A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Humidor Buying, Simple Guidelines

Buying a humidor is a serious step, so having the best knowledge possible is essential in choosing a humidor that not only fits your needs but doesn't break your bank.

The keys points in choosing a quality humidor:

1.) Size. This is tricky because most places list the size by "Cigar Count". The estimates on how many cigars the humidor they are selling varies greatly. IGNORE the "Cigar Count" and look at the actual dimensions. When comparing two humidors, multiply the L x W x H to get the cubic inches and then compare them. FYI- Typically, "cigar count" when referring to humidors, is based on a Corona size cigar, which is 42 x 5 5/8".

2.) Gauging quality is tough when viewing humidors online but there are a couple of things you can look for.

A.) The first thing to watch out for is using any wood other than Spanish Cedar for the inside lining. You'll be amazed at how many places don't!

B.) The second is the use of acrylic instead of glass for glass top models or screen printing a "wood inlay" instead actually using wood. If the manufacturer skimps on the glass or inlay, they probably skimped somewhere else as well.

C.) Joinery. The best quality humidors use dove tails or splines and are made of exotic woods. An affordable humidor should have at least mitered corners "butt joints" are no good and should be avoided.

D.) The pictures. Look closely at the pictures, you can often tell how "cheap" a humidor is if you look closely at the finish and hardware shown in the pics.

3.) Beware of inflated shipping! Humidors can be pricey to ship depending on the size but a humidor that costs $20 shouldn't have shipping cost of $35. An average desktop humidor (13"x10"x6") shouldn't run more than about $15 shipped within the US via Priority Mail. If someone won't openly list their shipping prices, keep looking. This particularly is important when buying off of Ebay.

4.) Check their return policy! Avoid "no returns if box is open" or "all sale are final".

5.) Also, go bigger! Everyone who gets into cigars eventually ends up buy a larger humidor down the road. You have done the research and are finally making a decision to buy a quality humidor, you might as well buy one that you can "grow into" instead of starting over a few months from now.

If in doubt, ask questions! And don't forget about the coolerdor! It's simply the most cost effective way to get started in the hobby!

It's a weird phenomenon that occurs with we cigar smokers. We will spend a fortune on cigars but when it comes to the two most important aspects of properly maintaining their collection (humidors & humidification, they suddenly turn thrifty. This is DEFINITELY not the time to sacrifice quality for a deal if you intend on storing cigars for any period of time, whether a month, months or years….don't cheap out on your humidor or it's humidification!

I hope this helps and happy smoking!

~Mark


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Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

I just designed my dream humidor and went way bigger than I need now but I wanted this to be the last one I would need for awhile. Having a gentlemen custom build it for me should have it mid-April can't wait. :dr

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Any Recommendations For A Quality Humidor That Holds RH Very well, 200-300 Count for $300 or less? I Have 4 Humidors , None Of Which Hold RH Well at all.:( Is The Sure Seal Technology Found on Some humidors found in www.cheaphumidors.com A Good Quality? Thanks For Recommendations!:)

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

The "Sure Seal" is in all Quality Importers humdiors :tu

In that price range & count requirement, I'd recommend this one:

http://www.cigarmony.com/thetreasuredome250count.aspx

But I'd also recommend reseasoning your humidors, replacing the batteries in your digital hygrometers and calibrating as well as upgrading your humidification to RH Beads if you haven't done so already.

I hope this helps

~Mark

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

I have this humidor and love it. I got it on the devil site for $86.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Thanks, Mark & Mike!:tu

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Heed guide #5. If you think you are buying a humidor ten sizes bigger than you'll ever need, you're only about 12 sizes too short. :ss

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Oh, My Lord!!!! Just Received My Treasure Dome Today. That Thing Is Huge!!!! Beautiful, Well Made Humidor That Should Last Me A Lifetime! Thanks For All The Advice, All!:tu

Can I quote this post when you make the inevitable "Looking To Upgrade" thread in, let's say 6 months? :r
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Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

:r This Is It For Me, Jeff! This Thing Is As Big As A Footlocker!:)

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

? what's the devil site?

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www.cigarbid.com :tu Look Under "Merchandise". Looks Like The BID for The "Treasuredome" is going for $65 At The Moment.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Thanks!

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You Will Soon Know Why They Call It "The Devil's Site", My Friend!:)

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Very good advice. :tu The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the cheap price is forgotten. :)

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

i bought my first humidor the other day, i thought i would go with a 20 capacity, but everyone says buy more than what you think you will need so i got the 50 capacity with a glasstop because i know i would always be opening the lid to look inside haha, what do you guys think of this one as far as a beginner goes?
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...text=whitetail

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

That's a nice one. I notice you like Acids. Be sure not to store them and regular cigars together. If you like the Acids enough to buy alot of them, you will need to store them in a separate humidor.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Really.... I didnt know that, is it because their aroma is so intense that it will affect the taste of other cigars in the humidor? or something along those lines?

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Yep. That goes for any flavored cigar too.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Alright thanks for the info.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Thanks for all the info here. I am looking to buy my first humi soon. After reading through the posts, i realize i have some other things to think about. I never thought about the flavored cigars affecting the other sticks. My wife likes the java and kaluha cigars. Now i know i'll have to take that into account.

Two questions though. I've seen some people commenting on glass top humi's. What's the big deal? It seems like most people are against them.
Second, regarding the flavored cigars and others, what if you have a larger humidor with separate drawers? Will that be enough separation not to worry about the flavors mingling?

Thanks for your help!!

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

My wife enjoys flavored cigars as well.I keep hers in a zip lock bag in my cabinet and have not detected any scent from her smokes.

Keeping them in a separate drawer I don't think is enough to keep their aroma out of your humidor.

As far as glass tops are concerned,most believe the seal around the glass is insufficient.
In a lot of cases that is true.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Just ordered the same humidor (to be my first) the other day from cheaphumidors with promo code for a little over $100. That site said it was a 300 count humi, but Im almost certain its the same one. Wish I wouldve joined this site a few days earlier and learned about the "devil site"

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Looking for an upgrade in my humidor...have a smallish one that's worked for the last little bit, but now have found that there isn't enough space!

I've seen the Liebherr XS 200, fallen in love with it, but the $2500 price tag is incredibly prohibitive! Are there any other electronic, stainless steel humidors out there that dont cost a million bucks?!

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

I would suggest looking into a wine cooler, vinotemp/edgestar and other options available. Pair that with some Chasden drawers/shelves (www.chasidor.com) and you should be all set!

This should also be wayyy under the $2500 price tag mark.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Thats exactly what I ended up doing. Will hopefully look just as nice, at an 1/8 the price!

Just gotta figure out how to keep myself from going crazy while I wait for my chasden drawers....

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I was given a small bar fridge today and would like to turn it into a Fridgidor.
what is the process that I have to go through? are there things that I should look out for?

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

You Got Me!:r Looking At A Custom One, Now, Jeff!:tu

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You will need to get an external temperature control like a Johnson controller, to raise the temp high enough for cigar storage. Also, you will need to try and disconnect the freezer portion. Plug the drain hole, add beads and fill. :2

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Simple.

Steps
1) Defrost and clean thoroughly.
2) Plug back in and allow to cool down.
3) Fill with beer.
4) Take cold beer from fridge, open it, drink it while smoking a cigar and searching online for a good deal on a vinotemp or edgestar.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Typically, you can't disconnect just the freezer portion on those little units as they only have one set of evaporator coils, usually comprising the floor or floor and side(s) of the freezer and the "top" of the refrigerator section simultaneously. They control freezing spaces and refrigerated spaces simply by volume of space requiring cooling versus the amount of heat the evap can remove for that space. Very primitive design.

Now, if you want to rip the entire freon cooling system out and cut a few holes to mount thermoelectric coolers and a controller, then yeah, totally different game, but it will work.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

So I have a 50 count humi and i'm looking at upgrading to a 250 or 300 count. does it matter that I don't have that many cigar YET! but I planing on stocking up over the summer. The 50 is full right now should I just leave it alone until I have enough to fill an 250?

You know, when I made my original post, I was going to put "5 months, 1 week, 4 days," but I rounded up. :r
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Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

If you're definitely planning on increasing your stash of cigars within the next few months, you might as well just get the larger humidor now as this will give it time to settle in and you'll have it to put the cigars in, rather than having bags or boxes of cigars lying around waiting for it. Plus, start looking for a humidor now and you increase the chances of finding a good deal on something you like.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Good point, thanks, any suggestions?

Treasure Dome and Havana Footlocker are popular choices. Or you could go the low-cost route: snag a huge cooler and spend the difference on cigars. :tu
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Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

looking at the teasure dome right now, CI got on sale for 159.95 I like it. Good suggestion, thanks. witch do you think is better the digiatal or analog hydmeter?

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Yeah, buy a 500 or 600 count humidor.:D




I'm actually kind of serious. A lot of the 250-300 count humidors really aren't going to hold that many cigars unless the cigars are smaller vitolas and they are unboxed or in very compact boxes. Once you start looking at humidors, you'll probably quickly notice the great disparity in physical sizes of the various so called "x# count" humidors.

All of Mark's (N2Advnture) advice at the beginning of this thread is good as a buying guide. Mark also has some good humidors on his site.

How much do you want to spend? Ed (WaxingMoon) makes some gorgeous custom humidors, they aren't that expensive, but they are going to cost you more than a mass produced one, but the quality is going to far exceed most, if not all, of the mass produced products.

If you want to go to 500-600 size, CI sells a humidor called the "Club Chairside" which is well built and really does hold the claimed 600 cigars, maybe even a bit more - you have some drawers for singles and plenty of room for boxes. You used to be able to pick them up off Cbid for around $200-300, I haven't looked lately at what they are going for.

Depending on where you live, maybe a Vinotemp or Edgestar and some shelves & drawers from Chuck (ChasDen) is the better solution.

Or maybe a 48qt Rubbermaid coolers and a jar of Humicare gel will suit or please you.

Ultimately, a humidor is kind of like a car. Pick one that suits your needs, budget and personalty.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

:tpd:, the advise given in this thread is all correct. Get what suits your needs.

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Most of the analog hygrometers sold for cigar use are not good quality. There are a few exceptions though.

Don Salvatore, Xikar and Hygro-Set all market good adjustable digital hygrometers. (CI / Cbid sell the Hygro-Sets) There are other decent ones too, I just don't remember the names offhand.

There's a $9 adjustable Accurite hygrometer with temprature and min-max recording that you can find at Wal-Mart and Home Depot that works quite well. Acu-Rite 00613W.


Don't get too wound up on needing a hygrometer though. If the cigars feel and smoke right, right being to your liking, then the humidity is fine. Doesn't matter what number it is.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Thanks for the good info Adam. I don't want to spend more then 250$ I think i would like a wood humi. if there was a cooler sitting around my house my wife would emty it out and use it for something else:D
I'm gooing to home depot after work and picking up that acu-rite to, thanks.

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I think I'm going to go with the Havana Foot locker humi. Thanks guys for the input:tu

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If you're planning on storing a lot of boxes, especially long term, that's a good humidor. They usually seal very well and being rather deep, they can stack boxes well. Depending on your box sizes, you might have to play tetris once in awhile though (no different than a cooler really).

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Hi, just joined this forum specifically because of this thread. It has been incredibly helpful and I'm just getting into the hobby. I got a a humidor off of famous-smoke.com about 2 months ago and I already want to upgrade. I'm trying to decide between the foot locker and the treasure dome. These will most likely end up hiding in my basement so my wife doesnt castrate me... I originally planned on a small humidor to go on top of our wine fridge, but by the sounds of these, I don't think they'll fit. Again I want to say thanks!

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Welcome to CA & cigars!

Yeah, Havana Foot Lockers and Treasure Domes are bigger than they look in the pictures.

Another option for you is to get a smaller humidor for on top of your wine fridge and get a big cooler to hide in the basement and put smokes in. Best of both worlds. Small, classy looking storage where people see it atop the wine fridge, and lots of reserve storage for not a lot of money down out of sight in the basement.

There are also some combination wine racks with humidors built in at the top.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

Our wine Fridge is actually a dual zone fridge, however, somehow I doubt my wife would actually allow me to take over the red section of it, as that's about all she drinks. I would love to store the humi I currently have there, but it looks a bit cheap and I'm almost ashamed of it! It looks like I may be in the market for two humis... oh well, thats what impulse buys with not enough knowledge do to me!

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

I meant get something like a 150 count humidor and set it on top of the fridge, not in the top section.

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Sounds like a plan... any suggestions?

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

So many ones out there to pick from, you need to find one that fits the space on top of the wine fridge, your needs, your budget and your personality. I would start with Mark's site or CI for mass produced, or get in touch with Ed (waxingmoon) if you want a custom humidor made. Humidormister also makes some very fine custom humidors, but his cost bank because of all the hand fitted wood detail work.

Depends what you want to store there, boxes or just a diverse selection of singles or like three or four of each cigar from your collection, while the boxes stay down in the cooler, or a combination of boxes and loose cigars.

Do you want them displayed (glass humidor) or do you just want a wood humidor?

I would be cautious of the humidors with many pull out drawers though, some do seal, but a lot of them leak like sieves.

Re: A Basic Humidor Buying Guide
 

I appreciate the help T.G, I ended up going with The Cordoba Humidor - 125 Capacity after talking with my loving bride who said for Christmas and she'll get me a big one!!! I have a crazy awesome bride and she's as big of enabler as anyone!