Do humidors have to be airtight?

Humidors do not necessarily have to be airtight, i.e. they should be ventilated periodically. For this reason, they are not hermetic boxes or furniture, but their doors can have slight slits or even their back side can be perforated so that they can “breathe” in a controlled manner, that is, without altering the humidity. In this way, a balanced environment inside the humidor will be achieved.

Why is humidor ventilation important? We explain the main reasons why a humidor should not be airtight:

• Humidity control: Adequate ventilation helps to avoid the accumulation of excess humidity. If humidity levels inside the humidor get too high, there is a risk of mould growth or damage to the cigars.
• Air circulation: Air circulation inside the humidor is also important to distribute humidity evenly, avoiding excess humidity in certain areas. Most large humidors (99 %) are equipped with an electronic humidification system that helps to move the humidity. Therefore, in such cases, there is less of a need to pay attention to ventilation. However, those with natural humidification (sponge tray) may need more attention in terms of ventilation.
• Odour prevention: Adequate ventilation also helps prevent the accumulation of unwanted odours inside the humidor. Humidors that remain closed for a long time can have an excess of cigar aromas, with different types of cigars mixing together and affecting their taste.
• Tobacco maintenance: cigars are best kept in a humid but fresh environment. That is to say, where there is not excessive humidity and where the air circulates from time to time.

Humidors made by Wacota are designed for ventilation

For all these reasons, the humidors that we manufacture in Wacota Humidors are made so that the cigars are kept in a perfect humidity environment, around 70%. But also so that the atmosphere inside the humidor is balanced, avoiding problems such as excess humidity and odours and providing optimum air circulation so that the cigars are preserved as the first day and do not spoil.

Thus, our humidors are not completely airtight. They can also be perforated at the back to facilitate ventilation. Our shelves are also equipped with slits and our cigar trays with holes to help the circulation of humidity and air exchange. However, we recommend opening the humidor at least once a day and if the cigars stored in it are not rotated much, we also recommend opening it from time to time and even moving the cigars around, putting the ones on top on the bottom and vice versa.