Cigar Humidifiers: Pros and Cons

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Hi I’m Kayla with Cheaphumidors.com and today we’re going to discuss the five main types of humidifiers people use in their humidors. We have foam, crystal gel, beads, Boveda, and electronic humidifiers. Today we’ll discuss the pros and cons of cigar humidifiers.

Foam-Based Humidifiers: The Cheapest Option
The main type of humidifier that we see in humidors is the traditional foam-based humidifier. This utilizes a florist foam like this, and you refill this with either distilled water or activator solution. It is a one-way humidifier so it will only release moisture. If you refill it with distilled water, you’ll see a large boost in humidity followed by a quick taper in humidity. If you use activator solution, you’ll see a steady release over time.

You need to refill these humidifiers once every 1-2 weeks, depending on how large your humidor is. You also need to replace them every 6-12 months. The florist foam will end up losing its ability to absorb water over time, so you’ll see a decrease in functionality over that time.

They come in all different shapes and sizes. This one is a travel humidifier so it’s for a 10-12 cigar humidor, and it doesn’t mount but just sits in the humidor. The smaller, round one is for about 75 cigars, and you can mount it magnetically or you can rest it on the tray. They also come in these larger sizes that are for about 250 cigars.

Again, you need to replace these every 6-12 months. They are very cost effective; they are by far the cheapest method of humidification, but you do run the risk of mold growth over time. These create humid environments which is great for your cigars but it’s also really great for mold. The activator solution will help prevent mold but you still run that risk.

Crystal Gel Humidifiers: One Way Only
Next we have crystal gel humidifiers. You may choose to upgrade your humidifier to a crystal gel-based humidifier. These types of humidifiers use a crystal polymer; it starts off as very small, hard crystals and they’ll expand when you humidify them. They’ll end up looking something like this.

This is a one way humidifier so it will only release humidity. It won’t absorb any excess humidity. They come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes. You have the traditional one that will mount to the lid of your humidor, and these will humidify up to about 250 cigars.

You have the DryMistat Crystal Humidity Tube which will lay down in your humidor like this, alongside your cigars and release humidity. Then you have the jar-based ones that will sit at the bottom of your humidor without being mounted.

They need to be refilled with only distilled water, you don’t want to use activator solution with these. You want to refill them every 2-4 weeks and they need to be replaced every 1-2 years. The great thing about these is that it is super easy to tell when you need to refill them because the crystals will shrink. However, it is still a one-way humidifier so you’ll run the risk of over-humidifying your humidor.

Bead-Based Humidifiers: People Love Them!
Next we have the bead-based humidifiers. These use silica beads that will become clear when they become humidified. They typically are sold in bags. You can get them on our website in 1/2 or 1/4 pound bag.

You can mount them in different ways. Some people use nylon stockings or some people will use a plastic dish. Some companies use them in mounted humidifiers like this, which can mount to the lid of your humidor using Velcro. These types of humidifiers are meant to be refilled with distilled water only, you don’t want to use activator solution.

They need to be refilled every 2-4 weeks and they need to be replaced every 3-6 years. As the beads will absorb oils from the cigars, they’ll lose their ability to absorb and release moisture. A lot of people love these because they’re the two-way humidifiers.

The only problem is that sometimes they do give off dust. Other than that, they’re really cost effective. The upfront cost might be a little higher than a traditional foam-based humidifier, but they need to be replaced far less often.

Boveda Packets: Super Accurate, Two Way Humidification
Next we have Boveda packets, which use salt compounds to maintain very accurate humidity levels. They come in 65, 69, 72, and 75 percent packets. You need about one packet per 25 cigar capacity. They are a two-way humidifier so they will both release and absorb humidity. Once they reach their setpoint they’ll start absorbing their humidity.

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