Why should the humidity in a humidor be around 70%?

Since Zino Davidoff brought the first cigars to Switzerland in the middle of the last century, it was discovered that the ideal conditions for preserving cigars were a relative humidity of 70% in the humidor with an ambient temperature of 20 ºC. Since then, these parameters have become the standard for keeping cigars in optimal condition.

Like many other rules discovered empirically, over time it has been confirmed that these values are indeed the most appropriate. It has been proven that a relative humidity of 70% in a humidor at an ambient temperature of 20 ºC allows the tobacco leaves to maintain an ideal combustion and for their essential oils to preserve all of their properties.

To achieve perfect combustion, the cigar must have an absolute humidity of 0.012 kg/m³. This ensures that combustion occurs at a rate that allows the vaporization of the aromatic essential oils contained in the tobacco and their transport through the smoke.

If combustion were faster, these oils would burn instead of vaporizing, negatively affecting the smoker’s experience. Additionally, controlled combustion reduces the formation of compounds that create a sensation of acidity. If the tobacco is too dry, the oils burn excessively, producing dry, unappealing, and often unpleasant smoke.

Therefore, when purchasing a humidor, it’s important to adjust the humidifier to achieve those standards: around 70% with a temperature of 20 ºC. As such, humidity levels should be adjusted depending on whether the temperature is higher or lower than these benchmarks. The most recommended range for relative humidity is between 68% and 70% with a temperature of 20 to 23 ºC to preserve cigars in humidors or walk-in humidors.

We invite you to discover our collection of cigar humidifiers.

The benefits that this humidity level in the humidor provides to cigars

• It allows the flavors and aromas to evolve better. In other words, it helps the cigar to age within the humidor and facilitates the settling of the cigar’s flavors.
• It ensures that the cigar lights evenly when ignited.
• The cigar absorbs moisture equivalent to 14% of its weight. This represents the right amount to prevent the cigar from drying out or having excess moisture that would later make it difficult to smoke.

Problems due to not keeping the humidity at an ideal level

Failing to maintain the recommended humidity levels in the humidor can lead to cigar problems:

• If the humidity is above 80%, the cigars will absorb too much moisture. This situation will lead not only to making smoking the cigar very difficult, but also to problems with mold and rot.
• When it comes time to smoke the cigar, the excess humidification in the humidor causes the cigars either burn unevenly or not be able to be lit at all. It also causes heavier and more acidic flavors in the cigar.
• On the contrary, the lack of humidity in the humidor means that the cigars will burn very quickly. In addition, the lack of humidity affects the flavor, causing cigars with more bitter, spicier and have more aggressive notes. Over time, cigars kept in low humidity can lose their flavors altogether.

We hope that all these explanations help you to understand the importance of the correct humidification of cigars. Ensuring that the humidity in the humidor is around 70% is simple and, at the same time, beneficial, since it will prevent spoiling of the cigars and will also enrich them.