether the wrapper is removed for longer-term aging is largely a matter of storage preference.
Do Cigar Tubes Replace a Humidor?
Not for long-term storage.
A cigar tube provides better physical protection and can help retain moisture for a short period, which makes it convenient for travel or carrying individual cigars.
However, tubes do not actively regulate humidity. Cigars that will be stored for an extended period should still be placed in a controlled humidor environment.
How Does a Humidor Help Cigars Age?
A stable storage environment does more than prevent cigars from drying out.
Properly stored cigars can continue aging gradually. During storage, the tobacco's characteristics can continue to develop, potentially creating smoother and more integrated aromas over time.
The key is stability. Large and frequent changes in humidity or temperature are generally less desirable than maintaining relatively consistent storage conditions.
Traditional humidors often use Spanish cedar because it can absorb and release moisture and is widely used for cigar storage and aging.
Traditional Humidor or Electronic Cigar Cabinet?
The right option largely depends on how many cigars you need to store.
A small desktop humidor can work well for a personal collection. However, as the number of cigars increases, maintaining consistent conditions manually can become more difficult.
An electronic cigar cabinet is particularly useful for:
Larger personal cigar collections
Cigar shops and retailers
Cigar clubs and lounges
Hotels, restaurants and private clubs
Distributors and commercial cigar storage
Electronic systems can provide active temperature monitoring, humidity control and internal air circulation, making them more suitable for larger-capacity storage.
What Should You Look for in a Cigar Humidor?
Whether you are buying a desktop humidor or a large cigar cabinet, consider several practical factors:
Humidity control:
The system should maintain stable RH instead of allowing large fluctuations.
Temperature control:
For long-term or large collections, active temperature management provides greater control over storage conditions.
Air circulation:
Proper airflow helps reduce large humidity differences between different areas inside the cabinet.
Spanish cedar shelves or drawers:
Spanish cedar is commonly used in quality cigar humidors because of its moisture-handling characteristics.
Capacity:
Choose slightly more storage space than your current collection requires so cigars are not packed too tightly.
Easy monitoring:
Digital temperature and humidity displays make it easier to understand the cabinet's storage conditions.
Keep Your Cigars in a Controlled Environment
So, why do you keep cigars in a humidor?
The simple answer is that cigars need a stable environment to maintain their moisture, structure, aroma and smoking characteristics. A humidor protects cigars from becoming excessively dry or damp while creating suitable conditions for longer-term storage and aging.
For small collections, a traditional humidor may be enough. For larger collections or commercial applications, an electronic cigar cabinet offers more convenient temperature and humidity management.
Candor is a cigar humidor and electronic cigar cabinet manufacturer, offering cigar storage solutions with temperature and humidity control, built-in humidification systems, digital monitoring, internal air circulation and Spanish cedar shelving. Our current range includes models designed for approximately 250 to 1,500 cigars, with solutions available for different storage requirements.
If you are looking for a cigar cabinet factory or electronic cigar humidor manufacturer for your brand, retail business, cigar lounge or commercial project, explore Candor's cigar cabinet solutions and contact us for more information.
