Humidity packs and humidifiers
Two-way packs, solution humidifiers or an electronic unit: what each does, which percentage suits Cuban cigars, and how much you need.
A humidor's wood buffers humidity; something has to supply it. There are three broad options, and for most home humidors the choice is between the first two.
Two-way humidity packs
Sealed pouches of salt solution that hold the air at a fixed humidity, adding moisture when it's dry and absorbing it when it's damp. They need no setting, and you can't overdo them. Boveda and Integra Boost are the best-known; the percentages below are Boveda's own labels.
| Pack | What the manufacturer says it's for |
|---|---|
| 65% | Cuban cigars: tightly rolled, prone to mould when wetter; a drier, easier burn and good for long-term ageing |
| 69% | Airtight containers: tupperdors, acrylic humidors, bags. Boveda's most popular level |
| 72% | Most wooden and glass-top humidors, or one that struggles to hold humidity |
| 75% | Draughty humidors in very dry climates; not for airtight containers |
| 84% | Seasoning an empty wooden humidor only |
Integra Boost makes cigar packs at 69% and 72%, with an indicator card whose dot turns blue when the pack needs replacing.
How many
- Boveda: one 60 g pack per 25 cigars of capacity (not of the cigars currently inside); one 320 g pack for up to 100; a small 8 g pack per five cigars in a travel case.
- Integra Boost: one 67 g pack per 25 cigars of capacity.
- More packs than needed won't push the humidity higher; they'll just last longer.
When to replace them
Boveda suggests about every three months in a typical humidor (a large pack in a well-sealed box can last longer). A pack that has gone stiff and crystalline is spent. Write the start date on the edge with a felt-tip pen; a ballpoint can puncture it.
Solution humidifiers
The classic humidor humidifier is a small reservoir of foam or beads that you charge with liquid.
- Propylene-glycol (PG) solution: a roughly 50/50 mix of distilled water and propylene glycol that settles at about 70% RH and helps inhibit mould. Most humidors that ship with a humidifier expect this.
- Distilled water alone adds moisture but can't take any away, so it can overshoot and needs refilling more often. Never use tap water.
Check and top up every couple of weeks, and calibrate your hygrometer so you're adjusting to real readings.
Electronic humidifiers
For large cabinets and walk-ins, an active humidifier with a fan and a sensor keeps a set humidity and often logs it. Cigar Oasis, for example, sizes its units from about 100 cigars up to cabinets of 60 cubic feet. They're overkill for a desktop humidor, and the right tool for anything bigger than a small cabinet.
Which to choose
- Desktop humidor, mostly Cuban cigars: two-way packs at 65% (or 69% if your humidor seals very well and runs dry).
- Tupperdor or other airtight box: 65% or 69% packs. See how to set up a tupperdor.
- Cabinet humidor: packs in quantity, or an electronic unit.
- Walk-in: electronic humidification, with a logged sensor.
Sources
- Boveda: Which RH is right for cigars?; how many to use; when to replace
- Integra Boost (product information)
- Simply Cigars: Humidification solution
- halfwheel: Cigar Oasis humidifiers
Questions collectors ask
Should I use 65% or 69% packs for Cuban cigars?
Boveda labels 65% for Cuban cigars, because Habanos are tightly rolled and can mould or burn poorly when kept wetter. Its 69% pack is aimed at airtight containers such as tupperdors. Many collectors keep Cubans at 65%.
How many humidity packs do I need?
Boveda's rule is one large (60 g) pack per 25 cigars of the humidor's capacity, not the number of cigars in it. Using more won't over-humidify, because two-way packs absorb moisture as well as releasing it.
How often do humidity packs need replacing?
Boveda suggests about every three months in a typical humidor. Packs that have gone hard and crystalline are spent.