This is our buying guide on the three best humidifiers for cigar humidors in 2023. Below is a quick summary of our top recommendations. Scroll further down to read our in depth, hands on reviews, for each humidifier.
Xikar Crystal Humidifier
- Easy to install and use
- It comes in two sizes (2 oz. and 4 oz.)
- Can humidify up to 150 cigars
- Ideal for beginners
- Works with regular tap water
- Slow and steady humidification
- Efficient humidification process
- Maintains constant humidity at 70%
- Refill after two months
- Crystals are long-lasting
- Reasonably priced
- Readily available
- Compact and easy to store
Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic Humidifier
- Beginner-friendly
- Compact and easily portable
- Powerful fan for even humidification
- Back-lit digital display
- Features a water cartridge
- Comes with a USB power adapter
- Built-in thermometer
- Adjustable humidity levels
- Straightforward to install and run
- Fast and efficient humidification
- Features a built-in LCD humidistat
- Reduces musty odors
- The fan is controlled via a sensor
Boveda 2-Way Cigar Humidifier
- Fast and effective humidification
- Works automatically
- Long-lasting effect
- Can be reused after rehydrating
- Option to choose the number of packs
- Adjustable relative humidity levels
- Hassle-free operation
- Does not require gels, beads, water, or PG solution
- Works well with all types of humidors
- Retains cigar flavor and essential oils
- Patented 2-way technology
- Reabsorbs extra moisture in the humidor
- Ease of use and maintenance
In this article, we’ll review the three best humidifiers for cigar humidors in 2022.
To preserve the quality of a cigar, you need to keep the humidity inside a humidor at around 70 per cent. A humidifier is instrumental in achieving that goal. It also keeps your cigar fresh and gives it a longer burn time.
After testing numerous humidifiers for my humidor, I found that the Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic Humidifier is the overall best. It has a straightforward setup procedure, tons of smart features, and allows you to adjust the humidity to suit your requirements.
However, since it is an electronic model, it is best for larger humidors.
For smaller humidors, crystal and bead humidifiers are the best option.
Keep reading for more of our thoughts on the best humidifiers for humidors.
Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic Humidifier
BEST OVERALL
At A Glance
The Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic Humidifier has earned the top spot on this list for a number of reasons.
This electronic humidifier by Cigar Oasis Excel packs a lot of power. It is perfect for small cabinet cigar humidors and end-table humidors.
Despite its small size, it humidifies cigar humidors like a beast! It is also effortless to install, with no drilling required.
Design
We are absolutely in love with the look of this humidor humidifier. It will spend most of its time inside the humidor, but it doesn’t hurt to be stylish.
You get a metallic look with a matte, powder coated finish that reminds us of a classic
Size
This humidifier for humidors is fairly small and compact, lending itself well to most humidor sizes. In fact, it can be used with any size humidor between 1-4 cubic feet. That means it can offer humidification for 75-300 cigars.
Humidification
This humidifier’s powerful fan efficiently circulates the air for evenly distributed humidification throughout the entire humidor. Additionally, the fan is more powerful so you don’t need to worry about rotating your cigars in the humidor!
This humidifier for humidors uses an integrated sensor that automatically measures the relative humidity inside the humidor. This info is then used to ramp up or slow down air circulation, so that the humidity stays at the desired level.
And thanks to this feature, your cigars will remain evenly humidified and stay fresh regardless of how long you store them in the humidor.
Maintenance
The Cigar Oasis Excel comes equipped with a water cartridge that is pre-treated. So to maintain the humidifier, you just need to fill up the water cartridge (preferably with distilled water) when it starts to run low.
The cartridge spans the entire length and width of the unit. This means it can hold more than enough water to last anywhere between 2 and 4 months on a full tank!
Special Features
This humidifier features a back-lit LCD that allows you to monitor the humidity level in your humidor and achieve ideal humidity levels. Additionally, the LCD will also send out low water level alerts. This way, you will never forget to refill the humidifier!
The built-in thermometer feature lets you keep track of the cigar humidor’s internal temperature. You can also adjust the humidity levels by using the large soft-touch buttons. Maintaining the optimum humidity level for your cigars becomes a cakewalk with this feature.
Even better, it has a micro-USB port that connects to a USB power adapter. This allows you to power your humidifier without needing a socket nearby. The whole setup is powered by a thin ribbon cable, so you don’t have to worry about any wires preventing your humidor from sealing properly.
We found that the fan is also quite effective for preventing musty smells from building inside the humidor, making the cleaning process a lot simpler.
With everything the Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic humidifier has to offer, it is easy to see why it is one of the best humidifiers for cigar humidors in 2022.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly
- Compact and easily portable
- Powerful fan for even humidification
- Back-lit digital display
- Features a water cartridge
- Comes with a USB power adapter
- Built-in thermometer
- Adjustable humidity levels
- Straightforward to install and run
- Fast and efficient humidification
- Features a built-in LCD humidistat
- Reduces musty odors
- The fan is controlled via a sensor
Cons
- On the pricier side
- Only 60% accuracy for a humidity reading
Xikar Crystal Humidifier
BEST BUDGET
At A Glance
The standout features of the Xikar Crystal Humidifier are its longevity and effectiveness. Both these features are essential to keep your cigars fresh, and the Xikar ticks both boxes at an incredibly low cost!
This humidifier for cigar humidors comes in at a round 2 oz. or 4 oz. polycarbonate jar. Inside the jars is a special kind of polymer gel, capable of absorbing more than 450 times its own weight in moisture! This results in quick and long-lasting cigar humidification.
Humidification
2 oz. jar regulates humidity for up to 75 cigars, and the 4 oz. jar regulates up to 150 cigars. So with this humidifier, you can create an ideal environment for as many cigars as you want!
The Xikar humidifier uses the gel to maintain 70% humidity by slowly and steadily releasing moisture into the humidor.
You can also buy Xikar’s premixed propylene glycol solution for even better cigar humidification.
Design
In terms of design, the Xikar humidifier is incredibly compact, so you can store it wherever you want to. Additionally, it is straightforward to use and install. All you have to do is unscrew the top and place it in your humidor.
Despite its small size, this humidifier will have a pretty noticeable effect on the quality of your cigars. This humidifier doesn’t necessarily need a larger humidifier to moisten your cigars.
Special Features
The best part is that whatever liquid you use for your Xikar humidifier will last up to 90 days without a refill. So once you fill the humidifier, you’re guaranteed three months of humidification.
The gel in the Xikar Crystal humidifier looks like sea salt when dry and becomes gelatin-like when activated. The gel will shrink because of the moisture loss. This way, you will know precisely when your humidifier needs a refill.
It even works well with regular tap water. So, you don’t have to go out of your way to get distilled water.
This humidifier is a fan favorite, and rightfully so! Although it is compact and reasonably priced, it effectively performs all the functions of a top-notch humidifier for cigar humidors.
Pros
- Easy to install and use
- It comes in two sizes (2 oz. and 4 oz.)
- Can humidify up to 150 cigars
- Ideal for beginners
- Works with regular tap water
- Slow and steady humidification
- Efficient humidification process
- Maintains constant humidity at 70%
- Refill after two months
- Crystals are long-lasting
- Reasonably priced
- Readily available
- Compact and easy to store
Cons
- Requires Xikar’s PG solution for optimum performance
- Some dark spots in the gel
Boveda 2-Way Cigar Humidifier
BEST PREMIUM
At A Glance
The Boveda Cigar Humidifier isn’t like our previous two humidifiers. Instead, it is an all-in-pack containing the optimum humidification solution for cigars.
This humidifier was specifically designed to keep your cigars humidified at a constant and steady rate so that you can enjoy their authentic taste!
One of the obvious benefits of the Boveda humidifier is that it is maintenance-free, so that you can say goodbye to all the guesswork! Just place the Boveda packet in your humidor on top of your cigars, and they will be good to go.
Humidification
The Boveda humidifier is a patented two-way humidity control that automatically adds and absorbs moisture into your humidor—keeping your cigars protected at all times. The best part? It does not require gels, beads, water, or PG solution for your humidor.
This humidifier releases purified humidity for your cigars. But when there is too much moisture in your humidor, the Boveda absorbs the excess. So, you don’t have to adjust any valves or worry about how much water you put in. You can just install it and relax.
This humidifier will completely redefine your cigar experience because of its efficient performance. Boveda’s patented formula uses all-natural salt and water to ensure exact Relative Humidity (65%, 69%, 72%, and 75%) for your cigar humidor, meaning your cigars can burn, light, and taste the way you want them to.
This is an all-purpose cigar humidification system that can be used on all types of cigar humidors. So be it desktop humidors, cabinet humidors, or even travel humidors, you’ll get the best bang for your buck. Therefore, I consider this humidifier one of the most versatile humidor units.
Maintenance
The Boveda control packs are durable and can last up to 2-4 months in a wooden humidor and 6-9 months in an airtight humidor. In short, once you place the packs on your humidor, your job is done.
These control packs work efficiently to ensure that the humidity levels in your cigar humidors don’t fluctuate and that the flavor and oils in your cigars are retained.
Special Features
You can also select a pack with a specific relative humidity for cigars of different qualities. For example, a relative humidity of 69% works best for premium, high-quality cigars, whereas an RH of 75% is commonly used if you want to smoke at high altitudes.
Which RH you want to select depends solely on the climate you live in and the type of cigars you use.
To cut it short, this humidifier has something in store for everyone and will provide the optimum humidity level regardless of your humidor’s size.
Pros
- Fast and effective humidification
- Works automatically
- Long-lasting effect
- Can be reused after rehydrating
- Option to choose the number of packs
- Adjustable relative humidity levels
- Hassle-free operation
- Does not require gels, beads, water, or PG solution
- Works well with all types of humidors
- Retains cigar flavor and essential oils
- Patented 2-way technology
- Reabsorbs extra moisture in the humidor
- Ease of use and maintenance
Cons
- Humidity level slightly lower than indicated on the pack
- Expensive
Frequently Asked Questions
A high quality humidification system can help you get the most out of your humidor, and there are many different types of cigar humidifiers to choose from. Thus, it is natural to be curious about these products. .
Below, I answer some frequently asked questions about cigar humidor humidifiers.
What is a Humidifier for Cigars?
A cigar humidifier is a vital part of any humidor. It is specifically designed to control the humidity levels in your cigar storage.
Humidifiers for cigar humidors come in various sizes and styles to accommodate any need. For example, smaller units only hold up to a dozen cigars. In contrast, larger cabinet humidifiers allow you to control and monitor the humidity levels of the room your cigars are stored.
This level of environmental control is essential to maintain the quality of your cigars. For example, using a humidifier for cigars keeps them from drying out and retains the flavor of your cigars.
Why do you need a Humidifier for Cigars?
The tobacco in the cigars will quickly dry out without enough moisture in the humidor. This would make the cigar lose its unique flavor and aroma–making it less enjoyable to smoke.
This is because the tobacco plant is native to tropical climates and requires humidity to grow and thrive. Therefore, to maintain their rich flavors, your cigars must retain enough moisture and be stored in a humid place.
On the other hand, if the humidity is too high, the tobacco begins to grow mold. The good thing is you can use cigar humidifiers to solve this problem.
Cigar humidifiers allow you to control the precise humidity levels in your humidor–resulting in finely aged but fresh-tasting cigars.
Where should I place my Cigar Humidifier and Humidor?
The placement of your cigar humidifier is vital. It entirely depends on the make and model of your humidor and humidifier.
The instructions for the placement come with the humidifier. Make sure you read the user’s manual before installing the humidifier.
Some humidifiers are supposed to be placed in the middle of the humidor. Others can be put in the back or front. Typically, a humidifier will have its fan aimed at the cigars from the bottom or the top to ensure they retain adequate moisture.
However, all of this depends on the make and model of your humidor.
Wrap Up
A good humidifier expertly controls the humidity levels in your humidor. The type of humidifier you choose will be based on the size of your humidor and how many cigars you want to store.
I hope this guide helps you narrow your choices to find the perfect humidifier that can keep your cigars fresh and allow them to age like fine wine.
I recommend giving Cigar Oasis Excel Electronic Humidifier a chance. But if you’re not sold on it, check out the other best-rated humidifiers of 2023!
