How to Store Cigars: Humidors & Humidity 101

You can spend €40 on a cigar and have it taste like €4 if you store it badly for a fortnight. Humidity, temperature and a bit of patience are the three things that matter. Here is the working knowledge.

The numbers

Relative humidity: 65–72%. The classic target is 70%. Slightly drier (65–67%) gives a brisker, more focused smoke; slightly damper (70–72%) gives a softer, slower one.
Temperature: 16–21°C (60–70°F). Cooler is safer than warmer — warm humidors can attract tobacco beetle.
Stability: matters more than the absolute number. A humidor swinging between 60% and 75% is worse than one held steady at 67%.

Two cigars resting on a magazine beside a stone ashtray on dark wood, a moody lounge scene about storing cigars at the right humidity — Two cigars on a magazine beside a stone ashtray, lit by warm lounge light.

Three storage options

1. Desktop humidor — for collections of 25–100 cigars

The classic Spanish cedar-lined box. Cedar regulates humidity and adds a subtle aromatic ageing to the cigars. Plan on around €100+ for a humidor worth owning — anything substantially cheaper will warp or fail to seal.

Browse our Humidors collection. Davidoff makes some of the best in the industry — see the Davidoff Air de Famille as a benchmark.

2. Travel humidor or humidified pouch — for 1–10 cigars on the move

For trips, restaurants or simply moving a few cigars from your main humidor to your office, a humidified pouch is the practical solution. Our Humidified Pouches collection covers most use cases.

3. Tupperdor — the budget starter

A large airtight plastic container plus a Boveda humidity pack. Not glamorous, but completely effective for a starter collection of 20–30 cigars. The Boveda Starter Kit covers the humidification side.

Cigar resting on a black ashtray with a whisky glass and cutter on a green mosaic-tile table, pairing well-stored cigars with a drink — A cigar paired with whisky on a green mosaic-tile table.

How Boveda packs work

Boveda is the modern answer to the old foam-and-water humidifier. The packs are pre-saturated salt-water solutions in a permeable sleeve; they release moisture when the humidor is dry and absorb it when it's damp, maintaining a precise target humidity (69%, 72%, etc.). One pack per 25 cigars is the working rule.

For most users, Boveda is now the recommended approach over traditional bead or sponge humidifiers — less maintenance, more consistent results. See our full Boveda range.

Hands toasting the foot of a cigar with a soft flame in a candlelit restaurant, showing the ritual of enjoying a properly stored cigar — Toasting the foot of a cigar by candlelight at The Beaumont.

Common mistakes

Distilled water only. Tap water carries minerals and chlorine that taint cigars.
Don't pack cigars too tightly. They need airflow.
Don't open the humidor constantly. Every opening is a humidity reset; once a day is plenty for an active humidor.
Don't trust an analogue hygrometer. They drift. Calibrate it every six months, or use a digital one.

On ageing

Most premium cigars benefit from at least three to six months of rest after purchase, particularly Cubans. They are shipped young, and a settled humidor smooths out their flavour. If you have the patience, an extra year of careful storage on a Cohiba or a Davidoff Aniversario is rarely wasted.