Anilla/Guides

How to season a new humidor

A new humidor's dry cedar will pull moisture straight out of your cigars. Seasoning fixes that first. Here's how, and how long it really takes.

Most humidors are lined with Spanish cedar, which despite the name isn't a true cedar but a tree of the mahogany family, Cedrela. It's used because it holds moisture and releases it slowly, buffering the humidor against swings. A new humidor's cedar is bone dry, though, and until it has absorbed moisture it will take it from whatever's inside. That's why you season the humidor before the first cigar goes in.

Before you start

• Calibrate the hygrometer first, so you know the readings are real. See how to calibrate a hygrometer.
• Check the lid. Close it on a strip of paper at a few points; if the paper slides out easily, the seal is weak and the humidor will need more humidification.
• Use distilled water only, for any method. Not tap water, not spring water, not bottled mineral water.

Method 1: two-way humidity packs (recommended)

This is the method Boveda describes, and the one most guides now prefer because it puts a large amount of moisture into the wood slowly and evenly.

1. Put 84% seasoning packs in the empty humidor, using the number the manufacturer recommends for its size. Don't mix them with packs of any other percentage.
2. Close the lid and leave it closed for 14 days, whatever the hygrometer says in the meantime.
3. Throw the seasoning packs away. They can't be reused.
4. Put in the packs you'll use day to day (for example 65% or 69% for Cuban cigars), let the humidor settle for a day or two, and check that it holds your target.
5. Then add cigars.

Why so long? Wood absorbs moisture slowly. Boveda says seasoning faster at a higher humidity risks damaging the wood, while seasoning at a lower humidity is safer but can take up to eight weeks.

Method 2: the distilled-water wipe (older, contested)

The traditional method: wipe the bare cedar with a clean sponge or cloth dampened (not wet) with distilled water until the wood darkens slightly, close the lid for a day, and repeat. Some guides add a small dish of distilled water or humidifier solution inside for a few days.

It's still widely described, but it has critics. Boveda points out that a wipe delivers only a few grams of moisture, all of it at the surface, which can warp the wood rather than season it. Cigars International likewise suggests skipping sponges and water. If you do use it, wring the cloth out thoroughly and never let water pool.

Method 3: a humidifier with solution

Charge the humidor's own humidifier (often a propylene-glycol solution, which settles at around 70% and helps inhibit mould), close the lid and give it at least three days, typically three to five. Add cigars once the hygrometer reads 68–72% consistently.

Mistakes that damage a humidor

• Pouring water in, or soaking the wood. It warps the cedar and can swell the lid shut.
• Pressing a sponge directly onto the wood, or using a sponge that's been used for anything else.
• Using tap or mineral water.
• Seasoning with cigars inside, or with ordinary (lower-percentage) packs.
• Opening the lid every few hours to check. Each opening lets the moisture out.
• Putting the humidor in sun or near a radiator while it seasons.

When to season again

Advice varies. Boveda suggests re-seasoning once or twice a year in dry climates; other guides suggest yearly for the first few years. A practical rule: if the humidor struggles to hold its range even with fresh humidification, or it's been empty and dry for a while, season it again.

Sources

• Boveda: How to season a humidor and why it takes 14 days
• Cigars International: How to season a humidor
• Bespoke Unit: Seasoning a wooden humidor
• Cigar Aficionado: Spanish cedar

Last reviewed October 2026. Corrections from collectors are welcome at info@ogydigital.com.