Cuban cigar box types explained
Dress box, SLB, SBN, BN, 8-9-8: the abbreviations collectors use for how Habanos are packed, what each looks like and how many cigars it usually holds.
Habanos uses a handful of standard ways to present its cigars. The format is part of how a cigar is identified, and it can matter to collectors: the same cigar may be sold in more than one style of box.
The main formats
| Format | What it is | Usual counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dress box (labelled box) | The most common Habanos box. Decorated by hand with paper trimmings (habilitaciones). Made deliberately snug, which presses the cigars square | 10, 20, 25 |
| Cabinet Selection (SLB) | Slide-lid box in plain or varnished cedar, created for the British market in the early twentieth century. Cigars are round and tied in a silk ribbon, a "half wheel" | 10, 25, 50 |
| Semi Boîte Nature (SBN) | Plain or varnished wood with two rear hinges and a clasp; the name reflects the format's French origin. Cigars are round | 5, 10, 12, 24, 25 |
| Boîte Nature (BN) | Varnished natural wood with fully formed lids, sometimes with a gold-foil emblem; used for special cigars | 10, 25 |
| 8-9-8 | A box with curved sides, named for 25 cigars layered in rows of 8, 9 and 8 (the 10-count is 3-4-3). Cigars are round | 10, 25 |
Note that Cabinet Selection, SBN and 8-9-8 are three separate formats. "Cabinet" on its own usually means the slide-lid SLB.
Other presentations
- Bundles (mazos): cigars tied together, in 10s or 25s.
- Small packs: 1, 3 or 5 cigars, in card, aluminium or wood.
- Tubos: cedar-lined aluminium tubes, which Habanos says help protect cigars from damage and drying out.
- Cedar-wrapped cigars: individually wrapped in a sheet of cedar, which can stay on in the humidor.
Do cabinets age cigars better?
A common belief is that cigars in cabinet boxes (SLBs) age better, because there's more air around them and more contact with cedar. Cigar Aficionado notes that cabinets are taller than dress boxes with more space between cigars. Others are less sure: Cigar Inspector calls the advantages "somewhat hypothetical." If you're comparing, keep notes on both kinds of box of the same cigar and see for yourself.
What to record
- The format and the count, such as "SLB 25" or "dress box 10".
- The factory code and date from the box. See how to read a Habanos box code.
- For special formats such as BN or numbered boxes, the box number if there is one.
Sources
- Habanos S.A.: Styles of presentation, Styles of presentation (part one), Dressing the box
- Cigar Aficionado glossary: Box, Cabinet selection, Semi boîte nature
- Cigar Inspector: Are cabinet selections superior to dress boxes?
Questions collectors ask
What does SLB mean on a Cuban cigar box?
Slide-lid box: Habanos's Cabinet Selection format, a plain or varnished cedar box with a sliding lid, holding round cigars tied in a silk ribbon, usually in counts of 10, 25 or 50.
What is a dress box?
The most common Habanos box: a labelled box decorated by hand with paper trimmings, made slightly small so that cigars in it are pressed square. Usually 10, 20 or 25 cigars.
Do cigars age better in cabinet boxes?
Many collectors believe so, because of the extra space and contact with cedar, but it isn't proven and some writers call the advantage hypothetical.