Tightness of a Cigar Humidor: Why a Cigar Humidor Cabinet should Not be airtight

Cigar humidors shouldn’t be airtight. They should always convey elimination of air to a certain degree. A well built cigar humidor cabinet is built in such a way that it constantly looses an amount of moisture. That can be achieved e.g. through intentional gaps and clearances.

On the internet tightness of a humidor is usually falsely presented as quality characteristic. In general, there are 2 topics, which contradict that opinion:

Cigars breathe

Cigars evaporate they react with and in air. Air Exchange is crucial.

Exchange.

If the surrounding conditions change, that will have a direct impact on the humidor and the cigars in it. They must react to the changed conditions. Fluctuations of temperature and rel. Humidity outside the humidor are compensated. The cigar humidor cabinet should maintain a constant level of relative humidity. That doesn’t mean that a humidor should be airtight, however. When the temperature falls, the rel. humidity rises.

When the temperature rises that won’t lead to falling humidity. In fact the humidity will rise. Cigars and humidor have absorbed moisture, which they set free now. If the humidor was hermetically airtight, this would result in too high levels of humidity. The moisture needs to be transpired to the outside of the humidor. Gaps in the door are a possible measurement to guarantee that transpiration.

Important hint to prevent a popular misunderstanding:

Misunderstandings are a common issue, when it comes to humidors with built-in clöearances, gaps and door-seals. That seals aren’t meant to seal the humidor to stop transpiration. Those seals in our humidors are meant to protect the wood of the door and frame, when it’s closed. One could also call the door-stops. They are built in our humidors for the same reason that room doors have such little seals. Isolation isn’t the pursued goal. It’s protection.

Links: An essay of Marc Andre on Tightness and Cigar Humidor cabinets, published in Cigar Journal