Q. I would like to know, what is the humidity that I should keep my humidor, and how often should I look at it to check on the humidity?
– J. Suarez
A. My so-called, “magic formula,” is to keep the RH (relative humidity) at an average of 68% within a temperature range between 65 – 70 degrees. Unless you smoke cigars every day, check the box every two to three days and add distilled water only as needed.
Note that if the RH reads somewhere around 65% or lower you may only need to add a squirt of distilled water to get it back up, rather than soaking the entire humidifier, which could lead to too much humidity. In fact, some cigars do quite well at lower RH levels. As long as the cigars are supple when lightly pinched, they should be fine.
Eventually, with time and a little cautious experimentation, you’ll know exactly how to gauge your humidor’s conditions, especially as it becomes more seasoned.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
Show all Gary Korb's Articles
Reading Time: 3 minutes La Aroma de Cuba cigars added a Connecticut selection this year and Gary has a review of the Toro-sized Monarch. Check out what he had to say, and see what effect, if any, the new wrapper had on the blend.
Reading Time: 5 minutes We all know dried out cigars can ruin your day—but what can you do if you don’t have a humidor or have run out of space? Check out our useful guide for some expert tips on how to store cigars and keep them fresh without a humidor.
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cohiba Cigars is releasing a new full-production, three vitola collection, Cohiba Riviera. Named for the region in Mexico that includes the San Andrés Tuxtla Valley, the source of Riviera’s wrapper—a first for Cohiba. Read about another brand first and more here.
Reading Time: 2 minutes #nowsmoking: check out our Oliva Inferno Melt cigar review, and why this Maduro is getting compared to all the good things about Perdomo and Henry Clay. Click for the tasting notes on this Churchill and more, delivered in under 2 minutes…
