The season’s a-changing for those of us who live in a four-season climate. In Minnesota, Boveda’s home base, that means we head outside to the patio for “meetings” and “brainstorming sessions”. In this week’s session, we’re talking humidity control for cigar smokers. We do this for you, Boveda fans.
L to R: Boveda’s Scott and Tim Swail gather on the office deck to talk why every humidor should be powered by Boveda.
START WITH PRECISE HUMIDITY CONTROL—WHATEVER THE SEASON
Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are linked. So when weather fluctuates, so does the environment inside your humidor if you don’t control the humidity. Previously, cigar smokers could only add moisture to their humidors with sponges and distilled water or (PG) solutions with gel, beads and crystals. These one-way humidifiers only do one job—add moisture.
And add moisture they do. The problem is, PG solutions and humidor water reservoirs don’t know when to stop. Cigar humidifiers continue to add moisture to your humidor at night when the temp falls. And keep adding moisture even through a rainy season.
Live in a dry winter or summer climate? During a dry season, humidifiers make maintaining a consistent RH level in your humidor even harder. You have to manually monitor moisture every day. Then add more water to the sponge or oasis. Let a one-way humidifier dry out and the RH level inside your humidor will nosedive, which can put your cigars at risk.
Boveda takes the work out of humidity control for cigar smokers. It’s the only humidity control technology that isn’t controlled by the environment, but acts on it. Whatever the season or condition, Boveda accounts for temp and moisture changes. As seasonal temps and humidity rise and fall, Boveda will add or remove moisture as necessary to achieve the RH level printed on its package. And then Boveda maintains that precise cigar-loving RH level for two to four months. Boveda is a no-brainer to keep cigars in perfect smoking condition.
WHAT BOVEDA RH DO YOU NEED?
WHEN THE SEASON CHANGES, DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE BOVEDA RH LEVEL YOU USE?
Depending on where you live and what kind of humidor you use, you might need to adjust the Boveda RH level in your humidor. For example, if the air surrounding a wooden humidor is incredibly dry, that air is going to draw moisture directly from the wood. And if your humidor lid doesn’t have a tight seal, you’re losing—or taking in—extra moisture.
3 QUESTIONS CIGAR LOVERS SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES:
- Do your temperatures and humidity levels spike or dip when the season changes? (In Minnesota, we vacillate between desert-dry winters and humid summers.)
- Do you store your cigars in a wooden humidor?
- Does your wooden humidor leak? (The more airtight your humidor is, the longer Boveda lasts, BTW.)
ANSWER YES TO ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS? Then you could swap out your humidor’s Boveda wardrobe when you switch from corduroy to seersucker.
During humid spring and summer months, you can help your wooden humidor offset this extreme humidity change by bumping down to a lower RH level, like Boveda 69% RH. (Then bump back up to Boveda to 72% RH Thanksgiving weekend. Digest, buy new Boveda.)
WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU CHANGE YOUR BOVEDA RH LEVEL
Know what’s currently going on in your humidor? If humidity is about to tank or soar in your area, get your humidor ready for the change in seasons.
3 Steps to Prep Your Humidor for a New Season with Boveda
- Calibrate your hygrometer or sensor with the Boveda One-Step Calibration Kit. It’s the most effective salt test for humidors and the only way to get a truly accurate RH reading.
- Now check your humidor’s RH reading with that newly calibrated hygrometer.
- Determine if you need to switch to a different Boveda RH% level based on your humidor’s true RH reading and the conditions of the season you’re entering.
Remember, never mix Boveda RH percentages.
Tips from Rob Gagner, host of Boveda’s Box Press Podcast
- Cigars in a wooden humidor? Wooden humidors can be leaky little devils. So swap out Boveda 72% RH for 69% RH to offset summer’s high humidity levels.
- Taking smokes on the road (or the green)? Golfers, boaters and campers safeguard cigars in Boveda Humidor Bags. So whatever the humidity level, you have precise year-round protection for your cigars.
WANT TO AVOID CHANGING BOVEDA SEASONALLY?
Humidity control for cigar smokers is a must. Store your cigars in an airtight acrylic humidor or Boveda Humidor Bag to protect your prized cigars from external forces. Might want to use a wooden humidor just for show not cigar storage, especially if you live in extreme climate—like the desert Southwest or up in the Rockies.
And remember: Store any humidor away from open windows, air conditioning vents and out of full sunlight. And strive to keep the room that house your humidor at a steady 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit.
HOW TO FIX A LOW RH% IN YOUR HUMIDOR | BOX PRESS EP. 02
